Only a week after a press event showing its new single CMOS sensor PMW-F3 camcorder, Sony has now unveiled an entry-level NXCAM HD camcorder, featuring an E-mount lens system and a 35mm large format sensor. The camcorder is designed for professional use and will be available in the middle of 2011.
It joins the PMW-F3 in challenging the high-end CineAlta F35 and SRW-9000PL cameras for digital cinema production. The new camcorder offers an affordable yet highly capable professional solution for many applications including independent film, music video and corporate communications all looking for the cinematic look.
This NXCAM HD camcorder under development will be equipped with a Super-35mm equivalent sensor, a widely used film stock size in the film industry that is perfectly designed for capturing motion picture. According to Sony, the new sensor will have “extraordinary performance in terms of picture quality and sensitivity,” and is able to create rich “Bokeh” effect (beautifully defocused image) that is perfect for artistic storytelling in motion pictures.
Thanks to the adoption of the E-mount interchangeable lens system that is identical to the “á” series NEX-5, 3 and Handycam NEX-VG10, the E-mount lenses will be compatible with this new professional camcorder. In addition, a short flange back distance (the distance between lens mount surface and sensor surface) allows various “á” A-mount lenses be mounted via a mount adaptor (LA-EA1).
The recording format for this new HD camcorder will be AVCHD, a widely supported format by many nonlinear editing software vendors and the same format as the HXR-NX5 NXCAM camcorder. There is also a plan to implement 1080p (60p/30p/24p or 50p/25p) recording modes. MPEG4-AVC/H.264 compression will be used for these modes.
