SONY INTROS 'HYBRID' HDV CAMCORDERS
November 19, 2007

SONY INTROS 'HYBRID' HDV CAMCORDERS

The HVR-Z7U (handheld) and HVR-S270U (shoulder-mount) camcorders are designed for documentaries, electronic news gathering, independent production, music videos and Web streaming applications and use Sony’s 1/3-inch 3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor system, enhanced by Exmor technology. The new technologies allow the camcorders to perform better in low-light conditions, with sensitivity of 1.5 lux.

Users can attach different lenses thanks to the cameras’ universal standard 1/3-inch bayonet mount mechanism. Each camcorder comes standard with a 12x Carl Zeiss lens for HD video, with a Vario-Sonnar T coating to reduce reflections. A specially designed 8x wide-angle lens is also available as an option.

The camcorders offer 1080, 24p and 30p native progressive recording. The progressive HDV streams can be output from an i.LINK interface and used for progressive editing with compatible NLE software. The cameras can switch between 1080p, 1080i in the HDV format, DVCAM, and DV recording, and can down-convert material from HD to SD, and output the video signals through its i.LINK interface and other SD output connectors.

Hybrid recording capabilities allows the units to attach a provided memory-recording unit to both cameras. This unit captures the HDV1080i, DVCAM, or DV stream output from the camcorder and can record HDV/DVCAM/DV files to a standard CompactFlash memory card, while users are simultaneously recording to tape.

Sony also introduced the HVR-M35U record and playback deck, which has a 60i/50i switchable function, and supports HDV1080i (60i/50i/24p/30p/25p) and DVCAM/DV (60i/50i).

Pricing is 10,500 for the HVR-S270U camcorder, $6.850 for the HVR-Z7U camcorder, and $5,540 for the HVR-M35U deck.