LAS VEGAS - Sony introduced its new F23 CineAlta camera to the NAB crowd. The camera, due to ship in late Spring, will support 4:4:4 1920x1080 RGB imaging and is designed for both digital television and motion picture content creation.
The F23 uses three 2.2 megapixel 2/3-inch type progressive CCD imagers and a 14-bit A/D converter. The unit will support 1080/23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p, 50i and 59.94i formats.
The F23 shares the HDC-F950 camera's 1920x1080 RGB 4:4:4 design, but also incorporates several new features that came from feedback from production professionals. The SRW-1 digital 4:4:4 recorder will dock directly to the top or to the tail of the new camera, eliminating the need for cumbersome cable handling between the unit and the recorder. When more mobility is required, the recorder can be tethered using a dual-link cable connection, allowing the camera to be as small and light as possible.
For "film" production, the camera body is compatible with a variety of film camera accessories, including bridge plates, matte boxes and follow focus units. These can be attached to the F23 without modification. For increased durability and reliability, and to withstand the numerous lens changes that often happen on location, the F23 system will use a harder material for its lens mount.
When used with Sony's SRW-1 VTR, the F23 can capture and record variable speed images from 1p to 60p (1p to 30fps at 4:4:4 and 1p to 60fps at 4:2:2) at the full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This allows for undercranking or overcranking functionality to produce special motion effects. The variable speed images can be played back by the SRW series of VTRs immediately after shooting.
Users can operate the camera with the supplied Assistant Panel remote controller. The device connects to the camera with a single cable and allows users to remotely execute basic camera and VTR operations. The CVP File Editor, which is a Windows PC gamma creation software, is also supported.