Sony has just announced three new 4K HDR (3840×2160) palm-sized camcorders during IBC 2017 in Amsterdam: the XDCAM PXW-Z90, the NXCAM HXR-NX80 and the Handycam FDR-AX700 with an improved AF system. The new camcorders have a Sony 1-inch stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor, and all three support an instant HDR (High Dynamic Range) workflow with HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma). According to Sony, the most exciting thing about these new camcorders will be the fast Hybrid Autofocus system. Sony FDR-AX700 The fast Hybrid AF system relies on 273 phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 84% of the shooting area, a high-density placement of autofocus points and a newly developed AF algorithm. Phase-detection AF frames make it easy to detect the focused area in order to monitor the subject that is in focus. The new camcorders feature a high-resolution OLED viewfinder (0.39″ OLED, 2.359k dots) as well as a 3.5″ 1.555k dots LCD touch-screen display. It will be possible to quickly switch focus from one sbuject to another with adjustable AF drive speed, tracking depth range and subject switching sensitivity. Sony HXR-NX80 According to Sony, the HLG HDR workflow speeds up post-production work and produces high-quality HDR content faster without grading. Key features of the new Sony camcorders: 4K (3840×2160) full-pixel readout without pixel binning (through an enhanced BIONZ X image processing engine) Super slow motion recording – 1000fps in PAL and 960fps in NTSC. Sound will not be recorded in the super slow motion mode. Sony has not published the exact resolution for the super slow motion at such high rates, but if previous models are anything to go by, it will be below Full HD . Slow and Quick motion recording – Full HD, maximum 100fps in PAL and 120fps in NTSC. Sound will not be recorded in Slow motion mode. S-Log3/S-Gamut3 capabilities for further post-production possibilities 29mm (35mm equivalent) ZEISS Varion-Sonnar T* 12x optical zoom lens (18x “Clear image zoom” for 4K recording and 24x for HD recording) Less image distortion (rolling shutter) Sony’s new camcorders feature dual memory card slots and allow for proxy recording, relay recording and simultaneous backup recording functions. All new camcorders also have remote terminals, Sony’s Multi-Interface Shoe and full-size HDMI Type A. New Sony camcorders – NX80, Z90 and AX700 The Z90 and NX80 also feature dual XLR audio inputs and a detachable handle. Furthermore, those two camcorders have optional connection to Sony’s smartphone application to enable Wi-Fi monitoring, remote control and wireless timecode sync between multiple cameras. The PXW-Z90 includes broadcast-specific features like the XAVC format with 4:2:2 10 bit (HD) and 4:2:0 8 bit ( 3840×2160), in addition to conventional (optional) broadcasting MPEG2HD format and 3G SDI connectivity. The Handycam FDR-AX700 will be available in October 2017, while the NX80 and Z90 will be available in December 2017. For further information you can visit the Sony booth (13.A10) at IBC 2017 or the Sony website. How do you think these new Sony cameras compare to the similar recent announcement from Canon? Let us know in the comments below!

The Canon XF405 is at the helm of a whole fleet of small-sensor camcorders just announced by Canon. 4K 50/60p – The Canon XF405 & XF400 At the forefront of Canon’s latest announcement are the XF405 & XF400, two videojournalist-style camcorders with a 1” 1.0-type 13.2MP CMOS sensor paired with a Dual DIGIC DV6 image processor. This combination makes it possible for these two models to capture a resolution of up to 4K, at frame rates of up to 59.94p. This means that – should you have the need – these cameras allow you to deliver 4K content for use in news broadcast environments in cases where 50fps is required, or to add a slight slow motion effect to your 4K footage. Both the Canon XF405 and the XF400 feature a 15x optical zoom with a full-frame equivalent range of 25.5-382.5mm, making it ideal for fast-paced news or documentary environments, but still offering an adequate shallow depth of field and low-light capabilities with a maximum aperture of f/2.8. Both cameras offer Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel Autofocus seen in their cinema line of cameras, as well as optical and electronic image stabilisation – another plus for dynamic, documentary-style shoots. Both cameras record AVC-HD and MP4 to dual SD cards – which allow for simultaneous or relay recording – in HD 8 bit  YCC 4:2:0 35Mbps, and in 4K 150Mbps. Additionally, they offer up to 120fps at Full HD resolution, and will be capable of recording in the XF-AVC codec after a firmware update coming in the first half of 2018. Both cameras offer an HDMI output, but only the XF405 offers SDI which, incidentally, is HD only (10 bit / 4:2:2) The difference between the two? That SDI output. Other features include two XLR inputs, 3-stage ND filter, as well as a 58mm front filter thread for the new WA-U58 0.8x wide-angle converter and TL-U58 1.5x Teleconverter, adding to the overall flexibility of these models. The two new converters. LEGRIA GX10 As a smaller sibling to the Canon XF405 and XF400, the new LEGRIA GX10 seems to fill the more consumer-oriented gap. Doing away with the top handle, this model loses some of its features such as manual audio controls and XLR ports, restricting microphone inputs to a single 3.5mm mini jack. However, the LEGRIA retains many of the important features under the hood, such as 4K 50p, 150Mbps bit rate, Full HD Slow Motion at 100Mbps and dual SD cards. XA15 and XA11 – The HD Counterparts In addition to the aforementioned cameras, Canon has also announced the XA15 and XA11, a couple of small camcorders with an HD CMOS Sensor and an earlier DIGIC DV4 processor. They can deliver Full HD recording in 50p at 35Mbps, and offer a 20x optical zoom with full-frame equivalent of 28.8-576mm. Like the Canon XF405 and XF400, they will offer 5-axis image stabilisation for dynamic yet stable handheld shoots. Are you in the market for a versatile small-sensor camera to add to you arsenal? Could these new Canon models fit the bill? Let us know in the comments below.