It’s been a long time since Sony launched an XDCAM camcorder, but here it is, the new PXW-X200 along with the similar but ever so slightly lower spec HXR-NX800 NXCAM (basically missing the SDI out and won’t have MXF recording).
Why release 2 new cameras with smallish 1″ sensors in a market dominated by super 35mm and full frame cameras?
It’s all abut the lens!
Well a lot comes down to the lens. As many will know you cannot get small, fast, light weight zooms with a very big zoom ranges for the bigger sensor cameras. The laws of physics and optics get in the way. But, build a camera with a smaller sensor with an integrated lens and you can have a big zoom range in a very compact and lightweight package. This type of camera can be very handy for news and documentary production and a market for them still exists. Those that shoot weddings and events will also find the ability to get a wide range of different shots from one position beneficial.
The Z200 and the NX800 both feature a Sony G series lens that will give the equivalent field of view to a 24-480mm lens on a Full Frame sensor. This is a 20x power zoom lens with maximum apertures of F2.8 (wide) and F4.5 (telephoto). If you need a longer reach then you can combine the optical zoom with Sony’s electronic Clear Image zoom function to gain an additional 1.5x or 2x.
Stabilisation.
The lens is optically stabilised and in addition to the optical stabilisation you can add Sony’s electronic Active Stabilisation to help combat camera shake and unwanted movements. There is a small crop when you use the Active mode and it can’t be used when shooting at 100fps or higher.
AI Autofocus and object tracking.
Throw in a good dose of Sony’s excellent AI enhanced auto focus and object tracking and getting great shots in a wide range of scenarios becomes easier than possible with previous generations of similar cameras. The camera can identify and track not only faces but the profile of a human, so the AF can follow a moving person whether they are facing the camera or not.
Variable ND.
Behind the lens is Sony’s now almost universal variable ND filter which goes from 1/4 to 1/128th density – 2 stops to 7 stops of ND plus a clear position.
1.0-inch-type Exmor RS™ CMOS stacked sensor
Both cameras have a 5K, 14 megapixel 1.0-inch-type Exmor RS™ CMOS stacked sensor. There is a full oversampled 5K readout of the sensor when shooting at up to 60fps. I have not tried the camera yet, but these specs suggest that overall you should get reasonable sensitivity and decent noise performance. The back illuminated stacked sensors tend to have bigger pixels than non-stacked sensors with a similar pixel count as the readout circuits are separated and on different sensor layers from the photosites. The extra space for the readout circuits also allows for higher speed sensor readouts. If you want to shoot faster than 60fps then there is a small crop as the sensor appears to be read at 4K (23%) and then you can shoot at up to 120fps in 4K and 240fps in HD.
The cameras use the same BIONZ XR processing as found in the most recent Sony Alpha and FX series cameras.
Recording Codecs.
Both new cameras both support a wide variety of recording formats including XAVC HS, XAVC S, XAVC SI, and XAVC HS Proxy (up to 16 Mbps). These will be recorded using the .mp4 wrapper in the same way that the FX series camera do. They also support proxy recording.
- XAVC S-I, HS-L, S-L, HD/QFHD Recording
The PXW-Z200 will also support XAVC MXF recording through a future firmware update expected summer 2025.
The cameras record to Dual CFexpress Type-A/SD Card Slots, again this is the same as the Alpha and FX series cameras, so the same media can be used for both.
Gamma Curves and Colour Profiles.
These cameras do include Sony’s S-Cinetone colour science and colour profile. In addition there are profiles for ITU-709, Sony’s new 709Tone (matches previous generations of cameras) as well as HLG for direct to HDR applications. S-Log3 and the ability to add a LUT IS included via a flexible ISO shooting mode but I do have to wonder if the sensor actually has enough dynamic range to make full use of it.
Outputs and connectivity.
Both the HXR-NX800 and PXW-Z200 are equipped with various interfaces including HDMI Type A, USB Type-C™, LAN, and REMOTE terminals. The PXW-Z200 also has a 12G SDI output and TC input/output.
For audio there are two full size XLR connectors as well as an MI show on the top of the handle giving the ability to input up to 4 channels of audio.
The cameras also have built in RTMP/RTMPS or SRT streaming capabilities along with 2.5/5Ghz wifi connectivity.
Versatile file transfer options include HEVC (H.265) and AVC (H.264) codecs, automatic upload to the cloud or an FTP server, and the ability for proxy chunk for high-quality and secure file transfer.
Furthermore, by combining it with Sony’s new portable data transmitter, PDT-FP1, the two new camcorders can support higher quality streaming with the company’s proprietary QoS technology and Creators’ Cloud for enterprise services, including the camera linking cloud service, C3 Portal (paid service), XDCAM pocket, and the cloud broadcast system, M2 Live.
Monitoring.
The cameras have a folding 3.5″ LCD screen and a removable hood can be attached to the screen to create a sun shade.
So who’s it for?
I guess this is the big question. We are seeing more and more organisations that would have once used cameras like the Z280 moving to large sensor cameras like the FX3, FX6 or even A7S3 because they prefer the way the images look. When you put a high quality photo lens on an FX3 it’s pretty easy to create good looking images. Plus an FX3 with a lens is cheaper than what a lot of “professional” camcorders used to cost.
These cameras are expected to be available September 2024 for a suggested retail price of $3,299.99 (USD) (EUR 3000), and$3,999.99 (USD) (EUR 3750), respectively. So, they are cheaper than previous similar cameras. But is that enough? A lot will depend on the actual image quality that these can deliver “in the wild”. How easy will an average camera operator find it to get a good looking image. That big 20x zoom range is certainly highly appealing, it would be great for something like filming a breaking news story – it would have been easier to take a camera like this to have shot the volcanoes in Iceland than a camera plus bag full of lenses. It will definitely appeal to those that shoot weddings and events as an all-round general purpose camera. So, who knows, maybe these will do well for Sony. Only time will tell and I look forward to testing one properly.