PARK RIDGE, N.J.: Sony has unveiled its smallest and lightest XDCAM yet, the handheld PMW-100. Features include full HD recording at up to 50 Mbps.
The PMW-100 sports a new 1/2.9-inch “Exmor” CMOS sensor, achieving minimum illumination of 0.08lx, and a 5.4-54mm (40-400mm in 35mm equivalent) zoom lens. It records and plays back full-HD video at 1080i, 1080p and 720p at up to 50 Mbps MXF with MPEG HD422 Long-GOP compression, and can be switched to MPEG HD420 35/25Mbps or DVCAM 25Mbps. The PMW-100 can also record high quality 24-bit four-channel audio at an uncompressed 48kHz.
A 3.5-inch full-color 852x480 pixel LCD provides capture visuals and playback review, (and here, gives some perspective of the size of the PMW-100). A Slow & Quick Motion function allows recording from 1 to 60fps in 720p or 1 to 30fps in 1080p. The camcorder can record to SxS memory cards, Sony’s Memory Stick, SD cards and XQD as “emergency secondly media.” A new “SxS Memory Card Management Utility” download—available starting May 10—will add a data back-up function and lifetime indication of card use.
The camera also incorporates HD/SD-SDI output, Composite output, Genlock input, timecode input/output, i.LINK (HDV/DV) input/output, and A/V output.
The PMW-100 will start shipping in May 2012. Sony did not disclose the price.
~ Deborah D. McAdams
