Some may be dubious of the merits of ENG cameras over their sleek and stylish film counterparts, such as the 8K F65 Cine Alta or Arri Alexa, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong. While ENG cameras have long been pigeonholed for their clunky construction and weight, much of network television depends upon their workhorse-like live sports coverage capabilities.
The distinction in design approach between cameras for film and broadcast has never been more present, yet the capabilities are strikingly similar. In many ways, a rising tide lifts all ships. During a recent press conference at the NAB trade show, Sony was the latest in a sea of manufacturers to raise the standard with the latest ENG unveiling, the HDC-4800
The past decade has seen a surge in production power for storytellers, both filmmakers and photojournalists alike. With top flight camera manufacturers such as Canon and Sony leading the charge, the borders of possibility in camera function keep expanding, allowing the impassioned storyteller to bring their production to the next level.
Make no mistake, the release of the Sony HDC 4800 should excite everyone.
It's predecessor, the 4300, was the world’s first camera to use three 2/3-inch 4K image sensors, capable of delivering 4K and Full HD video for sport and live-event broadcast. Sony is taking the lauded success of the 4300 and dazzling the video community once again.
The anticipated August 2016 release of the 4800 speaks volumes of Sony's confidence that an ultra high frame rate of 480 FPS with 4K capabilities is not only preferable, but necessary to stay competitive in the world of live coverage, most notably live sports coverage. It shows it breadth in featuring motorized ND/CC filters, supporting PL mount lenses and its wide color space capabilities, with BT.2020 and BT.709 supported.
“This camera system can do a lot of everything — very high frame rate, very high resolution, and it works seamlessly within Sony’s current HDC family to give users a familiar yet powerful and new production tool,” said Rob Willox, marketing manager for content creation, Sony Electronics. “This is the future of live production, designed to satisfy the storytelling aspect of modern sports production.”
These specs matter. As networks begin to use high frame rate 4K capable cameras such as this one, there will simply be no room for anything less than that standard. In some small way, ENG cameras set the average viewers standard for what quality should be and how the general public should appreciate production. Expect the Sony HDC-4800 to shake things up.
Sony has kept silent on pricing for now, keep your eyes to the Fstoppers screen for updates on the August 2016 release of the HDC-4800 and all other things video.
"Crap, Broadcast TV isn't buying into the F5 as much as we'd hoped" - Sony
I've heard people getting the F5, and F55, but they've been in their few for ENG stuff. Maybe it's just what I've been seeing, but it could be down to the industry running from anything 'cine' that makes them uncomfortable.
very interesting. I work as a camera PA and AC on unscripted work, where the VAST majority of work is done on ENG cameras. I always look forward to working with new cameras, and this one looks like a cool evolution.
Ben, the ENG camera Sony launched is XDCAM shoulder-mount camcorder, PXW-Z450. The HDC-4800 is a high-speed camera for sports production, hardly an ENG camera unless you want slo-mo of news events.