At this year’s NAB show, Sony will feature the HVR-Z5U. The HD camcorder offers native 24P recording as well as tapeless recording capability through an optional CampactFlash adapter.
The camcorder uses three of Sony’s ClearVid 1/3inch CMOS sensor chips, which are designed to provide high sensitivity, deep resolution, high-speed reading, low noise and a wider dynamic range. The CMOS sensors capture full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, resulting in better picture quality when recorded onto miniDV tape in the HDV format (1440 pixels x 1080 lines). Each of the three sensors is dedicated to one color — red, blue and green — for natural, more accurate color reproduction.
The camcorder’s Exmor technology features a unique column-parallel analog-to-digital conversion technique and dual noise canceling, resulting in digital signals with extremely low noise. The technologies combine to allow the new camcorders to perform significantly better in low-light environments with sensitivity of 1.5 lux.
The HVR-Z5U uses Sony’s XtraFine LCD (3.2in, 921,000 dots) and XtraFine electronic viewfinder (0.45in, 1,227,000 dots) for high-resolution and high-contrast images with remarkable color reproduction. It features a Sony G lens with a 29.5mm wide-end viewing angle, extra-low dispersion glass and 20X optical zoom. The fixed lens is optimized to complement the camera’s advanced image sensor and image-processing technology.
