Sony prototype cinema camera shown at NAB
 

Sony Electronics' twitter feed has a picture of this small prototype cinema camera due out next year:

Sony's Shapiro unveiled a prototype digital cinematic camera ... on Twitpic

Anyone know more about it?

With Panasonic's 4/3 pro camcorder and perhaps this camera, things are really shaping up! And all this time I thought RED was going to have the Scarlet market to itself for awhile since it looks like Canon isn't going to go there. Scarlet will probably still be much higher-spec'ed than either of these cameras, but at least there might be some kind of competition.

And the battle rages on for the shallow DOF market! I did not expect Sony and Panasonic to be showing models for this type of camera at NAB.

I just hope one of these models lets me use my Canon glass. At least Sony has a pretty extensive line of lenses with their growing still presence.

But maybe a stock lens would have some features that would integrate with the camera. I am sure this will be beaten to death by the time the end of the year rolls around!

That's just a Z7 with a big lens on the front! Mock up tastic to counter the panasonic camera!

Nice that looks like a Zeiss Master Prime! Please make the PL mount swappable with still mounts! Ok Canon now you need to show your XL prototype. Oh and um you too JVC, I guess...

Looks sweet. Now watch Sony start asking $25K for something like this. :(

It's kind of ironic that both the Panasonic m4/3 and this Sony camera are starting to looking like this Ikegami box camera that I've always wanted them to design! They just need to put an ENG type VF and shoulder pad on it!

Btw, here's a close up comparison with a Z7.

It looks like the LCD is on the side instead of on the handle, probably so that it can clear the lens and any lens controls. That appears to be a Zeiss 65mm Master Prime hanging off of it, so perhaps this is a single chip design? I think I can also spot a lever for two-position ND filters.

It is finally happening... the big boys are going after the affordable DOF market.

Oh my god...I just posted how much I had been waiting for a camera like the new 4/3" Panasonic over in that thread, but this is 10x better. I'm a huge Sony fan and this looks like it was just made for me. I've been planning on getting an NX5, but I might just have to wait for this once we get more information about it...

is this tongue in cheek because it looks nothing like a Z7

How can you say it's 10x better when we've got no specs (that I've seen) and just a picture?

Someone else a couple posts back called it 'affordable' but again, we've seen no prices anywhere.

I'm glad the major players are dipping their toes into this long awaited segment but lets not rush to judgment when all we've got is a picture.

Looks like the big boys are battling it out. Will Canon have a chance to do a 4/3" finally?

I am on my way to NAB I wil try to get some close up pics...

FYI, the guys I talked to at the NAB booth had no idea what I was talking about when I asked about the camera. I don't believe it's being shown on the show floor and was only shown to press at the press briefing yesterday. (I didn't have an invite, so we don't have any photos.) Several of the folks from Sony Japan got their first look at it when I showed them the picture that was posted on Twitter. I wouldn't expect anything in the way of concrete details for months.

Here's a short video, courtesy of 'camera department' on Vimeo, of the press conference where the camera was shown.


Apparently the camera is part of Sony's "35mm roadmap." It's a "smaller, more affordable...entry level 35mm camcorder that will be released prior to NAB 2011." So sounds like a single sensor S35mm camcorder.

The interesting thing to me is how long it really takes to develop and mass produce something like this. The hardware/mechanical design looks pretty far along, maybe even done already, but they still need almost a year to (probably) do testing and make final adjustments before manufacturing and shipping the product. It's like Jean-Pierre Beauviala says in this YouTube interview on the Aaton Penelope digital mag. The camera is basically done, but they need a lot of time to make adjustments (and presumably make sure the product is bug free).

YouTube - The next 4K digital mag for Aäton Penelope described by JP Beauviala ! [with english subs]