Sony HXR-MC50E
 

Another new Sony Camera, launched at NAB

Sony : HXR-MC50E (HXRMC50E) : Technical Specifications : United Kingdom

Can't find any clues to price, and there seem to be some real discrepancies in the tech specs between various parts of the website. I'm taking all the tech specs with a pinch of salt right now! I think the Sony web-guys have given the HXR-MC50E the tech specs and accessory list of the PMW-320K.

Basically, this is the solid-state equivalent of the A1E.

The specs definitely don't match the camera pictured (bayonet mount, 1/2" sensors!) This article seems a little more matched to the photo - but has little information - http://www.techgadgets.in/digital-ca...50e-camcorder/

I have concluded that it's just a fancier version of this:

HDR-CX550V | 64GB HD Handycam® Camcorder | Sony | Sony Style USA

So as the PD100 was to the TRV900, so the MC50E is just the "pro" version of the CX550V.
Which is not to say that there's anything wrong with it for what it is.

looks a lot like JVC's 1/4" chip camera, but they somehow managed to cram 3 1/2" chips in there.

Since theirs other people around me, I almost had trouble stopping myself from laughing when I first saw those specs.

No, I think all that's in there is one 1/2.88" chip, basically one one-third-inch chip, of the same variety as are in the NX5, but just one of them.

Seems more like a cut down EX3. 1/2" sensors, 35Mbps MPEG2 etc. Expresscard 34 slot x 2, from the spec page!!!!! But then on the features page its more like the CX550 with a mic .

Ron Evans

This seams very unimpressive. I mean if your going to call it a Professional camera than at the very least offer a traditional focusing ring around the lens, not some little dial. Even my HC1 had a traditional focusing ring. Plus it seams that perhaps 1080 60i is the only recording mode. I've been waiting to see Sony release a tape-less version of the A1 and this is really disappointing.

Something's hinky with that "product" page, the overview and features sure look like it's a CX550V with a shotgun mic/mount and a fancy lens hood, plus a bigger battery... all the "features" come straight off the CX550.

On the other hand, the "Technical Specifications" sound like a much larger camera with 3 CMOS and an 82mm thread - directly contradictory to the overview and features which describe a one chip compact camera...

Someone goofed with cut an paste IMO, I'll buy the idea that a hot rodded CX550V would make sense, and hey, if it did 60i, 30p, and 24p at high bitrates/CODECS it would be a sweet little camera... and a somewhat logical "update" to the aged A1U, but it's not a 3 chipper, and I'd be skeptical until some "real" specs hit the street, as of the moment, this "product page" rates a "highly suspect"/Area 51 rating, IMO.

Sony says
 

The HXR-MC50E features a professional design with the same cosmetic finish as the HXR-NX5E, giving the product a high-quality, professional look, whilst still being able to pass for a consumer camcorder for covert recording in documentary applications.

It does come across as a cut and paste mistake.
If you read the overview section it mentions a Exmor sensor not sensors. Also the specs list a BP-GL95 battery. On BH 's website that's an over 500 dollar battery. Also, based on the pic the weight listing seems awfully high for the size of the cam. Maybe these are specs to another product Sony plans to showcase.

Looks like this would be branded as part of Sony's NXCAM lineup. Technically, it's a prosumerized HDR-CX550V, just like how the HVR-A1U was a prosumerized HDR-HC1, although the former only has the lens hood for the pro version, the latter had it for both.

Since the dawning of prosumer HD, in Sony's lineup, they never really offered 3 chip handheld HD cams (the A1U and MC50) unlike the SD era where there was the DSR-PD100 (DCR-TRV900) or DSR-PDX10 (DCR-TRV950). The HD era also saw CMOS supplanting CCDs, and the way each handles color is in the filter array that's common to them: single CCDs were mostly filtered with complementary colors and green (CYMG) and CMOS were mostly primary Bayer filtered (RGBG); the former excelled at luminance and the latter excelled at color for their respective single chip designs; with primary Bayer filtered single CMOS, color quality improved drastically, hence less demand for 3 chip handheld camcorders, with only Panasonic offering it compared to Sony, Canon, and JVC (who formerly manufactured compact 3CCD cams and now offers single CMOS). Also, taking into account similar space constraints of 3 smaller sensors vs 1 large one; low light quality and overall image quality tends to favor the latter.

the A1 at least had an exposure/shutter dial AND a seperate focus ring.

this camera is consumer all over. not interested unless I was desperate.

It's a single CMOS chip.

Don't knock Sony's little control dial/button unless you've actually tried it, it's not bad to work with, and actually fairly easy to use (not sure whether that lens hood will block it though). Coupled with the spot focus and exposure built into the touch screen, the control might be a lot more capable than you would expect.

Having used cameras with spot focus via touch screen, I prefer them over a "analog" control dial/ring/lever - it's not exactly easy to "nail" focus on a small camera with ANY manual input method, as nice as it is to wish the capability was there (and it is an option on the control dial).

PS: the technical specs in the original site have been removed, and this in now pretty clearly a hot rodded CX550V, I wonder how much they are charging for what anyone can "add on" for themselves in the form of a good mic, lens hood, and a bigger battery...