Shooting for documentary features or news comes with its own set of requirements, which can vary from other types of shooting, where more control of the location, subject matter, and conditions is a viable option. Sony has for a long time had a strong presence in this field, notably with the current PXW-Z280 camcorder. However, they have just announced a new member of the family, to be available in the fall – the PXW-Z300. And, on paper at least, it looks set to be packed with just the features for the job.
While the form factor is similar to other Sony ENG cameras, the newcomer has taken feedback from users and made a few adjustments to make shooting more efficient and comfortable. To start with, the LCD mount has been redesigned and is more flexible, allowing for better repositioning. It can be more traditionally placed or moved forward, to sit near the front of the lens, perfect for shoulder-mounted shooting. The LCD is a touch panel, can display HDR content, and runs at 1280x720.
Other shooting aids include a side V-mount for attaching accessories such as a PDF-FP1 transmitter, great for streaming and uploading on the spot. Third-party developers are sure to release other devices for this too. And speaking of streaming, there are both Ethernet and WiFi connections, so you can go directly from card to FTP or cloud.
When it comes to imaging, things get interesting. The 4K 60p camera’s 3 CMOS sensors are paired with the Boinz XR 4K chip, and they sit behind an f/1.9 constant aperture lens. Having a parfocal lens is great, but even more important with wide focal range zoom, and the PXW-Z300 is equipped with a 17x optical zoom, plus a 4x digital zoom. Operators should have no trouble working this with dials for focus, zoom, and iris.
Many Sony cameras have excellent subject recognition and tracking features, and the PXW-Z300 adds to these with new AI-based tools, which can recognise people, even when they are wearing masks, or are turned away from the camera. The AI tools analyse anatomy and posture, to ensure you get the shot.
For those who don’t like adding filters, or who simply prefer on-board tools, there will be a 1/4-1/128 ND, quite a range of glass to be carrying in your kit bag, so very welcome news.
Interestingly, the PXW-Z300 has some features that could make it useful for more narrative work. It can employ user-loaded LUTs and it can shoot in S-Cinetone as well as REC.709, using MPEG HD422 or XAVC. If you shoot with a Burano or FX3, etc, then matching footage will be all the easier.
Physically, the camera has dust and moisture protection as well as cooling systems, to keep it running even in harsh environments. Storage is taken care of by dual CRExpress and SDXC UHS-II slots, which can be run in series or parallel. As for power, this can be supplied by an AC adapter, Sony batteries, or even a USB-C power bank and includes a locking USB-C port.
Now, the current climate has raised many worries about the authenticity of footage and news stories, so Sony has made sure that footage shot on the PXW-Z300 guarantees reliability and authenticity, with tools to ensure it is shot by a person and not generative AI. There will be embedded signatures using the C2PA standard, which preserves the editing history.
On top of that, the camera will capture 3D data of the scene shot to prove that it isn’t recording a picture of a picture. Clever stuff and with much fake news distributed, it will be useful for the diligent and genuine to be able to authenticate their stories.
The PXW-Z300 will be released later this year at a price of around £9,600 in the UK. US pricing is still to be confirmed, but conversions suggest it might cost around $10,799.
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