Sony PXW-X180 Full HD XDCAM Camcorder with 25x Zoom Lens

The Sony PXW-X180 Camcorder with three 1/3-inch type Exmor CMOS sensors records Full HD XAVC Intra and XAVC Long GOP, as well as MPEG HD 422 50 Mbps, MPEG HD 420 35 Mbps, AVCHD and DV.The PXW-X180 is packed with attractive features which makes it ideal for a wide range of applications from education/videography to news and broadcast production. 

Features:

• Dual SxS memory card slots
• Proxy recording on SD cardG Series
• Fixed 25x HD zoom lens with 26mm wide angle
• Variable ND filter for more control in changing light conditions
• Wireless functions
• NFC (Near Field Communication) capabilities

4K (4096 x 2160) & Sensor

Incorporates three 1/3-inch type Full HD Exmore CMOS Sensors to achieve high resolution, high sensitivity, low noise, and wide dynamic range. The sensor delivers 2 million effective pixels and achieves Full HD (1920 x 1080) shooting without pixel interpolation. The combination of these features will enhance your capture abilities within severe lighting conditions and provide more freedom of creative expression.

G Series fixed 25x professional HD zoom lens

26mm wide angle zoom with three independent rings with end-stop and large focal length. Due to a quick electric zoom function, the change of shooting from wide-angle to telephoto can be made quickly. The lens includes three independent control rings with end-stop, which means focus, zoom and iris can be manually controlled which means faster changes to lens settings.

High quality XAVC Intra and XAVC Long GOP recordings on SxS memory cards

The PXW-X180 supports not only MPEG HD 422 50 Mbps in MXF (Material eXchange Format), the widely-accepted broadcast standard compliant with the latest EBU recommendationswhich, but also XAVC Intra and XAVC Long GOP codecs. Supports XAVC Intra and Long GOP codecs. The PXW-X180 also records in MPEG HD 420 35 Mbps, AVCHD and DV, offering flexibility and budget savings on recording media.

XAVC technology is based on the H.264 standard, which provides an exceptional performance compression technology. XAVC Intra (frame) compression means that every frame is encoded independent of the other frames – providing a better quality picture, without compromises. With a Long GOP codec, only certain frames are encoded individually. This allows the codec to squeeze the video into a much smaller bitrate than Intra technology. The main benefit is faster ingest and editing.

XAVC Long GOP files also require less storage space than XAVC Intra files, providing budget savings on recording media. The XAVC codec adopts 10 bit sampling for high definition recording with rich tonal expression. The bite rate of XAVC recording is 111 or 112 Mbps at 1080/59.94i or 50i and 89, or 112 Mbps at 1080/23.98P or 25p. The high bit rate gives a better quality picture.

This camcorder also supports DVCAM at 25 Mbps in MXF file format and AVCHD in MTS file format, which is compatible with NXCAM camcorders. MPEG HD 422 gives a high quality image with more detailed colour reproduction, as well as being ideal for chromakeying.

It is also compatible with other XDCAM HD 422 and NXCAM camcorders, including the PMW-500, the PMW-200, HXR-NX3/VG1 and many others, which streamlines workflow and reduces time in the edit. High-quality MPEG HD422 50 Mbps is fully compliant with the latest EBU recommendations for long-form broadcast production and is widely accepted in broadcasting stations and production houses. This recording capability makes the PXW-X180 ideal for a wide range of different applications, including newsgathering and documentary production.

Wi-Fi/NFC (Near Field Communication) with Content Browser Mobile

The included wireless LAN module enables Wi-Fi control with NFC support. Simply download the Content Browser Mobile app to monitor footage and control camcorder settings via your smartphone or tablet. This camcorder offers remote control via a smartphone or tablet  using a Wi-Fi connection, and recorded video files can be transferred from the camcorder to smartphone in MP4 format.* One-touch authentication is also possible with smartphones that offer NFC connectivity.

* Wi-Fi operation cannot be guaranteed with all smartphones and tablet computers.

The required Content Browser Mobile™ mobile smartphone application can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or App Store.

You can also transfer MP4 proxy recordings from the camcorder to your mobile device.

Proxy Recording on SD Card

The PXW-X180 can record proxy video H.264 on an SD card. The resolution and bitrate of proxy video can be changed for a more flexible workflow. The proxy files are recorded in MP4 format for better compatibility with broadcast systems. The lightweight proxy video files are generated separately from the main line recording and recorded to SD cards for quick sharing of content over low-bandwidth mobile networks.

Dual SxS Media Slots

The PXW-X180 is equipped with two SxS memory card slots. The camcorder is compatible with SxS PRO+ and SxS-1 memory cards, XQD, SDXC and SDHC cards can be also used with an appropriate card adaptor. Two media slots can record in either SIMUL or RELAY mode.

• SIMUL Mode - permits simultaneous recording to two memory cards. The user can set up the two Start/Stop buttons on the PXW-X180, one on the grip and one on the camcorder body, to independently start and stop recording on different memory cards while recording in SIMUL mode.
• RELAY Mode - automatically switches recording from the first to the second memory card when the first is full. 

Dual ND Variable filter Control mechanism for more flexibility

The PXW-X180 is equipped with a variable ND Filter function. Users can chose either four conventional mechanical ND filter positions or the linear control dial, allowing you to quickly and smoothly adapt to different conditions of shooting. The optical filter changes the density electrically which allows the light amount to be reduced more conveniently.

Density can be changed gradually and fluidly. Different from conventional optical ND filters, the ND filter on the PXW-X180 can be controlled from 1/4ND to 1/128ND linearly. By choosing the density value properly, the iris control provides more flexibility.

Multi Interface Shoe (MI Shoe)

The PXW-X180 is equipped with a Multi Interface Shoe (MI Shoe) which has an electric interface in its mechanical attachment. This allows the camcorder to communicate with an attached accessory. Accessories attached to a MI Shoe can be controlled by the camcorder. Using an MI Shoe connection, the audio signal from a UWP-D11 or UWP-D12 wireless microphone package can be input from the wireless microphone receiver to the PXW-X180 without an XLR cable.

Supply power from the PXW-X180 to the receiver. A battery is not required for the receiver operation. So, for example, if the HVL-LBPC video light is attached to the MI Shoe, video light power can be switched on and off from the camcorder.

OLED Technology in Viewfinder

The 0.5" OLED viewfinder with clarity of 1024 x 768 high definition also includes superb OLED brightness, contrast and response. The high resolution of the viewfinder offers better manual focus precision and eliminates any colour-breaking phenomenon.

Ideal for Broadcast Workflow

The X180 camcorder offers numerous connections to suit a broadcast workflow, including:

• 3G HD-SDI
• HDMI
• USB
• Composite output
• Timecode input/output
• Genlock input

The 3G-SDI connector outputs 1080/59.94P or 50P signals. Down-conversion output from HD to SD is possible as is simultaneous output from both SDI and HDMI. The Rec Trigger signal can be sent through SDI and HDMI to link an external recording device.

Lens Remote (LANC)

The PXW-X180 has a LANC interface. Using a LANC remote controller such as the RM-1BP and the VCT-PG11RMB, the focus, zoom, rec start/stop and rec review can be controlled remotely.

GPS Functionality

GPS data from the GPS device on the PXW-X180 camcorder is automatically recorded in two file locations.