First shown at NAB 2007, Sony’s DXC-D55 system camera is now available in Germany, according to the manufacturer. It replaces the DXC-D50, of which 3,000 units were produced annually, and adds several features at the same price. The DXC-D55 uses 14-bit A/D converters with four times the resolution in the digitisation process, intended to improve reproduction particularly under difficult lighting. Power HAD EX CCDs are designed to deliver low-noise images without vertical smear. Digital conversion takes place without analogue preprocessing, which Sony says maintains stable image quality under extreme shooting conditions.
Despite the technical changes, Sony retained the overall design of the DXC-D50 series. Existing accessories, including remote controls, viewfinders, multicore connections and triax systems, remain fully compatible with the new camera. Users of the previous model should be able to operate the DXC-D55 without special training, while automatic functions are intended to help new users produce usable images quickly.
Sony positions the moderately priced DXC-D55 system for live production, broadcasters with limited budgets, and training or educational facilities. Several configurations allow the camera to be adapted to different requirements. It is available with a fixed 4:3 aspect ratio or switchable between 4:3 and 16:9. Sony also offers variants equipped with a viewfinder, microphone and lens in different combinations.
