Hitachi SK-HD1500 slo-mo camera

Hitachi's new 3Gbps HD 1080p broadcast camera system, based on its SK-HD1200 camera, will have variants for 3x slow motion, point-of-view, wireless, fibre, triax, and solid-state recording.

Several models were shown at NAB, but the SK-HD1500 3x slow motion version will be launched at IBC next month.

It offers native 1080/150i and 50p (or 720/150P), and has three 2.3Mpixel 2/3-inch IT-CCDs, with 6Gbps transmission over SMPTE standard optical fibre.

Its light sensitivity is F10 at 2000 lux in normal speed mode, but drops to F7 at 2000 lux at 150fps. Similarly, the signal-to-noise ratio goes from a typical -60dB at 50fps to -54dB at 150fps.

Its CU-HD1500 camera control unit offers selectable HD output (HD-SDI) 1080/150i, 1080/100i, 1080/50i, 720/150p, 720/100p, 720/50p, using single link SMPTE245 or dual link, and SD output (D1) of 480i/60, 575i/50.

Power consumption should be 60W, without the viewfinder, and the camera head will weigh 2.2kg (or twice that with the fibre adapter).

Hitachi's new DK-H200 is a box-type version of the SK-HD1200 that is useful for graphics, PoV or remote applications. The head weighs 1.5kg, and can be fitted with a fibre output.

The DK-HD200 can be used with two SM fibre interfaces that can transport 3Gbps HD-SDI SMPTE-424M video distances in excess of 3km. It was developed to meet the needs of a US customer.

Also new are the SK-HD2200 studio camera and the SK-HD1200 handheld companion (pictured below in a studio rig).

Like the other 3Gbps cameras, they have 30-bit 175MHz RGB processing, bi-directional fully progressive transmission and HD-SDI multi-format camera outputs.

The new Ultra-Advanced Interline (UAIT) CCDs are claimed to deliver "the highest exposure latitude and most accurate depth-of-modulation curves that have ever been achieved with a television camera".

The digital fibre transmission can be used with a single 3Gbps camera or with two 1080i cameras. This reduces the required fibre cable and ensures full compatibility with 3D systems that currently use L/R Hitachi 1080i PoV box cameras. Several aux and prompter channels can be sent to the camera head and provide trunk data in any format to and from the camera control unit.

The new Hitachi CCUs were designed specifically for 3Gbps use and provide multi-format outputs for any worldwide HD standard.

The 3Gbps cameras, as well as existing 1080i models, can be used with the Multidyne EOS-4000 optical routing system. Together with a standard PC, this allows a large number of cameras to be connected to CCUs in multiple studios or production facilities, for optimum flexibility.

By David Fox