Sony PXW-Z280 Compact 4K 3-CMOS 1/2" Sensor XDCAM Camcorder, 17x Optical Zoom Lens (193 Hours)

Sony PXW-Z280

Sony

Sony PXW-Z280 4K 3-CMOS 1/2" Sensor XDCAM Camcorder

Buy it <b>New</b>

Adorama

Used

Video

Video Cameras

Professional Camcorders

Sony Professional Camcorders

Sony PXW-Z280 

Buy: Used Sony PXW-Z280 Compact 4K 3-CMOS 1/2" Sensor XDCAM Camcorder, 17x Optical Zoom Lens (193 Hours) undefined

 World-leading handheld 4K HDR performance An all-new 4K 3CMOS 1/2-type sensor with a deep depth of field and class-leading performance provides the pinnacle of 4K HDR performance in your hand. Face Detection AF keeps your subject in focus, while HLG and S-Log3 provide stunning HDR to suit any workflow. Revolutionary networking capabilities Deliver your content faster wherever you are. PXW-Z280 is the world's first camcorder with built-in Dual Link Cellular connection for double the uplink performance and reliability. Integrated 12G-SDI supports transfers at up to 12Gbps over a standard SDI cable. The complete package for professionals Unpack and shoot from day one. Advanced XAVC-Intra and XAVC-Long for 4K QFHD and HD, plus MPEG HD422, MPEG HD and DVCAM to support any workflow. Familiar Sony control layout and operation minimize training requirements. World's first 1/2-type 3CMOS Sensor for broadcast 4K The Z280's all-new Exmor R imager is custom-designed for broadcast 4K acquisition. Its three 1/2-type Exmor R CMOS deliver a deep depth of field with superb image quality. Red, blue and green light are independently captured by separate image sensors, contributing to high resolution, high sensitivity of F12 (59.94p) and wide dynamic range. An advanced LSI (featuring intelligent noise reduction, enhanced detail reproduction and distortion correction technologies) delivers remarkably lifelike 4K 4:2:2 10-bit images. Even if you're delivering in HD, your recordings will capture detail and image texture that HD sensors simply cannot see. 17x professional HD zoom lens with three independent rings with end-stop and large focal length The PXW-Z280 is equipped with a 17x professional zoom lens able to zoom from 30.3mm to 515mm (35mm equivalent). The 1/2-inch type lens has three independent control rings with end-stop, which allows manual control of focus, zoom and iris, making for better and faster adjustment. The image can be enlarged without any picture degradation in HD mode and 34x times zoom equivalent image is captured with sensor cropping extender. Spectacular HDR performance Demand for HDR content is increasing and Z280 offers you a choice of two powerful workflows.&#149; S-Log2/3 is the proven choice for premium applications where you wish to capture as much data as possible for the ultimate flexibility in grading&#149; Instant HDR Workflow is all about speed. Shoot, edit and view content in Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) to deliver content quickly without compromising on imaging expression and quality of content Amazingly fast precision auto focus The PXW-Z280 features newly developed Face detection AF. You can choose between Face Priority AF and Face Only AF. Simply keep the person in frame and however you move to obtain a better angle, you can be confident the PXW-Z280 will keep your subject in pin-sharp focus. Built-in electronic Variable ND Filters Sony's ground-breaking integration of electronic variable ND Filters into the body of a camcorder enables fast, agile shooting. Moving from shadowy interiors to bright sun-lit exteriors is no problem with PXW-Z280. Unlike conventional optical ND filters, the electronic ND filter on the PXW-Z280 can be controlled from 1/4ND to 1/128ND linearly while ND Filters can be set to fully auto. You can even manually adjust Depth of Field using the iris lens ring, while relying on the PXW-Z280 to maintain constant exposure without changing gain nor shutter speed. 12G-SDI accelerated workflow Revolutionize your workflow with 12Gbps content transfer - four times the bandwidth of 3G-SDI over a standard SDI cable and ideal for working with highest quality 4K content or speeding through HD content. Sony is the first broadcast manufacturer to build 12G-SDI into a compact handheld camcorder. Once you've tried it, you won't want to use anything else. Accurate OLED viewfinder An expansive 0.5-inch high quality OLED viewfinder is perfectly offset for right-eye or left-eye viewing. OLED's superb accuracy, high contrast and high resolution (2.36M dot) enables precise manual focus and eliminates any color-breaking phenomenon. Dual Multi-Interface (MI) Shoe MI Shoe provides power, signal connections and coordinated on/off switching to compatible Sony accessories. For example, you can connect and control Sony wireless microphone systems such as the UWP-D11 or UWP-D12 or attach the HVL-LBPC light Connectors at front and back of camcorder maximize operational flexibility. Dual XLR and 4 Channel Audio The PXW-Z280 offers superior professional audio capabilities with independent volume dials enabling precision control of external audio inputs, including an MI-shoe attached microphone. Dual SxS media slots The camcorder is equipped with two SxS memory card slots, which can record in Simul, Relay or Back up mode. Simul mode permits simultaneous recording to two memory cards, including simultaneous recordings of MPEG HD exFAT and UDF recordings, ideal for archival purposes. Relay mode automatically switches recording from the first to the second memory card when the first is full to extend recording times. In Back up mode, users can set up the two Start/Stop buttons on the PXW-Z280, 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. Networked for high mobility &#149; The PXW-Z280 comes with 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi as standard - simply turn on and log onto your preferred network to enable a host of advanced wireless production features:5GHz support dependent on country/regional regulation&#149; IBM Cloud Video Direct Streaming allows you to share scenes as they happen with high quality picture and sound without a switcher&#149; High quality Sony QoS Streaming to Network RX station Sold separately and XDCAM air allows images to be streamed live from the camcorder for viewing at a remote location&#149; FTP Transfer allows content files recorded with MPEG HD 422/420 proxy feature and other content files shot in XAVC (QFHD/FHD) to be sent over the internet for remote storage on an FTP server even while shooting. In case of signal interruption, the system will automatically resume as soon as connection restored&#149; Trimming function is available for both proxy and PGM without need for a PC. Any clip can have its start and endpoints selected to eliminate time wasted transferring unnecessary content&#149; XDCAM air can upload proxy footage to the cloud from multiple camera operators in the field, so editing can start immediately. Uploaded content can be accessed securely from any location. News teams can even start logging clips while shooting's still going on, saving even more valuable time when a story's breaking&#149; Wi-Fi/NFC (Near Field Communication) with Content Browser Mobile allows the PXW-Z280 to be remotely controlled from a smartphone or tablet computer (iOS 9.0 - 10.3 or Android 4.4 through 7.1) via a Wi-Fi connection. One-touch authentication is also possible with smartphones that offer NFC connectivity&#149; Wired LAN port allows you to connect the PXW-Z280 to the Internet with a standard Ethernet cable, allowing files to be streamed or transferred by FTP High performance, proven recording formats PXW-Z280 offers complete production flexibility with built-in support for a wide variety of production formats.   High quality XAVC Intra and XAVC Long GOP recordings  XAVC technology is based on the H.264 standard, which provides an exceptionally robust and efficient compression technology. XAVC Intra (frame) compression means that every frame is encoded independent of the other frames - providing a better quality picture, without compromises. XAVC Long GOP applies compression across multiple frames - reducing file sizes, which can make for fast ingest and editing as well as providing budget savings on recording media. The XAVC codec adopts 10-bit sampling for high definition recording with rich tonal expression.  Broadcast-standard MPEG HD422 and MPEG HD  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 PXW-Z280 ideal for a wide range of different applications, including newsgathering and documentary production.  DVCAM at 25Mbps in MXF file format  Many broadcasters and production houses still utilize the proven DVCAM format and PXW-Z280 provides support at the flick of a switch.

Used Sony PXW-Z280 Compact 4K 3-CMOS 1/2" Sensor XDCAM Camcorder, 17x Optical Zoom Lens (193 Hours) undefined

Overall this is a great ENG camera with some of that latest features; constant lens aperture at f1.9, Variable ND just like the FX9, SLog3 and HLG profiles. 4K 60p is perfect for sports shorts with the ability to ramp in editing. And don?t forget AF with Face Tracking. There?s also a ton of support online and a great course by Doug Jensen. 

My main camera is the Sony FX9. However, when recording for travel or news shows. This ca,era fits the niche perfectly. Then l17x contact f1.9 lens being one fo them. Overall just a great camera for almost any situation, that truly is a grab and go solution.

Grab and Go camera solution, latest features, as you would expect from Sony.

The camera has been used for a very short time, it was recently purchased, but when it has been used it has achieved very good images .

Lot's of Camera the Z280. More than the average Camcorder. Built for the true Professional and Broadcaster. It's a Camcorder, not Cinema Camera. It has all the Gammas' for that, but it has smaller chips and is better suited for Television and live remote. It will work good in multi cam set-up.

The great big Z280 3 chipper.

I've been meaning to write a review to counter the head scratching 1 star one for a year now. But to be blunt I've been to busy using the camera (well, three of them actually) to do so. Now that things are on hold for a month...

I have been using three of these cameras to film indoor staged shows (Theater/concerts/dance etc) for over a year (had tried the 190s initially, which are truly dreadful and should be avoided at all costs). While not 100% perfect, is any camera? These come pretty close, especially when one recognizes their strengths and occasional limitations.

Image quality is decent out of the box, but needs to be tweaked to really look its best. With the right settings, you'll be able to do a lot of your work in camera vs. doing it in post. I highly recommend Doug Jensen's excellent series on this camera. First chapter is free (and gives a great overview of the 280 and the 190). In it, he gives a couple setting options that I have found to be ideal for my filming needs. Can't post a link, but do a search on Vimeo.

I'm not sure why the other reviewer found the zoom to be sub par (I suspect he is using the small secondary rocker on the handle vs. the larger one on the side, as I am able to achieve incredibly slow speeds using it - down to 1 zoom number per second).  

Things I really like: on closeups, detail is pretty fantastic and if you set your levels to match your needs/wants I think you'll be very pleased with the results.  Focal depth is a lot better than I feared it would be and I've been able to film performers zipping around a stage, crossing up/down stage, etc. with remarkable clarity in the final image. A lot depends on light and the sweet spot is keeping the aperture at 5 or higher if at all possible.  gain set to 9 is remarkably clear and noise free.  I've been shooting on XQD Cards using the adaptor and have had zero problems (knock wood). I haven't been filming using the XAVC Intra format as it's not recommended on those cards (but from what i hear is possible...i just film way too many 'one night only' events to risk it). XVAC Long works beautifully though.

What I'm less than fond of: the battery that comes with the camera is a joke.  On a long/wide shot, having a bit of zoom is recommended as 0 zoom tends to have a bit of curvature on the sides. Also, be aware that this camera is really hit by triangulation in regards to focus - the sides tend to be softer on a wide shot than the center due to standard geometry. And keeping aperture at or above 5 is crucial to combat it. One thing I'm really not fond of is that the viewfinders do not show what your settings have done to the footage, so it's not very 'WYSIWYG' which can be an issue if your settings allow for more low blacks and high whites. But that's easy to get used to and compensate for. 

The much touted 'facial recognition' features are...very hit or miss, I find and pretty useless, especially if you are in lower light situations or...have subjects who are, shall we say, not the palest (really horrible at locking in on persons of a darker complexion)

The audio capture is great and zero complaints.

Overall, this is a great workhorse camera.  I've been using them multiple times a week for over a year and would absolutely purchase them again.

Used for a year now and no serious complaints.

I have had several cameras in this Sony line including the two predecessors such as the PXW-x200. 

The thing I hate about this camera is the zoom. I film a lot of professional dance. I need very slow and smooth zooming. Generally I set the handle zoom's control to a very slow speed. It ramps up and down nicely and looks very smooth. With the z280 the slowest setting for handle zoom is far too fast for me to use. It is almost as if the engineers designing this camera have never watched a television show. I spoke to Sony about this and they know about the issue but do not even seem to care. If you film sports you might have the same problem. The rocker zoom does have the ability to do very slow speed zooms however it is easy to accidentally put too much pressure on that and cause the zoom to be way to fast--or not enough pressure and have it jerk on and off. Using a LANC controller will not resolve this problem. The camera zoom will be too fast for even some sports videography.

Used Sony PXW-Z280 Compact 4K 3-CMOS 1/2" Sensor XDCAM Camcorder, 17x Optical Zoom Lens (193 Hours)

Buy it New

Sony PXW-Z280 4K 3-CMOS 1/2" Sensor XDCAM Camcorder