Sony announces HDR upgrades for FS5 and Z150

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by Fabian ChaundyMarch 28^th, 2017

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Sony has announced various HDR upgrades designed to enhance a wide range of their products to facilitate the creation of High Dynamic Range content.

The HDR updates across a wide range of Sony products will aim to improve the workflow in key areas of the live broadcast HDR infrastructure. In addition, some enhancements will also become available for some of their camcorders, namely the Sony PXW-FS5 and Sony PXW-Z150.

Sony HDR Upgrades – New Picture Profile for FS5 and Z150

In the case of the camcorders in particular, a firmware update will unlock a couple of new features. One of them is the HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) Picture Profile. The HLG standard was developed by the BBC and NHK, and combines two types of gamma curves (using a log curve for the higher end of the signal thus expanding dynamic range).

The Hybrid Log-Gamma curve vs the Standard Dynamic Range curve. Source: Wikipedia.

Using the HLG Picture Profile will also allow you to select the BT.2020 color space, the standard recommended for HDR recording and which is capable of a wider color reproduction than Rec.709. Please note that the recording capabilities of both cameras will remain at Full HD 10-bit 4:2:2 and 4K 8-bit 4:2:0.

Note the wider color gamut of BT.2020 (right) vs Rec.709 (left). Source: Wikipedia.

These two additions will allow for the easier capture, editing and viewing of HDR content, making it ideal for faster workflows. An update to their Catalyst Browse will reflect these newer features also.

For more information regarding the Sony enhancements across their product range, you can check out their press release HERE. If the Raw recording and MPEG2 updates for the FS5 are anything to go by, we could expect that this will be a paid upgrade. It will become available in July 2017.  

Will you be updating your Sony camera? Are you already producing HDR content? Tell us about your workflow in the comments section below!