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 and enhanced detail reproduction) 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 in HD mode up to 34x zoom equivalent while maintaining Full HD resolution thanks to digital extender.

Spectacular HDR performance

Demand for HDR content is increasing and Z280 offers you a choice of two powerful workflows.

• S-Log3 is the proven choice for premium applications where you wish to capture as much data as possible for the ultimate flexibility in grading
• 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

HDR / SDR dual production support*

When shooting HDR content, the Z280’s EVF is easily switched between HDR and SDR emulation modes. In addition, if you adjust the brightness of the image when in SDR emulation, the SDR gain dB is recorded into metadata so it can be used in post-production for the SDR content. Together these changes make it easier to shoot in HDR while also achieving a quick turnaround for SDR content.

*Requires firmware V4.0 or higher.

Download SDR Preview for HDR: Quick Start Guide >

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 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.

Stream directly to major online platforms*

Live streaming instantly connects you with your audience, wherever you are. From breaking news and live events to interviews and seminars – capture high-quality images and share them in real time on major online video platforms such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Mudu.tv and more. Set up your own streaming channel with your smartphone or tablet, connect via Wi-Fi – and you’re ready to go. You can even import streaming account details from your PC or Mac via SD card using our StreamingSettingTransfer app.

*Version 4.0 or higher firmware required.

12G-SDI accelerated workflow

Revolutionise your workflow with 12Gbps content transfer – four times the bandwidth of 3G-SDI over a single 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 colour-breaking phenomenon.

General

Important Note

PXW-Z280 is available from Sony as two SKUs. PXW-Z280V supports both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi. PXW-Z280T supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Availability is determined by country/regional regulations.

Mass

Approx 2.6 kg (body)
Approx. 5 lb 11.7 oz (body)
Approx. 3.0 kg (with lens hood, eyecup, BP-U35 battery, a SxS memory card)
Approx. 6 lb 9.8 oz (with lens hood, eyecup, BP-U35 battery, a SxS memory card)

Dimensions (W x H x D)

178.4 × 202.0 × 426.3 mm (With the accessories (lens hood, eyecup), excluding the grip belt and including the projecting parts)
7 1/8 x 8 x 16 7/8 inches (With the accessories (lens hood, eyecup), excluding the grip belt and including the projecting parts)

Power Requirements

DC In: 12V
Battery: 14.4 V
Please use genuine Sony batteries to ensure correct and safe operation*2

Power Consumption

Approx. 24W
(while recording with LCD Off, EVF On when the external device connector is not used.)
Approx. 36W
(while recording with LCD On, EVF On when the external device connector is used.)

Operating Temperature

0°C to 40°C
32°F to 104°F

Storage Temperature

-20°C to +60°C
-4°F to +140°F

Battery Operating Time

Approx. 1 hours, 20 minutes with BP-U35 battery
(while recording with LCD Off, EVF On when the external device connector is not used.)
Approx. 1 hours, 5 minutes with BP-U30 battery
(while recording with LCD Off, EVF On when the external device connector is not used.)
Approx. 2 hours, 10 minutes with BP-U60 battery
(while recording with LCD Off, EVF On when the external device connector is not used.)
Approx. 3 hours, 15 minutes with BP-U90 battery
(while recording with LCD Off, EVF On when the external device connector is not used.)

Recording Format (Video)

XAVC-I QFHD mode:
MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, VBR, Max.600 Mbps
XAVC-I HD mode:
MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, CBG, Max.222 Mbps

XAVC-L QFHD mode:
VBR, maximum bit rate 150Mbps, MPEG-4 H.264/AVC
XAVC-L HD 50 mode:
VBR, maximum bit rate 50Mbps, MPEG-4 H.264/AVC
AVC-L HD 35 mode:
VBR, maximum bit rate 35Mbps, MPEG-4 H.264/AVC
XAVC-L HD 25 mode:
VBR, maximum bit rate 25Mbps, MPEG-4 H.264/AVC

MPEG HD422 mode:
CBR, maximum bit rate 50Mbps, MPEG-2 422P@HL
MPEG HD420 HQ mode:
VBR, maximum bit rate 35Mbps, MPEG-2 MP@HL

DVCAM mode:
CBR, 25Mbps, DVCAM

Recording Format (Audio)

XAVC-I mode:
LPCM 24-bit, 48kHz, 4 channels:

XAVC-L mode:
LPCM 24-bit, 48kHz, 4 channels:

MPEG HD422 mode:
LPCM 24-bit, 48kHz, 4 channels:
MPEG HD420 HQ mode:
LPCM 16-bit, 48kHz, 4 channels:

DVCAM mode:
LPCM 16-bit, 48kHz, 4 channels

Recording Frame Rate

XAVC-I QFHD mode:
3840x2160/59,94p, 50p, 29.97p, 23.98p, 25p
XAVC-I HD mode:
1920x1080/59,94p, 59.94i, 50p, 50i, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P 1280x720/59.94P, 50P

XAVC-L QFHD 150 mode:
3840x2160/59.94P, 50P, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P
XAVC-L HD 50 mode:
1920x1080/59.94P, 50P, 59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P 1280x720/59.94P, 50P
XAVC-L HD 35 mode:
1920x1080/59.94P, 50P, 59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P

Recording Frame Rate - Continued

XAVC-L HD 25 mode:
1920x1080/59.94i, 50i

MPEG HD422 mode:
1920x1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P
1280x720/59.94P, 50P, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P
MPEG HD420 HQ mode:
1920x1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 23.98P, 25P
1440x1080/59.94i, 50i
1280x720/59.94P,50P

DVCAM mode:
720x480/59.94i, 29.97PsF
720x576/50i, 25PsF

Recording/Playback Time

XAVC-I QFHD mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 22 minutes
XAVC-I HD mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 57 minutes

XAVC-L QFHD 150 mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 86 minutes
XAVC-L HD 50 mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 230 minutes
XAVC-L HD 35 mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 310 minutes

Recording/Playback Time - Continued

XAVC-L 25 mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 420 minutes

MPEG HD422 mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 215 minutes
MPEG HD420 HQ mode
When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 330 minutes

When using SBP-128B(128GB):
Approx. 405 minutes

Recording Format (Proxy Audio)

XAVC Proxy: AAC-LC, 128 kbps, 2 channels

Recording Format (Proxy Video)

XAVC Proxy: AVC/H.264 Main Profile 4:2:0 Long GOP, VBR
1920x1080, 9Mbps
1280x720, 9Mbps
1280x720, 6Mbps
640x360, 3Mbps
480x270, 1Mbps
480x270, 0.5Mbps

Lens

Lens Mount

Fixed

Zoom Ratio

17x (optical), servo/manual

Focal Length

f = 5.6 - 95.2 mm
(35mm equivalent: 30.3 - 515 mm)

Iris

F1.9 - F16 and close
auto/manual selectable

Focus

800 mm to ∞ (Macro Off),
50 mm to ∞ (Macro On, Wide),
800 mm to ∞ (Macro On, Tele)
AF/MF/Full MF selectable

Image Stabilizer

On/Off selectable, shift lens

Filter Diameter

φ77 mm, pitch 0.75mm

Camera Section

Imaging Device (Type)

1/2 type back-illuminated Exmor R 3CMOS sensor

Effective Picture Elements

3840 (H) x 2160 (V)

Optical System

F1.6 prism system

Built-in Optical Filters

ND filters
OFF: CLEAR
1: 1/4ND
2: 1/16ND
3: 1/64ND
Linear variable ND (Approx. 1/4ND to 1/128ND)

Sensitivity (2000 lx, 89.9% reflectance)

F12 (typical, 1920 x 1080/59.94p mode)
F13 (typical, 1920 x 1080/50p mode)
F12 (typical, 3840 x 2160/59.94p, High Sensitivity Mode)
F13 (typical, 3840 x 2160/50p, High Sensitivity Mode)

Minimum Illumination

0.0013lx (typical)
(1920 x 1080/59.94i mode, F1.9, +42 dB gain, High Sensitivity Mode, with 64 frame accumulation)

S/N Ratio

63 dB (Y) (typical)

Horizontal Resolution

2,000 TV lines or more (3840 x 2160p mode)
1,000 TV lines or more (1920 x 1080p mode)

Shutter Speed

1/24 sec to 1/8,000 sec

Slow Shutter (SLS)

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, 32, and 64-frame accumulation

Slow and Quick Motion Function

2160P: 1-60 fps
1080P: 1-60 fps
720P: 1-60 fps

1080P: 1-30 fps
720P: 1-60 fps

1080P: 1-30 fps
720P: 1-60 fps

White Balance

Preset (3200K), Memory A,
Memory B/ATW

Gain

-3, 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 dB, 42dB(Turbo Gain ON), AGC

Gamma Curve

Selectable

Streaming

Protocol *3

AVC / RTMP / RTMPS
1920x1080 at 9Mbps
1920x1080 at 6Mbps
1280x720 at 3Mbps
640x340 at 1Mbps

Input/Output

Audio Input

XLR-type 3-pin (female) (x2), line/mic/mic +48 V selectable
LINE：+4, 0, -3dBu/10kΩ
MIC：-80dBu to -30dBu /3kΩ
(0 dBu=0.775 Vrms)

Video Output

BNC (x1), HD-Y/ HD-SYNC/Composite
1.0Vp-p, 75Ω
(switchable to Genlock in)

Audio Output

Integrated into Multi/Micro USB jack(x1)

SDI Output

BNC (x1), 12G/3G/HD/SD selectable

Timecode Input

BNC (x1) (switchable to TC out)
0.5V-1.8Vp-p, 3.3kΩ

Timecode Output

BNC (x1) (switchable to TC in)
1.0Vp-p, 75Ω

Genlock Input

BNC (x1) (switchable to Video out) 1.0 Vp-p, 75Ω

USB

USB device, Multi/Micro USB jack (x1)
Host:USB 3.0/2.0 type A(x1)
USB 2.0 type A(x1)

Headphone Output

Stereo mini jack (x1)
-16dBu 16Ω

Speaker Output

Monaural
Output: 500mW

DC Input

DC jack (x1)

Remote

Stereo mini-minijack (Φ2.5 mm)

HDMI Output

Type A (x1)

Wired LAN

RJ-45 (x1), 1000BASE-T, 100BASE-T, 10BASE-T

Monitoring

Viewfinder

1.3 cm (0.5 type)
Approx 2.36M dots

LCD

8.8cm (3.5 type)
Approx. 1.56M dots

Built-in Microphone

Built-in Microphone

Omni-directional stereo electret condenser microphone

Media

Type

ExpressCard/34 slot (x2)

Wi-Fi/NFC

Supported Format

IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Frequency Band

2.4 GHz bandwidth
5.2/5.3/5.6 GHz bandwidth*1

Security

WEP/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK

NFC

NFC Forum Type 3 Tag compliant

Supplied Accessories

Supplied Accessories

Lens hood (1), Pre-installed to the Camcorder
EVF eyecup (1)
Battery pack BP-U30 or U35 (1)
AC Adapter/charger BC-U1A (1)
Power Code (1)
USB cable (1)
Shoulder strap (1)
Warranty Booklet (1)
"Before Using this Unit" (1)
CDROM "Operating instructions" (1)

Notes

*1

Depending on country / regional regulation and only on PXW-Z280V SKU.

*2

Sony does not guarantee other manufacturers’ batteries to operate properly as noted in operation manual.

*3

Requires V4 or higher firmware.