“The HDK-X500 is designed for use across a wide spectrum of applications,” says Gisbert Hochguertel, Ikegami Europe Product Specialist. “It can be configured easily for pedestal-mounted studio operation, tripod-based sports coverage and shoulder-mounted location production. At the front end are three latest-generation 2/3-inch CMOS sensors with a global shutter architecture which enables the camera to capture natural images even in challenging situations. Still-frame replay of fast-moving objects, for example, is completely free from geometric distortion and there are no flash bands when the camera is capturing a strobe-illuminated stage or flash lighting from still cameras.”

“The HDK-X500 incorporates our latest-generation AXII digital processor which delivers high quality pictures, high reliability, lower power consumption and enhanced functions. Its capabilities include automatic optical vignetting correction throughout the range of OVC-compatible B4 bayonet mount zoom lenses, and remote back focus adjustment.”

“Optimal control of interior or exterior ambient lighting is supported by the same neutral-density and colour-compensation dual filter system used in our high-end cameras. The colour-compensation filter wheel includes a free space to mount any desired effect filter or an additional optical low-pass filter, further reducing aliasing effects in difficult shooting conditions and especially helpful when shooting LED walls.”

Included in the HDK-X500 is a 16-axis colour corrector for precise scene matching or the creation of colour-related effects. Chroma and hue levels can be individually adjusted within the 16-axes both during normal programme production and to allow colour matching with other cameras. This high-level correction can be processed in real time.

Like the other camera models in the Ikegami UNICAM-XE family, the new HDK-X500 fully conforms to ITU-R BT.2020 specifications, covering a wider area than the conventional BT.709 colour space for HD. In combination with the wide dynamic range of the new CMOS sensors, brilliant HDR pictures can be produced by using the pre-installed HLG opto-electronic transfer function conforming to the ITU-R BT.2100 international standard. This allows detailed image reproduction from bright highlights through to deep shadows. Other OETFs, such as PQ and S-LOG, are available as an option.

The performance parameters of the HDK-X500 include a horizontal resolution of 1,000 TVL (typical centre resolution at 5% modulation), 62 dB typical signal to noise ratio and F12 sensitivity (1080/50p). The HDK-X500 is also capable of high frame-rate capture at 2x speed (1080i at 100 Hz) or low-frame-rate capture (1080p/23.98, 25, 29.97), both as software license options.

Accessories for the HDK-X500 include a variety of monocular and studio viewfinders, remote camera controllers (OCP-100/OCP-300/OCP-500), a 4K-UHD upscaler and an ST2110 media-over-IP interface for the BSX-100 base station.