Sony debuts the R series at NAB 2026 with five new cameras

Under the motto 'The Power Behind Your Story' Sony exhibits at NAB 2026 its latest proposals for live production, news and virtual environments. Among the new features, the new R series stands out, consisting of five cameras (HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R, HDC-3500RV and HDC-3200R).

Theresa Alesso, president of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony, highlighted that “from products to workflows and from content acquisition to delivery, Sony has the right people, tools and experience for creators to capture their vision and communicate their truth with quality and authenticity.”

At the Sony booth, visitors can learn about solutions for live production, including the evolution of the ecosystem Networked Live from Sony; as well as new studio cameras that offer exceptional image quality and magnification capacity; improved workflows for news production, enabling fast and highly reliable reporting; the latest virtual production tools and processes; and a complete line of imaging solutions. Additionally, the company is demonstrating the potential of the XYN space capture.

XYN, that generates 3DCG assets (3D computer imaging) from photographs taken with mirrorless cameras, is comprised of three tools designed for use in virtual production and a wide range of 3DCG content creation workflows. XYN Spatial Scan Navi is an app for smartphones that serves as a guide for efficient image capture. XYN Spatial Scan is a web app that allows you to generate studio quality images. Finally, the plugin XYN Renderer Plugin offers highly realistic reproduction for virtual production studios.

New R series

At NAB 2026, it surprised with the presentation of the new R series composed of five system cameras (HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R, HDC-3500RV and HDC-3200R) together with the camera control unit HDCU-3500R and the optional 3D LUT card HKCU-LUT35.

The R series improves imaging performance thanks to 2/3-inch tri-chip 4K CMOS image sensor with global shutter functionality and offers system expandability for high-quality 4K and HDR live productions, while providing common compatibility and operability across the series.

The models inherit features from the HDC-5000 and HDC 3000 multi-format system camera series, including high-quality 4K recording, a wider dynamic range and no rolling shutter distortion, while the HDC-5500RV and HDC-5500R also support high frame rate 4K recording, UHB (Ultra High Bitrate) streaming and 12G-SDI.

The new cameras allow select sensitivity depending on the scene conditions, while reduce white clipping maintaining a balance between sensitivity and dynamic range, which is possible thanks to an excellent signal-to-noise ratio of -64 dB that minimizes the impact on image quality2. This enables more natural, three-dimensional video capture in outdoor stadiums with a mix of sunlight and shadows, as well as in live music venues with difficult lighting conditions.

The HDC-3500R, HDC-3500RV and HDC-3200R can be connected to camera control units with the optional board HKCU-LUT35, recently released to the market1, allowing operation with 3D LUTs that offer more advanced color adjustments. The HDC-3200R now supports S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3.Cine wide color gamut modes, used in the HDC-5000 and HDC-3500 series, allowing for more accurate color matching during multi-camera operations with different models.

Flexible streaming functionality

The R series improves transmission functions for more flexible system configuration. The HDC-5500R and HDC-5500RV now support trunk video transmission with two 1.5G SDI lines . The HDC-3500R and HDC-3500RV models support the new method of HB+ transmission, allowing video link and teleprompter with one 3G SDI line or two 1.5G SDI lines3. By using the video link, it is possible to transmit signals from different video equipment by taking advantage of existing fiber optic cables, allowing for a more efficient system configuration.

In teleprompter transmission, by using two 1.5G SDI lines, it allows simultaneous transmission of live video and material from multiple monitors, allowing the camera operator to check the angles of other cameras without increasing the number of SDI cables. This reduces wiring work on set, facilitating more efficient recording.

Additionally, the HDC-3200R is now compatible with the network link with a maximum of 1 Gbps. By using the fiber optic cable between the camera and the CCU, you can transmit signals such as those from camera trackers and IP teleprompter, achieving a more efficient system configuration.

The HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R and HDC-3500RV models come standard with a large viewfinder slide mechanism that supports the 7.4-inch OLED color viewfinder HDVF-EL760. This allows the viewfinder to be fixed in any desired position, facilitating stabilization by placing the viewfinder closer to the tripod's axis of rotation. In environments where the distance between the operator and the camera body is limited, the viewfinder can slide forward to maintain a comfortable viewing distance, thus achieving greater operability.

Additionally, the latest intercom control panel, previously used on the HDC-5500V and HDC-3500V models, will also be added to the HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R and HDC-3500RV models. This enables unified operation in mixed model recording environments.

PTZ upgrade

Sony is also presenting recently released firmware updates for the PTZ cameras with Auto-Framing function BRC‑AM7 (version 3.0), SRG‑A40 y SRG‑A12 (version 4.0). These updates are based on Sony's latest AI technologies; They expand functionality to meet increasingly diverse production needs that include sports broadcasting, education, and enterprise content creation.

Sony also exhibits at its stand MOXELA, a new software-based media processing platform that runs on COTS (off-the-shelf) or cloud servers, and is designed to transform the way broadcasters, production companies and media organizations transport, process and monitor live video, audio and data.

Adicionalmente, los visitantes están presenciando demostraciones de las nuevas funciones del mezclador multiformato MLS‑X1, que posibilitan producciones eficientes al compartir las señales de entrada y salida entre varios estudios. Por otra parte, Sony presenta la unidad ICP‑X7000A, un panel de control con un panel de operación XPT desarrollado recientemente, que mejora de manera significativa la visibilidad y la capacidad de operación.

Producción virtual

Por otro lado, cabe destacar que Sony ha mejorado la funcionalidad de las diversas cámaras de la línea Cinema Line. Recientemente, la PTZ FR7 incorporó la función Auto Framing basada en IA y la compatibilidad con el protocolo OpenTrackIO via an update to firmware version 4.0, while the Cinema Line FX6 full-frame camera implemented support for the BIG 6 home screen to offer easy access to key functions.

Likewise, visitors to the Sony booth can see how spatial content comes to life through the extension system Venice Mini (Rialto) combined with glasses-free 3D display Spatial Reality Display. As a technology manufacturer, Sony offers a robust and inclusive ecosystem of solutions for virtual production, from cameras and camera tracking tools to LED panels and purpose-built software programs that support creativity and optimize production processes. Firmware updates and the addition of new tools and improvements, such as Virtual Production Tool Set version 3.0 from Sony, continue to increase visual storytelling capabilities.

Access to the NAB 2026 SPECIAL in AUDIOVISUAL PANORAMA