Sony Electronics will launch a new series of five system cameras, HDC‑5500R, HDC‑5500RV, HDC‑3500R, HDC‑3500RV, and HDC‑3200R – collectively the R Series – along with the camera control unit HDCU-3500R and the 3D LUT option board HKCU-LUT35. The compatible camera control units are HDCU-3500R and HDCU-3500 and are already released. The R Series enhances imaging performance resulting from the 2/3-inch three-chip 4K CMOS image sensor with global shutter functionality and provides system expandability for high-quality 4K and HDR live production, while offering compatibility and common operability across the series. The models inherit features of the multi-format HDC-5000 and HDC-3000 series of system cameras, including 4K shooting, a wider dynamic range, and no rolling shutter distortion, while the HDC-5500RV and HDC-5500R also support 4K high frame rate shooting, UHB (Ultra High Bitrate) transmission, and 12G-SDI.
The R Series is scheduled to be showcased at the NAB Show 2026, April 19-22, 2026, in Las Vegas, and planned to be available summer 2026.
Enhanced Imaging Functionality
The R Series cameras allow for sensitivity selection based on scene conditions while reducing white clipping by maintaining a balance between sensitivity and dynamic range, made possible by an S/N ratio of -64dB that minimizes the impact on image quality. This enables more natural and three-dimensional video capture in outdoor stadiums with mixed sunlight and shadows, as well as in live music venues with challenging lighting.
The HDC-3500R, HDC-3500RV, and HDC-3200R can connect to camera control units with the newly released option board HKCU-LUT35 installed, enabling operation with 3D LUTs that allow for more advanced color adjustments The HDC-3200R now supports the wide color gamut modes S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3.Cine, which are used in the HDC-5000 series and HDC-3500 series, allowing for more precise color matching during multi-camera operations with different models.
Flexible Transmission Functionality
The R Series enhances transmission functionality to achieve a more flexible system configuration. The HDC-5500R and HDC-5500RV now support video trunk with two 1.5G SDI lines. Scheduled to be supported in an update planned for December 2026.
The HDC-3500R and HDC-3500RV support the new transmission method HB+, enabling video trunk and prompter with one 3G SDI line or two 1.5G SDI lines. Connection to the “HDCU-3500R” is required. By utilizing video trunk, it is possible to transmit signals from different video equipment while leveraging existing fiber optic cables, allowing for a more efficient system setup.
In prompter transmission, by utilizing two 1.5G SDI lines, it allows simultaneous transmission of on-air video and multi-monitor footage that enables 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 shooting.
Additionally, the HDC-3200R now supports network trunk with a maximum of 1Gbps. By utilizing the fiber optic cable between the camera and CCU, it can transmit signals such as camera trackers and IP teleprompter signals, achieving a more efficient system setup.
Improved Operability
The HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R, and HDC-3500RV come standard with a slide mechanism for a large viewfinder that can accommodate the 7.4-inch OLED color viewfinder HDVF-EL760 (already released). This allows the viewfinder to be fixed at any desired position, enabling stabilization by positioning the viewfinder closer to the tripod’s rotation axis. In environments where there is limited distance between the operator and the camera body, the viewfinder can slide forward to maintain a comfortable viewing distance, thus achieving greater operability.
Additionally, the latest intercom operation panel, previously used in the HDC-5500V and HDC-3500V, will also be applied to the HDC-5500R, HDC-5500RV, HDC-3500R, and HDC-3500RV. This allows for unified operability in shooting environments with mixed models.
Key Features of Each Model in the R Series
Common to All Models
Enhanced Imaging Functionality
HDC-5500R and HDC-5500RV
Newly supports video trunk with two 1.5G SDI lines
Unification of the intercom operation panel and newly supports the standard slide mechanism for the viewfinder in the HDC-5500R
HDC-3500R and HDC-3500RV
Newly supports HB+ transmission, enabling video trunk with one 3G SDI line and two 1.5G SDI lines, as well as prompter transmission
Unification of the intercom operation panel and newly supports the standard slide mechanism for the viewfinder in the HDC-3500R
HDC-3200R
Newly supports network trunk with a maximum of 1Gbps
Newly supports S-Gamut3/S-Gamut3.Cine, expanding the supported color gamut
