Sony announces PXW-Z300 4K 60P XDCAM camcorder with 17x zoom, triple 1/2-inch CMOS sensors, and AI subject tracking

Sony has announced the PXW-Z300 4K 60P XDCAM camcorder designed for professionals working in the news reporting and documentary world. The rugged camcorder is fitted with a range of connectivity and convenience features desired by these professionals.

The PXW-Z300 is fitted with a 17x optical zoom covering a focal range from 30.3 mm to 515 mm, while a 1.5x digital zoom in the 4K mode extends the zoom range to 772.5 mm. The constant aperture f/1.9 lens sits in front of an electronic variable ND Filter that can be adjusted between 1/4 and 1/128 ND, allowing for wide open shots even in bright sunlight. A prism splits the incoming light among triple 1/2-inch 4K Exmor R CMOS sensors, eliminating the aliasing common to single-chip camcorders that use Bayer filters.

The camcorder can track human subjects using AI to set focus while automatically adjusting the composition and exposure, or the operator can manually adjust focus, zoom, and iris using the three rings on the lens. The body is designed with many buttons and dials for direct access to other camera settings. The shooter can use the adjustable high-brightness 3.5-inch 2.76M-pixel display mounted on the flexible LCD arm to monitor recordings from any angle.

The image is processed by the BIONZ XR processor before being stored to CFexpress Type A or SDXC UHS-II/UHS-I cards in the dual card slots, transferred to the cloud or FTP storage, or streamed in real-time using the RTMP/RTMPS and SRT protocols over wired and wireless networks. A variety of output resolutions up to 4K 60P and codecs (MPEG HD422, XAVC Intra, XAVC Long, and MP4 proxies) are supported. Up to four channels of sound can be captured using the XLR inputs and the Multi Interface (MI) Shoe.

The camera can be powered by the BP-U35, BP-U70, and BP-U100 batteries or with any 100 watt USB-C PD power source. Multiple accessories can be mounted using the V-Mount on the side of the body.

The camcorder is scheduled for release in Fall 2025. Its price is undisclosed, but the prior PXW-Z280 had a list price of $10,200. Readers wanting a more affordable option might consider the PXW-Z90V sold here on Amazon.