Released in 1986, the “SP” of the Betacam series stands for "Superior Performance". Sony's 3CCD cameras became very popular in the late 80's and were adopted as the go-to ENG and broadcast systems by many TV channels and broadcasting companies.
Professional controls, built-in filters and improved overall image quality over competitors add up to a nostalgic although professional news channel texture.
Now don't be fooled by the looks of it. Despite of the size, the 3CCD Sony is relatively light and its ergonomic design makes it a perfect companion for handheld use on set. Standard 19mm rods can be attached to its baseplate to control focus, iris and zoom with any lens control system.
The camera has been modified to be powered with V-Lock batteries, and it can output a digital video signal which can be then recorded in ProRes straight to an SD card.
