JVC has announced the official launch of the GY-LS300, 4K camcorder.
The camera, which has been in development since NAB earlier this year, is the company’s first 4K camera to use interchangeable lenses.
The specification of the GY-LS300 is largely identical to the version that JVC demonstrated at IBC in Amsterdam in September (see link for our video preview).
The camera uses a 4K, Super35mm sensor developed by JVC’s AltaSens division, as well as the company’s Variable Scan Mapping technology. This allows the camcorder to keep to a lens’ original field of view, regardless of the lens used. This will work with Super35mm, Micro Four Thirds and Super16mm lenses.
The GY-LS300 records to Quicktime .mov (h.264) and AVCHD formats on SD card media, via two card slots, at up to UHD (3840×2160) resolution, as well as HD at up to 50mbps, SD and proxy files. The camcorder has two XLR audio inputs, an HDMI and SDI output, and a USB host connection for networking hardware.
The camera will ship with a shotgun mic and battery, as well as a removable top handle unit that includes the camera’s XLR mic inputs. The GY-LS300 has built-in ND filters, with 1/4, 1/16 and 1/64 filtration. However, the camera does not have a timecode input or output.
Internal recording in the camera is up to 4:2:2, and it can also stream live video at up to HD resolutions. The JVC internal streaming engine is compatible with USTREAM, Wowza and Xixi, as well as YouTube. The GY-LS300 can also output 4K via HDMI, such as to an external recorder. The camcorder also offers remote control from a smartphone over WiFi.
At the moment, the GY-LS300 is only offered in a body only configuration, although the camera includes a zoom rocker, suggesting a kit lens may be planned.
JVC is due to confirm price and shipping for the camera in the next few days. JVC has also announced two fixed-lens camcorders, the GY-HM170 and GY-HM200, and the GW-SP100 remote camera head and recording unit. This also works with MFT lenses.
