Panasonic Develops an 8K Camera System Featuring the World’s First*1 8K Organic Sensor.

Creation 02 November 2019

High-resolution imagery with a wide dynamic range and true-to-life realism. A multi-purpose camera with outstanding versatility.

Osaka, Japan (September 2019) - Panasonic Corporation has developed an 8K camera system featuring the world’s first*¹ 8K organic sensor.

The multi-purpose 8K camera is a compact and lightweight box-type camera with a PL lens mount. It is equipped with the world’s first*¹ 8K organic CMOS image sensor. This sensor features a laminated structure that uses an organic thin film as a photoelectric conversion layer, thus achieving efficient photoelectric conversion and charge storage. The use of this sensor has realized a wide dynamic range to cover large contrast differences in high-resolution 8K imagery, a global shutter*² that prevent skew distortion and flash band, and an electronic ND filter function.

The image processing unit connected to the camera unit via optical fiber cable outputs 8K, 4K and HD video signals. Offering 8K video quality higher than before and armed with excellent versatility, this compact and lightweight multi-purpose camera is extremely useful in a wide range of broadcasting and video production applications.

The date of market release and the price of the 8K camera system are undecided at the present.

Panasonic has been developing and introducing various 8K products in Japan, including the AJ-ZS0580 8K Super High-Definition recorder. It continues to develop 4K/8K equipment and systems with advanced and practical performance toward 2020 with the aim of contributing to further development of the broadcasting industry through the improvement of image quality and program production efficiency.

The prototype 8K camera system will be displayed as a reference exhibit in the IBC 2019 (International Broadcasting Convention) held in Amsterdam, Netherlands from September 13 (Friday).

1: As of October 2018, according to a Panasonic survey. The world’s first image processing sensor to have a laminated structure with an organic thin film as a photoelectric conversion layer.
*2: The global shutter operates only when the shutter speed is 1/120 or faster.

< Main Features >

1.   Παρέχει ευρεία δυναμική περιοχή για την κάλυψη μεγάλων διαφορών σε υψηλής ανάλυσης 8K εικόνες.
2.   Το global shutter (με ταυτόχρονη all-pixel exposure) προστατεύει από αλλοιώσεις και flash band.
3.   Η απλή λειτουργία του ηλεκτρονικού φίλτρου ND προσθέτει ευελιξία κατά το γύρισμα.

Realizes a wide dynamic range to cover large contrast differences in high-resolution 8K images.

The newly developed organic sensor features a laminated structure with an organic thin film as a photoelectric conversion layer and a charge storage section in the lower layer. Since the photoelectric conversion section and charge storage section are completely independent from each other, they perform photoelectric conversion and charge storage with high efficiency. The light receiving area of the photoelectric conversion section has been enlarged to realize a wide dynamic range to cover large contrast differences. For instance, when recording video in a stadium, scenes with large contrast differences, such as the field under intense sunlight and the spectator stand in the shade, can both be recorded clearly in 8K resolution.

The global shutter (with simultaneous all-pixel exposure) prevents skew distortion and flash band.

The improved charge storage and readout efficiency has enabled the incorporation of a global shutter that enables simultaneous all-pixel exposure. This prevents skew (a phenomenon in which a fast-moving subject results in skew distortion) in rolling shutter mode and flash band (a phenomenon in which a contrast difference between the top and bottom areas of the screen occurs during exposure), thus ensuring accurate video recording.

* Operates only when the shutter speed is 1/120 or faster.

The simple electronic ND filter function provides added flexibility in shooting.

The organic sensor controls the voltage applied to the organic thin film to vary the sensitivity. The electronic ND filter allows for continuous and stepless sensitivity adjustment to provide extra flexibility in video shooting.