Ikegami to demo broadcast production innovations at IBC

Ikegami Electronics (Europe) will promote its wide range of broadcast production cameras, controllers and monitors at IBC 2023, which will take place from September 15-18. These will include the UNICAM XE System Camera series, UNICAM HD System Camera series, UHL Compact Camera series, plus the HQLM, HLM and ULE series monitors. Supporting staff will include representatives from Ikegami offices in Europe and around the world.

The UNICAM XE product family comprises three cameras (UHK-X600, UHX-X700 and UHK-X750) plus the BSX-100 and CCU-X100 camera control units.

Making its European debut at IBC, the new UHK-X600 is the latest extension to the UNICAM XE product lineup, designed for use in studio or OB applications as well as allowing battery-powered over-the-shoulder location production. Incorporating three 2/3-inch oversampling UHD CMOS sensors with a global shutter, it delivers 1000 TVL resolution, minimal aliasing plus a high sensitivity of F11 @ 2000lx (in 50p mode). Standard features include full support for HDR (Hybrid Log Gamma) with the ability to select between BT.2020 and BT.709 colour spaces. Global shutter imagers minimise artifacts when televising LED screen walls or flash/strobe-illuminated stage environments. Measuring a compact 34 x 24.5 x 15.5 cm and weighing only 5 kg, the UHK-X600 accepts all B4 ENG/EFP-lenses and supports chromatic aberration correction, vignetting correction, ramping compensation and remote control of backfocus when the latter is also supported by the lens. When combined with Ikegami BSX-100 or CCU-X100 control units, the camera optionally supports simultaneous output in UHD and HD video formats. Future-proofing options for the UHK-X600 enable customers to invest in additional capabilities as or when required. Among the license-key-based options is support for 2x, 3x and 4x high frame rate capture in HD plus optional 4K format (3840×2160/50p) delivering 2000 TVL resolution. Plug-in hardware-based options include a SMPTE ST 2110 compatible media-over-IP interface board and 12 outputs.

Ikegami’s UHK-X700 is the flagship camera of the UNICAM XE product range. It includes exactly the same features as the UHK-X600 but provides UHD-frame rate (3840×2160@50P, 59.96P) operation as a standard feature. If required, the UHK-X700 can also operate in 4K/UHD 2x speed or in Full HD format in up to 8x speed.  

The UHK-X750 is the full studio camera version of the UHK-X700, providing all features of the UHK-X700 except those that apply to a portable shoulder operation. The UHK-X750 offers a lower centre of gravity and easier staging compared to a portable camera with a telephoto lens and large lens supporter. In addition, the Ikegami UHK-X750 full studio camera features a greater design emphasis on ease of service and operation.

The UNICAM HD series comprises two camera heads (HDK-99 and HDK-73) plus a choice of three camera adaptors (FA-97A, FA-55 and FA-300) and two control units (BSX-100 and BSF-300).

Model HDK-99 camera head incorporates three 2/3-inch 2.6 megapixel CMOS sensors, each capable of capturing full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution images at greater than 600% dynamic range and a sensitivity of F11 (1080i) combined with high signal-to-noise ratio and modulation depth. 1080p, 1080i and 720p HD formats are supported. The HDK-99 connects to the compact and lightweight BSX-100 base station via the FA-97A fibre adaptor, using up to 3 km of SMPTE camera cable with integral power or up to 10 km using single-mode fibre and local power. An optional board provides 12G SDI outputs from the BSX-100, allowing an affordable transition from HD to UHD production. An optional MoIP board is also available to transition to ST.2110 IP connectivity. The HDK-99 provides an HLG mode conforming to the ITU-R BT.2100 international standard for high dynamic range. A wide colour gamut is also supported. Up to five HDR gamma curves can be loaded into the camera for instant switchover to high dynamic range operation in different standards. The core of the HDK-99 is the AXII processor which can perform high-speed processing of super high-resolution video signals in various formats and frame rates. It also provides real-time 16-axis colour correction allowing fine-tuning of hue and saturation which is especially useful in live multi-camera applications. The AXII additionally delivers an advanced focus assist function.

Ikegami’s HDK-73 is a dockable multi-role high-definition camera head designed for standard-dynamic-range and high-dynamic-range broadcast production. It is available as a complete system including CCU (BSF-300), connecting fibre adaptor (FA-300), viewfinder  (VFL701A) and remote control. Image capture is to 2/3-inch 2.6 megapixel CMOS sensors, each capable of capturing full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution images with an extremely wide dynamic range of more than 600%, high sensitivity (F13 at 1080i) and low video noise level. The HDK-73’s sensors natively support 1080i/59.94 and 1080i/50, as well as 720p/59.94 and 720p/50 scan formats. Major features include full digital signal processing, advanced digital detail correction with independent horizontal and vertical correction of red, green and blue signals, and optionally-available anti-moiré filtering. HLG processing is operator-selectable for HDR picture origination, enabling high-contrast scenes to be televised with full detail across the entire brightness range from highlights to shaded areas. Full digital signal handling is performed by a processor operating at up to 38-bit depth. The HDK-73’s dockable structure allows studio configuration with fibre base stations as well as self-contained operation with a camera adapter for wireless or onsite recording applications.

This series comprises the 3-CMOS UHL-43 4K UHD compact multi-purpose camera and 3-CMOS UHL-F4000 4K HDR ultra-low-light camera.

The UHL-43 is a compact box-style camera designed for applications such as robotic studios, live-event broadcasting, parliamentary television and point-of-view image capture. The camera head can be used on practically any support device such as a remote pan & tilt, long-reach arm or overhead mount. The UHL-43 employs three 2/3-inch UHD CMOS sensors in the same workflow and remote control structure as Ikegami’s Unicam XE series UHK-X700 and UHK-750 cameras. Unlike cameras using a single chip with a Bayer pattern for colour separation, the integration of three UHD resolution CMOS sensors and prism block provides true 2000TVL capture resolution, high-quality colour reproduction and complete freedom from colour aliasing. Available as an HD model, the UHL-43 can be upgraded to deliver 4K-UHD. HLG HDR is supported as standard in HD and UHD. Output options supporting 12G-SDI or 4 x 3G-SDI over electrical cable or optical fibre are available. All control functions are accessible at the camera head or via a choice of remote control panels from Ikegami’s OCP-series. The integral Ethernet interface allows easy control from practically any distance, making the camera ideal for remotely supervised OB production.

A compact and lightweight UHD HDR camera with low power consumption, the Ikegami UHL-F4000 is designed for use in applications such as aerial video capture and studio robotics. Its high-sensitivity sensors capture broadcast-quality colour video across a wide range of night or day conditions. The camera head uses three CMOS global shutter sensors capturing natural images completely clear of geometric distortion and flash band effects. Image adjustment capabilities include noise removal, digital zoom, haze reduction, image sharpening, vertical image reversal and HD-from-UHD segment selection. A duplex optical fibre connection communicates between the camera head and CCU. These can be positioned up to 10 km apart. The optical fibre can be integrated into one bidirectional core via an optical circulator and passed through a single-core optical rotary joint used for a small gimbal. 12-volt DC power is the only other required connection to the camera head. Other signals include genlock and remote control interface to the CCU.

Ikegami offers a wide range of broadcast picture monitors including the HGLM, HLM and ULE series.

All monitors in the HQLM series are 4K-native models designed for broadcast mastering and grading applications. They comprise the 31-inch HQLM-3125X, 31-inch HQLM-3120W and 17-inch HQLM-1720WR. Features include HDR support (HLG, PQ, S-Log and S-Log3) plus eight colour space modes: ITU-R BT.2020, ITU-R BT.709, DCI-P3, ADOBE RGB, ACES, S-Gamut, S-Gamut3 and Cine. 12G-SDI,3G-SDI and HD-SDI and HDMI connectivity is provided. Utility features include RGB and YCbCr waveform display, vectorscope, audio level meters, multiview and split-screen.

Ikegami’s HLM series monitors are Full HD-native models with optional support for HLG and S-Log HDR. They comprise the 17-inch HLM-1760WR and 9-inch HLM-960WR, both with 3G-SDI, HD-SDI and HDMI connectivity. Utility features include RGB and YCbCr waveform display, vectorscope, audio level meters, multiview and split-screen. “With their high picture quality, wide viewing angle and advanced features, the HLM-monitor series is the ideal choice for a wide range of broadcast applications and a perfect tool to match cameras,” commented Ikegami product specialist Gisbert Hochguertel.