The Sony PMW-EX1 camcorder first hit the market nearly five years ago in 2007, and although it had a small update with the EX1R in 2010, the camera has pretty much remained the same. With the pace of technology today, five years is a long run for any camera, but the EX1 still remains very popular. 

However, Sony is always advancing their technology, and today they announced the PMW-200 camera, which takes the same functionality, lens, and 1/2″ 3 CMOS 1080p sensor found in the EX1R and adds 50Mbps 422 recording. The PMW-200 records to SxS cards and can switch between the XDCAM EX 35Mbps 4:2:0 format found in the EX1 and EX3 and the XDCAM 422 format found in their higher-end ENG cameras like the PDW-800. The PMW-200 also adds both timecode and Genlock connections, like those found in the PMW-EX3, making it great for multi-camera use. In addition, the camera features all the things we look for in a small run-and-gun camera including: SDI & HDMI outputs, ND filters, a fully manual lens, 15 sec cache recording, and slow motion in 720p mode (1-60 fps). Sony also plans to add a Wi-Fi remote control option in the future, using an optional adapter. The camera should be available in September with a list price of $7,790.