Main reasons given by REUTERS for standardizing on Sony cameras and equipment include:
- compact form factor
- exceptional picture quality
- advanced autofocus performance for hybrid use
- outstanding low light performance
- vast options of Sony lenses
- seamless and reliable content transfer from the capture location back to the remote broadcast unit
The roll out to its journalists and on location reporters at 23 Reuters locations across the world started April 2024.
That says a lot about Sony’s cameras that professionals who depend on their cameras and gears functioning properly and consistently in every adverse situation imaginable trust that Sony cameras will get the quality pictures and videos their jobs require them to capture. It also means that whoever is/are in charge of Sony cameras’ long-term vision and strategy has/have got it all pat. From the days when Sony bought Minolta; experimented with fixed semi-transparent reflex mirror SLT DSLRs; forged ahead fearlessly with full-frame mirrorless cameras while Canon and Nikon doggedly refused to give mirrorless any serious considerations; tenaciously designed, engineered and created one new mirrorless lens after another when photographers were making fun of their thin line-up; and scoring big time with an Eye AF Tracking that simply worked beautifully, reliably and fast… I hope Sony will continue to ignore its detractors, innovate and amaze us.
If Nikon and Canon haven’t gotten the message yet, “compact form factor” is a must these days since no journalist wants to carry a huge, bulky and heavy camera in the field, no matter how good that camera is. So, even though the Nikon Z9 and the Canon EOS R1 (when it finally comes out in July) will be two of the best full-frame mirrorless cameras available, their huge size and weight count against them when news agency look to standardize on a camera vendor. The closest competitor to the Sony A7 series that Nikon currently offers in performance, image quality, size and weight is the newly announced Nikon Z6III — a fantastic camera that should make other news agency pause and reconsider before making their final decision.
PRESS RELEASE
Reuters selects Sony cameras for its worldwide video group equipment
Reuters’s global network of on location reporters will be using the Alpha 7S III and PXW-Z280 cameras starting this year to bring world events to everyone
Weybridge, June 12th, 2024 – Sony is delighted to announce that Reuters, one of the largest news agencies in the world, has selected Alpha and XDCAM cameras, G Master lenses and audio equipment to equip its video journalists across the world. The fleet will be using Alpha 7S III, and PXW-Z280 as their main shooting kit, paired with UWP-D wireless audio.
Since its launch, the Alpha 7S III has established itself as a go to camera for on location content creators needing a compact form factor and exceptional picture quality. In this instance, the advanced autofocus performance for hybrid use, together with its outstanding low light performance were key features in Reuters’ decision making. Sony’s E-Mount strategy will also provide journalists with the flexibility to capture images in their truest form, when perfectly paired with the vast options of Sony lenses of their choosing, including the SEL2470GM2.
The PXW-Z280 has become an industry standard, thanks to its ease of use, electronic variable ND filter and Sony’s Instant HDR workflow, eliminating the need for colour grading. Its advanced network features and multiple format support means it can easily, securely, and wirelessly fit into a cloud-based news gathering workflow.
Both cameras benefit for the connectivity features needed to easily connect to the cloud for seamless and reliable content transfer, from the capture location back to the remote broadcast unit, particularly critical for news gathering, with its emphasis on speed.
The cameras and associated equipment started shipping to 23 Reuters locations across the world from April 2024.
This investment from Reuters is a testament to the long-standing relationship between Reuters and Sony, powered by Sony’s in-depth knowledge of on the terrain requirement from journalists and Reuters mission to provide timely and quality news. Sony’s Media Backbone Hive is already in use at Reuters as its main multi-platform news production system.
Gildas Pelliet, Imaging and Professional Solutions, Sony Europe, commented: “We are delighted that Reuters has chosen Sony for this key piece of their technological ecosystem. In pressured environments, nothing is more important for a news organisation than to be reliable and timely. This is where reliability, picture quality and cloud-based workflows become crucial – and those are the qualities we have brought to our cameras and workflow solutions. “
