Ikegami is set to debut the UHK-X700VN 4K-UHD camera at NAB Show New York, featuring variable neutral-density control for improved exposure and depth-of-field management. The camera is designed for live broadcast and virtual production environments, offering global shutter sensors and support for HDR and various color spaces.
The introduction of variable ND control directly addresses technical friction in virtual production environments where LED walls often cause moiré or interference patterns. By decoupling exposure from the lens iris, Ikegami allows engineers to maintain the specific bokeh required to soften digital backgrounds while managing light levels in real-time. This capability is increasingly critical as broadcasters migrate from traditional green screens to high-resolution LED volumes. As the industry shifts toward SMPTE ST 2110 standards, the accompanying IPX-100 base station provides a bridge for legacy baseband workflows to transition into IP-based remote production. Watch for how quickly these variable ND features become standard across competing 4K studio camera lines.
Ikegami's UHK-X700VN is not a standalone model but part of a broader four-camera expansion of the UNICAM XE series. The company simultaneously announced the UHK-X750VN, UHK-X600VN, and UHK-X650VN alongside the UHK-X700VN, with all four VN variants sharing the same variable neutral-density filter architecture and bokeh-control capabilities. This positions the variable ND feature as a platform-level upgrade across Ikegami's entire studio and portable camera range rather than a single flagship addition, giving broadcasters a migration path from existing UHK-X700 or UHK-X600 bodies without changing their operational workflow.
The IPX-100 base station shown alongside the UHK-X700VN at NAB Show New York represents Ikegami's bridge between baseband and SMPTE ST 2110 IP production. The IPX-100 supports up to 2 miles of SMPTE-hybrid fiber cable per camera and powers the camera head directly, meaning operators experience no workflow difference compared with conventional fiber-cabled setups. This approach targets facilities that need to adopt IP-based remote production incrementally while retaining familiar baseband monitoring and control during the transition period.
The variable ND technology in the UHK-X700VN specifically addresses moiré and interference patterns that arise when shooting LED walls, a problem Ikegami has identified as a growing operational concern in news studios and virtual production environments. Ikegami's own announcement explicitly cites reducing interference patterns when shooting LED walls as a primary application for the variable ND system. The camera's 2/3-inch CMOS sensors with global shutter readout eliminate rolling shutter distortion and flash-banding, which are additional artifacts that compound when cameras capture high-refresh-rate LED panels. TV Technology's coverage noted the camera supports HDR imagery with HLG as well as BT.2020 and BT.709 chroma spaces, ensuring compatibility with current broadcast HDR delivery standards.
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