Say hello to the world’s smallest broadcast camera

Germany’s Proton Camera Innovations is heading to NAB with what it reckons is the world’s smallest broadcast camera: and at under an ounce and just over an inch it is probably right about that.

Following the Yashica - I'm Back story earlier today, we seem to have a bit of a miniaturisation theme on the site today. We’ll try write about something suitably macro sized later on, but Proton Camera Innovations (#C3452) will have what it says is the world’s smallest broadcast camera with it at NAB Show 2024.

The new PROTON CAM is genuinely tiny in size, measuring just 28mm x 28mm and weighing only 24 grams. As we said in the intro, that is under an ounce and just over an inch square. Have look at the render above and presuming the dice are to scale, the cables going in and out of the unit look massive.

Details are in short supply at the moment and there is no footage; hopefully the company will have some at the show. Its website is also sparse, though it does promise that everything will start to kick off this summer. But what we do know is that the company claims market-leading specifications compared to the competition. From an image quality standpoint, it incorporates 12-bit sensor technology and advanced FPGA to deliver “unmatched high resolution and dynamic range.” 

It also provides a wide-angle view of up to 120°, decent low-light performance, and a tally light and stereo audio functionality, which makes it suitable for all sorts of live productions from sports to reality. It also boasts a longer battery life than the competition and reduced heat generation.

“Whilst the tiny size of the PROTON is of course a key USP, it was crucial to us that this was not a gimmick that came at the expense of other deliverables,” says PROTON CEO, Marko Hoepken. “The exceptional image quality and technical specifications embodied within the PROTON are what will set it apart from the market, and we look forward to demonstrating this at NAB2024."