Sony’s HDC-F5500V camera makes its global Live Production debut at Wembley Stadium

Saturday 19 July high-stakes boxing match at Wembley Stadium, which saw Usyk become two-time heavyweight champion after winning against Dubois, not only drew fans for its sporting drama, but was the world’s first live broadcast deployment of Sony’s new HDC-F5500V camera. The “Serial Number 1” camera—delivered through GTC Patron's and Professional Broadcast Dealer Top-Teks to rental house Livewhire was used to capture emotion-filled cinematic visuals for DAZN’s production of the event.

The HDC-F5500V, a next-generation live production system camera, incorporates a single Super 35mm global shutter CMOS sensor and introduces variable ND filter functionality, unlocking additional creative control for broadcast operators.

A new cinematic standard for sports coverage

The HDC-F5500V builds on Sony’s successful HDC-F5500 platform, widely adopted across entertainment and live production markets. This next-generation live production system camera, incorporates a single Super 35mm global shutter CMOS sensor and introduces variable ND filter functionality, unlocking additional creative control for broadcast operators. After the operator sets the limit of the aperture, gain and the VND will emulate the iris' opening and closing outside that limit. The Variable ND filter therefore grants greater control over the exposure, resulting in the capture of cinematic pictures with a shallow depth of field, bringing the thrill of sport, music and other live events even closer to viewing audiences.

Livewhire provided the HDC-F5500V—along with additional Sony equipment—for the production. Top-Teks facilitated the initial delivery and collaborated with Sony on early technical support.

A Collaborative Rollout

For this broadcast production commissioned by DAZN, Livewhire indicated that the HDC-F5500V was used for high-impact entrance shots, where the cinematic image quality can best be showcased. In addition to the new model, Livewire also upgraded three existing Sony HDC-F5500 cameras to the new "V" configuration, enabling more flexibility and consistency across their fleet.

Mike Thomas, Managing Director of Top-Teks Ltd, says:

The Sony HDC-F5500V is a significant milestone for System Cameras. We are increasingly seeing the Super 35mm HDC-F5500 used in Live events where a more cinematic feel is required; the V version gives exposure controls that are normally specific to Sony’s Cinema Line making production much happier to use a System Camera rather than a Cine Camera with fibre attachment.

Daryl Bidewell, Vision Supervisor added:

The shallow depth of field isolates subjects in a dramatic way—when boxers enter the ring, you want every eye to be on them. The HDC-F5500V brings a film-like intensity that heightens the atmosphere. Seeing the HDC-F5500V used on one of the highest stakes and most watched events in the year shows how trusted these products are.

For more information, please visit the Sony Networked Live website