It brings affordable, replaceable camera heads to motorsport and entertainment production
Press Release
Garbsen, Germany — 26 October 2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH will showcase the PROTON FLEXY at SATIS 2026 (Booth A13-B12), following the camera’s recognition as a Best in Market winner in the ProAV category at IBC2026. The FLEXY represents a next-generation micro POV camera that adopts a flexible architecture with serialised connectivity in order to separate lens and body, thus providing entirely new possibilities in terms of how and where the camera is positioned.
The separation of imaging head from processing unit and power supply is achieved through the use of a 50 Ohm coax cable (up to 10 metres) with SMA connectors – industry-standard components which production engineers already maintain as staples within their kit bags. This design means that production teams can place the tiny camera head in high-risk or space-constrained locations while the processor and its associated power supply remains safely accessible, leaving engineers safe in the knowledge that they can change out a lens quickly, easily and with a much lower cost than if they were required to replace the entire camera unit.
The IP67-rated head is available in two form factors: a 19mm lipstick configuration or a 19x19mm square option. Both house a 1/3-inch global shutter sensor with 12-bit dynamic range, delivering crisp 1080p imagery through Proton’s VEGA broadcast-grade image processor. Power draw is just 3W across a 6.5-25V range, with heat concentrated primarily in the ECU rather than the camera head itself – a design choice that makes the FLEXY easier to integrate into tight, temperature-sensitive spaces.
Combined, these design features serve to make the FLEXY groundbreaking in a range of contexts, particularly in the field of live sports production. One such application which has seen remarkable success for the camera already is in the field of motorsport production. Because the camera head represents just one-third of the total system cost and the more expensive processing components remain safely hidden away in the ECU, production teams can now mount the affordable head in locations which experience a high risk of impact and damage, including bumpers, roll cages and suspension components. If in-the-moment action does cause camera head damage (whilst also securing a high-octane, immersive shot for audiences), replacement is fast and economical via a standard SMA connection.
But the FLEXY’s architecture means its potential extends well beyond motorsport. Its ability to place a broadcast-grade imaging head in spaces that are too small or too hazardous for normal cameras, or in situations where the heat output from a standard camera would prohibit it being mounted directly against the skin in body-worn applicationa, mean that the FLEXY is equally suited to television reality production, live entertainment and concert coverage, or indeed any environment where discreet, flexible placement is required. The 10-metre cable run means the processor can be positioned in a safe, accessible equipment rack while the head is placed exactly where the creative brief demands.
The FLEXY joins a growing ecosystem of miniature broadcast cameras from PROTON, all of which leverage the company’s core competency in miniaturisation but offer distinct feature sets for different deployment contexts – whether that be a need for zoom, 4K capture, weatherproof operation, image stabilisation, 3D applications, specific form factors, or larger sensors with a global shutter. Only two key elements govern the way in which the range expands: maintain exception, broadcast-quality imagery, and deliver a functionality that provides completely new creative possibilities to production teams.
Speaking of the FLEXY’s recognition and upcoming SATIS appearance, Marko Hoepken, CEO and founder of Proton Camera Innovations, said: “The Best in Market award at IBC was a wonderful acknowledgment of what the FLEXY makes possible. But the real excitement is in what our customers are already doing with it. So many production teams have told us they love what a PROTON camera can do, but it is too precious to risk in exactly the environments where it could deliver the best shots. The FLEXY answers that – the expensive electronics stay safe, the head is affordable and replaceable, and the cable can run up to 10 metres. For motorsport, for entertainment, for any high-impact environment, this changes the economics of daring shots. As we like to tell customers: You can now capture the crash without crashing your budget.”
More information about PROTON and its products is available at http://proton-camera.com/ and https://doc.proton-camera.com/.
