Sony's PXW-X70 Professional XDCAM Compact Camcorder is about the same size as a conventional 1/3" professional compact camcorder, but it features a 1" type sensor, which is larger than a super-16 sized sensor and more than eight times the size of a 1/3" sensor. The larger Exmor R sensor size provides for more cinematic appearing depth of field than a 1/3" sensor is capable of and features a back-side illuminated design for improved low light performance. It features an integrated 12x optical zoom lens with a manual lens ring for zoom/focus control, and a three level switchable ND filter. The top handle incorporates two 3-pin XLR inputs for recording audio from XLR microphones.

The camera records HD video using the XAVC Long-GOP codec with 4:2:2, 10-bit color sampling at 50 Mb/second, providing footage with a high data rate that is suitable for broadcast applications. The camera features two SD card slots, allowing simultaneous and relay recording, and both a 3G-SDI and an HDMI output. The camera supports control via Wi-Fi using smartphones or tablets and the optional Content Browser Mobile application. Planned upgrades will allow the camera to record in 4K UHD as well as add file transfer and streaming via Wi-Fi.