29.4.2016

The Sony FDR-AX53 camcorder turned out to be just the right camera for me. Being much more from the still DSLR digital camera background as a former professional and now enthusiast photographer, I would not pretend to be a great videographer and could honestly admit to only using a real video camera half a dozen times or so in my whole life hitherto. The arrival of Thomas 4 years ago changed all that. I did take some very good videos with my Canon DSLR but I needed something altogether more compact and dedicated to the task. I used a Sony HD camcorder for a while but not it was an opportunity to try a 4K one.Having convinced us that we should ditch our VGA / HD ready and now HD equipment,the electronics giants are now convincing us that we need 4k, though it is beyond the resolution of many output devices that we might use. Many movies are now shot 4K. However, this is the future and if you can justify north of £700 for a new video camera, there is no need to not buy 4k. You can dual record in 4K and smaller file format (e.g. MPEG4) for file sharing (etc) anyway.The little Sony is light and though quite substantial in size (about the size and volume of a large tin of baked beans!) and ideal for travel. It really palm-sized and simplicity itself to use. There are very few hard controls, most of the set up and management is software driven via the menu on the flip-out LCD screen. Opening the screen turns on the camera, which immediately gives you a Live View and then there is as just a zoom toggle switch, a still frame capture button and a record stop / start button in terms of finger controls. In that sense the camera can be used straight from the box (aside from inserting a SD memory card – not supplied, of course) though when you start for the very first time, you need to go through the typical language and region and date / time set up screens. There is an HDMI connector port and microphone socket lead next to the grip which can be plugged into your computer to transfer across files and also as a back-up charger (the battery is charged on-camera – see below). Other than that, there is just a connector slot for the battery charger. Underneath the screen there is a separate socket for a mini HDMI connector. The lens iris shutter (to protect the lens) auto opens – no small lens cap to lose, thankfully. The lens is Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar and optical quality seems to be as you would expect of this quality marque. Build quality is very good – good enough for everyday use - though I wouldn’t go mountaineering or white water rafting with it! The multi function ring around the lens can be programmed to suit a variety of functions. I allocated mine to be an extra zoom control rather than the fiddly toggle on the top.In terms of features and functionality the camera is pretty much idiot-proof but for the intended market it offers excellent bangs-for-bucks and must be very good value in the grand scheme of things. There is a 50x extended digital zoom (I shut this off and relied on the built in optical zoom and stabilisation), an excellent stereo microphone that works well enough and doesn’t pic up any system sound – the camcorder is completely silent in operation, a standard ¼” female tripod bush on the base and the usual wrap-around leatherette palm grip. File (quality) selection gives the option of AVC HD FX file format and full 4K with MPEG4 format (HD) can also be used for recording with dual recording. There are a good range of features buried in the menu, like HT TV set up for playback (e.g. 4:3 or 16:9, etc), editing and highlight functions. Manual override is available for things like exposure, low lux, white balance, etc but I left these alone, as I am sure most users will.Using the camera is a breeze. The menu system is very similar to other Sony camcorders I have used. There is face recognition functionality that focusses on faces automatically and generally the optical and autofocus system is very good. The optical stabilisation works very well and resulting playback quality is excellent, viewed either on the built in LCD screen or when connected to a full-sized TV. My friend who works in media says the files are broadcast quality – though I am sure the functionality of the camera would be laughable for a professional, it certainly provides good-enough quality for me. Low light images are commendable noise-free and there is a night time mode. Image quality is quite superb with ultra-silent zoom operation. Videos on our (Sony) 48” LED HD TV looked superb.The Sony battery supplied is a chunky 1960mAh one, giving barely an hour’s recording on 4K, so my first task was to buy a spare battery. A genuine Sony was expensive, so I bought a good 1700mAh aftermarket one that had good reviews. So a good investment. There are also several others available with even higher capacity but the penalty is a more bulbous lump sticking out of the back of the camera, I guess. Batteries are charged on-camera using the dedicated supplied Sony charger (2 hour charge time). I find charging on-camera a faff, so my second purchase was an after-market travel charger that allows the spare battery to be charged off-camera. My third purchase was the bespoke Sony camcorder case (LCS U21B).You’ll need to buy an SD card for recording images – or poach one from one of your other devices. There are three main things to consider. Firstly, the brand. I would advise keeping to SanDisk, Lexar or similar. Mainstream manufacturers make the best quality cards that are least likely to get corrupted. There are also a lot of forgeries online, so beware. Buy direct from Amazon or one of the reputable Marketplace retailers (etc). Secondly, you need to consider the card capacity. Most SD cards these days are of the SD HC (high capacity type) and given their relative cheapness, buy at least 16GB – this size gives about 1 hours of recording at highest quality on the Sony. Lastly, you need to consider the write-speed. Don’t look at confusing terms like 144x (etc) – look for absolute write speed, like ‘30mbs’ of ’45 mbs’ (mega-bytes per second). 45mbs is better given the Sony’s 4K file size output but I’d go for 95mbs as they are so cheap. Avoid cheap card bargains or slower versions of the mainstream manufacturers’ cards, as they often have a slow write speed and are not suitable for video recording. There’ll be a bottleneck in recording and you may get drop-outs as the camera cannot write to the card quick enough. I didn’t have this problem with a SanDisk 95mbs card Extreme 3 version, which can be bought for a very good price online. Finally, remember that the cards should be used for temporary storage only – back up every day – don’t leave the SD card as the sole repository for your work or you’ll regret it. I used an external card reader rather than connecting the camera to the computer.The instruction manual is fair. The written English is fine but there is very little in the way of in-depth information – it doesn’t tell you much that can’t be worked out from the onscreen menu. I would have preferred some more technical discussion of file types and pros and cons but I guess Sony don’t think this is important for the intended user.Software. There is no CD supplied with the device, you need to go online and download Sony Play Memories software. I also got a PDF version of the instruction manual. The software is really for the ‘home user’ and I found it frustratingly simplistic. I used Adobe Photoshop Elements and found this much more useful and I was able to splice together and edit videos easily and output in many file formats.In conclusion, the Sony is a fine piece of engineering and I would recommend it strongly for non-professional use or for a first foray into 4K videography.

7.5.2016

It is astonishing how consumer video cameras have developed over the last five years. The difference between professional and amateur equipment is not so much in the quality of the pictures (although, of course, there is still a substantial difference) but in the way they are used; to put it simply, professional cameras aim to give maximum control over all the functions whereas as those aimed at the consumer market are designed to produce great looking pictures as easily as possible.The spec for for this camera is impressive: Ultra High Definition (4K), a 20 to 1 Zeiss zoom and a state-of-the-art optical stabiliser (Balanced Optical SteadyShot).It has an excellent flip out LCD monitor screen (which also functions as a touch screen to control most of the camera’s functions) as well as a small viewfinder (essential if you are filming in bright sunshine). Built-in microphones record stereo or (only in HD) 5.1 surround sound. It also has a minijack to plug in an external microphone - an essential element that many consumer cameras lack. And it is compact and light - it’s about 6.5” x 2.5” by 3” and weighs about 22oz (614g) with battery attached. It records on to inexpensive SD cards but for UHD you need fast ones (SDHC UHS-I U3 or Higher). It takes still photos as well.If you are considering a stills camera for video use in this sort of price range, let me assure you there is a huge difference: stills cameras (DSLRs and mirrorless cameras) have bigger chips (sensors) which means you used longer focal length lenses for the same angle; the consequence of this is shallow-depth of field. Shallow-depth of field means that the background will tend to be out-of-focus - an effect that everyone currently thinks is very desirable (it is referred to as ‘bokeh’). Larger sensor also tend to be more sensitive to light so they are better in low-light. However, there is a downside to this: you won’t get a fast 20 to 1 zoom lens and, if you are shooting documentaries (or anything spontaneous), you generally want as much as possible to be in focus; shallow depth-of-field is not always desirable. Moreover, stills cameras are designed to shoot stills, video cameras to shoot video and the ergonomics of stills cameras are often inappropriate and there tend to be compromises on basic video functions - like recording audio.To cut to the chase - this camera produces fantastic pictures. Shoot in UHD and plug it to a 4K TV and you can’t fail to be impressed - the pictures are clear, sharp and vibrant. Particularly impressive is the optical stabilisation system - the whole lens assembly floats within the camera body like a miniature Steadicam. Stabilisation works at its best in HD but even in UHD it does an amazing job: you can shoot right on the end of the zoom lens and get acceptably steady pictures - I’ve never seen a stabilisation system within a camera as good as this.HD is also extremely good - and, arguably, HD is perfectly adequate for home viewing unless you sit very close to a really huge screen (the majority of cinemas in the UK are still 2K - basically the same as HD - and no one seems be complaining that there aren’t enough pixels on the screen). In HD it will shoot up to 100fps but in UHD you are restricted to 25fps. The Zeiss lens is a beauty - it goes from a decent wide angle (approximately equivalent to 28mm on a 35mm camera) to a decent telephoto, it’s fast (F2 at the wide end), very sharp and has no noticeable distortion.Although this is camera designed for the home user and thus intended to be used largely in ‘auto’ mode, Sony have added a significant amount of manual control functions. The lens ring (there is only one) can be used to control Focus, Zoom, Exposure, Shutter Speed, Iris, Auto Exposure Shift and White Balance Shift - to select functions you use a manual button and the touch screen. In practice, this is far from ideal - you really need to decide what you want to use that ring for as switching between functions is clumsy. Also, you can not set Shutter Speed and Iris independently - to ‘stop down’ or ‘open up’ you have to use the Exposure setting. From a professional point of view this is a huge compromise. However, the camera does have some welcome features for assisting manual settings which you get on professional cameras - ‘zebras’ to set exposure and ‘peaking’ and ‘centre enlargement’ to set focus. Despite this, the vast majority of users will use the camera on auto and the camera will deliver great results. My only other real gripe is the zoom rocker switch - it’s very small and almost impossible to use it for slow steady zooms (but then I avoid zooming in shot as much as possible).I can find little wrong with this camera apart from my regret that you can’t easily control everything manually - but then that is not really what this camera is designed for. Use it well, and the pictures may be some of the best ones you see on your TV - really, it is that good.There are many other functions of this camera that I haven’t really investigated - photos, wi-fi and various special modes - some of which are there perhaps for marketing reasons, some that may appeal to the home user - but they are just icing on a very fine cake.This is a great little camera. £750 is a significant amount of cash, but you are getting a lot of camera for that money. Highly recommended.

26.4.2016

This camera replaces my nine year old Sony HDR-SR1E which was one of the first 1080i camcorders available, I only changed because the LCD monitor touch screen failed. I sincerely hope this camera can last as long. Firstly, as ever in my experience with Sony it has a great feel of quality and build. Secondly, the functionality is way beyond where I was with my older camera, WOW ! I deliberately waited for Sony to launch further generations of 4K camcorders as I have been stung before as an "early adopter". This I believe is the third generation 4K model and I have no doubt will be soon be superseded, but for now it is almost full proof for my purposes.Sony have addressed several issues over the last model.I largely agree with the jgw89 review, and it is a good review so I don't need to repeat any of it. The microphone I am not yet sure about. I am used to AVCHD recording mode and 5.1ch surround sound setting, this is certainly available on this model but not so if you select 4K or HD XAVC S mode. In these modes only 2ch stereo is available which is a shame for those who own home theatre systems. I used to find my voice quite loud from behind the camera but now I struggle to hear myself during playback in 2ch stereo. There is a 'my voice cancelling' feature on this camera but I have not activated it, I have activated the built in zoom microphone function though which may have something to do with it ?I recorded in 4K 60Mbps mode at 25fps and plugged the camera straight into my 4K television using the supplied HDMI cable, WOW again ! The first actual raw 4K I have seen on my television set and not one pixel showed anything but sharp, clear definition and I had my nose pressed to the screen. Brilliant.I was impressed with the BOSS system also, I had mine set to 'Active' which is the greatest stabilisation mode available when in XAVC S format, it was weird whilst recording as the lens position appears to have a mind of it's own when compensating for any untoward movement by the user. Initially one would think the camera was broken inside as the lens can move when you shake the camera around - gently !It is still early days for recording and storing 4K for the consumer, I use the Sony PlayMemories Home software which is great in my opinion. This comes available free with the camera via a download from the Sony UK website. It is extensive enough unless you are a pro editor. It can store 4K and HD XAVC S and allow some editing. I have bought a 4TB external hard drive to store 4K, 2hrs worth can eat 64GB memory ! I do not know when it will be possible to burn 4K to disc to watch on the recently available Ultra HD Blu-ray players so we are left waiting for now. The HD XAVC S mode will allow up to 50Mbps at 1080p which is great definition and can be burned to Blu-ray disc using PlayMemories Home, I will try this out as my old camera could only achieve 15Mbps at 1080i.I recorded in my living room in fairly low light and the result was better than my old camera which would have needed a light fitted in the same conditions. Speaking of which I bought the Sony ADPMAC Shoe Adapter which fits directly to the multi interface shoe and adapts to the Active interface shoe to allow the fitting of older Sony accessories. However, my light was "device not supported" on this camera - shame.Intelligent Auto appears to be a good feature which can easily be selected from the LCD monitor screen by touching the icon. This can switch several functions on automatically if required such as face detection, scene detection, camera shake detection and sound detection (for auto wind NR). The touch screen works well, my old one was the (push) resistive type whereas this one is capacitive, it is like a mobile phone screen which is certainly easier to clean. The menu systems are intuitive and become very user friendly.I also like the fact that the camera is on and ready upon opening the LCD monitor or pulling out the view finder, great for those quick shot moments.A great camera, thoroughly recommended until the next model is released...........

17.8.2017

I've owned this camera since April 2016 and, on balance, I like it.The Good;1. The HD XAVC-S is really good. Although its standard HD resolution (1020 x 1080), their XAVCS gives incredibly sharp and detailed pictures compared to the usual AVCHD recordings. XAVC-S is a consumer codec based on their professional XAVC system, and captures much more detail than AVCHD.2. Since it captures data at 50mbps, rather than the 28mbps for AVCHD, it will use about twice the space on the SD card.That said, it does still enable recordings of 1hr 20min on a 64Gb SD card, (prices of suitable cards are around £30 now), plus the camera does have the option to switch to AVCHD if needed.3.It's also capable of shooting 100fps in superb quality - not only is it great for smooth slow motion effects, but I can also pull single frames from videos to make really nice still pictures.4. Their SteadyShot Intelligent Active '5-way' stability control works with this setting (not in 4K- that uses B.O.S.S.) and gives excellent stability to hand held shots.I originally bought it as my first foray into the world of 4k.I found that slower moving camera / images were just perfect, but was somewhat disappointed at the quality when panning.After using XAVC-S at 100fps, 25fps just seems too slow (although it is still the standard in the UK)Plus whilst the BOSS Stability control was good, it is not as good as '5-way Intelligent Active' under XAVC-S.I'm not sure, but I think the better stabilization also has something to do with the camera utilizing the extra unused pixels from the 4K sensor.Finally, editing 4k is very, very heavy on PC resources, something I'd not fully prepared for.So, now I shoot everything in HD (XAVC-S) at 100fps, and that way I get stunning video, the best stabilization, and are easier to edit with my software. Not what I set out to do, but I'm very pleased with the cameras ability in this area, and so many people have commented on the sharpness and clarity of video.However, the camera is not without its flaws.Aside from the usual niggles that all technology seems to have, there are some more serious ones below, none of which Sony seem particularly interested in fixing;The Bad;1. Despite their claim about fast auto focus, I find my camera (VER 1.02) can at times be both slow and confused when using auto focus, and the manual option is all but impossible to use effectively.2. The camera doesn't remember the last setting for recording, so each time I power up, I need to open MENU, select SHOOTING MODE, and then select HIGH SPEED REC. That's stupid beyond belief.3. The stability control sometimes becomes too smart for its own good, and starts to 'tremor'. It seems to be that if the camera is held very steady, the stability seems to overcompensate and the only fix is to move the camera to 'reset' it. I mostly use the camera as a hand held, but I've read reports that the same issue can occur when on a tripod. Whenever I've put it on a mount, I've turned off the stability control.4. The camera doesn't remember the SD card after formatting, so if you reformat your card, and then record footage, it will restart at C0001 again.Plus, this same bug means that if you have more than one card (as I do) it will result in duplicated numbers, with each card starting at C0001.Sony's response to this (as it appears to be for other owners issues) is to simply send links to their (frankly shoddy) manual.I reported this format/duplicating numbers from multiple cards bug to Sony back in May 2016, and other than tell me to set the FILE NUMBER to SERIES (which it is), they were of no use. 15 months later, and there is not even an acknowledgement of the fault, which is so easy to replicate.That's disappointing, since Sony appear to have little interest in their product after selling it, and even less interest in their customers either.However, despite the above, I'm still giving the camera 4 stars.

28.4.2016

This camera replaces my nine year old Sony HDR-SR1E which was one of the first 1080i camcorders available, I only changed because the LCD monitor touch screen failed. I sincerely hope this camera can last as long. Firstly, as ever in my experience with Sony it has a great feel of quality and build. Secondly, the functionality is way beyond where I was with my older camera, WOW ! This I believe is the third generation 4K model and I have no doubt will be soon be superseded, but for now it is almost full proof for my purposes. Sony have addressed several issues over the last model. The microphone I am not yet sure about. I am used to AVCHD recording mode and 5.1ch surround sound setting,this is certainly available on this model but not so if you select 4K or HD XAVC S mode. In these modes only 2ch stereo is available which is a shame for those who own home theatre systems. I used to find my voice quite loud from behind the camera but now I struggle to hear myself during playback in 2ch stereo. There is a 'my voice cancelling' feature on this camera but I have not activated it, I have activated the built in zoom microphone function though which may have something to do with it ?I recorded in 4K 60Mbps mode at 25fps and plugged the camera straight into my 4K television using the supplied HDMI cable, WOW again ! The first actual raw 4K I have seen on my television set and not one pixel showed anything but sharp, clear definition and I had my nose pressed to the screen. Brilliant.I was impressed with the BOSS system also, I had mine set to 'Active' which is the greatest stabilisation mode available when in XAVC S format, it was weird whilst recording as the lens position appears to have a mind of it's own when compensating for any untoward movement by the user. Initially one would think the camera was broken inside as the lens can move when you shake the camera around - gently !It is still early days for recording and storing 4K for the consumer, I use the Sony PlayMemories Home software which is great in my opinion. This comes available free with the camera via a download from the Sony UK website. It is extensive enough unless you are a pro editor. It can store 4K and HD XAVC S and allow some editing. I have bought a 4TB external hard drive to store 4K, 2hrs worth can eat 64GB memory ! I do not know when it will be possible to burn 4K to disc to watch on the recently available Ultra HD Blu-ray players so we are left waiting for now. The HD XAVC S mode will allow up to 50Mbps at 1080p which is great definition and can be burned to Blu-ray disc using PlayMemories Home, I will try this out as my old camera could only achieve 15Mbps at 1080i.I recorded in my living room in fairly low light and the result was better than my old camera which would have needed a light fitted in the same conditions. Speaking of which I bought the Sony ADPMAC Shoe Adapter which fits directly to the multi interface shoe and adapts to the Active interface shoe to allow the fitting of older Sony accessories. However, my light was "device not supported" on this camera - shame.Intelligent Auto appears to be a good feature which can easily be selected from the LCD monitor screen by touching the icon. This can switch several functions on automatically if required such as face detection, scene detection, camera shake detection and sound detection (for auto wind NR). The touch screen works well, my old one was the (push) resistive type whereas this one is capacitive, it is like a mobile phone screen which is certainly easier to clean. The menu systems are intuitive and become very user friendly.I also like the fact that the camera is on and ready upon opening the LCD monitor or pulling out the view finder, great for those quick shot moments.

3.5.2016

This is the second of these cameras I've had the pleasure to review, I have to say that I would highly recommend this, the other was a slightly smaller unit, with an external charging dock for the battery and a built in projector for watching or reviewing film and photographs. To be honest I thought those were the primary features of interest in that model, the other features, 4K filming, lens stabilisation etc. are shared by this model but I think I've really got a better appreciation for these features today than I had then.The camera itself comes complete with cables to uplink to a PC or laptop or tablet, there is also a cable for charging the unit from the mains and the battery is detactable but charges when the camera is linked to the mains,included is a very, very useful inlay card/booklet which has a good contents page, index, is well illustrated, makes great use of titles, subtitles etc. etc. to provide an accessible guide to complete novice or more informed user alike.4K is an improvement on HD, I dont know if 4K will be wave of the future or remain primarily a concern of film and photography devotees for some time to come, the size of the memory card you will want to use will differ depending on how much 4K filming or photos you plan to take.The lens stabilisation is brilliant, it compensates for any shake in the hand of the average user, adjust well for movement on the part of the user but I have not extensively tested the camera to know about claims that it will stabilise if you are running or moving, I have no experience with other sorts of cameras like Go Pros which people would use to record sking or anything like that to compare it with.The lens on the very front of the camera can be adjusted for focus and zoom, I thought this was a little like having a photography or single shot feature on a camcorder camera. You can film using either the flip out and adjustable view finder window or the extendable eye piece at the back of the camcorder. The view finder is touch screen and easy to set up and operate, intuitive pretty much but the inlay booklet is a good guide.Besides the hardware uplinks, via capable, the device can be paired to wifi allowing you to transfer images to laptop, desktop, tablet or smart/android phones, you will need to download an app but this allows you to create calenders with pictures or film for every day of the week if you like or special occasions or both. I think this feature would be of particular interest to anyone who is a video diarist, life logger or chronicler.There is a small hatch/cover which slides back on the top to reveal a clip to which you can fasten peripherals like a flash, light, mic etc. depending upon whatever sort of filming you plan to engage in. The mic technology on this camera alone is pretty good, featuring noise cancellation qualities and other features to attend to and master. It is a little larger than the other camera but I actually thought that this was a little bit more aesthetically pleasing, that's just me personally (I also have to say that I love seeing the lens move in the cradle as part of the stabilising feature).As I say I dont own a lot of different makes of camera, they are all in this same range, so I can not do much in the way of a compare and contrast to other makes and models. I personally think this is a story of all strengths and no weaknesses but that is how I find it, even the battery life in use is satisfactory. Sony make excellent compact camcorder tech.

6.4.2016

I originally ordered the Sony CX625 Camcorder which I sent back due to various reasons detailed below. In the reivew I make comparisons to previous camcorders I've had (Panasonic 4k) 2015 model and a (Sony HD) 2012 model.This camcorder looks brilliant. Quite heavy but it does look and feel higher end than the HD version which was excellent but it looks very average compared to this ax53 model which is outstanding in almost every area and I think this is definitely a worthy upgrade on any HD camcorder and worth considering if you had last years ax33 but I wouldn't say it's an essential upgrade on that model.This one has now introduced a native 16x9 aspect ratio along with the Carl Zeiss lens which provides wonderful detailed images - the detail is incredible vs HD.For those like me who have an HD tv and thinking if the extra money on a 4k camcorder is worthwhile at this time my advice is it absolutely is. All those years ago when HD came out - ask yourself, would you have gone for HD or SD? The same applies here. HD or 4K. Think ahead. We'll be watching 4k in under 10 years as a normal day to day standard.With this camcorder you get both 4K and HD - both modes are genuinely impressive and the HD is better on this than on the dedicated CX625. 2 levels of image stabilization are on offer with HD and 1 with 4K. In both modes Stabilization is unbeatable when compared to my previous Panasonic. While this model isn't 100% stable wheb fully zoomed it is smooth and watchable, rather than all over the place. The extra Stabilization in HD mode is really only meant for extreme movement such as jogging and isn't a blow for 4k as boss is good enough for most situations, I found it was stable including when walking and panning.4K filming gives you either 25 or 24 fps with either 60 (allows pics) or 100mbps (no pics). HD adds 50fps. I find 25fps is pleasing enough but yes a 50fps in 4K would be welcome but not essential. I film in 100mbps. Details are very good, nice colours and a pleasing look overall but it's not as perfect as video I've seen on the AX100 but that camcorder isn't in the same league in fairness.Low light is good enough for a small(ish) sensor, some noise. Nothing bad though. There's also nightshot which reminds us of those awful ghost hunting shows. Useful perhaps but not a feature I will use that often.The microphone has good noise cancelation and helps lower the wind noise well enough in a slightly breezy day. The audio quality is good with clear stereo quality in 4K and 5.1 in HD. There's also a built-in headphone jack as well.In summary, this technology feels like a major step forward compared to any HD consumer camcorder. From to performance and features in this price range, money will struggle to buy you better. I highly recommend it.

4.6.2016

This is a tremendously good video camera, combining a lightweight frame with a tremendous amount of visual punch and clarity. I've owned the FDR-AX100EB for a couple of years now. That one has an eye-watering price-point, but this one manages to pack much the same high quality into a more affordable package - and what a package it is. The quality of the footage is absolutely excellent, although obviously raw 4K footage will eaty up storage space incredibly quickly. The sound is a little reedy, but if you're serious about this kind of thing you'll invest in a decent external microphone anyway. The on-board stabilisation software is absolutely excellent,

17.2.2019

I have only had this camera a few weeks and Sony are already asking for a review, which I feel is premature. I bought it mainly because I wanted to move up at least to HD, with some headroom for 4K in the future. I wanted a dedicated video camera with a viewfinder, and the current options for that are limited without going to pro level. I tried out a couple thoroughly in store and the AX53 was the one I felt most comfortable with. So far I am very happy with the quality of the video produced under a variety of conditions. The auto-focus is generally good and the stabilisation excellent. For me the poorest feature is control of the motorised zoom, which I had already identified before purchase.

4.8.2016

I bought this Camcorder to use on my youtube channel, the first one had a stabilisation defect in that the slightest movement around the Camcorder (when mounted on a tripod) would cause tremor on the video, so returned it to Amazon. Looking around the internet this seems to be a common issue. I was impressed with the 4K footage however and decided to buy another one. The second one does not have the same defect and I am now happy with the performance. The actual performance seems to be a step up from my old VX 870 which in itself was pretty good, but this gives better low light due to bigger pixels and the BOSS stabiliser is awesome (when its working), its like being on a gimble all the time.

11.2.2019

I have owned this camera just over a week and I am thrilled with the picture quality but there are a few 'operating' issues I've got to overcome: - the wind noise when outdoors in even just a breeze necessitates the use of an external microphone, I expected this; - the built in monitor has a highly reflective finish which makes for VERY difficult viewing in sunlight. I'm short sighted and the adjustment on the EVF eyepiece is insufficient to correct for my vision so I have to struggle with glasses, again making it very difficult to use.It's a shame everything is menu driven (I understand that on screen buttons mean not having to pay for hardware and therefore keeps the cost and size down)

7.12.2017

The only negative about this camera is it's only really got semi auto control (priority shooting) so you cant set all the components of exposure manually. This is locked in software to obviously make you spend an extra £1,000 on the AX100 or the new AX700. This is a little annoying but as I'm not using the camera for professional shooting or paid work i can deal with this. The auto settings do a good job and I tend to use the camera on the move so manual exposure tweaking often isn't practical.Other than that the picture quality is clear, noise is low even at higher gain settings and the stabiliser is second to none. You also get 3.5mm mic input (which I use for a rode videomicro),

24.7.2018

This is my first digital camcorder, so I have nothing to compare it against. I found it pretty straightforward to get started, and the 4K video played back on my 2560 by 1440 PC HD monitor looked great. Haven't tried it on the TV yet. Transferring video to the PC is not very clear, I am not sure if I am transferring 4K or MP4. I have not been able to get the wi-fi transfer to work at all: although the network is recognised, the camera keeps insisting I connect with a USB, and the manual is no real help. That said, the wi-fi connection is hardly a problem to me. I don't much like the "Play Memories" software. I cannot seem to change the location of the transfers,

25.10.2019

I purchased the FDR- AX53 about two weeks ago. It's got superb feature's and the results are amazing. I love the time-lapse facility and the steady shot is truly amazing. I am sure that there are many more things I will love about this camera and hope I get many years service from it. My only concern is the actual build quality. The door covering the hot shoe seem very fragile and if an external microphone is used the door just flaps in the breeze just waiting to be ripped off, also the tripod mount appears to be very flimsy and not really fit for purpose. there is one shown on you-tube that is being repaired with plastic metal. whether the damage was caused by an heavy handed user or average use I don't know but it does pose a question.

31.8.2017

This is a very full featured camera considering the size - which doesn't sit much above your average "family vacation camcorder" size (providing you're not a time traveller from the 90s).The features and operation are immediately apparent to anyone who has operated a handicam, and most people will be able to get up and filming in no time. However, it's where you start to dive into the features of the camera that you find yourself pleasantly surprised. The wheel at the front can be used to tweak any number of things - such as focal range (magnifier included) AE balance and contrast. This, combined with a quality zoom, really helps give you control over the look of your shots.

Sony FDR-AX53 - Reviews

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