Description
3.0 inch LCD (Touch panel), EVF, Wi-Fi/NFC, manual ring, night shot, 4K Time-lapse capture.Diopter adjustment:Yes (-4.0 to +3.0 mstyle name= inch sup inch -1/style)
Built-in Zoom Microphone. Minimum Focus Distance- approx. 13/32 Inch (Wide), approx. 31 1/2 Inch (Tele), approx. 1 cm (Wide), approx. 80 cm (Tele). Focal Length (35mm equivalent) (Still Image)- f=26.8-536.0 mm (16:9) f=32.8-656.0 mm (4:3).Focal Length (35 mm equivalent) (Video)- f=26.8-536.0 mm (16:9)2
In-the-box: Rechargeable Battery Pack(NP-FV70/NP-FV70A) (1); AC Adaptor (1); Power Cord (1); Operating Guide(1); HDMI(micro) Cable (1); micro USB Cable (1)
Note: Products with electrical plugs are designed for use in the US. Outlets and voltage differ internationally and this product may require an adapter or converter for use in your destination. Please check compatibility before purchasing. 4K XAVC-S recording with 16. 6MP, Exmor R sensor, B. O. SS stabilization ZEISS lens(26. 8mm) 20x optical zoom in 4K, 30x Clear Image Zoom in 4K3. 0″ LCD (Touch panel), EVF, Wi-Fi/NFC, manual ring, night shot, 4K Time-lapse capture Built-in Zoom Microphone. Note-at a higher gain, the brightness becomes more appropriate in dim scenes, but the noise increases. At a lower gain, the noise decreases, but the shutter speed becomes slower to compensate for the lack of brightness, causing camera shake or subject blur
10isdad –
Cut and paste this link to see my latest video using the Sony FDR AX100.httpsyoutu.berXHcXoXCSrQPros Best video quality in a camcorder that I have ever owned.Cons My Dell i5 and i7 laptops takes 5 to 10 hours to render a video on 4K Not a Sony issue. Tried using a MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 500GB HD on iMovie and found out iMovie can read 4K but not produce 4K videos. Went to Apple store and they recommend using the latest Final Cut Pro software.The other cons on this camcorder is that the image stabilizer is not as good as the newer FDR AX33 and that the zoom is very slow. Personally Id still pick the AX100 over the AX33 due to its 1 Exmor R CMOS sensor.
sean.c –
This camera is the best The tripod it comes with is not great, the handle on mine broke after 3 weeks of using it fairly often. It was a gift, and it exceeded my expectations The LED light is really light weight and so awesome Its a light weight camera and the light adds virtually no weight. The camera can shoot in 4K which is awesome and it also does 60fps so you can film in slow motion Battery life is great and exporting is easy with the USB output on the side of the camera Easy to use for beginners and you can tweak everything for the experts
Ken The Video guy –
I use this camera several times each week to shoot videos for a church. It is outstanding. The color and clarity are amazing. Its quick to set up and is very intuitive. Even though we own several large HD cameras, this has become my goto camera
leval1941nsjodz –
Its a good product a bit disappointing that it doesnt have the feature of down loading to a portable hard drive direct. My last Sony allowed me to do this. It was a great feature when travelling without a computor i like to empty my camera everyday then if i happen to lose it i still have the footage i have taken on holiday. Havent really given it a good test but first results look good.
MrsGamerMom –
For years I have filmed for my sons football coaches. I have always missed opportunities to take photos of him playing, because I need to get the entire team in the film. Now, not only can I record in 4K, but I can frame capture the exact photo I want from my footage at 8MPI attached a sample of a frame capture pulled from 4K footage. I realized that this camcorder is going to replace my camera right after playing around filming my twins. I always missed the perfect shot with my camera and my never cooperating twins. I was able to playback in slow motion and grab some great photos of my twins.
Spitzfire –
I was an early adopter of this Handycam model, purchasing it when it was first released in March 2014. Id never owned a Sony camcorder before all of my professional shooting had been done with a Panasonic DVX100A and then a Panasonic AGHMC150 but I was in the market for a new camera that could serve a pretty unique use case a camcorder that had enough manual controls that I could use it as part of my freelance videography business and for shooting short films, and also simple enough that I could hand it to my wife to document our new baby. Oh, and do it all with fantastic picture quality at a futureproofed resolution, and for less than . Talk about a tall order. After a yearplus of shooting with this little camera, Im happy to report that the Sony FDRAX100 strikes an astounding balance between manual and automatic control. This little camera puts the pro in prosumer, and Ive been thrilled with my purchase. Its paid for itself three times over with freelance work including broadcast work… seriously, and Im able to hand it off to a family member to effortlessly document my sons birthday party. Some of the highlights for me Builtin Neutral Density filter this was honestly the feature that made me buy this camera because I used it ALL the time on the Panasonics Fantastic picture quality and lowlight performance from the 1 sensor its hard to understate the amount of flexibility you get from shooting 4K and downsampling to HD. I can shoot a take one time and have two usable shots, one medium and one medium close up. Huge advantage for shooting nonprofessional talent. The 3.00 Firmware Update addressed my complaints about slow autofocusing and added a higher bitrate 100mbps vs. 60mbps Lightweight, feels good in the hand, good battery life, shoots to cheap media SDXC Full auto mode, and the right combination of manual controls Almost no gain noise up until about 15dBThings I dont love The builtin mic is fine for home videos, but the Line In for external mics has an alwayson limiter and doesnt show dB levels even in manual mode. Good for backup recording and syncing in post, but I dont trust it to get final audio in a professional environment. Use a handheld recorder.I wish the lens was faster. Its f2.8f4.5, which is okay, but the 1 sensor with a F1.8 would make it easier to get that invogue DSLR look. And you only get f2.8 if youre completely zoomed out, so for indoor shooting especially youll need to stay zoomed out and strike a balance between gain and shutter speed. Im not a fan of the clip playback mode, either from a UI perspective or a usability perspective. This is one area where the camera feels particularly consumerish to me. Stupid shameless money grab from Sony with the proprietary hotshoe… yuck. Ill never use it for any reason just out of principle. All in all, I cant believe this camera does so many things so well, and for well under . If you want a tool that can give you gorgeous 4K video and some of the imaging power of a DSLR while still being straightforward enough to hand to a family member, this is the camera to choose Well done, Sony. This really is a handy cam.
Rockey –
Sony FDRAX100 is a topvalue camera for the price, overall performance was beyond expectations. Great 4K entry camera. Able to be used professionally with minor limitations noted below. Problems I found with the Sony FDRAX100 camera Roller shutter problems on pan No speed control on zoom
DaiKun –
This camera is a fantastic option for videographers looking for a highend piece of equipment lower than the typical introductory cost of 4,000 or more. It functions just like other professional cameras, at a smaller size, offering perfect control over focus, exposure, iso, shutter speed and white balance. It shoots 4K as well as 1080P at 24 or 30 frames per second, as well as 720P at 120fps for high speed shots that can be slowed down very smoothly.
Merry –
I have purchased a continuous series of Sony digital cameras, starting with the first camera to record on floppy disks, through the model that recorded on miniCDs, and then the HD handycams. Within the past two years I have purchased both the HDRCX900 and the FDRAX100. I love all of my cameras. All are still functioning well, although I now only use the CX900 and the AX100. An interesting thing about all of the Sony cameras I have had so far is that, even when they are dropped multiple times sometimes on cement, they still work without any problems. The Sony AX100 allows you to record HD, XAVCHD or 4K videos. I have recorded in all formats, and the quality is exceptional in each one. Once again, I am very pleased with Sony for creating such high quality cameras at reasonably affordable prices.
Ray Mac –
I bought this camcorder to record videos at church, but I also am using it for videos of my grandchildren.After briefly reading the literature, it is easy and very intuitive to use. It has a great lens and the results are terrific
JTendy –
This is a great piece of gear. Aperture, gain and shutter speed controls at your fingertips. Program AE makes it idiotproof if you want to hand it to an assistant to use as an extra camera. Variable speed zoom lever, low lux setting makes for great performance in low light, touch screen is precise and f2.8 seals the deal. WiFi control is a simple setup and allows record onoff, touch focus and zoom. With the optional XLR kit, this is a much better choice for run gun than XA20. Two small gripes 1. I searched through menu for 20 minutes for WiFi before I realized system calls it Ctrl with Smartphone. 2. Closing the flipout screen turns off the camera unless the eyepiece is pulled out. I would have preferred an onoff switch on the outside of the camera instead of a button under the flip out screen. But Im so impressed with this camera Im going to order its non4k cousin CX900.
Gregory –
I purchased this camcorder last year and regret purchasing this. I cannot recommend the Sony FDRAX100 camcorder for recording video. If you are recording in 4k your production will be chopped up into 2GB files. Or in HD you will have several 4GB files for one continuous shoot. BH was no help explaining this. It appears to be socalled feature of this camera.
AirborneRanger –
I purchased this HD camera just before the year end award ceremonies for my children in elementary school and subsequent east coast vacation. The vivid and crisp images really shined thru as we visited Independence Hall in Philly, the Capitol and Whitehouse in D.C. abd the Niagara Falls and downtown Manhattan in New York
cj –
This 4K camcorder is everything I had expected and maybe more. I have used the camera for several sports events and it is rugged and performs well. The video quality is beyond my expectations. Audio is better than expected but is still not on par with a good mike. My problem is that the zoom is so slow that I cannot use it during action shots. I will contact BH to find out if the zoom can be improved someway. I hope Sony can address this issue. For now, I use the 4K capture in post to focus on distant action or player closeups. I have also used it in post for close up photos and it is fantastic
George –
XAVC S 4K and HD are amazing. ND filters are very helpful ND2 and ND3 affect color slightly. Manual Control buttons are well designed. EVF is great. Monitor is very high quality. Power consumption is improved battery time is very good. The SDXC chamber should be in the bottom of the camcorder so there is no need to open the monitor in some occasions. The monitor should have a latch to prevent it from opening inadvertently or due to gravity. Digital ZOOM should be limited up to the useful level only. Lens barrel distortion should have been minimized more. Faster focusing response for panning. Gain should go lower than 3dB for a very sunny day due to ND2 and ND3 effects.
Watermonkey –
This is a great lightweight camera that takes stunning video. It has great feature like being able make some manual adjustments. It is nice to be able to shoot in 4K but also record an mp4 at the same time. used the video in Imovie and have had not had any problems importing video. This is a great camera for a novice who wants a point and shoot camcorder that takes great video with enough features for more advanced shooters. The only negatives i have seen is a little more image shake when shooting in 4K and the auto focus is a little slow when shooting faster action. Overall a great camera.
bomar –
This is a great camera for low light situations. Very easy to use and versatile headphone jack, mic jack, multiple flash memory types supported.
adil.c –
Hello, my name is Adil. If you were interested in photography, or you like taking good pictures and videos with high quality, you want to grow an instagram account and people like your photos and videos more, this camera is a beast in taking pictures and videos, I can ensure that youll enjoy taking pictures and videis everyday, youll be excited to wake up to another day to take this camera and take pictures and videis, I have nothing to say about it.. Just perfect Instagram adil4hs
Bestguy7 –
Good 4k camera with excellent picture quality and features. Menu on touch screen could be set up better. A bit more magnification would have been nice. Note the remote control 835 says it works with the AX100, it doesnt.
Dennis –
I use this camcorder for family and travel videos. While I am not ready to shoot and edit in 4K at this time, the 1080P hi res video is awesome, much better than my Panasonic TM900. The low light performance is also very much better than the Panasonic, even though it is a 3 chip unit.
mustHAVE –
the video quality that comes out of this guy is magnificent. I own the AX33 but once I made the investment to purchase the AX100 its a huge difference. The Only issue I had was because I have to do interviews I have to utilize the hotshot to mount my audio preamp to it. The hotshoe is not a traditional one and had to purchase a adapter to mount to this hot shoe in order to use it.
Skyeye –
This camcorder is heavier and slightly larger than some current family friendly models on the market. The image quality that results from the 1 sensor is unmatched by other consumer camcorders. Sharpness and dynamic range are excellent. With the built in neutral density filters obtaining shallow depth of field in a sunlit situation is available. The image stabilization, though not the latest and greatest generation is fully adequate for one that has used a camcorder before and is fairly steady. I would not trade the smaller size for the image quality this generates. I am very happy with this purchase.
Geneo157 –
I have owned the camera since March and have produced some stunning videos. However I have a problem with the OLED EVF, its brightness is so low that it is unusable in bright sunshine. Two other EVF cameras I own have at least double the brightness. I also found the complaint on websites dedicated to this camera. The video certainly rates 5 stars but for the EVF
BBReviewer –
So I tried this against a Sony RXIV and Panasonic FZ1000. This camera is almost triple the price of the FZ1000.I liked the footage, but what I didnt like was the price for what you get. Comparing the video of all 3 cameras to friends, none picked this camera as having the best quality footage. That was surprising because of the price.I give it 4 stars because it is a good camera and maybe more technical folks can tweak and customize better than I, but the FZ1000 takes just as good footage, takes photos and costs 13 the price. Just my opinion.
Bruce –
I am a professional videographer and have owned ten Canons, a couple of Panasonics and JVCs, but started my business with a Sony Handycam sixteen years ago. I bought the FDRAX100 to match it up with the 4K coming off of my drone and I bought it merely as a test camera because I really wanted to see the 1 chip performance and dabble in 4K production. It was a great choice overall and while it is short of some professional needs it is stunning in its ability to capture great footage..There are three drawbacks that keeps me from fawning all over the camera and sounding like a Sony ad 1 The LCD screen and viewfinder dont match up with the reality of what is being captured in low light. The menus are not really that functional audio in and out volume control, and no run time. But it is a consumer camera so theres that. Overall a great buy.
Jimbo –
The 4K camera shoots VERY clear video and I love the fact that the AX100 has the manual ability. I also love the fact that it has the built in ND filters. I just wish the camera had the BOSS image stabilization which is better than the active stabilization. I also dont know why Sony did not build time lapse and slow motion into this camera. 4 Star rating because of the lack of features that many lower priced camcorders have. I have a Cannon vixia R60 that has time lapse and slow motion but it is lower in pixels and FPS. It was a toss up between the AX100 and AX53 but I went with the AX100 mainly for the manual controls.
Geezer –
I am an old man but very serious about making great video. This camcorder has so far fulfilled all expectations. Video is stunning even in low light. Manual functions are easier to use with screen prompts than my FX7 . And the AX100 is lighter and smaller. File transfer is quicker and so far has proven no problem to edit with Premiere. Finished product in even standard DVD seems better.
TheMadProfessor –
I use this this as overgrown webcam to record video lectures for my college classes. It give me studio quality video in my home office studio. I have it mounted on a microphone stand on my monitor shelf. Have also used it to record lots of over things. Easy to use, outstanding quality.
Gregory –
I am not a videography expert. I have a small business videoing high schooljunior sports. This camera consistently produces beautiful video with very little adjustments. The automatic functions are awesome. For example, the auto white balance is very accurate. Menus are straightforward and easy to use. The build quality of the camera is excellent. I purchased the more powerful Panasonic DVX200 in an effort to get 4k at 60p for 4,000 . Months later, I struggle to get the Panasonic to perform as reliably and as well as the AX100. I highly recommend this camera
fostermedia –
I was nervous about buying such a little camera for shooting a documentary series. When it arrived I immediately put it through its paces. I was not let down This little powerhouse is amazing. I love the fact that I can go full manual and get the exact image that I want. The video is sharp as a tack and the controls are easy to accessuse. Sure, it isnt quite as easy to get the exact look that I want as a professional camera would be, but its a heck of a lot cheaper.Even when scaling down to 1080P the image is amazing. I will be purchasing a second and maybe a third very soon its that good.The only thing that keeps me from giving this camera five stars is the fact that it is not quite as good at shallow depthoffield. I do miss that. Still, its a great camera.
John –
Use the Ax100 to compliment my HXRNX100s. Love this little baby. It replaced my Canon DSLR and three Rokinon lenses for my hand held shots where I need close ins and beauty shots at weddings. The viewfinder is great for sunny days and the built in ND filter is a blessing. This camera has it all love the little dial in front that can change setting gain is great. Use the 4K for distant shots where I want to zoom in during editing for that two lens look and also for some of the before mentioned beauty shots where the 4K adds a little more pop, even when converted to 1080P 2k. Most of the work is done in the 1080P where is literally shines in low light much better than in 4K mode. This is my personal carry around camera next two the bigger units on tripods.
Captainsteven –
Returned. Needed the bigger zoom and better low light features of the AX 53. Steady shot feature was so so.
Brandon –
Pro level video.Lots of manual setting as well as auto for those with less experience.True 4K for just a little more change than the much smaller video cameras.
alanmason7 –
I now have two of these cameras and I recommend them. There are a few operational issues with most cameras but the image quality is far better than the AX33 which I also have. It is a shame not all the features on each of these cameras are merged into one. I am going to try and control the two Ax100 via the AX33 and then onto a tablet which seems possible. Shop around though they go for between 1100 and 1500. You may get a secondhand one for 3900 if you are lucky.
jets121969 –
The quality of the footage, that this camera produces, is superior to most highend, professional Ultra HD cams. Hence the output of 4K picture technology. DUH. Secondly the compact size and weight is also superior to many pro cams. The only drawback is the hot shoe, which is intentionally made to NOT be a compatible fit, with anyall NONSONY accessories. This Sony Intent, as I call it, combined with the Sony Corporations absolutely horrible customer service awards Sony, as a company, just one 1 star. BUT THIS CAMERA, ITSELF, IS SO GOOD…it is only Sony itself, that knocked it down, to 4 stars, from a full 5…
Billiardboss –
This camcorder has lived up to everything Sony provided. Clear pictures, beautiful videos. The touch screen is amazing with the menus easy to operate. I didnt feel like I needed a masters degree in electronics to operate. BH stands high on my list as an equipment supplier.
BobJohnson –
I read over alot of reviews. I wanted to purchase the best overall camera in my budget. After looking over the different procams I settled on this model. Nice thing was Bestbuy had it on open box. Save several hundreds of dollars. Unit was in perfect condition and even got an extra battery.
FlyingPoliceBox –
We are very pleased with this camera from Sony. One of the biggest differences between this camera and others is the 1 inch CMOS sensor compared to the 12 inch found in most others. This camera operates very well in low light areas.
SonicJ –
I like the way the camera feels in my hands, and most operations are fairly easy to change on the fly. But, Why Oh Why sill an 80 MBps EXTREME 1 Type 10 SanDisk 32 Gig Memory Card not work in XAVC mode This is the fastest card I have right now.On Page 12 of the socalled manual it says you can do 4k at 60 MBps. I have reformatted the card in the camera and still no go. XAVCS HD says it works at 50 MBps, but again, no go. Does the camera only like Sony MediaPrior to owning this, I had tried a Sony RX 10, and the video quality was great. But, there was some lens wobble due to the way Sony has set up the servos on the lens.IfWhen I get this working, I will get back. But for now, two Stars and thats about 1000star……..
OstkUser572804 –
if you want a 4K camcorder, Sony FDRAX100 4K is the one you need to have for its full features. With Sony video editing software you are able to shoot not only 4K videos but to make movies as well. Great product indeed. I will definitely recommend it.
Dave –
Im not a video expert but Im really impressed with how sharp the images are coming from t his camera. It also does great in low light. I filmed my kids ice show sort of like being at a concert and this camera was way better then a 1080p camera I tried last year. I love the video that comes out of this camera 1080 4k but was not ready for the 5060gb files that come out of it after a little more then a hr of filming. Adobe premier elements 12 brought the video in with no problems but then required an hr or more to render for editing on my 2014 27in iMac. I have yet to process the entire file but it takes about 15min to process a 2 min clip for Facebook with the 4k file. Love the video quality but not sure Im ready to fork out for the extra costs that come with 4k better computer, bigger cards, larger nas drives, etc.
Useless –
Replacement for a Sony TVR SD camcorder. Much improved video quality and it is lighter. So far no downside. Just need to upgrade my Apple Mac so that 4K will run smoothly on Final Cut Never give 5 for any product.
Gregory –
I use this camera for shooting sports highlights. I previously had the Sony AX33. This camera is a significant upgrade from the 33. My only wish is that it did 4k in 60fps, this camera only gets as high as 30fps.
Jesse –
I coach 2 youth basketball teams and I use this to record both teams. The picture is really clear. Pretty easy to use and good size. Would definitely recommend
Globe Media –
Being a professional videographer for over 25 years, I owned a ton of professional and semiprofessional video cameras. I was always looking for the best possible image quality at a time. Sometimes I use the other professional advice on what to buy, sometimes not. With this camera, I didnt listen to anyone, especially, with due respect, to some selfcalled videographers who dont know what a camera is, but for some reason they have money and they bought FDRAX100. And now, since this camera is 4K, they dont know what to do with it and they dont own an editing software capable of editing 4K video so they claim that the camera is not good, and dont want to recommend to someone else. I was always, because of my field of production, for regular video camera with zoom control, and everything else with runandgun capability. Last couple of years, the new wave of DSLRs capable of video shooting came on the market and everybody wanted to have a scary depth of field and bought DSLRs. So did I. Depth of field is nice to have, it produces very nice and cinematic images. But you dont need always, like I said before, scary depth of field because its much more distracting than nice. Since DSLRs are nowhere closer in body design as a video camera and for my type of work, I still need that runandgun video camera with the best possible image quality and with moderate depth of field. With that saying, with a larger image sensor. I sold my DSLRs in December 2013 and since then, I was on the hunt for a video camera with a larger sensor. Well, I found the best camera, but I made a mistake with the sensor… I bought the Sony PXWZ100. Its a professional 4K camera. But its biggest flaw was the low light capability because of the very small image sensor which is packed with over 8 million little pixels. I returned it the very next week back to BH sorry Sony. January 2014, at CES Las Vegas, everybody was surprised that the best 4K product with a lot of rewards was this FDRAX100. I preordered it right away when it was available to preorder on here and I got it two weeks ago. I couldnt be happier. Then I immediately ordered another one the very next day. You ask me why Because this camera, besides the low price has everything I need for broadcast images. Sure I own a video production company and I own all other video equipment, among them is the famous Sony Vegas Pro editing software which can handle 4K footage from this camera with ease, same as HD. So after two weeks of shooting, testing and finding the best possible configuration with external XLR inputs, with external mic and other addon accessories, what big professional video cameras have, I can tell you that this camera has surpassed all my expectations with the best 4K video image, with the best depth of field in its class, with the best low light, since the sensor is 1 large, which is packed with 14 million pixels, and for the photo shooting, with 20MP, and I dont want anything else for the next couple of years. You can do everything with this camera, if you are a professional. If not, buy something else. Its a true runandgun video camera for shooting news, documentaries, weddings, etc. I dont have a need to explain how the picture quality is and everything else, you just go to YouTube and search for FDRAX100 and if the little gear shows the setting for 2160P, click on that, and you will see what I am talking about, even on a regular monitor. With that saying, I own a 4K monitor and there are no words to describe how the video looks on that monitor with this camera. Hope this helps for your next very affordable 4K video camera. Also with that saying, does anyone have the courage to tell me that 60,000 HD cameras with a 1920×1080 resolution have a better image quality than this camera and 4K image quality which is 3840×2160 AnyoneConclusion if you dont need all the features of a real professional 4K camera, which cost over 30,000 and up, then youll be satisfied with this product like I am and all my team workers. From now on, all our video productions will be in 4K resolution, thanks to these little guys. Thank you Sony one more time for this wonderful product, and thank you BH for being my professional business partner since 2005
FrontRowDave –
I have owned three of these since 2014 and I often do multicamera live concerts videoshoots and now livestreams as well..They are good quality when you have great lighting…With concert lighting often heavy blues and reds and not enough white its not the greatest…Would be nice to have a way to turn down saturationThey have been solid performers with several of the cams with hundreds of hours on them and still work perfectly.
JoeCass –
The Sony AX100 Is A Camcorder For The Price Possesses Broadcast Quality Video In A More Compact Size Over Higher End Bulky Camcorders. The Menu Settings Via The Touch Screen Will Be Very Convenient. Battery Life Is Standard Though. Shoe Accepts Lighting or An External Microphone. Takes Astute Jpeg Stills As Well.
SuspendedMoments –
Manual controls and full frame sensor are the BIG deal with this little camera.Its a grab and go for me, compact and inconspicuous in low key situations such as theatre performances or chamber music performances.The lens is super sharp and fast when zoomed out and wide open… razor sharp focus.Though I dont have much demand for 4K, its a top performer at 1080p as well.Solid build, love the optic automatic cut on and off when looking or not looking through the viewfinder. Diopter is a great function also, so I can fine tune the focus to my own vision.Card that came with is was not fast enough, so had to replace it for full 4k performancereadwrite. Also added a larger capacity battery.Solid build, natural feel in hand. Added the Sony Stereo mic and that was a vast audio improvement, though wind noise is still a tad bothersome.Very happy with this camera, its my favorite video cam without interchangeable lenses.Would definitely recommend it to serious amateurs or low level professional work.You can view video samples on You Tube…. look for it by Model namenumber. Youll be impressed.
Raymond –
Theres not too many 1 inch sensor conprosumer cameras to choose from to begin with, which may be why the AX100 is a bit pricey for its size. But if youre a professional looking for something portable for your less than professional uses, this is the camera to go with. It has all the manual settings a professional camcorder has, though they arent as fast and convenient to get to. It even does better in low light than many of the 1 inch sensor professional models out there. But overall, if you have a professional background and a critical eye during times that youre shooting something that doesnt necessarily require your expertise, this camera does a pretty good job satisfying those urges.
Fragme –
My primary use for this camera is to record sporting events. This camera does a great job picking up all of the action and not blurring where motion is significant. Audio pickup is very good and the picture quality is outstanding. Very easy to use as I stated in the subject, a person is able to go from unpacking the camera to taking great video within minutes without having to mess with very many settings. You can make changes to settings within the menu driven system and there are several options to choose from within the picture quality4K, HD, etc along with that you will have options to change the frame rate as well as the data rate for recording.Reason I did not score this 5 is because the software you get from Sony for this isnt that useful when it comes to editing the video. I went the route of using Adobe which does a great job.
Janet –
The best thing about this camera is 4K, if you do more than shoot videos of the kids and stuff like that why would you shoot with anything except 4K. It really is almost as easy to shoot and edit in 4K as 1080 P. Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere have no problem with it. Ive watched dozens of YouTube videos about the camera and almost everyone speaks very highly of it. The few complaints that I heard were minor and it almost look like they were searching for something to complain about. Everything about the camera is fantastic. Sony really went all out on this one. And as I write this you can purchase this camera from BH for just , WOW. I am purchased cameras that cost two and three times as much that dont compare to this one. Its large enough to still look very professional, after all you dont get a second chance for first impression, but still small enough to be comfortable when youre on a long run and gun and shoot. My only minor complaint would be that the hot shoe is proprietary to Sonys accessories and they dont have a lot of them. There is an adapter that will change it to a standard Cold shoe mount. Be careful when you order even BH seemed confused, I had to order three times before I got the correct adapter.
mms8 –
I was a little worried about buying this camera as I didnt see any reviews or test videos on youtube of sporting events. The reason I wanted this was to tape my sons soccer matches and develop recruiting videos for colleges. I will tell you the 4K videos are EXCELLENT. The coach was as shocked as I was with the video quality. The only real downside is the massive size of the file in 4K. HD video file size is slightly smaller but you can see the quality difference. Overall Im glad i purchased this camera.
Gabe –
I have been a professional videographer for over 25 years and have witnessed and enjoyed all of the wonderful advances that have taken place in the business of capturing and editing video. I began shooting with huge SVHS cameras, powered by heavy lead acid battery belts.Editing before computers was done with very large professional VCRs that were controlled by edit controllers. The editing was grueling.Today, we capture HD video on flash cards and load all of the footage into our computers in a matter of minutes.I have always been a big fan of Sony ever since the company came out with their first Betamax VCR. Always loved and owned their video cameras and equipment.Recently, I had been thinking of getting a small video camera for my personal use that I could take with me on trips around New England.After I read the reviews and the specs, I decided on the Sony Camcorder FDRAX100.I purchase all of my professional equipment from BH for over 20 years now. Not only do they have great service, but I like that they provide very detailed description and specs of their products. Also, I make it a point to read the feedback from customers who have purchased the products. This is important for me.I decided on Sonys FDRAX100 and I have not been disappointed. It truly is a little powerhouse that can shoot in 4K 3840 x 2160 and HD 1920 x 1080From the touchscreen menu, you can setup whether you wish to shoot in 4K or HD. Its an easy to follow menu. You can immediately watch the clips you just shot. Audio is recorded from its builtin mike atop the camera behind the lens area.I like the idea in manual mode I can ride the iris by controlling a little wheel to make changes. Its located on the left near the lens.Here are some things that you need to know. The The Hot Shoe is recessed under a cover. It not the standard Hot Shoe so I purchased an adapter so that I could mount an external shot gun mike check out my photo.Get this JJC Microphone LED Light Shoe Adapter for Sony Camcorder with Multi Interface Shoe. If your mike has a Male XLR, you will need a Female XLR to 3.5 stereo cable. I got a short cable a little over a foot . I removed the Sony cover by popping out the pin that held it in place.Batteries You can charge the batteries using the AC adapter that comes with the camera. I decided to get an external charger Sony BCTRV Travel Charger. Charging will take some time, so it is a good idea to get extra batteries. I purchased Sonys larger battery Sony NPFV100A V Series. 135.If you are shooting 4K, keep in mind that you will need large memory cards. Ive got a couple of Sandisk 128 GB Extreme Pro UHS1 SDXC Memory Cards V30.Also, get yourself a protective UV lens .Im waiting for a bracket I purchased from BH that will make it easy to shoot a variety of shots. I own several monopods that also work great for a camera of this size.And finally the Sony is a wonderfully built camcorder that will produce some great footage that you can begin taking of the important and fun things in your life.When youre ready to edit your clips, you can go to Sonys website http://www.sony.netpm and download their free software Play Memories Home.Good Luck.Gabe North Providence, R.I.Check out my photo with the external mike installed.
MarkB –
I purchased this camera to retire a faithful Sony HDRSR12 HD Camera used for over 5 years. Key objectives were backward compatibility to HD format, utilizing previous cameras accessories and Sony software.Have not used this camera much in 4K format, due to need for 4K video editing software upgrades and loss of 5.1 audio from HD Cameras 4K only does 2channel stereoPluses Optics are excellent, especially compared to previous Sony HD camera offerings. This results in crisper videos, even in HD. Sony PMB software recognizes camera as easily as previous HD versions. Have been able to use previous Sony HDSR12 battery collection with only minor modifications NPFH70 can be converted to a NPFV70 with a pair of needlenosed pliers. Battery life, due to FDRAX100 using flash memory has increased drastically. Can now get up to 3 hours from a NPFV70converted NPFH70, where previous harddrive based Sony HDSR12 might have managed 1 hour. While available reviews lament the cameras heavy size, it it wellbalanced, and easier to manage than reviews would indicate. While available reviews lament the cameras slow focus times particularly in low light, it it still manageable, particularly when compared to the Sony HDRSR12 and similar HD cameras.Minuses None observed when compared to previous generations of Sony cameras.Conclusion A good move up from previous Sony HDspec cameras that preserves most hardware and software compatibility.
JoeyTsunami –
First off, this is only the second camcorder Ive ever purchased. The first being a small canon about 6 or 7 years ago. So Im no expert, however…I wish I had done more research before purchasing this camcorder. It was originally released over 6 years ago January 2014 and it shows. The menu and navigating the menu and settings feels so dated and super clunky. Im strongly considering biting the bullet and just paying the nearly 200 restocking fee and getting a much more versatile dslr or mirrorless camera instead.Lets face it, almost everyone has a decent smart phone and the high end ones give great functionality and quality built in camera and video recording capabilities. This camcorder feels like a big step back, technology wise, for a LOT of money.Also, there have been multiple times that it took a really long time for the autofocus to work.I returned an open box purchase of a Sony Handycam AX53 4K Flash Memory Premium that had obviously been dropped and exchanged it for this because they didnt have any more of those in stock. First thing I noticed was that the ax53 has a built in gimbal and an iris that closes over the lens as opposed to the annoying lens cover and no built in gimbal on the ax100Im sure that this ax100 has a better lens and better low light recording capabilities but the menu and controls and the WEIGHT this thing is heavy make this just feel super dated.I think the ax53 has a digital zoom as well and this does not and the difference feels lacking. I didnt realize how disappointed I am in this purchase until I was writing this.Image quality seems pretty good. Not super impressed with the still pictures this takes though.Audio recording was pretty impressive and the noise canceling of the person recording option is nice.Does a decent job of recording in low to one lightHEAVYhand strap barely fits my mildly large hands size L to XL glovesBattery life seems greatI know Im spoiled by my iPhone but this is just not convenient to whip out and record little moments.WiFi function seems really clunky and not very intuitiveMaybe Im just too much of a novice but this just isnt doing it for me.Didnt get to try it out in the store because of COVID but I doubt I would have purchased it if I had the opportunity to get a hands on look at it.Please learn from me, do your research BEFORE purchasing because a nearly 200 restocking fee is a hard pill to swallow if youre as dissatisfied as I am with this. Its basically adding 200 to the price of whatever I exchange it for and that is a very difficult decision to make.
360Guy –
I discovered the Sony FDR AX100 4K Video camera while viewing ultra highdefinition video on Yahoo.com. I had just purchased an Apple iMac 5K Retina Display computer and was wanting to view 4K video with the iMac. I stumbled upon a treasure of 4K videos on Yahoo and after viewing a couple of dozen of them learned that most of them were taken with this camera. I did further research and became quite convinced that I needed this camera on a forthcoming vacation to Disney World. I purchased one from Best Buy and used it at Disney. I used a 128 Gigabyte Class 10 SD Card for storage and came away with a bit over 4 hours of recorded video, all in ultra high definition. What sweet video. The battery lasts 2 hours before needing a recharge. The operational characteristics are like no other video camera I have used. It is so easy to operate. The ability to change manual parameters are so easy to do. When, upon returning home, I was delighted with the results. I encourage anyone who is looking for excellent video recordingsUHD to look into this camera. You can use this camera in 1080p mode as well. I would do it in a heartbeat over again. For once, I feel I have a camera which will stay current a longer period of time as I feel I am a bit ahead of the curve for once. If you get one, I feel you would truly enjoy using it. I recommend obtaining a hand grip which attaches to the tripod location at the bottom of the camera. That way you can control startstop, zoom and photo taking all from your thumb. Sony makes such a device which is made to use with this camera. Yes, this camera can also take still photos in addition to video.
Gerald –
I would like to point out, first and foremost, that my purchase of the FDRAX100 4K Camcorder was greatly influenced by your Associate whose name is Shaya. I shoot videos for my YouTube Channel and have specific needs and wants for a camera that will work for me. Your associate took the time with me to understand thoroughly what I needed and then made recommendations which would provide a happy balance between my requirements and my budget. I am exceedingly delighted with the Sony Camcorder I bought Shaya knows his stuff and brings the desired patience and understanding to the sales process with novice buyers like me. One final thing, if you please. I am truly old school when it comes to personalized service and Customer allegiance. The treatment I received from your associate, as a representative for BH Photo, has now guaranteed that I will be returning as a customer again and again to BH for my photo and video needs. Thank you. P.S. The lens in this cam is everything its supposed to me. Nice to know that the folks at Zeiss have maintained their high standards.
the camera guy –
I have 8 other cameras but I wanted to get into the 4k resolution for my you tube channels. The 4k quality is awesome and looks beautiful on my 28 inch Samsung 4k monitor. I think the Sony camcorders are some of the best on the market. A lot of features and a longer zoom than their other camcorders. The autofocus on the zoom is not perfect but works really well. But that goes for all products with autofocus. To see some examples of the quality from this camera, you can search for MrYorkieLover Fitness and see several videos filmed in 4K.
N. Manji –
I am a hobbyist, planning to record at my nieces wedding, there are many camcorders on the market far cheaper than this one, but i wanted to get the features like the 1 sensor and 4K Quality, the fact that the camera can be controlled by my smart phone remotely is a good option too. Later planning to travel to Europe and other places so will be using this one for sure.
Bwdaniel –
This is a great camcorder. There are not a lot of choices for 4k camcorders out there. If you are in the market I would recommend this camcorder. Im very happy with the purchase
Sandman –
I am using this camera to capture higher res HD. The unit is light weight and small. A little slow on the startup or switching from one Codec to another. Digital zoom x160 it amazing 20 Meg Photos are very good Battery Life on the NPFV100 is almost a full day of shooting on and off all day. Audio quality is the best of any camcorder in there line. Does not distort in auto mode.Very impressive in LOW light When it get grainy it looks like film grain Very nice. Things not so great ND filters reduce the available monitor brightness. Small zoom rocker. Also the auto exposure button needs to be out from behind the flip LED screen. Over all I love it Well worth so far.
koshi –
good camcorder, upgraded from a 1080p hd vixia hg20.this one has a clear resolution that allows me to import the footage into tracking programs to do 3d tracking. the deviation is always quite low and the result is good for 3d tracking and compositing applications where computer graphics and animation are needed.this is probably a good stop over camera before upgrading to a red camera for 8k and beyond.
CNOEVO –
A great price for a camera with this capability. Weave used this unit for weddings and race track events for our business, and each time the end product has been amazing. Nothing bad to say about this unit except buy extra batteries if you wish to use commercially. Also, you can find the prices lower online so ask for a price match.
eugene157 –
Did a few test videos, results better than expected . I edit with Power Director 12. It was awesome to watch the video on a Sony 4K TV. Test pattern I use says 1800 lines resolution PPH.This reminded me of the HC1 I bought in 2005, same wow factorGood compromise in performance vs cost ratio.
NikonUser –
Amazing camera. I decided to return and go for the 700. After a little more research I decided it was worth it to me and I didnt really want the touchscreen this one has. The 700 has a toggle instead and TWO memory card slots. But if you dont mind touchscreen and want to save a few hundred then stick with this one. Its worth it
Edgy –
Awesome camera does everything you need Have recommended to my family and friends
Sonyman –
The FDR AX100 lives up to a well deserved positive review. After using it twice now on real jobs it is true to color, focus and sound. I have had it set at ISO 1600 wide open and the lens is remarkably sharp. Only drawback is the digital zoom, like in most cameras, it works OK up until half way up and then falls apart. Wish the lens had a longer reach because of that fact.A step or two above handycams, like Panasonics 970 and its other iterations.Performs pretty well under low light and white balance is very easy to grab on the go.For pro or semipro work like weddings and events, concerts and such. I dont think it would be ideal for sports.It does take a while to get to know it but menus are pretty straightforward and the handy buttons to go from auto to manual for each function is really simple once you understand it Iris, Shutter, Gain, Focus. Price has gone down since the AX700 has arrived, so watch out for bargains as this model will most likely get phased out soon.
Chuck –
Everything about the FDRAX100 says quality. I havent ventured into the 4K world yet, but the second highest 1080p settingcalled FH yielded a brilliant picture. Even the lowlight environs of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame showed a detailed, noisefree picture in the lowlux setting. Im still learning all the capabilities of this Sony Handycam. One star was deleted over the sketchy owners manual. You need to access their website to expand your knowledge base. Highly recommended
Ht –
This camcorder does it pretty much all as a large pro camcorder. The manual functions work great and pretty easy. The view finder menu is easy and quick to adjust to your videoing needs.The format options are easy to adjust. The 4k format does not appear on a mixer monitor, so I switched to the XAVC position and great awesome sharp video with mixer viewing. ACHD is the third option. Great Prosumer camcorder.Great service and help from BH.
tnpir4002 –
Id been on the fence for years about buying a new video camera…I happened across one of these as an openbox item at a store, it was expensive but looked like a decent pick. I grilled one of the associates for almost an hour over it, and I finally sent them back to find me a new one. What did it was the 4K functionality, the onboard memory card sold separately, and the fact that it had a mini plug mic input. Since I bought it, Ive never regretted itits lightweight, easy to use, but captures excellent video and audio with the mic. If you dont already own a 4K camera, this one is expensive but its worth the price.
lapper61 –
Purchased as a replacement camera, it has the extra features I desired and some that are beyond me right now. Ill learn more as I go. Recommended for the serious video camera user.
kvpnet –
This camera is simply superb. Its video is like a series of DSLR quality pictures. I was able to extract 8MP images from the videos by using MPHC player, so I just shoot the videos always in 4K and not bother about pictures at all. One thing though, the image stabilization doesnt seem to be very great so a tripod is useful Hand shooting is fine as well provided its held steady.
David –
Len a little more wide angle then I would like but is ok on telephoto. Had sonys first HD camera and the color and brightness is much better on the AX100. Still waiting for my editing program to update for sonys 4K format. over all very balanced, color very good, Playback easy to TV HD TV XBR8
MedwayMike –
Needed to upgrade my camcorder and really researched what was out there. Having just bought a 4K TV and wanting to futureproof my videos, I narrowed the choices to just 4K camcorders and since Ive owned SonyCanonPanasonic camera equipment in the past I focused on those brands. Sony is clearly leading the field in the ProsumerConsumer 4K camcorders segment currently so I began shooting video and stills with the FDRAX100 and the FDRAX33B in a variety of situations. Most of my video is sports and family events both indoors and out. After all is said and done, while the AX100 is an outstanding camcorder for someone who wants a Prosumer 4K video camera for under 2k with great video capabilities in a variety of situations, I was really impressed with Sonys Balanced Optical Stabilization System and went with the FDRAX33B. Wish I could have both but the incredibly stable FDXAX33 shots outweighed the better picture slightly and more features of the FDRAX100.
leedsuntd –
Although the ax 100 is a few yrs old now It still produces a high quality picture The 4K picture is very detailed compared to A 1080 p camera and the colors stand out The 1 sensor helps a lot I think At the price you can get one for these days its a good step up for not a huge investment And is still relevant
Ethan –
Ive been chasing storms for over a decade and purchased this camera to go along with my D610 that I use for photography. Well Ive chased a couple hurricanes with this camera and got it absolutely soaked and it shot flawless footage and works fine afterwards. By far the best video camera Ive ever had The quality is great too, even on my 1080 laptop screen in 4k it looks awesome Night mode is very useful as well, especially in dark situations, it allows you to see things that you normally wouldnt be able to see even with your own eyes. 1010 would purchase again.
pashudson –
This camera has great in camera auto. The 1 sensor makes for great video picture. The size is not too big and not too small. I bought two of them. Make sure you buy the right card that will be able to record 4k. I recommended this to a friend and he bought one.
TheDon –
Outstanding images You get what you pay for. Just be aware if you plan on recoding footages in 4K, it will cost you …64gb60 on sale memory card will only give you 2 hours of 4K recording space. Overall this camcorder is excellent for the average joe if u want to spend the money.
DShAZ –
The large 1 sensor makes a huge difference comparing to the competitors. Even if you shoot a tree with a number of branches against the sun even in this case you wont get any distortions or blur around the tree parts. Im impressed. It makes a great quality video. The video files are saving in 1 part, one button click 1 file. Thats very convenient. Having a large SDXC card, say, 128 or more and a huge battery can give 46 hours of non stop 4k video, which is great. I tested the camcorder in a dark room recording a fashion show and was very impressed with the results.
TomAviat –
Picture quality is outstanding. I have made a number of blu ray discs from videos taken with this camera. Sharp picture, excellent contrast and vivid colors. Control layout is great, with separate controls for aperture, shutter speed and gain, The focus ring can also be used as a zoom ring. Useful metering modes as well. This also has a dedicated eyepiece monitor as well.
Anonymous –
I returned 2 of these because they rattle when the lens cap is off autofocus motor record the noise. Its noticeable in headphones quiet rooms. A video of the noise full review w pros cons on georgegodley com SONY FDR AX100 4K FAIL audio motor noise rattle tattle review. Still use NX30 despite fan noise on that one, Still loyal Sony customer.
SanLoGent –
Over cautious I always research as much as possible before purchasing anything.This video camera met all of my criteria and exceeded my expectations . Twice I have let independent film producers use this video camera when we were on film location scouting trips and they were very impressed with the size, weight, ease of use and clarity.A very wise purchase decision on my part. No regrets and I highly recommend it.
ARH1 –
Purchased openbox, the price was okay. Considering ALL the accessories AC adapter, power cord, micro HDMI cable, USB connection support cable, Owners manual, Flash MemoryRechargeable InfoLITHIUM V Series battery, Remote commander with battery, lens hood, lens cap were missing. I felt they could have done much more on pricing.Battery cost 74,Charger cost 50Memory card ost 40Cables cost 40Remote Cost about 200You would think they would store the accessories in a safe place when putting items on display.
LEDcord –
LOVE this camera. awesome video, awesome pictures. I am a novice but the camera was easy to use, edit, and review my shots. Havent tried manual mode yet but will. Use the videocamera for sports and it has given me excellent results.
jcommstudios –
I picked up a job shooting the Olive Oil Industry in Spain and the client wants it to be a stealth project. In other words no large lenses,tripods, boom mics, etc. I need to apear to be just one of the fellows touring the groves and mills. I purchase 2 FDRAX100s, a charger, 1264 gig cards, large batteries, a mono pod and a backpack. I had researched the AX100 and was very impressed with the pro features as well as the ease of use. I just shot some sample footage at an olive mill here in California at 4K and converted to 1080p and the it is spectacular The Camera allows individual adjustment of iris, gain and shutter speed. In full auto it is exellent as well The Zeiss lens and Exmor CMOS sensor combination on the FDRAX100 produce a picture that is sharp and full of vibrant color. The only draw back is the access to the zoom rocker in the hand held mode. I imagine I will become used to it after a week of shooting. Great camera even for professional use. I will probably outfit it with a DLC M3 Matte Box once I return and use it as much as possible for other projects.
The Greenup Beacon –
This is absolutely top shelf. You will need a HDMI adapter to utilize a video capture device.. HDMI to RCA three cord. Exactly what I wanted
MikeJ –
I purchased the Sony FDRAX100 to shoot theatre productions for DVD and Bluray. I already use a variety of cameras including the Sony HDRAX2000. The video quality of the AX100 when shooting in 4K is far and away better than any other camera I use when comparing the 4k video to HD video from the other cameras. Even on a normal HD TV or computer monitor, the difference is obvious. When editing using Sony Vegas Pro, I can zoom in to 14 of the screen image and still have excellent results.So why only 4 stars When hand holding or doing fast horizontal panning there is a marked Stutter wobble or distortion of vertical lines. This is a result of the way the image is read from the sensor. Because the sensor is large and the image is read from top to bottom, vertical lines can be distorted in the final image as the camera moves horizontally. If you have a shaky hand, this can produce some very noticeable wavy pictures, even with the Active Stabilization enabled. You can see the same effect when using some other large sensor cameras. However, for tripod shots with not too much horizontal fast panning the camera is perfect.One thing to remember you must use the super fast 94Mbs SD cards to record in 4K. The camera tests the cards as you insert them and if the card cannot support the high throughput, the camera will not record in 4k, but drops back to AVCHD HD format. I use 64Gb Sony SDXCUHS1 cards and get 2 hours recording time in 4K.Overall an excellent camera but be aware of the shutter wobble issue.
Boris –
Im hugely impressed by fdrax100. This device is a marvel of technology and design. I love it so much that we will buy two more devices for our production studio. I tried Panasonic gh4 and was so disappointed by its poor image quality I had to return it. This Sony represents terrific value and for videography and doubles as very competent photography camera. I really like its controls layout and even more the final image quality. Camera had great image stabilization, if you understand how to use it properly. I can easily shoot with it without a tripod Brolls, battery life is impressive, it takes remotely controlled Sony tripods, it has awesome lens and can take inexpensive auxiliary lenses too. In short this is the device Ive been waiting for.
William –
The AX100 arrived one hour before I left for a month of 4K video shooting in Paris. I was grateful to Sony and BH for getting it to me just in time. I didnt want to bring and to carry around my Sony AX1 which has performed very well for me.The AX100 did not disappoint, at least at first. It was easy and familiar to use. The weight and size felt ideal for travel, run and gun shooting. The recorded video looks sharp and clear and runs smoothly when played back on the camera. Battery life is outstanding for 4K. FCPX captured the video just as it had for the AX1. However, editing video brought FCP X and my macBook Pro to its knees. This same configuration had handled 4K video from the Sony AX1 very well. I have tried transcoding with the Sony PlayMemories Home software and that has not helped. The one thing I havent had the time to try yet are proxy files. I hope in time, I find a solution and can efficiently produce cleanly edit video that runs smoothly. If I reach that level, I will enthusiastically recommend this camera. I am also confident BH will stand behind me as they always have.
Dynex –
This Sony Camcorder is great It has a touch screen LCD display, WiFi enabled, built in zoom, integrated speakers, night recording, wind noise reduction, low lighthigh sensitivity, is TripodMonopod mountable, remote control, HDR mode, slow motion recording, 3840 x 2160 resolution, rechargeable battery, 1 USB port, headphone jack, and has a 1 year manufacturers warranty. What more could one ask for
R Baker –
I rented this camera for an interview that I shot along with a Canon 60D DSLR and a Canon M301 consumer camcorder. I then took the AX100 to a local outdoor site to do a comparison video. …..The Sony FDRAX100 works very well, is ergonomically user friendly, and has a lot of recording options from 4K to HD AVCHD and MP4 HD in both 1080 and 720p. It includes quite a few shooting styles to help a new videographer choose the best setting to record their video. The touchscreen was responsive and I like the fact the most features can be accessed without using the touchscreen at all. Overall the features match the pricing but I was really hoping for more and in the end I would rate the AX100 a 3.5 stars out of 5 rather than the 4 I have to put here in BH. I thought the 1 sensor would produce better bokeh and less noise in low light but I was disappointed. The placement of the Manual Focus button caused a problem when trying to setup a focus pull and the 4K really didnt add much more detail when zooming in during editing. The AX100 is good for outdoor use but lack luster for low light situations.No points were taken off for lack of XLR inputs or other pro features as this is not marketed as a Pro level camera.Also, be prepared for a harder time editing 4K files. I was able to complete the interview editing without proxy files using Sony Vegas 12 and a Sandy Bridge i7 machine but the video preview stuttered constantly. No points taken off for that either.
Brian –
It is a heavy duty camcorder compare to other lightweight ones. The functions are amazing and 4K video quality is unbelievable. It is somewhat on heavy budget but worth every penny if you are looking for a great quality 4K camcorder.
Yumi –
High quality photos and movies can be captured. Controls are very complicated. The supplied remote control is small and access to the battery is needlessly difficult to open.
DAVID –
I bought this to use as a lower profile camera for documentary work and love it for the most part. Its 4K as are all cameras but, the 1 sensor, 100Mbps compression and the fact that you can go manual with all functions shuttergainirisfocus makes it for me. The only thing really lacking is timecode. The other issue I have is that the audio graph level doesnt have any numbers associated with it dB so, you dont know what your levels actually are. IMO Its overall the best camera in its class, though.
hotwheels –
I bought the camera planning to use the remote control features with an iPhone, but could not get the sony software to work with the camera, very frustrating after asking the salesman specifically if that feature worked with this camera. Other than that is takes great video and is relatively easy to use.
nostupiding –
I mostly use this camera for work, filming live performances at a busy nightclub, several YouTube talk shows and music videos for local performers. I also use it as a hobbyist filming nature and my dogs. Video quality is outstanding. Image stabilization is good, but not the best Ive seen. but maybe the best in this price range. And I love the zoom on this. I dont use the zoom too often because Im normally in a very crowded space but the few times Ive needed it, it has provided a great range with no loss in picture quality.Its fairly easy to use right out of the box… but it does have a LOT of features that arent so easy to figure out how to use or why youd want to for a novice user. I definitely had to watch a few YouTube tutorials to figure it all out, but fortunately its a pretty popular camera so there are a lot of helpful videos out there on it.I edit all my footage on an iMac using Final Cut Pro X. Everything Ive shot on this camera has imported into Final Cut with no issues.The screen is great in all lighting situations, Ive been able to comfortably use it in bright sunlight and at night.Most of my experience is in photography using Sony cameras for several years now and Im just now getting into more videography. But I have been extremely happy with the very professionallooking results Ive been able to achieve with this camera.
10isdad –
httpyoutu.beVWs6TVCMUI purchased this 4k camera to replace my old Panasonic HD camcorder. I use the camcorder mostly for shooting tennis videos. The picture quality from the 1 sensor is unbelievably clear. Expect to upgrade your computer since I have an Intel i5 and it has problems editing videos. I dont have any problems editing the 4K video using an i7 with 8 gb of RAM.
BuckarooBanzai –
This model is several years old. But the amazing amount of manual control and features packed into the camera make it a real winner for professional looking footage. The only limitation is in the autofocus speed which can be very slow based on content and lighting.
Photograph –
Sony AX100 4K HD very good camcorder for indoor and outdoor use .
Henry E –
Hello, I recently bought this video camera, I thought about it for a long time before I did it and now I do not regret it since its launch in 2014 has the latest technology with many recording options, excellent image quality and stability when recording. video both night and day. I recommend this camera for video hobbyists.
gijoe –
Great quality lens and zoom function. Solid camera. Its more of a prosumer video camera. Longer battery life than many other similar cameras.
mrvideo –
Very sharp indoors or out. only issue is sometimes the auto focus delays during initial focus, especially when paused getting ready to shoot. didnt have this issue with my previous canon or panasonic, but they werent 4k, so this one is much sharper.
LEONARD –
Its everything I had hoped for. Yes, I had to upgrade my computer 4th gen i7, 32GB RAM and get a RAID 30TB to accommodate the files and PROXY files dont even think of trying to edit without them. The image is crystal clear and the controls are easy to learn and use.I use this unit to record theatrical and opera programs, and the lighting can be extremely challenging. I have the unit on Manual and constantly change the iris to accommodate the changes in lighting.I have now added a more professional camera, the HXRNX80, to my arsenal. That camera, ironically, is my SECOND unit. I chose it because I can control it with my iPad I can zoom, set spot focus and set the iris the AX100 can use WiFi to control as well, but it goes into full automatic mode, useless to me in the context of theatrical video. The ONE WARNING to anyone who uses this camcorder in conjunction with a more advanced unit could have the same problem with the AX700 as well but I havent tested it the format of the SDXC cards look identical to the eye between these two units, and the NX80 will accept the cards formatted by the AX100. However, if you put a card formatted by the NX80 into the AX100, it will go into a bootloop, turning off and then on repeatedly. You will not have an opportunity to reformat the card in the AX100. My takeaway from this is to format all cards as exFAT in my computer. Each camera will then create its own new database on the empty card. Doing anything else is an invitation to disasterOther than this which almost resulted in my sending my wellfunctioning AX100 for an expensive and unnecessary repair, the unit is still a dream. In the dual camera setup, the iris setting is intelligent and I copy that setting to the iPad and the two cameras match beautifully when editing. Its an ideal setup for some amazing videos. If I was replacing this unit for any reason I would very likely still buy it at its current bargain price compared to the nearly 2,000 I happily spent on it in 2014.
Anonymous –
The Sony FDRAX100B is bigger than any other Handycam yet. Its big enough to look professional next to any consumer camcorder, but not so big that it draws unwanted attention when you want to shoot without drawing undue attention. Chances are, if youre reading this review, you are an advanced videographer or perhaps considering this model for a low budget film or video production. If so, this camcorder is up to either task. This model is loaded with almost every dedicated button for manual control a professional could want. The only pro features lacking seem to be the full size HDMI, the XLR and SGI connectors along with double card slots. Otherwise, this camera will produce rock solid professional looking image quality in almost any situation. Straight out of the box the camera is set to shoot in the 4K mode. In the hands of the average user, this camcorder is going to provide excellent video under most lighting conditions. The biggest problem shooting 4K will not be with this camcorder, but with the computer and software used for editing later on. Those who do not have a gaming quality computer power or 4K capable editing software are simply not going to be able to do much with the 4K capabilities of this camcorder until they upgrade their editing capabilities. For those who have the editing capability, this camcorder will knock your socks off, even when viewed on a 2K monitor. 4K video played on a 2K monitor looks much sharper than 2K shot on a 2K camcorder. The six major functions are independently selectable between manual and automatic modes using a dedicated button for each function. These include focus, iris, gain, shutter speed, ND filter and white balance. There are also dedicated buttons for preprogrammed video modes, night shot, playback and power. Delving into the menu brings finely tuned control of each white balance mode from yellow to blue and magenta to green. You can also dial in the color temperature in 100K increments, then fine tune that to your exact liking. A cinema mode provides a programmed gamma and saturation that closely mimics film and removes the flatness associated with video. Those users familiar with the manual functions in the menu like video peaking and zebra stripes will be able to obtain even greater image control and quality than simply leaving everything up to the camera. It should be noted that once selected, the manual controls do not interfere with each other, and will stay as you set them even when you power down and power up the camera later. Outdoors, this camcorder produces IMAX quality video in the 4K mode. The Zeiss lens is tack sharp corner to corner with no visible traces of chromatic aberration or falling off of sharpness in the corners. The one inch size image sensor is a beautiful compromise between the flat look of typical 13 inch video chips and the overly sensitive, sometimes unusable shallow depth of field of a DSLR. Compose your shots carefully and choose your settings manually, and you can easily obtain that soft focused filmlike background. Dynamic range is quite a bit more than most camcorders produce, allowing dark parts of the scene to retain detail while the light parts dont get blown out. Obviously, most pros shoot with good lighting. But some venues dont allow the use of lights, yet the ambient light is low. The real proof of a cameras value for many users is how well it performs in low light. This one produces clean imaging in extreme low lighting. Even at 24 dB gain, the video is still clean and nearly grain free. With the lens set at F2.8, the shutter at 60 and the gain at 24, the camera produces exceptionally clean images that are practically the same intensity as how your eye sees the subject. At 33 dB gain, the grain isnt objectionable for most users, and the image looks brighter than the eye sees it. Change the shutter to 30 or 24 frames per second, and this thing practically sees in the dark all while producing a usable image without softening the edges or washing out the color. Set at 24P, there is even more light gathering power. The image stabilizer is set at the standard mode from the factory. In standard mode, some users may find it isnt enough to provide steady shots at full zoom. The menu can access the hybrid mode which adds quite a bit more stabilizing effect, but trims a bit off the wide angle capability. There is no noticeable loss of image quality. The optical zoom is 12x, and digital zoom goes up to 160x. Naturally, as with all digital zooms, the maximum setting is useless. It works well up to about 24x before the penalization becomes noticeable. If only to keep the data rate low, or to maintain compatibility with your editing suite, this camcorder also produces excellent video when used in the 2K mode HD video. Stacked up against the footage from almost any DSLR camera, the AX100 is far superior. There is none of the moire effect, and in any of the 2K modes, there is no rolling shutter effect. The rolling shutter effect some users are noticing is visible only in the 4K mode. At 2K, there is no noticeable rolling shutter effect. There are three video modes to choose, and a fourth mode that can be added. 4K can be shot in 30 or 24 frames progressive at a fixed data rate of 60 meg a second. Normal AVCHD can be shot in 60i, 60P or 24P at rates from 5, 9, 17, 24 or 28 meg a second. The third selection shoots 2K video in XAVC at a fixed rate of 50 meg a second. This mode provides broadcast quality 2K video. Audio, even without the XLR input, is quire clean. There is a 18 inch stereo mike input, and a 18 inch stereo headphone jack. A slight digital delay in the headphones might be difficult to get used to for some users. The input levels are manually selectable to the point where conversations are recorded without the AGC pumping in background noise, yet, the audio limiter prevents loud music from causing distortion or AGC pumping. Its one of the best sound systems Ive seen on any consumer camcorder. Adding even one XLR connector to this camera would have made this a nice compact pro camcorder. Auto focus is rather slow, but it doesnt tend to overshoot the subject. Its almost like a slow rack focus. There is a firmware upgrade on the Sony web site to speed up and smooth out the auto focus feature. Of course, many users will select manual focus. Doing so is drivebywire, but the dedicated focus ring remains set for that function all the time once selected, and it is very smooth, linear and well damped so you wont change it accidentally with a quick accidental swipe across the focus ring. With an optional battery, you can shoot over seven hours at 2K, or nearly six hours in 4K. The included battery shoots about three hours in 2K. It should be noted that Sony Vegas, even the older version 11, will work with the 4K MP4 file structure of this camera in its native form. A quad core off the shelf PC is capable of editing 4K, albeit with a sluggish preview screen. Version 11 will only render the video out in 2K, however, but shooting 4K allows a great deal of cropping in post with no loss of quality in the 2K render. Sony has a tendency to put their heart and soul into the first version of a new format, then trim features from its successive models in years to come. So if you like all the manual controls this camcorder offers at this price point, Id suggest getting one of these before the newer model is released in a year or so.
Bereliz –
It has a great quality zoom. The pop color picture effect r is a great option when recording in a low light situation. great stabilization. when you set the image stabilization to active you get even a little more zoom. I never use the digital zoom but its good to know you have that amazing extra zoom if you need it. It has good enough built in microphone but I would still get a external one to get better sound for a professional work.
DerekZan –
For night performance and customization, by the model up from this one, that being said… the BOSS stabilization is WONDERFUL. For vacations, daylight, and freehand shooting, this is essential in your kit. Enjoy
itemsnewandused –
Love the quality of images and videos from this device. Gets heavy after a while using it to film, down fall batteries dont last long as such.
Gene –
I shoot stock video mostly nature. Ive always wanted to have DSLR qualitydetail and am waiting to upgrade my FS700. This camera comes pretty close, at least at first glance, to what my eye sees. Also, I needed an interim camera I have an FS700, heavy, large, cumbersome, and an RX100m2, small, quick, but limited, for shooting whatever happens to fly, swim, crawl, or drive by, and this AX100 is giving me very nice images, but does not slow me down or attract curious folks as it looks like a consumer Handycam, which is basically what it is, albeit a very nice one. Its nice and sharp video is reminiscent of printed glossy magazine images, has lots of detail, almost too much, actually, and colors are very nice. Controls are pretty good, and handling is quick. I like the weight and size, and except for the caveats I specify below, I do like this camera for what it is very much. Problems Control layout is weird. The screen gets in the way at some angles, but Im getting used to it. TO get the card out to use in a reader one has to open the LCD, which turns on the camera. The pullout viewfinder eyepiece could use more articulation, be biggerhigher rez, and benefit from an eyecup, which is not included. Battery life seems pretty nice I ordered spares, and charging through the USB dangly thing is horridly slow, but I havent run out yet stands up to hours of shooting onoff, various. Havent figured out how to program some of the extra buttons yet, as certain functions are annoying to have to drill into menus to change like stabilization, zebraspeaking onoff, etc Dont expect to crop into these images down to HD. There is compression noise and such, also the extreme sharpening can be too much when cropping in too far. Ive found cropping in about to 2200×1237.5 for export to HD is about as far as Id push it, at least in most cases so far. Speaking of sharpening, sadly, there is no way to turn the sharpen and detail circuit down, and this can make for some unsightly artifacting in certain shots. Very sensitive to handling while it is true that the rolling shutter skewwobble is worse, amazingly, when panning fast like when tracking a bird or making proper smootheven handheld pans, I have not had a problem in actual shots. However, if using on a slider make sure its really smooth I made one test shot holding the camera out the car window while driving, and it actually looked pretty good. Wish it had 60P UHD. Wish it had more control over picture profiles. Even a little bit sharpeningcontrastsaturation. The XAVCS UHD actually does color grade a lot better than I thought it should. Thats cool. No timelapse mode. If you expected compression artifacts and know what to look for, you will see them, and dont say I didnt warn you. However, if you dont know what to look for, or that you should, you will probably not see any problems. For all that its not perfect, I sure wish I had this camera a long time ago Using NEAT for video helps a lot, and I for one am not adverse to using it. But then I like post processing my clips, as its part of my artistic expression. The digital zoom is almost usable. I say almost because it is dangerous at first I turned it off, but I thought to experiment a bit, and found used VERY LITTLE it can, in the right light, with the right subject, be great. However, the viewfinder and LCD, especially when shooting outside, can lie to you in that it looks better than what you will find on your monitor at home if you are not careful. At full 160x its so badfunny its almost a cool scifihorror effect. Low light sensitivity is awesome. Again, if you use Neat or some other noise reduction, you can go a long way, and still get very acceptable imaged in dark conditions. The autofocus is pretty smooth, and doesnt hunt so far. I use the dedicated exposure buttons to quickly get in the ball park for exposure, then dial it in to my taste. In general, the autoexposure biases are pretty good, albeit close to overexposure on highlights like snowy peaks and clouds, especially if the foreground or majority of scene is darker. Still very useful. Sound is OK for oncamera, albeit a bit noisy in quiet situation. Suitable for ambient. Havent tried 5.1 yet. Hard to see the LCD in bright light. Using a spare hand to shade it uses up a hand that would otherwise be more useful for operating the camera. Fingerprints on touch screen really make it worse. I hate touch screens. Would have been nice to have an onscreen level indicator like the RX100 has.
bob1027 –
A wonderful camera, great pictures. Never before seen this quality pictures from a small camcorder. Takes some studying to operate properly, but well worth it.
Nick –
This is my 3rd Sony camcorder so I do know their strengths and weaknesses. This camcorder has been around for several years now. They have the ax700 model out but It doesnt have optical steady shot either. The Sony AX53 is really an awesome camcorder for daylight shooting. I shoot a lot at night so I had no choice but to go with the pricey AX100. If any company comes out with a full frame sensor and optical stabilization, they would rule the business, until then, Sony is king. For now.
EdwardO –
Sony created a very serious UHD camcorder for a very good price. In the right hands and with a little knowledge this consumer product reaches deep into prosumer territoryI consider this a secret power tool for most professionals and ambitious filmmakers used for layouts or second unit or even as first cam for many ideas needing a compact form factor with excellent quality.
geh3 –
I have used this camcorder to make videos of my hobbysport mainly radio controlled aircraft building and flying. The overall performance of the camera and the associated SD card and external Stereo mic have exceeded all expectations for clarity, color correctness and zoom ability. The only area where this camera lacks a little is its speed that is limited in 4K Ultra HD Video to 30 fps. This causes some visible hesitation when panning but otherwise the video quality and the still quality is stunning. For everyday users this is an awsome instrument.
RedRob –
Well this camera isnt out yet, but reading the specs and looking at the images, here are my first impressionsThis looks like a promising camera, possibly with some usability limitations that make it excellent for some applications, but lesser for others.Some PROS If its really got a 1 sensor thats pretty huge for this format camera.. Ive not seen that before, and itd be very likely to handle low light VERY well. The 120 fps option can be nice for slowmotion capturing which is an increasing trend and can create gorgeous imagery I am intrigued by cameras with WiFi controllability throw this baby onto a remote pantilt head and control zoom wirelessly and its a decent unstaffed Bcam I wonder if it can send decent video image wirelessly. I have no idea what golf shot mode is, but the name is curious indeed Happy to see it has zebra barsSome QUESTIONSLooking at the images, it seems the controls havent been well thought out for optimum usability, and Im left with questions…. Only one ring which doubles as zoomfocus depending on a toggle switch I have that on my smaller formfactor JVC and really dislike it. I want to have three control rings iriszoomfocus on my cameras. The thumbdial MAY be able to control iris, so together with the ring as zoom this could work IF autofocus works well on this camera TBD. The ol PD170 was setup like that thumbdial to adjust iris and it worked very well actually. If the thumb wheel can autogain after the iris is all the way open like the Z5U and FX7s exposure mode then this wont be much of a problem, although itd still be nice to have dedicated focus and zoom rings Putting the HDMI and headphone jacks on the left just behind missioncritical controls to adjust shutter speed and gain seems like a BAD design if youre sending output to a live switch via the miniHDMI thatll make getting to those controls difficult and increase chances of inadvertently pulling out the cable.. yikes I see the irisgainshutter buttons, but no wheel to change values Or maybe pressing those buttons toggles automanual and whichever one is selected is worked by the thumbwheel Im glad to see all the different options for quality mode… itll be good to know the actual bitrate on the CODECs available, to get an idea of how good the saved image will be and how large the files will be e.g. record time 12x zoom is OK.. 20x would be nicer. With SONYs ability to get 50x zoom on their handheld superzoom still cams, why arent they putting that technology into camcorders too Want to know SD card implementation.. is it single card or hotswappable dualcard implementation Although it looks like single memory card, it also says dual video recording is a feature Does the AV out via the optional cable still work when HDMI is being used On two other cams I tested, when HDMI digital output was used, the analog output ports were disabled.
thebes1 –
The camera seems solid built, but when hand is in holding strap on camera, somewhat difficult to keep thumb placed on record button. Great pic. in HD and even better in 4K, but in 4K it is choppy or not clear when panning, even slowly. Manual stated a video cable not supplied from the multi connection to RCA connections could be used to revert video back to standard to transfer to DVD. I cannot find such a cable anywhere.
Thake –
I purchased this camcorder because I do a lot of green screen studio recording for YouTube content marketing videos. I was using a Digital SLR before, and the auto focus was not cutting it.The good the build of this device is very good. Its extremely easy to hold and is not too bulky. The lens on this is great The focusing is very good for both studio work but also for sports videography that I do. Its extremely easy to use in general. My wife picked up how to use this and clicking record and reviewing videos after very easily. it has all the cables to plug into a TV to watch your videos. I have a wireless lapel setup, and the mic input works great for plugging it in and bypassing the camcorder microphone.The bad the UI touch screen is a little clunky and things seem a little buried. the camcorder microphone is great if your subjects are very close. But if they are outside of 10ft it is not as clear as I would like. indoor videos of my new puppy are coming out a little grainy under house lighting which I was a little disappointed in. My iPhone 7 video does a much better job of this. I am still playing with settings to see if there is something I can do here. the shoe mount is sunk in the housing, which means that you cant attach standard camcorder accessories. There is a converter you can buy for around 15 online to work around this. As the Sony accessories are more expensive than other brands. the power adapter has a proprietary port. This is frustrating considering this couldve used standard ACDC ports.
Brownwmb –
I needed this 4K camera for a production shoot to capture Bfootage. The producers loved the quality and are using some of the footage. Great
Darryl –
I reviewed this camera earlier and since then I have used it extensively. My short film Wild Sarasota was screened at the Sarasota Film Festival with a 4K DCP. It was amazing to see it shown with films shot with much more expensive cameras. Check out httpswww.youtube.comwatchvCJyNVGO4Ek
Oldsmoke –
While this is a great camera it is missing a few very simple things. A No timecode Seriously Sony B You cant remove the Memory Card without the camera powering on. Even my old Sony CX110 has a setting that will disable the camera from switching on when you open the screen. I have spent 2 hrs. on the phone with Sony support only to be told that this is normal operation. CWhen you record video in a mode other then 4K, the image quality in the photo mode will always revert to the video image quality. In other words, if you record in XAVCS 1080 60p, use the MoviePhoto button to switch the photo mode, the image quality will be 14.2MP. You can set it manually to 20MP for Photo but when you switch back to Movie and back to Photo again, the image quality has reset to 14.2MP. Sony again calls it normal operation. These are the reasons I deducted a star although no timecode would deserve another deduction.
fostermedia –
I was concerned when ordered this camera, though Id researched for weeks before buying it. My biggest concern was that I dont like to show up at a clients location with what looks like something a tourist would carry around. Well, the image that this thing creates more than makes up for the tiny size.I love the fact that I can shoot with full manual control. I am able to control DoF as well as getting a great exposure. The 4k image is brilliant.I am pleasantly surprised and will be purchasing a second one soon.
HorseMoney –
Ive had this camcorder in my hands for 4 days now. First off Sony didnt have the weight of this camcorder listed in their specifications when I first pre ordered the camera several weeks ago. Its way too large and heavy for my small hands. Second I was very disappointed in the image stabilization, I was hoping it would be at least as good as my PJ650s, its not, its about on an equal with my old Panasonic. On active mode it bounces around quite a bit before it settles down. The image quality is wonderful, however they dont tell you that you cant edit 4k video with Play Memories Home. When you first start the camcorder it tells you to go to Sony.netPM to download the software. After you shoot the video in 4k and cant edit it on PM. I contacted Sony online support and they told me that I have to buy Sony Vegas Pro 12. I like Vegas but its rendering is too slow for the number of videos I turn out.
Ray Mac –
I bought this camcorder to record videos at church, but I also am using it for videos of my grandchildren. After briefly reading the literature, it is easy and very intuitive to use. It has a great lens and the results are terrific
mouni.b –
I love all the products of this company if you allow me to review this product I would be grateful to you . I can help you promote your products by reviewing them in my videos and my Instagram for the purpose of encouraging people to buy from the internet and on The same time help the company promote Good News
PaPa –
Since my Sony DCRDVD402 camera served me well for 12 years, I decided to step up to this camera and am very pleased with its features. The 2 most outstanding ones are 1The Dual Video Recording and 2WiFi function to transfer MP4 movies and photos to a smartphone and saving movies and photos to a computer.This camera is a winner
focusonurbest1 –
I have high expectations in my purchases because I have little to no budget at times and I have to scrap together money to be competitive. Recently, I purchased this camera and filmed in Hawaii with three film production companies. To make a short story short, they had Blackmagic cameras, Canons and Panasonic GH4 Cameras. Out of all the footages, the AX100 came out the sharpest in detail and the colors were accurate. This was both a pro and con. My footage had to be dumbed down because it was so sharp. The wide establishing shots in our film are all from the AX100 and everyone where very impressed. Although this camera has no interchangeable lens options, the zeiss lens gave me a great range of clarity that was better than the other cameras. I shot on a sailboat in slightly rough rolling motion and the stabilizer made a huge difference. I did worry about the occasional ocean spray splash on my camera and hope it doesnt effect the internals. Also, using the wifi monitoring was a joy because everyone below deck could view my shots without being wired like the Canon C300. What I need desperately is a follow focus that would fit my camera. I have tried several rigs and havent found one to my liking. Maybe someone can suggest one that is not too expensive either. Another observation I worried about was how hot the unit got when shooting under the hot Hawaii sun. It got too hot to hold at time and needed to cool it down for 30 min. It made the production day pretty long.The con I cannot use my lilliput monitor to the hdmi to see what Im shooting during recording. Besides watching it on my iPad, I am the cameraman and I need a bigger monitor. Everyone below deck could see but Sony has purposely cut off the video feed in camera.The camera eyepiece is really useless. Please Sony, just remove it.My earlier camera was the NX30 and I had a great lanc remote to control then zoom inout function. You have to buy another adapter for this camera to use that. kind of sucks to buy more accessories. This comes to my last con.The XLR accessory was 900 So they put it on the new 4k camera but not on my camera. They conveniently put it on my NX30 but not on this camera gets me angry. The 5.1 Dolby is fine on top of the camera but when you need audio through the shotgun mic it would of been a perfect camera for me. Oh, 5.1 Dolby is recorded only in 1080p At 4k, you will get a 48k file. I will never buy the XLR accessory. I use my iphone6 with a trrs shotgun mic for my recording.BTW, menu is not user friendly. It always resets after you make a selection and it can be 3 deep in the menu to get what you want. As a suggestion to Sony, why dont you make a app to control the camera functions through wifi.Lastly, I bought my camera at full price. within a couple months BH had it 300 cheaper and started seeing the AX100 on craiglists for as low as 1200. Youd think Sony wouldnt put out the PXWX70 until later which is the identical camera with all the above features missing. I could of waited but to me it felt like a bait and switch or bait and oh here you could have this now but we wont tell you until you buy it first. ok, so I vented. Overall, its good.
youtubeflagold –
A lot of the menu isnt straightforward but there is youtube for that, to help you get going. I would recommend two videos Sony AX100 4K Camcorder Review and Sony AX100 Exposure Tools and Exposure Tips for no nonsense how tos on this camera not my videos and I dont know him. Why 4 stars Well, the uploading to computer isnt the latest generation and should have been kind of slow youll have to wait for it. Whatever shortfalls are more than made up for the image. Simply superb, as is sound quality. You get one or the other with other products but not both in this price range.
john –
I have had the ax100 for a few weeks now, I am a freelance pro. I have carried it to shoots a few times, and finally used it as a b cam on a crowd funding video. Long story short, my b cam ax100looked way better than my master shotsnx3. The images captured when set up full manual by a pro are simply stunning. I let a client hold it and get some shots, but the results were not as good in auto mode. You can read other reviews here by other pros, and they are spot on. Hard to describe the picture, but I love it, like you are there in person. Cant wait to put it on my little hd1000 glidecam. The image can be previewed via hdmi but image stops when recording, but its made for consumers, so no points deducted. The wifi controlpreview is really good, but it puts the camera into auto mode, unless I am wrongmissing something. The cinema mode has good dynamic range. I bought another one, and I want to shoot anything worthwhile in 4k from now on. The picture is just so much better looking than 1080p of any kind. The size is perfect, I bought a wide angle adapter also for tight spaces. With the big battery and wide angle add on, its pretty hefty for its size. I dont even have any 4k monitors or tvs, and I can see the difference. I could go on and on about this camera, its the future for sure, sony is breaking new ground, and I have no brand loyalties, I just got to have that picture…
Ed –
Very impressed with the 4K picture. Low light capture is very good also. I found that closing the flip out viewfinder and pressing the small finder to my eye area provided the most stable hand held recordings. My only complaint is that when you press the record button to end a recording the record light flashes for 23 sec. and is STILL recording until it stops. This is the first time Ive ever encountered this in a Sony camcorder. Once I got used to this quirk I was really happy with this purchase. I also found the zoom range to be exceptional.
drdread –
This is an excellent prosumer device. Unfortunately, I returned mine as it appeared to be a return. This is one thing I dislike about having to ordership products…you cant pick a fresh box.It was more than I really needed so that was the other reason for return, although I probably would have kept it if the box didnt appear to be returned.
alflag –
The reason I give this a good and not excellent is because I need a shoe adapter and the internal software is entirely dependent on the touch screen to change settings and quality and such. Does Color well and has decent saturation.
godofsharing –
This is my second round of Prosumer camcorders, I bought 2 of these. The first ones I had were the Samsung SCHMX20C.The Sony FDRAX100 is an outstanding 4K camera for the money.The picture has plenty of pixels to work with in post.The overall video quality is superb.The low light compensation is great.The ND filters cut down on a lot of bright sunlight during daylight shooting.Once you get use to the menu, you can navigate through it well.
ShinjiP –
I have written an extensive review of the Sony HDRCX900, and this camcorder basically adds 4K functionality to that camcorder while producing very much the same image tonality. All the buttons and functions are the same, so I will not repeat what I already said about that camera. Instead I will focus on what makes this camcorder unique in the 4K realm. Please refer to my CX900 review for more details on what makes this line of 1chip camcorders from Sony so amazing.First, in order to understand why you should get this camcorder over the cheaper or expensive professional models with 12.3 chips, you need to understand what camcorders do they take analog information brightness and color information projected onto the sensor surface and convert that to electrical signals which are digitally quantized and processed, then compressed and recorded onto a memory card using a codec H.264 in this case. As with any device, whether audio or visual, being able to capture more information results in a better reproduction of the original analog signal, in this case, the picture being recorded. This is where imaging area comes into play, and why I would NEVER want to shoot 4K with a sensor any smaller than 1 in diameter. 4K refers to the horizontal pixel count being approximately 4,000 pixels. However, it is easier to think of 4K video as 4 HD video rasters combined in a 2×2 grid, where each quadrant of the 4K image is exactly 1920×1080 in resolution. In order to achieve this high resolution on a small chip like a 12.3 type, the pixels must be made excessively small to accommodate the resolution. Most HD camcorders are able to record a decent image with this size of chip, but putting 4K resolution onto the same size chip means making the pixels 4x smaller than HD pixels. What does this mean It means that each pixel has LESS light collecting area than pixels in a 1 chip which is about twice the diameter or 4x the lightcollecting area. This description is best aided by diagrams, but geometrically, in order to record the same image quality as a HD camcorder with a 12 chip, the 4K camcorder requires a 1 chip to achieve comparable lightcollecting area because doubling the chip diameter quadruples the area. What all this technical detail means is this camcorders with the same imagesensor technology of smaller sensor size will greatly suffer from image noise compared to those with larger sensors. This is because smaller sensors cannot produce as strong a signal per pixel due to the small size of each pixel. Increasing pixel size increases the signal level per pixel, and thus INCREASES the signaltonoise ratio. Using basic terminology, this 1 chip camcorder sees much better in lower or indoor light with less grain compared to a 12.3 chip type. This alone makes this camcorder the best allinone 4K camcorder on the market today, especially considering the price point.When the camcorder was first released, it only recorded at 60Mbps. Again, using the concept of 4K being 4 HD videos recorded in one large picture, it makes sense that the bitrate should be quadrupled from HD. Considering this, a good AVCHD 30p image can be obtained running it at 24Mbps. This camcorder also utilizes a codec similar to AVCHD, and thus should record at approximately 4x that bitrate to achieve similar quality. Thankfully, Sony realized this and added a firmware update that gives it the ability to record at 100Mbps. Upon seeing the image quality at this bitrate, I have no complaints about compression artifacts.Does this camcorder produce a 4K image with the same low noise level as the HD CX900 model No. That is physically impossible because the beauty of the CX900 is that it uses the entire 1 chip to crank out a full HD picture with no pixel binning or line skipping. This means the light collecting area is much larger in HD mode than 4K mode. You should expect the 4K image to have about as much noise as you would expect a 12 chip HD camcorder to have, given the same fstop.Since this is a a CX900 with 4K recording abilities, which is the better deal In my opinion, it really depends on what you want out of your camcorder. The CX900 produces extremely sharp HD video thanks to fullpixel readout with incredibly low noise levels. However, given that this camcorder does everything the CX900 does plus 4K, I think that makes it more worthwhile. It gives you 4K for those times youd like to use it. This becomes especially helpful if you need to record a wide shot and want to be able to zoom in on portions of the picture in post to recompose the shot without actually moving the camcorder. If you have absolutely no use for 4K at this time, then the CX900 suits your needs better as it records the best HD picture Ive seen in that class and price point.4K is the way of the future, right So in buying this camcorder I am future proofing my recordings for the next decade NO 4K is an intermediate format due to be replaced by 8K in 2020. What is 8K Well its what 4K does to HD, but it is 4 4K pictures in a 2×2 grid, or 16 HD pictures in a 4×4 grid. However, its better to think in terms of mega pixels. HD2MP, 4K8MP, 8K32MP. 8K is the way of the future and is the format that will be used to broadcast the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Personally, I want to know what kind of image sensors will be used for those cameras, because they should technically be 2 in diameter according to the HD to 4K transition. However, optics for 2 sensors will be extremely bulky, expensive, and lack long telephoto abilities. I think a sensor breakthrough is needed in the next 4 years…The bottom line is this if you want to start recording in 4K without buying a mirrorless camera and the excessive expense of lenses, then this is the best option. Also, the only recording time limit you have to worry about is the size of the memory card, not the 29min. 59sec. imposed on mirrorless cameras. My 256GB SD card gives me about 5.5 hours at 100Mbps. Be sure to buy a SDXC Class 10 UHSI U3 spec card. Anything less will not allow you to record at this bitrate.
Thomas –
I am so impressed with this camera It exceeds my expectations The auto focus is outstanding as well as the image quality. In fact this camera is so good we are seriously considering purchasing a second one for my husband. Service at Adorama rocks. Outstanding and easy to navigate website makes purchasing a breeze
SolidSnake –
This camera is a great deal now that the price was lowered. And 4k under 2k is my kind of deal. It has the same sensor as the XDCam version and still waiting for the 4k firmware update for that one and new accessories from sony coming including an xlr adapter.
Sunflute –
I am so pleased to have gotten this camcorder. I use it to record classes, lectures and live concerts and it provides very clear picture with awesome manual exposure physical buttons as well as great manualautofocus features. The 4K video is stunning and the fact that it records audio in uncompressed PCM wave broadcast format is incredibly time saving, if you are a musician wanting to get really good audio from your videos without having to do that in post. Ive owned several camcorders from Canon, Panasonic and Sony and this is the best so far. I cant wait to see what SONY is going to do next in the 4K segment.
Derrick –
Very good Video when shooting at f2.8 in low light. Im a pro videographer and this is my secondary camera. When using in low light do not use the zoom function use your body to move closer to your subject, always stay at F2.8 in low light, the more you use zoom in low light the higher your fstops go and now you get lots of noise in your video, stay at F2.8 for noise free video.
HonestOpinion –
Sony released this camcorder in 2013 and it sells for just about as much as it did when it was released. Its capabilities are about as high as a prosumer camcorder would go these days which doesnt say much for Sony or camcorders.
Anonymous –
I shoot a couple of high school plays every year and rented this machine for the shows. Ive expanded my video work to include volleyball and field hockey. This is the best low light camcorder Ive ever used. The sports I pretty much set the camera to auto and its fine. The shows I shoot on manual. Lower the shutter speed, increase the ISO and max out the aperture. Unloading the video is piece of cake. Drag and drop. If you use a camcorder on a regular basis and need high quality, this is your camera.
Tom the Producer –
The camcorder LCD is the best I have every seen. The picture quality is fantastic. I have had other Sony cameras but the controls on this one are superior. The still picture are great. And the ability to make 4K in the camera endoded down to fit 1 to 2 hours 4k video on XAVCcard which is works well. It also can be 4k resed down to 1080 with pro res and 50 bit rate. And it can shot regular AVCHD. The video looks better to me on all format options. Thought the high compression rate would be a problembut the video is stunning. Lets not forget this is a 2k dollar camera. It compromises in being manual with buttons but each controlled by one wheel. And it looks like it doesnt have time code. The ND internal filters are great. All the controls can do subtle adjustments. The lens is great. They way it looks now you can plug in rode mic for audio. If you want XLR their unit which goes on proprietary mount is So far what I have seen isvery impressive. If not ground breaking quality and compromise very littlefor this price point which is shocking. The camera has some good shallow depth of field with this lens and the 1 sensor. The overall feel and quality are very good.
Joey –
We need to video speakers and presentations in various size venues and this camera has everything we need Directions and suggestions are easy to understand and utilize. It is easy to learn to for any person. It is light weight for longer presentations. With the addition of a tripod to record educational presentations, it is perfect.
salqa –
Best 4K camcorder ever had. Amazing quality and the ND filters are so perfect for outdoors. Nice low light capability and solid camera for all kind of shooting.
AirborneRanger –
I purchased this video camera just in time for the school award ceremonies for my 11 and 9 years and our east coast vacation. The video camera is very easy to use. I could not be more pleased with the HD quality of the video which is outstanding The audio is good but could be improved to match the video. Overall, excellent value for the Sony HD Camera
Christopher –
Almost hard to believe how crisp and clear the images are Great camcorder for the serious amateur or even casual pro. Great manual controls. Only 2 dissapointments you HAVE to use Sony accessories on the hotshoe and you have to use their software free to import and edit footage.
Cableguy –
The AX100 is really a great camcorder has many professional features and is quite a light package. The camera produces stunning images with crisp detail. The built in audio recording is above average but I decided to purchase the hot shoe mount and I was able to add my XLR shotgun mic and zoom recorder for better audio production. The camera performs well in lowlight however I noticed a little noise which would be expected. I was shocked to find out that when monitoring video through a separate monitor you cannot record in 4K, the screen will go black. 1080i and 1080p records just fine. This was almost a deal breaker however I was able to make up for it by using the cameras built in wifi feature and connecting my smartphone to the built in network. The connection was flawless with no noticeable lag. Im also able to link my smartphone to the monitor if I need a larger viewing surface. I have to deduct a start because of the 4K recording failure when viewing through a monitor, no internal storage, and no built in XLR component. All in all I am extremely satisfied with the Sony Ax100.
Anonymous –
I purchased this camera in May 2014 and have used it a lot over the past 14 months. I got it primarily for the 120 frames per second high speed mode. I travel about 7 months of each year and this camera has gone everywhere with me. For highspeed video slow motion playback it is fantastic. I have the Casio EXFH20 and EXFH25 as well as the Panasonic DMCFZ200 and a JVC GCP100B for highspeed 120fps or faster. Except for the JVC, once you hit the record button, your exposure level is locked, zoom is locked, and I believe focus may be locked on at least some of these as well. The JVC lets you zoom while in record mode but the image quality was so poor I never used any of it. The FDRAX100 is great in that while in 120 FPS mode, you can zoom, it will continue to autofocus or you can switch to manual focus, and exposure levels are automatically adjusted as in regular video mode. Also, audio is recorded in this mode, which none of the others do. The file is saved as XAVC S, 120fps progressive footage. Meaning that if you want to playback the video in realtime vs 4x slow, you can do that. In most other cameras, the 120fps video is processed and saved to memory card as 30fps, with the slow motion already locked in. Sony markets this as a consumer camera due to the type of codec they put in it. But dont be fooled, it has some nice features you wouldnt expect to find on a typical consumer video camera. For example it has a port for wired remote, it has good manual controls for shutter speed, iris, and gain, it has builtin ND filters, it has clean HDMI out except in 4K record mode, it has an IR mode and high frame rate mode, and it has WiFi remote. Its nice and compact size and feels solidly built. The camera can take three sizes of Sony batteries including the NPFV100 3700 mAh, which will give over 4 hours. Recently found out that with the proper cable, the camera should be able to connect DIRECTLY to a portable hard drive and transfer video files to it, so no need to use a laptop for that if youre out in the field. The camera will need to be plugged in to AC power though for those types of transfers. Some things to know are that the hot shoe is a Sony proprietary type and you cannot just plug in any standard accessory, just some Sony microphones and other few accessories will fit directly on that shoe. I have found an adapter to allow me to mount my own 3rd party accessories on that mount as a cold shoe. The camera has a Multi port jack which is for remote control hookup and it also outputs a video signal. With some special cables you can possibly get a wired remote hooked up AND have the video signal available, but the only adapter cables from Sony appear to make you choose one function or the other. To use my Canon wired remote, I had to buy two different adapter cables to get the connection with my standard LANC plug. Another thing, is if you want to use a shoulder strap or neck strap to help steady the camera, there are no hard points to connect a strap to. I ended up finding a strap system that I attach to the little ring on the hand grip and the other end has a stud that screws into the tripod mouning hole. with the strap around my neck and the LCD flipped out, I can get fairly steady shots while standing. Another issue with the camera is there is no onoff power switch like on most other cameras. There is a power switch, but you have to open the LCD to access it. Opening the LCD turns on the camera automatically, as does extending the viewfinder. There are no menu options to turn off that autoon feature. The image stabilizer is not very effective by todays standards. Its there, but its just okay. Another thing is the zoom rocker doesnt seem to be variable speed. It seems to me to have 3 or 4 speeds and very little switch throw, so its really impossible for me to get the zoom speed I want when using the rocker switch. If I connect a LANC remote, I can get some very slow zooms and have proper control. Id say the weakest part of the camera is the lens. Its slow and the zoom range is not great. Image quality is great, especially in 4K. With all the issues Ive mentioned you might wonder why give it 5 stars. Its a consumer rated camera and the price is making this a very good value, and overall it is a very capable camera. It takes stills too. Ive found workarounds for most everything that bothered me, so I am very happy to recommend this camera and Sony has done a great job on this one. Low light, compared to my Canon XF305 and 7D is good. In my opinion the FDRAX100 looks better than those two cameras. Have not compared it to my 6D, which is supposed to be much better than the 7D. When you get too much noise in the image, I have found that the noise can be removed to my satisfaction using the program NeatVideo in my Sony Vegas 13 Pro editor. There are some adjustments you can make to the image incamera but nothing like a full set of custom presets in higherend gear. Shooting in 4K mode and down scaling to HD or SD looks so much better than if it were shot in HD. Shooting in 4K allows you to shoot wide and then crop the image in post to get the scene you want and yet maintain better than HD image quality.
Bill Dag –
4K results at 60mb and 100mb are excellent. Great colour saturation and tons of detail. 1080 modes are just average though. Significantly softer than downconverted 2160P. Low light sensitivity is great. You can take sharp highres videos at night with subdued lighting and there is almost no noise in the results. Very impressive, and the first of my many many camcorders that can do that. Steady shot is OK but certainly not anywhere near the equal of the AX33B with BOSS. This is a pretty chunky camcorder. It weighs all of 2 pounds and feels like it. The viewfinder and screen are both good and are usable even outside on a sunny day. The larger 1 sensor allows pretty good background blurring and the many manual controls give you all the adjustability you could ask for. The one thing missing, that I wish was included, is adjustable settings for sharpness and colour saturation, although of course, you can do that in POST but how many people actually ever get around to that or have the compatible software and powerful enough computer Still, bottom line is that the 4K videos are jawdroppingly gorgeous loaded with lots of detail and colour. This is my first camcorder manufactured in China. The quality seems very high though. My 4 previous Sony camcorders were all made in Japan. If I was judging the camcorder purely on 4K video quality, I would rate it a solid 5 stars
Anonymous –
I am an intermediate image hound aspiring to professional goals. Therefore my observations will not deal with some of the dualoverheadcam aspects of this camera. Primarily, I shoot music, industrial videos and DVD projects but love to learn about image tech. The good Sonys 4k darling is power in a pocket. With this trim model Sony has provided folks in intermediate to pro with an incredible arsenal. The 1.0 version firmware renders autofocus, slowmo and other aspects of the camera barely usable. But after the 2.0 firmware upgrade the auto focus, spot metering, touch focus and white balance all work very snappy. The images this camera puts out are stunning to say the least, such depth and detail. The wide dynamic range and touch exposure is able to absorb hot spot lighting in harsh environments while illuminating detail in the shadows previously unseen. The white balance allows very natural control over strange lighting such as neon and LEDs. The slowmo option is welcome indeed. This is also the first camera Ive owned which posses a VERY usable digital zoom. The Not so good There is no place to attach a strap on the other side of the cam which makes handling border on hazardous. Ive attached a strap to both sides of the leather grip and brought one side around the front under the camera for security. A little awkward still but much safer for the cam. The sunken hot shoe is a bit predatory. Cmon Sony, you sell enough parts already. Backwards comparability seems to me a kindness to your customers. Switching from XAVC to slomo and back again takes so long that many of my potential subjects were away and gone before I could shoot them. Though the cam is capable of shooting full 20mp stills when AVCHD is selected it automatically defaults to 14mp stills when switching to AVCHD movie mode. It is a major pain to redo settings again and again. Where is my button for that I do like the slomo option, but pitting the 720 results up against the new 4k is a painful comparison. A 1080p at least would have a fighting chance. The cameras rapid wakeup upon opening the viewer or flipscreen is a nice surprise, but for removing the card its clumpy having to turn the cam off again before removal. I wouldnt mind an onoff button I dearly miss the focus pin on the focus ring, like on my FX1… sigh, so controllable, deft. Everyone seems to have dropped this feature leaving me to adapt a cheesy aftermarket solution… it works . Speaking of that FX1 I also pine for that lense guardCAP. Great idea. Dual cards might have been a plus though one 64gig card does provide fairly ample room for the XAVC files. Going to nonmoving parts is a nod to the future. In Vegas 11 Pro the files certainly have more beef to them which slows the workflow a tad but still very doable. The file system seems a bit convoluted with each media extension in a different sub folder. To be honest, I understand little why the two form factors, stills vs video, are so polarized but a few more usable modes such as panorama and blending several shots into one better one would be welcome features. Bottom Line Though in number there are more things askew on this camera than right, I will easily put up with its defuglties for this quality of results, happily waiting for the model that fixes them all. Thanks Sony. I only hope you listen to your customers before upping to yet another format.
Georgel –
I used it indoor at different concerts, birthdays social events. I filmed nature cityscape also solar flares photography with a 400 ND Hoya filter. I have done telephoto with 62 mm adapter lenses and photography with wide angle. the film look is almost like a 35 mmcmos camera with correct settings and adjustments, filming in low light on 4th of july fireworks was like a breeze. Using a polarizing filter together with built in nd filter in summer times gives a special look to the film love it. I love it in combination with my sony bravia 4k tv and sony remote control application on the cell. All in one excellent performer. you need a good sdcard at least 64 gb for 100 mbps in 4k or in hd at 60p. very low panning effect when filming a panorama fast. I have to say though that the zoom could be a little bit better and more responsive. takes little time to practice the positioning of the buttons if you want to use manual settings during film. Still could n get a flash without an shoe adapter so i cant tell you about photography with a flash. I did photography with led lights and it is more than good. Do not get a cheap microphone to eclipse the perfect picture . the built in monitor is good bit dark for bright days, and the microphone system works good remember to filter user voice for better projection of the film sounds in the sound system at playback. over all 9.5 out of 10 for camcorder and 7.5 out of 10 for camera . every time i asked for a live advise
Khaledzou –
I came from DSLR world. And i wanted to find a bunch of flaws in this camera. but i havent. Sure its not the same animal as an interchangeable lens camera like the A7sii or the a6500 which i also own but its not supposed to be. The auto features on this thing rock. You could give it to a second shooter to get broll on a pro shoot and they would come back with some great footage. For this camera being somewhere between pro and consumer i was pleasantly surprised on how pro it really is. Great image. Big ole sensor, for its price audio input. Looks pretty good in lower light so far. A
LOYALCUSTOMER –
Ever since the mid 1980s I have been an avid prosumer videographer, owning at least 15 camcorders during that period of time. Have owned all kinds of brands, though most of them were Sony. Now I have graduated into the 4K generation and have made the very purchase of my life in acquiring this AX100. Unbelivable images and great portability. This one tops them all.
Oscar –
I have owned this camcorder since 2014. It has been a great performer as the reviews below will contest too. This review is about the durability of this camera. In Disney World I dropped this camera about five feet to the ground. I didnt know it until I heard a loud thud and looked down and saw my camera lying there on the CONCRETE. The lense shade and battery came flying off landing about ten feet away from the camera. Well you know what I thought, I had really screwed this up. The battery was scratch up and the lense shade was all mared. First thing I thought was the lense had to be broke, nope it looked okay. To make a long story short the camcorder came through with no damage. It has worked perfectly ever since, no issues what so ever. Please dont drop this camcorder. It is a very scary though.
Brandyn –
This camera is fantastic for the price. Its 1 inch sensor brings you fantastic quality The low depth of field is fantastic for defocused backgrounds, giving it a more professional look. Film has been a hobby of mine for over 10 years. I havent spent much on cameras before so this is the best camera I have owned.
RetailTradingCards –
Functions perfectly. I am a novice and this camera is great. I will be using this camera to live distribute live streaming sessions across our social media networks.
1314 –
We are using it to record the building of our new house. Although it has 4K recording features, we are using the HD mode because we havent yet purchased a 4K TV. Maybe we will buy one when the house is built.Camera has all the features an occasional user would want. Have a Canon GL2 purchased in 2002 for which I paid about 3K when that was real money but the technology has passed it by.
majgomboc –
Beautyfull pictutre Professional No. When i recording in 4K resolution sony disable the HDMI output. I can not use external monitor. The focus ring in zoom mode, not smooth….
Marc –
Images are jawdropping. Ergonomics much better than past Sony cameras with many pro features available without being buried in the menus. I will be using this as my personal camera and mostly for nature and travel. Great to have his quality in a compact and relatively lightweight package. Not crazy about the new adapter shoe. Its recessed and so cant be used with dumb devices like third party microphones and lights. Even older Sony Smart Shoe devices arent compatible. Sony could have integrated the lens cap into the hood as it does with other products.
Jim –
Getting ready for my first paid shoot with the AX100, I hooked up my 9 Ikan monitor via HDMI and got a great picture. So I packed up all my gear and headed for the shoot location which happened to be a live performance. Getting there, I set up the AX100 with my Ikan monitor, again getting a beautiful picture on the monitor, and while in standby mode I dialed everything in for the shoot. As the lights dimmed I hit record and the picture on my monitor disappeared. I didnt know that there was no HDMI output in the record mode when shooting 4K.
Mark –
You can read my lengthy review that was posted in 2015. I bought my first FDRAX100 in April 2014. It has been a real workhorse for me. I wanted to be able to shoot multiple angles simultaneously and was looking to buy another camera. After lots of research, I ended up buying another AX100. While shooting motorsports, I like to have two cameras mounted on tripods and another two cams available for handheld shooting. The AX100 works best on a tripod. I have not found anything more to gripe about than the few drawbacks I mentioned before. It has been a solid performer, never letting me down, no quirky things going on that might spoil a shoot. I have 256GB cards and the largest batteries on it, so I can shoot about 5 hours straight. Even though some would say its getting long in the tooth, I obviously think this camera deserves serious consideration. Makes beautiful video.
Donna –
Image quality is amazingly good. For the novice shooter there is little effort involved to start shooting quality video right away. White balance is decent. Audio on its own is echoey, but, most cams built in audio systems are this way. The reason Im giving it 4 stars as opposed to 5 is because the multi shoe is incompatible with anything but Sony products resulting in my not being able to use my lavs, shot gun mic, or, a light right out of the box with this camcorder. BH, suggested when I called them about this issue, to purchase Vello CB510 Shoe Bracket SKU VECB510 as a remedy. Using the recommended shoe bracket then, connecting my Sennheiser lavs to FDRAX100 by way of Beachtek DXA2T was cumbersome at best. When the Beachtek was connected to the FDRAX100S microphone jack there was lots of noise. Being no stranger in setting up lavs and other audio devices to cams, I still have to give Sony a plug. They manufacture some of the best cams in the industry. This new camcorders iffy audio may be my doing something wrong. In the meantime, Ill fiddle more with external audio devices, but, for the moment, Im not pleased with the background noise once plugged in. Again, maybe, its something Im doing wrong. In my opinion, Sony has once again created a game changer. The FD AX100 is an excellent foot in the door to do 4K shooting and archiving that is affordable. For this reason, I highly recommend this camcorder.
William –
I use this for independent film production. It is highly portable and easy to use, and has instant auto settings but features manual controls for shutter, iris, white balance, gain and focus that stay constant once set and are right on the body so you dont have to search through menus to find them. I needed a slow constant zoom that was slower and more controllable than the rocker zoom control, so I purchased the Sony Remote Control tripod which comes with a remote that either attaches to the tripod or can be used freely and connects through the multiport to give a very slow constant zoom. The picture quality on this camera is beautiful it comes not just from 4K but also from the large sensor which gives a much better, clearer, less grainy image than a similar resolution with a smaller sensor. I know this because I ABd footage taken with this camera and the AX33 which is very similar specs except for the tiny sensor. It is definitely not the same quality as the AX100 image. I recently shot footage with the AX100 of the Oregon seacoast and it is the best video image I have ever seen, bar none, and looks like the detail and clarity level of a 65mm Vistavision print in a movie theater. It is astounding to have this level of image in a tiny camera you can carry in one hand. Also, the low light capability is very good obviously due again to the large sensor. I recently upgraded the firmware which now allows 100 mbps at 4K. Optical Steadyshot is not as much stabilization as the smallsensor cameras, because the extreme stabilization of those like the Sony Action cam can currently be used only with their tiny sensors. One accessory that works very well is the Sony stereo mic which has a very effective windscreen. I must add that the stills are super high resolution as well. By switching to photo mode you get a DSLRlike shutter at selectable resolutions. Overall this camera is the kind of equipment one keeps returning to even with other equipment available because it is so useable, portable, practical and has such an ultra high quality image.
Logan VII –
I use this camera to record interviews, so most of the time it sits on a tripod. The Full HD quality is excellent, so are the multiple controls and functions. The auto focus is very good, but I use the manual all of the time, just not to have that change when the subject moves. Its easy to use, light and the screen contrast let me work in daylight conditions. Cant talk about the audio since I record with an H4n and use the in camera mic just to sync it. Still havent tested the 4k res, but as soon as I do, will update this review.
cristalclear –
This is a great little 4k jewel. It is super easy to use, the battery lasts forever, and shoots great quality video. Look no further if you want to preserve your memories in 4k and not break your head with settings, though they are there. Expandable memory and features. Good sound too.
Anonymous –
Ive only had this camcorder for about 5 days now. First off its much larger than expected. The active mode image stabilization jumps around a lot at first and takes some time to settle down. Its no were near as good as my Sony PJ650s. Its more like my old Panasonic. The image quality is much better than Im use to. My biggest complaint is when you first start the camera it tells you to go to Sony PM to download the editing software which I did. I deleted my current version of Play Memories Home and downloaded the latest. It imported my 4k video okay and will play it just fine, however it wouldnt let me edit my video. I tried this on 3 different computers. I contacted Sony support and they told me that I have to either record my video with a lower setting or buy Sony Vegas to edit my video in 4k.
Jake –
If you need a zoom control for this camera, this is what I did I got the Acebil RMC1AVR with the adapter cable Sony VMCAVM1 and it works perfectly on my new Sony FDRAX100 4K camcorder, should work well with any new Sony that has the multi function remote port basically a mini usb.This remote will do fairly slow zooms as well as fast zooms. Does not jump from one speed to another as far as I can tell so far. I already had a remote tripod from Sony with a Lanc connector that had broken off. I attached this unit over top of the handle and it works fine, it also fits my manfrotto tripod and monopod at well as my glidecam 2000.
Carolyn –
So far so good. I honestly have had time to test all the features yet, but used it at a gig and the quality is pretty good both audio and video. I did have a microphone attached. So far the only thing I am disappointed in is the zoom capability.
paumclar –
Amazingly sharp picture and the built in mic is better than the external ones I had been using..
jvaughn3 –
This is pretty much a perfect camcorder. Great features in a prosumer camera. The only thing that sucks is that there is no 4k live output while recording. That feature is only available with non4k recording. This means that you cant record your 4k footage onto an external recorder. It also cant function as a webcam as far as I can tell. Other than those issues, its a great camera with superb image quality the one inch sensor rocks
Michael –
Love this camera. Just one problem, the video is so amazing I keep watching and running frame by frame that I forget I am supposed to be editing not entertaining myself. With the SF64UX2 cards I have had quite a few buffer overloads but I will try the SFM64 cards this weekend and see if the overloads are less frequent.
DigitalDon –
The FDRAX100 4K UHD Camcorder is an amazing camera for the price. It functions in both automatic and manual settings with stunning results. Coupled with my Lexar 128GB SDXC II card, I get 4 hours 35 minutes recording time in 4K, 5 hours 23 min in HD and 12 hours and 32 minutes in AVCHD. I recommend getting at least 1 to 2 additional battery packs. It doe consume power. The still images are phenomenal. At 20MP, they are stunning especially outdoor shots. The only drawback is that it cant utilize a monitor in the 4K UHD mode but you can use a monitor in the other 2 settings. I also purchased a 50 4K UHD flat screen set and you can not appreciate the ultimate difference between standard HD and Ultra HD unless you do. For the price, you cant do any better.
Jimbo –
This is a great video camera but they could have had a better image stabilizer built in. Beautiful video quality and you cant beat Zeiss lenses. I recommend shooting at 60 FPS and make sure you pan slowly.
mandcdad –
Needed a camcorder with a great viewfinder due to lots of outdoor shooting in strong sunlight. Very clear using the color viewfinder. Very much looking forward to using it more and experimenting with the many features.
Anonymous –
Coming from a professional world where camcorders were big, heavy and expensive, I wanted to get into the 4K workflow, and not be tied down to limitations imposed by DSLR cameras. I needed a camera that would shoot in both HD and 4K, and also offered long recording times, as some of the shooting I do is long form recording of events and meetings where the recording needs to be continuous. Still cameras and SLR with video typically stop at 2959 and then you have to start them again. This is to avoid the VAT in Europe that is charged on video cameras but not still cameras. By definition is it records 30 minutes or more it is a video camera and is taxed I looked at several cameras and settled on the FDRAX100. It is a simple camera to use, and is fully automatic, but also has manual override with 2 separate dials, so focus, exposure, gain, shutter speed ect can me manually set. It also features 3 built in ND filters for bright outdoor shooting, and believe me these make a huge difference, and ports a large 1 CMOS sensor and an equally large Zeiss lens in front of it. Image quality is fantastic, the 4K videos I have produced are razor sharp, and colors spot on. Another huge benefit is the OLED eyepiece, which is most useful when shooting outdoors. It gives an exact representation of what the resulting video will look like, unlike the LCD screen which is useful for framing, but doesnt have the dynamic range that the sensor captures. For shot evaluation the OLED viewfinder is a must. I give this camera 5 out of 5 stars. I am just about to buy a second one. I have had my camera for 2 years now, and I am about to buy another one. Why, because it outperforms the newer cheaper replacements by country mile.
Christopher –
I do a lot of video in Africa, and I often give cameras to my African videographers. I need the highest possible quality from the smallest possible package. I need the cameras to be simple and easy to use with a minimum of buttons. The quality of video from this Sony is outstanding, and it is very small and compact, easy to pack and carry, and easy for my friends in Africa to use, and to send me the memory cards. In my opinion it is also quite inexpensive.
homerc67 –
Using this as my B cambackup to my X70. Shooting in 4K with wide framing gives excellent options for reframing in 1080 in post. Both the AX100 and X70 fit in the same bag with all my other gear, excellent mobile run and gun setup. This combo is saving my back for sure, very lightweight cameras. Low light performance is noisy so having the Neat Video plugin in your NLE is critical for cleaning up the footage for professional use. Looking forward to the 100 Mbs 4K firmware update.
jujitsu007 –
I love this 4K camera for home use and videoing activities. It captures sound well and has a clearcrisp picture on playback. No complaints.
Joseph –
had this for about 2 years and it worked well, however recently it only comes on when it feels like, even when the battery is fully charged and it is plugged in. After unplugging and removing the battery and reinserting it comes on occasionally.
K. Williams –
We are a professional film company and have a need to get quick high quality 4k broll. I purchased this as a throwaway camera not expecting anything great. However, I have ben pleasantly surprised. Image quality at 100mbps is exceptional even with Sonys 4k mp4 compression. Image is sharp, clean and well colored. Tools like focus assist, white balance and zebras are accurate and usable. The autofocus does very well. Allow af to find whats important, tell it where to focus by tapping the screen or simply go manual focus when you need it. Were getting about 3 hours from our 128gb chips. The Zeiss lens is tack sharp across the entire range. Bultin ND filters rock as well. Controls are well layed out and easy to use. We use np100 batteries and get about the same time. Its fast, easy and trustworthy to shoot which is invaluable at this price point. Now, the niggles Theyre minor overall, but profound to some. Build quality is very good. Its not sealed, so be careful in wet and dusty environments. You cannout output 4k through the HDMI to an external recorder, but can output HD via HDMI. Real Bummer If it did, we would buy tons of these little jewels The screen is small too small Very hard to see fine details, but the cameras final product sort of makes up for it. Still, the touch screen is a bit too small. Fast action Maybe not so much but possibly in some cases. Overall, the ax100 rocks. It is simple to run, but also has a few very important pro tools that we need to ensure quality imaging. In short, get it
RickBennette –
This camcorder is well beyond the needs of most users as it borders on the realm of a pro camera in a small body. Yes, for a home unit, its large. For a Pro unit, its small. For video, this thing outperforms any DSLR on the market, including the new 4K DSLRs from the competition, albeit by only a small margin compared to 4K DSLRs.Image quality is tack sharp from corner to corner with absolutely no loss of sharpness and no visible chromatic aberation anywhere in the image. The corners look as crisp as the center. Theres also no moire effect when shooting intricate patterns. Details are simply stunning. Even the feathers of birds show every bit of detail in the ribbings. It has a 12x optical zoom, which is darn respectible for a one inch sensor. Digital zoom works flawlessly out to 24x with no visible digital distortion. Beyond 24x the artifacts become visible, and by 160x they make the image useless.The color is rich and lush, but not overly saturated, even in the automatic mode. Skin tones look film like in the correct light. Depth of field is way better than any three chip pro camcorder, but not so shallow that noses look out of focus when the eyes look clear. Everything seems well balanced in the full auto mode.The pro features really shine on this little gem. Every major function like focus, iris, white balance, shutter speed and gain has its own dedicated button on the camera body and is totally independent in its function. They retain their manual settings even when the camera is powered off and back on. Other pro features include video peaking and zebra stripes. XLR inputs are available through an optional adapter that sits in the hot shoe.The eyepiece is so crisp youll swear youre looking through an optical lens and not at an electronic device. The flip out viewfinder is crisp as well.Low light shots are simply amazing with grain held to a minimum even at 33 dB video gain. At that setting, it sees things brighter than my eyes, and any grain simply is masked when viewing at normal distance from a TV. In good room lighting and obviously outdoors, grain is not even visible in the image. Digital artifacting is barely visible only if you sit too close the TV looking for it. Othewise, you wont see it.The 4K mode looks tack sharp even downsampled on a 2K monitor. The XAVC 2K mode looks almost as good on a 2K monitor, but lacks that razor sharpness of downconverted 4K. It goes without saying on a 4K monitor, the image is simply breathtaking. Only reality is sharper, and thats only if you have 2020 vision. Set this thing in Cinema Mode, 24 frames per second at 4K and youll have an image that will look as crisp and rich in color as an iMax movie. In fact, iMax is 4K.Stills are also very good, approaching the quality level of a mid priced DSLR. 14 megapixel gives the most bang for the buck. The 20 meg setting interpolates more pixels with little added sharpness, so stick to 14.Batteries last a respective 2 hours or more for the small one, four hours for the medium and nearly seven hours for the largest. a 64 GIG card shoots over six hours at the highest AVCHD mode, and over two hours at the 4K mode.The native 4K files import easily into the Sony Vegas editor, even the older version 11. Vegas only outputs the finished project in 2K, however, unless there is some new plugin for that. A quad core machine is enough to handle the high data rate sufficiently to edit 4K on a PC.Bottom line using this in the full auto mode will get you great video in all regards. Use of the manual controls by a capable user will yield incredible results usable in any feature documentary.
Jazu –
Best 4K camera For the price range. My B camera. Excellent HD video quality, large sensor is great for that DSLR look. Easy manual controls. Easy menu set up. Excellent still image. Minor issue need a hot shoe adapter for lights or shotgun mic. No saturation or contrast control. No XLR inputs. Major issue right now is 4k XAVC file type not recognize by FCP.
Robert –
I bought this cam when it was introduced years ago. Learn how to use it and youll get great images. It has its limitations like any other consumer cam. One thing you must do is format your card between shoots. Was just on a shoot where it stopped recording while running static. Luckily I checked on it and it showed standby on lcd screen. I hit record again. After shoot I checked the playback menu and it showed one file but when importing it showed 2 files. This has never happened before but I did check the 128GB and it was at 75 full. Pointing finger at the card so remember to format it before long shoots. Again, learn how to use this cam both in manual and auto mode and youll be a happy camper.
Martagin –
This camera has many great features and options, with multiple recoding options as well as dual recording it allows you to record a full size video with a smaller size to upload to Facebook or YouTube. With night vision recording and an IR light to enhance the recording at night, itll make for some fun night time recoding shenanigans. Ive personally used this camera for a work related music video for work safety and I can say for certain the options of this camera are amazing, and the zoom capability of the camera are nothing to sneeze at. Just make sure you have a tripod if you decide to use the digital zoom to avoid unnecessary shaking, the shake reduction option can only do so much to help you.
kristen.d –
This camera is big, forget about using it like a pocket cam, or even a traditional Handycam, its about twice the size of the small Handycams, but its 4K, so in theory, for this amount of resolution you would need like 4 of the smaller cameras to equal the resolution this of course is a dramatization. The size though is much smaller then any other serious 4k camera, so dont mark it as a ding. I have owned a Red One original 1200, a BMC Cinema Camera, and several DSLRs. If your doing anything other then weightsize conscious shooting, not an issue, I can fit it in some purses I own.
dsaffer –
This camera can shoot stunning 4K as well as 1080., the best Ive seen for up to 3X as much money.Since I rarely shoot auto, this review is for those who like control over the camera. I have shot with my Sony AX100 for about a week. Since I do mainly wildlife, most of my work is outdoors. The camera has performed well in low light dawn and heavy overcast but needs an exposure offset for bright days, either in the menu or with the ND filters.First the good newsStunning images. Yes, manually controlled ND filtersActual buttons for manual exposure, gain and shutter speed.Incamera mic better than average, usable in a pinch.Clear zoom 18x is very usable.Uses affordable SDXC speed class 3 cards.You can edit 4K in FCP7. I transcode the 4K to ProRes 422 3840 x 2160 and edit on a 2012 MacBook Pro with USB3 and a fast external drive. Even down sampled to SD, it looks better than any DV I have seen.Image zoom for focus assist.Now the not so goodPower button inside LCD and powers up when opened.Image stabilization nowhere equal to Canons XA2025. Hand hold at your own risk.Pans and tilts are best on tripod and slow.I wish the lens cap was build in like on the old Sony V1u or Canon XA 20.The viewfinder is adequate for focus. It seems coarse compared to my Canon.Now for the Sony, what were you thinking minus 1 starMulti Interface Shoe MISSo since the Advanced Interface Shoe AIF was discarded it has been replaced with an equally dysfunctional port so Sony can sell more proprietary attachments like their XLR adapter for . However, once you buy this interface, there is no way to attach it directly to the camera. Most camera shoe brackets defeat the purpose of having a compact camera. Fortunately, DM Accessories has a bracket that hugs the camera without interfering with any controls. Also, the little cover for the MIS just loosely hangs there when open, waiting for something to rip it off. Speaking of controls, Sony abandoned the lanc protocol but there are solutions in addition to Sonys remote including WIFINFC.For me, the bottom line its a keeper.
benjammn –
I have used this several times already in clubs to record bands. Low light filming is pretty good overall. The focus definitely could use some work. The videos and the sound are pretty darn nice. No complaints from me on this camera.
Pixenter –
I really like this camera but a couple of design and usability features make it a less than perfect choice. As with all highend camcorders and prosumer camcorders Sony has integrated contextsensitive controls into the design. This means that if you want to control the apertureiris you will have to first activate that control by pressing a button, then you can rotate a dial to change the iris. If you want to change the shutter speed you will need to activate that control and then rotate the same dial that you used for aperture. Same with gainiso control. Tap a button and then use the same dial that you use for focus, aperture, white balance, and shutter speed. It would have been really nice to have direct onetouch access to each of these three essential creative controls. Sony does the same contextsensitive design with its Alpha and NEX series as well, so its not unexpected, just annoying. The focus magnifier button is in the wrong place. The touch screen is also a joke. Its like something from a decade ago. In fact I think I owned a Sony camera from at least 5 years ago that had the same touch screen. Its not like a smart phone with pinch to zoom type functionality. Its crude. Its also larger than your average camcorder. Dont get me wrong. I REALLY like this camera. It has very good image quality that can be used at 4K or downscaled or capture in camera to 1080p with great results. And thats what really counts, right Great image quality. Just wait until you load the footage up into Final Cut and see all the detail. It captures details further into the shadows and highlights than I was expecting it would, and it does OK in low light. Dont expect Nikon D4 performance in low light of course, but you wont have too much to complain about. The 1 inch sensor also seems to strike just the right balance between shallow depth of field and the ability to accurately and reliably focus the camera when the lens is wide open. Requires 64GB cards or larger for compatibility for the new 4K codec. It will not use 32GB Sandisk Extreme Pro cards for 4K recording.
adeem –
This camcorder is brilliant in the sense it has so many tremendous features its 4k video capable equipped with 20 mp still camera along side. A professional film maker i think wont go to shoot his film with this cam but still one can make a hit with camcorder . for immature film makesr like us it is definitely a power tool and a good way to enjoy the 4k fruits .Sony should make a slightly cheaper 4k cam for immature film makers and for film students .
anharo –
This is my first 4K Camera. I have purchased this for travel purpose since I cannot carry the PXWZ100. So this is a second camera.The past 5 days I have used it for all kinds of videography including broadcast.If you are a serious amateur or a professional who dont want to carry the bulky thing with you, this travels with you like amazingly.The two photo that you see I have added is not still shots but from video frames, Yes, it is that greatIt is a must to buy a LCSU30 case for this if you want a fit and go case. This is a beautiful case for 22 dollars but at sony it is for 40 dollars.Bestbuy price matched this for me without any fuss and that makes Best Buy really best store for me. Love the customer service at the local store. They are the friendliest people I know.Thank you for ready and God bless you.
kenm7 –
Great performance when i shot 4k UHD at 100mbts. Seems pretty solid even in low light. I am using it as a B lock down camera. Not as noisy as I expected it to be. Easy to use and it is reliable. It will run for hours. Not quite as sharp as my Panasonic GH5 but I did not expect it to be. Very happy with the purchase so far.
sawmri –
Awesome image quality. Stills are each an 8.3 MB picture, which is amazing. Im still trying to figure out how to work with the demands of so much data in FCPX, and how to store the large amount of data. There are options to downsize the resolution, and still get great HD video. Overall great so far. The camera is a bit heavy compared to some of the ultraslim cameras out there, but I am willing to pay that price for the great videos.
LanceinLane –
This is the first camera I have ever owned that Ive given 5 stars, as it is so revolutionary and well designed. The AX100 creates stunning video that is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Even when only viewed on a 1080 HD monitor, image clarity and resolution exceeds that of footage from any 1080 HD camcorder. You will never want to go back to shooting 1080 HD again. The straight out of camera video looks so good that many people think that it has been color graded. Auto White Balance is easily the best that I have seen on any camera or camcorder. Low light performance is impressive, and exceeded my expectations. Manual controls are excellent, and very easy to use. Controls for focus, zoom, iris, shutter, gain, and white balance are exceedingly well thought out and designed. Far superior to any similar priced camcorders from Panasonic or Canon. Pros and advanced users will really appreciate how easy it is to adjust and control your key exposure settings. There are also 3 programmable buttons on the LCD that you can set yourself to the most important settings that you wish to commonly adjust. I programmed Peaking and manual audio level setting myself, as those are key features that I use. The only missing feature that I would really like to have on this camcorder is a histogram, to help me double check my exposure setting. All of my Panasonic cameras and camcorders have had a histogram. It was an oversight to leave this out. A level indicator is another nice feature that I like, which is also missing. But is it not much of any issue for me, as most of my shooting is done from a tripod. These missing features do not hold much weight when compared to all of the outstanding features and performance that this camcorder has to offer. It is not enough to warrant giving it 4 stars, in my opinion. The manual that does come with the camera is absolutely horrible, it is so brief and incomplete. However, if you Google Sony Europe AX100 PDF, you will find a link to download a much better and more complete .pdf manual from the Sony Europe website. Be sure that you get that documentation. This manual is also a good resource to download and read before buying this camcorder. Finally, any complaints here about a lack of software for the camera are most strange indeed. They must be from people who bought the camera grey market from Asia. That is because all FDRAX100 camcorders sold by Sony USA in the United States come with a free download of the latest Sony Movie Studio Platinum 13. So you get a very complete editing software package that fully supports working with the XAVCS format, and can render files to that format too. Battery life with the included NPFv70 is about 2 12 hours. You will want to get another battery if you shoot much. I also recommend getting the BC TRV battery charger, as charging the battery in camera via USB is quite slow.
Dave –
I use two of these for weddings and small video productions. The image quality is fantastic Its good in low light with minimal grain. I have had some problems with the battery dying and no XML file being written to the card so the footage has to be saved which is almost an exercise in futility, but I have been able to save it with use of GMBH recovery software. That is my only real complaint with this camera. If the battery dies while its recording, you may loose all the footage from that scene, Im amazed that Sony hasnt provided its own recovery software for this problem yet. Its only a problem with the 4K files, but it has bitten me twice now and has cost me a couple hundred dollars to recover the footage and that is imperfect recovery at that. There is also a company from Spain called Aeroquartet which can recover this footage for you as well, but its a minimum of 150. So, WATCH YOUR BATTERY STATUS
Jim –
Pros Great picture even at the lowest rez.Cons Not had a long time to review but so far everything looks great. I wish it had xlr inputs without having to purchase anothe 800 worth of equipment that requires additional apparatus to attach it to the camera. Other than that, it should work great as a second camera on shoot as well as for MOS and BRoll.Other thoughts
DVCinLV –
16GB Class 10 95MBps Sandisk Extreme Pro AX100 reports it cannot support XAVC S. The blinking NO CARD indicator is on. Brand new card from BB Will, however, support AVCHD.32GB Class 10 30MBps Sandisk Ultra AX100 reports it can not support XAVC S. The blinking NO CARD indicator is on. Brand new card from BB Will support AVCHD as will an old Class 6 card.The error reports are constant. One after the other.
BillyChiu –
I have used the AX100 since Feb 2014 and has recorded over 6TB of 4K material. The exposure controls are accurate and flexible enough for even professional use. Recently, I used a few AX100 in filming a high school show.httpswww.youtube.comvbdMKxIreeucversion3vqhd1080The nighttime capability of the Zeiss lens and sensor is also quite comparable to cameras three times as large.httpyoutu.beoiq1ZPrE48At current prices, the AX100 is about the same as the Panasonic GH4 which I also use. While the GH4 has greater controls over colors, the AX100 has better zoom controls and the flat profiles are more accurate.
John –
Love the camera. Going to mainly shoot in 4k. Found it easy to edit in Premiere Pro CC on my iMAC. Converted to 1080P, it looks terrific. Will later be able to use 4K when I get a 4K TV and way to present. So all of the issues about the format for me are not an issue. The format is terrific. Camera has everything I need although would have liked it to have GPS and better stabilization. The stabilization is ok but not amazing. On BH,I live in Hong Kong. BH got it to me in acouple of days. Nice job BH.
Kevin –
Easy to operate camcorder. Easy to edit XAVC S codec. Its missing professional features xlr, sdi, color profiles. Id like to see a faster lens on this camera, it barely gets shallow depth of field due to the f2.84 aperture. Great, solid piece of gear.
Zulupapa –
Have tried the AX100 in a range of lighting conditions it performs well. The cons are its not easy to hold with the rec zoom buttons poorly positioned. The picture quality is excellent as you would expect but the auto focus is slow.The monitor is virtually invisible in daylight but the brightness can be increased in the setup. The microphone tends to pick up wind noise despite the auto wind filter.However even the niggles Im well pleased with my purchase.
castles1108 –
Went into the store shopping for a Mophie case, walked out with this beauty instead Got the mophie the following week 4K is still in its infancy and will not be a fad, like 3D sadly was, I still use it. 4K is being used as a marketing selling point now, which I personally cant stand, because 4K is actually just the next generation of resolution monitors. All the marketing and hype behind it, in my opinion, is actually hurting its progress more than helping because the average consumer will initially think is just another marketing selling point just like 3D came and went faster than anyone could say Avatar 2. For those who already have the new GoPro Hero 4 Black edition who think they are already there, that camera doesnt even compare to the quality that this one pushes. Ive owned the Black edition for some months, and although I do enjoy its quality but above all, its portability, this Sony Handycam will now be my goto camera for almost all video occasions. I now plan on using the GoPro as a back up or alternate angle view, or for some POV shots of my son playing with his toys. We still have not invested in a 4K TV, I am personally waiting for the 10 bit televisions to become the next standard, so far the only 10 bit decent tv is the 9500 series that Samsung sells I think, which is a curved monitor, which I am not a fan of by the way. Once that model releases a flat version I will jump on it during a sale unless LG begins to drop the price of its OLED television which is awesome by the way. I digress though, you will not be disappointed with this camera, and if you dont have any plans on purchasing a 4K TV at all and think that this camera will be of no use to you then think again, the 1080p video this little beast records is some of the best I have ever seen and it can shoot it at 60 fps.
Yuki –
So far Ive only used to record indoor orchestra concert. With tripod and Sony ECMXYST1M Stratocaster mic mounted on top, camera delivered great sound and video quality.
Couch Potato FIlms –
I have been using this camera for about a year now and here is what I can tell you.This is probably the best camera I have ever used and I have used a LOT. Ive owned the Sony V1U, FX1, HC3, NX70u, and I currently run an EX1 and for the moneysize, this is the best of the bunch.PROS Large glass and large sensor equals decent shallow DOF and great low light. I would not compare the DOF to a DLR prime lens however I would compare DOF to a decent DSLR zoom lens. For this size of camcorder its the best DOF I have seen. It compares very nice to the Sony V1U.For low light performance this camera can see in almost total darkness. At times I have made it see better than my eye and that is without using night vision however, even though the camera can see clearly in the dark the AVCHD makes dark scenes noisy when using high gain. THe XAVCS codec is also noisy at 60 mbps but im hoping the recent 100 mbps update fixes that a bit. To compensate in low light is pretty ease, turn your gain only half way up, then slow down your shutter speed, and open your iris all the way with the zoom in the widest position and you are good to go. for serious low light shooting I would get an external recorder like an AtomosSomeone here said you can not control all functions manually at the same time but I do it all the time You can control iris, gain, shutter speed, zoom, and even white balance in manual all at the same timeI do a lot of live studio editing and I have installed this camera along side some of the way more expensive cameras ive mentioned above and it blows them all out of the water The HDMI out is clean and the full pixel readout provides a super sharp image. This camera does not crop the image from the sensor at any resolution it uses every pixel all the time This cameras output from the HDMI makes the more expensive NX70u look like a consumer toy even though the NX70u is very good.Battery life is decent but I highly recommend getting spares, I have 4 I wish it came with a rubber eyecup but apparently the one on the pwxx70 works fine.If you are looking at the pwxx70 because it has SDI out, XLR audio in and other features but do not want to spend the money then dont. I picked up a cheap HDMI to SDi converterand it works fine and there is an XLR input adapter for this camera but honestly i preffer using my Zoom H4N to record audio instead of going into camera. For scratch audio i just hook my H4n up to this cameras audio inputAnything bad about this camera I have already said, low light compression gets noisy with hi gain but an external recorder fixes that, no eyecup, the hotshoe is stupid you will need to buy an adapter for most accessories, DOF is not the best but then its great for a camcorder.This camcorder is my workhorse and its never let me down.
Samyname –
I went back and forth to several BestBuy stores. Looking at camcorders before I made up my mind on this ax100 4K camera . Little complicated at first but after charging the battery firing the bad boy up the video and still pictures it took knocked me out of my chair The quality of this item is worth every penny spent on it I see years to come on getting enjoyment and stored memories recorded.