Sony HDR-FX1000 - Camcorder HDV Handycam

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I use camcorders for home videos. I have an older Sony HC3 HD and VX2000 Camcorder and so far this camera blows them away. I did my first bluray home video using footages I got with this camcorder and even at 8mbps, the quality was outstanding.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

Great right out of the box. Have been doing event video since 1976 and have owned over 100 cameras and camcorders. Have done over 3000 events. This is one of the best I have used. Auto color was very good especially since I shoot in combinations of florescent, tungsten and daylight all on at the same time. Extremely good under low light, a little more noise than the FX1 when gain maxed out at 1/60 sec shutter but the subject material was more visible.

I noticed the partial frame distortion from flashes. The unit is more front heavy than the FX1 and forget hand holding the unit for more than ten minutes. I use a mono pod or tripod for most of my shooting.

The manual iris takes a while getting used to. Its easy to grab the focus or zoom ring when in a run and gun situation. All three controls are mounted on the lense.

Like the display readout on the flipout viewfinder
But wish it was as big as the viewfinder on the FX1. More detail shows but for us older folks bigger is better.

Be careful to mount any light on the unit before opening the flip out viewfinder. The viewfinder is very close to the mounting shoe. The Sima LED lights B&H sells mount very well and allows opening and closing the viewfinder while the light is mounted. Buy the Bp970 battery because the supplied battery is inadequate for long shoots.

Watch those Zebra markings, the CCD on the FX1 seems to be more forgiving than the CMOS pickups on the FX1000. A liitle more blowout on the FX1000 than on the FX1 when zebra stripes appear on a face or white material.

There is a mini audio input for mounting an external wireless mike. It worked fine for me.

I also did a multi backup of a religous service by using an optional svhs/audio cable to a dvd burner and a firewire out to a mini DV camcorder.
All adapters and cabling supplied by B&H.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

Bought this camera in March I shoot primarily sports video for ABC/Fox affiliates regionally and have not had to use in night time settings until this past week. Had a major problem. In manual iris setting adjustments made when zoomed out did not hold when zooming back in on subjects. After nearly 2 hours and multiple calls to Sony I was told that is the way it is maufactured. Iris is not truly MANUAL as you would assume as it will not remain fixed in a lower light setting. Very frustrating as the supposed low light benefits of this camera I had read about now seem untrue. Also sound with mini plug is quite poor.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

must learn basic in intruction book must study all all button tool then aim shoot
small tool do all pro job
still buy tape and realtim capture

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

The only complaints I have ever heard about this camera deal with the menu operation and the low light video quality. I am telling you that any of those complaints seem to be false. To me, the menu is easier to operate than my touch screen HC9, and if you follow the instructions for low light shooting (leaving gain, iris, and exposure on auto) it seems that the camera captures more light than my naked eye. Overall, this camera is awesome!

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

Let me first off tell you a little back story. I'm a college student heading into the professional field of video/audio production and I originally had a Canon GL2 a few years ago, which was a good starting point for me. However I decided to upgrade my equipment and looked into this camera. Long story short, I bought it and never looked back afterwards.

First off, let me say a few things I noticed that weren't spectacular. Every camera has a few things that you don't write home about, but let me just mention them and get them out of the way. The built-in microphone doesn't really have an excellent range and sound to it, but like all built-in camera mics it's trying to pick up everything in the room so I'd recommend investing in an external microphone like a Rode VideoMic, which conveniently slides onto the hot shoe mount and plugs into the mic input jack on the handle of the camera. Secondly, I found the depth of field a little deep for my tastes. Close-ups and the manual focus ring allows for a little play, but the "bokeh effect" isn't as prominent as I'd like. Good, I'm glad we got that out of the way.

Now onto business. What I enjoyed most about this camera is the picture. Excellent HD footage, and the image always comes out clear and crisp! Despite my fear in investing in another MiniDV camera, this camera has blown me away with it's performance. The professional features like being able to adjust the frame rate, shutter speed, focus, iris, neutral density filters, have proven to be just what I was looking for when I wanted a professional camera with a smaller price tag than other equivalent cameras. Even the matte box that comes with the camera is nifty -- with the ability to slide off and close to shelter the camera's lens from dust and dirt.

If you're looking for a camera that out-performs every other camera in its price range and shoots a beautiful crisp picture then the Sony HDR-FX1000 is the camera for you.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I do mainly music video's and concerts and the FX1000
has replaced my VX2000. I had read that the FX1000 was weak in low light but from what I experienced this weekend I would say it can't get much better. I expected to put a lot of work into the edit and I was wrong. The image was clear and sharp. I am happy with everything so far and believe it's worth every penny.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I did use first time recording wedding picture so good outdoor , indoor and low light to.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

to start off, i am in no way a pro videographer. i was previously using gopro cameras but i just wanted something that created really pro looking footage. the fx-1000 has astounding picture quality, is easy to use (even for a beginner) and has a ton of options. the main reason i picked this camera is because it filmed in 24 and 30p as well as 60i, it has smooth slow motion (which is amazing and better quality than the fx-7) and because of the placement of the lcd monitor. ok i know that sounds dumb, but it makes a big difference. by putting it where it is, the tape deck is moved to the left and the the right side is less bulky. trust me, its worth it.
this is overall a great camera, and with a little use and exploration, anyone can learn to use it. if you are considering the fx-1, the fx-7, the fx-1000, or the canon xh-a1s, GO FOR THIS CAMERA. i have done enough research to be able to support this decision. enjoy

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I do stage productions and having a spot light control easily accessible like the FX1 or PD 170 would have been nice. Spot Light can only be set within the menu, and therefore not nearly as convenient. But it takes great HD video with normal lighting.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

Sony Corporation as just forget the XLR!
Just unbelievable!!! I never see an mistake like that before! The weight is a problem aswell, the cam recorder + batterie + light + sound transmiter, it start to be heavy for an handycam... They have to clear that point cuz its not good when u shooting a long scene.
BUT! its great with an stabilizer like steadycam or glidecam!

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I previously purchased the Sony HDR-FX1 a couple of years ago and when it was time to purchase a second camera to add to my growing video company, I bought the HDR-FX1000 since it was advertised as a better version of the FX1. The very first thing I shot with this camera was an indoor awards ceremony where the lights in the auditorium were pretty dim. I shot this event with both cameras. Because the FX1000 has a lower lux rating I expected this camera to be able to give better and brighter images in the low light conditions. In fact, the footage from the FX1 looked MUCH better. While the FX1000 image was brighter, this increase in brightness came with a tremendous increase in the amount of "grain" in the image. The FX1 image was a slight bit darker but the image was significantly cleaner. Given the trade off, I decided that the cleaner image in the long run was more important for me and returned the FX1000 for another FX1.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I use the for a variety of things from ball games to weddings.
Picture quality was amazing.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I use this camera to shoot events, outdoor wildlife, skiing, fishing, etc.. Recently did a indoor concert in low light and the result was excellent. I could not get audio off the house board but was amazed at the sound captured by the camera. (Take it out of auto and adjust for the hall) I also have a sony fx7 that I use when I want a two camera shoot. The FX1000 low light is far superior to the FX7 and mixing the footage is disappointing. I take my stills directly from the video and have been very satisfied with the result.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

It is what i have been looking for ...after buying other cam...

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

This is my second FX1000. I shoot weddings, events and I am an independent film maker. I was using a Sony VX2000 for years then I purchased my first FX1000 about 15 months and loved it. The picture quality is excellent, you can definetly tell the difference between the pictures shot on the VX2000 and the FX1000 which is why I purchased a second camera. I do a lot of two camera shoots and I was getting tired of trying to match the two cameras. There are a lot of manual settings most people will never use or even know the camera has ( I just discovered a few more last week). The low light filming is not as good as the VX2000 thats my only complaint.
XLR inputs would be nice also but to get around that you just buy an adapter.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I been doing weddings for a couple of years now and I upgraded to this beauty and the image is outstanding the low light condition its handle very well by this camera I love it. I have read that the built in audio is not so good so I didn't even risk it or thought about it twice and bought a shotgun Mic and oh man its amazing the difference between my old camera
The only thing I don't like about it its that you have to record real time the HDVs into the computer which is time consuming but I guess I can handle it for now
Other than that the camera is amazing ^_^

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

Sony has developed the best HD camcorder suitable for the church and wedding videographer.
Most importantly light sensitivity is very low...add HD and the results are truly impressive!

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

Did my first shoot with this camera and was imediatly blown away with the low light capability, part of the shooting was in a dance club and the picture was outstanding in the low light. i shot everything in auto mode, still learning all the capabilities of the camera. i knopw i made the right choice with this one. definatly get the Sony NP-F970 Info-Lithium Battery Pack (6600mAh), i shot three tapes and never changed the battery.

Comments about Sony HDR-FX1000 Handycam HDV Camcorder:

I have been documenting Holocaust Survivors, Liberators and Educators for twenty-five years.
I'm also involved in producing short educational films/DVD's for educational purposes.
This is my first encounter with HD Video...WOW!
Better late than never...Great Unit...Sure beats my old equipment.