Sony FDR-AX100 4K Handycam

The FDR-AX100 and HDR-CX900’s Exmor R CMOS sensors are among the largest in any consumer level video camera. At 1” diagonally, they are slightly larger than Super 16mm film and should enable comparable depth of field. This is the same sensor size as Sony’s popular stills camera, the DSC-RX100, which was also well known for his video quality. These sensors are currently unique among camcorders in this category, and only prosumer-level, interchangeable lens cameras offer a larger sensor.

Paired with the built-in 12x Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* lens, these cameras will render a 35mm equivalent of 29-348mm. The lens also features a 7 blade iris, a maximum aperture of f/2.8-4.5 and a minimum focus distance of 0.4” (1 cm). Truly courting the prosumer market, both cameras also offer built-in ND filters in four increments (1/4, 1/16, 1/64 and 0 ND).

These cameras are among the first to utilize Sony’s XAVC S recording format, which supports resolutions of up to 3840 x 2160 4K Ultra HD at 24p and 30p frames per second. While only the FDR-AX100 has a 4K recording mode, both cameras are capable of recording 1920 x 1080 resolution video at 24p and 60p frames per second. When shooting in the XAVC S 4K mode, the FDR-AX100 records 2 channels of 48kHz, 16bit MPEG-4 Linear PCM audio. Other recording modes use either the Dolby Digital 2 or 5.1 channel audio formats. In addition to audio and video, these cameras are also capable of capturing up to 20MP JPEG photographs. Compatible recording media includes Sony’s Memory Stick Pro Duo (Mark 2), Memory Stick XC-HG Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards.

Both cameras feature an adjustable 3.5” Xtra Fine LCD touch screen display with 921K dot resolution and a high contrast OLED Tru-Finder EVF. Other key features include the BIONZ X image processor, Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization, built-in WiFi with NFC connectivity, and Sony’s proprietary Multi Interface Shoe for connecting a wide range of accessories. The camera also includes an NP-FV70 rechargeable battery pack, the RMT-835 remote commander, a removeable lens hood and various other accessories.  The Dual Recording mode is another nice feature, which allows you to record and stream low-res footage over Wi-Fi and simultaneously capture high-quality, 4K footage.

The FDR-AX100 might be an ideal casual, travel camera. One interesting possibility to consider is the option of shooting photos and video at the same time. When shooting in the 4K recording mode each frame of video is the equivalent of an 8.3MP photograph. That’s more resolution than the sensors in most cell phone cameras. In fact, you can think of it as up to 30 8.3MP photographs per second. It may take a bit more work to select your shots in post, but you will save yourself some worry over missing the decisive moment.

It is also important to note that 4K is about more than just a boost in resolution. Footage that is shot in 4K can be supersampled in post and down-scaled to Full HD 1920 x 1080, preserving more color and luminance information than the in-camera 1080p settings. “Color resolution” - more commonly known as color depth - is an often underestimated factor in overall image quality and it is one of the major benefits of shooting video in 4K.

You should also be aware that when you take that next step up to 4K recording there is a sort of ripple effect that needs to be accounted for. That is, you need to make sure that they rest of your equipment is 4K ready. For instance, you might may need a newer computer in order to edit 4K footage and, before you can even record in 4K, you will need fast enough recording media. In fact, SD-HC memory cards won’t cut it, and you may need to upgrade to SD-XC.

These new cameras come on the heels of the FDR-AX1, Sony’s entry-level, professional camcorder. The FDR-AX1 boasts 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) recording at an astonishing 60p frames per second. Sony markets the FDR-AX1 as a “4K for everyone” camera, but the FDR-AX1 has some decidedly professional features. For instance, the 20x Sony G lens features a 35mm equivalent focal length of 31.5-630mm, a maximum aperture of f/1.6-3.5, and dedicated manual adjustment rings for focus, zoom and iris control.

The FDR-AX1 also features two professional, XLR microphone inputs, built-in ND filters, and two media slots for Sony’s new XQD S Series and N Series memory cards. XQD memory cards offer read and write speeds of up to 180MB/s and are available with capacities of 32 or 64GBs. The camera includes a 32GB N Series XQD memory card, a Sony NP-F970 L-Series Info-Lithium rechargeable battery pack and - among other things - a free license for Vegas Pro 12, Sony’s professional NLE video editing software.

Sony is making a strong push into the 4K future with these offerings. With a handful of entry-level, 4K capable cameras making their debut this year, you might say that future is now. Sony is certainly leading the charge. For more information on these cameras, please visit the B&H SuperStore in NYC, call 1-800-606-6969 or contact our experts online via Live Chat.