Sony FDRAX33 Handycam Camcorder for 4K HD Video Recording
First of all, don't listen to people who say you should wait until you have a 4K TV before buying a 4K camera. I threw away (or gave away) dozens of TVs during my...
02/10/2021
First of all, don't listen to people who say you should wait until you have a 4K TV before buying a 4K camera. I've thrown away (or given away) dozens of TVs in my life, each time spent on something better...but I've never thrown away a video of a cherished family heirloom. Do you? Our home videos tend to outlast the technology used to record them, so capturing precious moments in great quality is something we'll never regret later. Also, external hard drives are cheap and reliable now...there's really no real downside to capturing your memories in 4K now, enjoying them in HD in the short term, then enjoying them again in 4K when it will become commonplace. Ok, about the Sony FDR-AX33 in particular. I must tell you that I *agonized• before buying this camera, and much more research on the matter. I read every review Google could find me, saw every YouTube I could find - some of them I watched over and over again. I even went to physical stores to check out my select cameras before buying from Amazon (the power of having an Amazon gift card balance). On the one hand, there are 4K DSLRs - especially those made by Panasonic - which are very well-reviewed and cutting-edge. On the other hand, there's the Sony AX100, the AX33's big brother, which critics also rave about. In the end, three factors made me lean towards the Sony AX33. (1) PORTABILITY It doesn't matter how awesome your camera is if you don't have it with you. The Sony AX100 camcorder takes great video, but it's just heavier and bulkier to worry me that I'm less inclined to pack it with me as often for everyday use. As for DSLR portability compared to the AX33, the Sony AX33 form factor is much better than the DSL camera form factor for video. With the AX33, you can shoot with one hand, which really matters when shooting takes a long time and your body parts start to tire. For example, my daughter's high school graduation took over 2 hours. I was able to use my left hand and my arm to support my right and thus fight against fatigue. If I had tried with a DSLR, I would have had to give up.(2) VIDEO QUALITY. Don't underestimate the impact of image stabilization on 4K and HD video. it is affected by any tremor of the hand. The AX33's very high-end image stabilization system (Sony calls it "BOSS") is currently above any DSLR camera, and better than that of the AX100. The AX33's very remarkable image stabilization system really saved my daughter's graduation footage, as I was able to zoom in to get details of her sitting on the stand, and zoom in to get the expressions speakers and children as they walked to graduate. A nice side effect of shooting in 4K when discs and TVs aren't 4K is that you have the ability to zoom in a bit in your software on your Mac or PC, and still have video crisp HD quality as the final product.(3) VIDEO LENGTHMy mind was pretty much set on getting a Panasonic mirrorless DSLR camera which reviewers say shoots great 4K video...but I had to admit that I often needed clips of 30 minutes or more - something that no DSLR camera can do for filming. Apparently in Europe there is a different tax rate for video cameras as opposed to stills. Therefore, manufacturers limit DSLR cameras so that the longest clip they can shoot is 29 minutes and 59 seconds, thus keeping the DSLR below the threshold that would cause it to tax at the cameras higher rate. video. Of course, more often than not the 30-minute limit wouldn't be an issue, but sometimes it really is. If you're recording a basketball game, you can turn off the camera every quarter and you'll be fine, but if you're recording a live musical or theatrical performance, that 30-minute cut is on to force you to make choices. - and those that I won't always be happy with. Therefore, I chose the Sony FDR-AX33 over the very nice DSLR options out there. I realize others would choose differently, but given that my kids love to play, the AX33, with its amazing image stabilization, long battery life and long video clip length and portability made it the best choice for me. PHOTO QUALITY I wasn't expecting much from the Sony FDR-AX33's camera, which is probably why I'm so happy. To get to know the camera better before recording anything important, I took it on a hike and fiddled with the manual settings. The results were very pleasant, and probably would be even more so if I knew what I was doing. I was however delighted to be able to easily achieve this neat photo effect where the main object is perfectly in focus while the background is not. Fun stuff. The video camera also has a mode to do this. AUDIO QUALITY Audio quality is another very good reason to have the Sony AX33 instead of a high-end DSLR for shooting video. It's surprising (and disappointing) how many high-end DSLR cameras can be heard working in their own mics. This is not the case with the Sony. Designed for video first, you can't hear your camera in your footage, and that's a plus. It was wonderful, but when I went to use it again a month later, it was dead. Very frustrating. Impossible to return it. CONS This brings me to the AX33's touchscreen. It's painful - annoying even - but eventually I got used to how hard you have to press it down and it stopped bothering me so much. The AX33 has some silly limitations - like not being able to show 4K footage through the ports while filming. Some of these limitations seem almost deliberate, as if Sony is trying to create space between the AX33 and AX100. mic.HELPFUL EXTRASFilter - Some of the reviewers were concerned that the BOSS stabilization system would degrade over time if dust got into the system, so I bought a 52mm filter - the B+W 52mm Clear with Multi Coating - resistant (007M) here on Amazon to be exact - to protect the camera. It gives me peace of mind that my expensive camera lens and stabilization system are protected, but my shots aren't degraded in the process.Storage - I also purchased storage from Amazon Transcend 128GB SDXC USH-3 95/60MB/s to record video at 60MB per second, and I purchased a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB UHS-I/U3 SCXC card with transfer speeds of 95MB/ s to capture video at the camera's 100MB/s setting. Both are recommended so far, but they haven't really been put to the test yet. Card Reader - To read these cards I bought a Saicoo USB 3.0 4 in 1 digital memory card reader. It has a short pigtail like cord which is super useful. This makes the player easy to use wherever it is plugged in. Batteries and Charger - I also have two spare Sony NP-FV70 batteries. I researched off-brand alternatives, but ultimately settled on Sony because I don't want something stupid to cause me to miss precious time. I also bought the Sony ACQV10 mains charger for them. With one battery in the camera and two in the charger, I can charge everything overnight and have plenty of power in my camera bag while I capture memories. This camera was a great purchase, and I'm already very happy to have had it to capture important family memories.