B&H Photo outs Sony's consumer-friendly 4K camcorder, action and 'music' cams
Sure, Sony's set to unveil a whole host of new gadgets at its IFA press conference in a few hours, but it looks like B&H Photo has jumped the gun by revealing a trio of camcorders from the Japanese giant. The headliner of the pack is the FDR-AX1, which records 4K video (3,840 x 2,160) at 60 fps. A back-illuminated 8.3-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor is responsible for the cam's imaging prowess, and independent zoom, focus and iris rings make this consumer-level kit feel more like a pro device. When it comes to audio, the FDR-AX1 leans on its built-in microphone that captures 2-channel Linear PCM, but it also totes a pair of XLR audio inputs for external mics.
Sony's HDR-AS30V ruggedized action camera was also outed, and it records 1080p footage at 60 fps, with a 720p slow-motion mode at 120 fps. For folks who place a heavy-emphasis on sound, the outfit's HDR-MV1 "music camcorder" packs a 120-degree X/Y microphone array, an external microphone input, headphone jack and records audio in 44.1kHz/16-bit LPCM or 48kHz/128kbps AAC. As for video, however, the shooter makes a slight compromise by taking 1080p footage at 30fps. Although the retailer mentions that the three shooters are now available, they've yet to show up on their storefront and don't have price tags attached to them. For the impending release of more details (and our inevitable hands-on with the hardware), keep hitting F5 on our IFA 2013 hub.
