FDR-AX1
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Sony's $4,500 FDR-AX1 Handycam puts 4K recording in the grasp of prosumers (eyes-on)
We assure you, the camera above is not Sony's HDR-AX200. While it shares a similar body, this is the new FDR-AX1 that leaked this morning -- a fixed lens 4K videocamera for prosumers, priced at a cool $4,500. Although JVC beat Sony to the market with its $5,000 kit, Sony's vying to have the upper hand with the tech inside its take, namely by using its XAVC S format. It works by capturing video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Long GOP and audio in linear PCM, which all gets saved in an "MP4 wrapper." To handle the massive amount of data throughput from its 4k/60p stream, the camcorder records to QXD cards (two slots are onboard) which, until now, haven't had much use outside of Nikon's D4. A 64GB card will net you two hours of 4K video, while downscaling to 1080/60p adds an extra hour on top of that. Video gets captured by a 1/2.3-type Exmor R CMOS sensor and a 20x optical zoom (31.5-630mm) G lens, which comes equipped with a trio of ND filters and Optical SteadyShot. As you'd expect, there are a plethora of manual controls, powered stereo XLR inputs, a 3.2-inch display and a viewfinder on back. It's worth noting that while the AX1 won't be HDMI 2.0 compliant at first, Sony's planning a firmware update down the line to enable it. Until that occurs, it'll only be able to transfer HDMI video over to Sony's existing 4K TVs. We're also told that the camcorder will work with SD cards for shooting in HD. If you don't care for the flexibility of interchangeable lenses or need something more affordable than the likes of a RED Scarlet, the FDR-AX1 can be yours this October. Sweetening the deal just a little more, Sony will also throw in a 32GB XQD card and a full copy of Vegas Pro 12 to ensure you can get started out of the box. Check out our eyes-on gallery with the prototype seen above in the meantime.
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.
