Sony FDR AX53 - One Year On - How is it Holding Up?
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- The Sony FDR-AX53 is a camera that I have used for many different tasks in the last year. This video looks at the reasons this is still a camera I reach for after over a year of use and how it's holding up.
Buy AX53 on Amazon - geni.us/ax53
This is an unplanned chat video so don't expect anything too formal here but I thought I'd come back to this device to provide an update for those who are considering buying this.
There's a lot more that I like about the AX53 but these are the things that really stand out and were worth re-visiting.
Buy AX53 on Amazon - geni.us/ax53 --- Support the channel by using this affiliate link. Thank you!
I own 3 of these. These cameras have made my life shooting wedding films much simpler than shooting them with DSLR's. Being able to record the processionals hand held knowing that the shot was going to be in focus and stabilized is such a major relieve for me. Also, the 30 to 1 optical zoom allows me to capture the exchange of rings as if I'm standing right in front of them. The battery life allows me to shoot and entire day on 1 battery. Thank you Sony
How do you deal with the slow autofocus.
Hi Ed, I had almost decided I needed the AX100 for the 1" sensor to shoot weddings. Have you got some examples to share? Thanks!
Very pleased with the AX53, bought it about 6 weeks ago and have most of its capacity working fine. Excellent lense, stabilisation is very good, at times just a bit too good but you can turn it down if its a problem. Bought a Rode videoMicro mike for it and it is a lot better than the onboard one. Tried out an adjustable ND filter and apart from a slight brown cast it was not particularly successfuil as the camera simply changes to compensate for the drop in light. Shooting the same scene with a dropped shutter speed worked a lot better and you could get decent results in very bright sunlight. Currently only shooting 1080x50 frame as it is so good that some slight post work can get it to look very close to 4k on a 50 inch screen. 4k produced finer textures but careful sharpening produces excellent edges and its very hard to tell the difference. I did some test pieces in 4k but at 25 frames, it does not pan well unless you are very slow in your movement. Thanks for the revue, good to see something that is actually useful.
Very nice summary. Thanks for taking the time to write it and I’m glad you found the vid useful.
I agree with a lot of what you say. I have had my ax53 for well over 2 years as I think I might have gotten one of the first ones. I still to this day am amazed at the quality/look for the content I shoot. If I can only master lighting. Regardless the ax53 is simply a fantastic camera, one my all time faves!
I have one of these, as well as a GH5. The Sony stabilisation is the best I’ve ever used - particularly for following / walking shots...camcorders are not fashionable but hard to beat in Run and Gun situations...no lens cap to take off (and lose) just open the display panel and just start shooting.....stunning quality output too....battery lasts “forever “ etc.
Agreed, when you need to get the shot on almost no notice, and usually get a good result, the AX53 delivers.
Which one produces better image quality at 4k, the Gh5 or AX53?
The GH5, but the Sony 4K is very good
Peter Taranscorsese I have an AX700 now also, and though the IS isn't nearly as strong as on the AX53, the image quality and autofocus are incredible. I'd say the image quality on it is probably as good as the GH5. Might you try one at some point?
Hammerhaus Kennel - yes, I’m actively thinking about it at the moment, I’m going to the photo show at the NEC in Birmingham next week and will look at it, as well as the Canon XF400 / 405, which shoots 4K at 60p.
Good timing. I just watched the bad parts video on Friday and picked the camera on Saturday. I can't wait to start testing it.
Have fun! Camcorders are not that fashionable at the moment but this form factor has so many benefits for my type of use.
Price!!! It's half the price of most competitive camcorders, even the AX100 is a whopping 1000 bucks more expensive! And... sure image quality will be a bit better, and manual controls, but... 1900 bucks for that AX100, which is not that impressively better (and... in the range of other semi pro camera's)...
And... the AX53 fits on a Came TV gimbal, Prophet 4, ... it fits just! (the battery almost hits the gimbal).
So... you have a 4K camera with massive zoom, on a gimbal!! (still have to try that out hehe...)
I just bought a AX53, 700 euro's. I wanted a 'backup' 4K camera, which has no limits in recording (as the GH4 for example has, an many DSLR's), and.. I want to try to make it work as a livestream camera for a surf event (hopefully also on that Came TV gimbal, since, you have in a sense then a motorised, stabilised video platform, which can be controlled remotely! (the Came TV has a remote, and.. you can zoom and start/stop the AX53 by phone... allthough I'm a bit disappointed, that you can't controll more with the app..)
This solution now also makes it possible to put it on a high tripod ;) or in the back of a room (allthough I read that WiFi for this AX53 sometimes interferes or gets interference with other WiFi systems).
Ow, and it shows how good this camera is, since.. it's a camera from 2015/2016!! And still in the lists of '5 best camera's', where only the pro camera's 'win' ... :)
I have also owned this camera for over a year, and I can still safely say that this has been my go-to video camera for most of my professional applications. No issues have ever occurred in focus, low light, and best of all - stabilization, as you pointed out.
Used this amazing camera for 3 years now for my hockey videos on "Steffs Hockey" (over 400 hundred games) and always a good result both during the game and in the crowded looking room celebrating winds with the teams. Just amazed what result this little camera can do !
I've had my AX53 for a year and I must agree this camera is the best solution for fast run and gun shooting. I love being able to get stable handheld 1000mm equivalent shots in 1080P using clear zoom. I love the high quality 50megabit image. I use the 4x Slomo all the time. The display is indeed usable in bright sunlight. A 60 FPS image rate often gets me out of trouble in post production. Sound with a rode videomicro gets rid of room echo. The only time I set it aside is under extreme low light when I use my canon G7X mark 2 set to 29.97 frame rate so I can give a solid thumbs up to the ax53.
'A 60 FPS image rate often gets me out of trouble in post production. '
--does this mean that you typically do not shoot in 4k? I believe for 4k 30 fps is the max. why woudl someone with a 4k cam NOT always shoot in 4k?
Because 4k is not stable sadly, and 1080p has that new boss system.
Because of a file size and processing time and power of 4k footage.
I agree, 4K is decent, I wish it had 60fps. But I mostly shoot in full HD. Had mine for 6 months and love it
4K 60p is an odd one. Everyone wants it from a specs point of view but I invested in an Inferno to record 4K 60p from another camera I own and I've only used it once at that spec. It's just so data heavy and I've never really needed it. Just me I guess.
@@tdcattech I have a Yi 4k+ action camera and I always use the 4K/60 setting. The videos are about 1 GB per minute, but it's definitely not too unweildly to use if you have a good computer and a lot of storage. RUclips has a 128 GB limit for videos and I have had to re-render a few videos to decrease the bitrate to get the filesizes under that limit. I just got this camcorder and I'm not looking forward to the slow and stuttery 30 FPS, but everything else should be a significant upgrade.
I have the ax53 also and it is fantastic.😊👍
Can you charge it by power bank???
Is it worth it in October 2018? It is 1k🤔
I have owned the ax53 for 3 years now, it was just out of warranty when it died on me, had to send it to Sony's approved service centre for an expensive repair.
I use a Shure lens hopper VP83 shotgun mic which produces great results, compared to the onboard mic.
I edit on a high spec MacBook Pro with Final Cut Pro x, when I connect the camera direct to a Sony 4K tv the results are spectacular, but when
I import the footage into Final Cut Pro x and view it on the MacBook Pro the results are very poor, there is a lot of lag when panning and the footage appears quite jittery, I have tried everything to try and resolve it, without success, I have heard many other people comment on the same problem, as I said, if you plug the camera straight into the TVs with the HDMI cable, the results are fantastic.
The battery life withe standard battery is great, I was going to buy the extended life Sony battery, but I have found the standard battery lasts for a long time, and the extended life Sony battery costs over £100 UK.
I use 64GB Sandisk extreme SDXC cards at 280mb/s which I have had great results with, but they are expensive.
4K footage is great, but it's no good if it takes 18 hours to upload a movie to RUclips, these 4K files take for ever and a day to upload, they are 4 times larger than a 1080p file of the same length, that's why I find myself uploading most files to RUclips in 1080p.
When I bought the camera it was £1000, it's now selling in some places for £700, I still think that it's a good camera, and well worth £700, as has been previously said, it's a great "run & gun" camera, the stabilisation is great.
I think the problems that I was experiencing with the screen lag and the jittery footage could be due to the fact that the screen on my MacBook Pro is not a 4K resolution screen, and it may be struggling to cope with the much higher resolution.
Would I recommend this camera, yes.
Thanks for the review!
3rd thing - a good HD camera.... question on this subject -- what is recommended and would produce better images-- set the format to HD in camera or set to 4k and then in post convert to HD?
I "upgraded" to this camera from a Panasonic GH4 for run-n-gun shooting. Why do I like the AX53? Small, and just enough control to get by. My settings: Soft High Key with -1.0 EV comp for maximum dynamic range (I did tests with waveform in Davinci Resolve, this is the best overall setting) and better colors (ring set to auto exposure but I can also click it and manually expose if I wish. I compared Cinematone and other settings, Soft High Key is the best; also no sharpening but you want to do that in post anyway. Don't worry about shutter and ISO/gain, camera prioritizes raising gain as a last resort. Tiffen variable ND on front and a Heliopan rubber lens hood for nice smooth cinematic motion blur in daytime shooting. Low Lux disabled, AGC set to 21 typically, but in low light I tend to switch it to manual "exposure" via the ring and adjust a little if needed. Manual audio levels, and of course My Button feature set to white balance, audio levels, and spot focus. Focus peaking set to yellow and Zebras set to 100%. Sure, no histogram or waveform, but this camera is fantastic. I compared it to the Canon GX10 for awhile ... decided to go with the Sony AX53, mainly due to size and the incredible stabilization system! And it's surprisingly good in low light for what it is. You could get by with it.
Nice mini review. Thanks!
Thanks for the video, how do you think this do you think this compares to the newer Panasonic HC-VXF1 ? Thanks
Is 4k video on this camera not really 4K u mean? Is there any better alternative to this camera for shooting true 4K videos in 2022, in studio enviornment? Your opinion?
Thanks in advance.
Hello,
1) is it true that this camera supports SD memory cards in NTFS format?
2) is it true that when we shoot with this camera a long 4K video in XAVC S on an SD memory card in NTFS format, the camera does not divide files every 4 GB, only one large file is created, which size is over 4 GB?
Please help :)
I'm also thinking about getting this camera. Yes, the current fashion is to use DSLRs for video and I get that they have more creative possibilities but do I really want to have a manual zoom, lug extra lenses around with me and suffer all those focus issues? Nope!
It totally depends what you're creating but I agree. The camera does limit you to videography work (corporate, interviews, ENG, Vlog etc.) but that's fine by me!
Thinking about getting this camera for PI work but know that transferring video to a dvd recorder sometimes does not allow the date and time to be transferred with the video. Is this a problem with this unit?
Does anyone know if the autofocus is better on the AX53 or the Panasonic FZ2500 bridge camera? I wish to film my daughter doing roller blading and want to have the best focus even when the person being filmed is running towards the camera?
Hi I am travelling russia from nepal through china by land and want to document a movie on it. As my budget for camera is just 1000 dollars do you reccomend me this camera? I am really worried about the battery life. Doe it holds up for a full day random shoot? Or do I need spare ones?
I have just done a project that really stretched the capacity of the AX53. Hand held video on a high speed ferry on Sydney Harbour including crossing the Sydney heads where the sea was very rough and it was also blowing a gale. 1080 at 50 FPS for the fast movement and using the second stage stabilisation "active" mode and almost all of the footage was usable. The conditions were closer to what you would use an action camera for but the AX53 has done this reasonably well under terrible conditions. I cheated and got the slow ferry back which made it easier to get OK footage but generally very pleased with the results. The small Rode videomicro mike has been very good although not much use for this last project.
I still have mine and love it. I recently upgraded to new Canon XF 405 Video Camera. It’s an ENG style design that has just been released, a bit expensive though but worth it. I use both cameras in tandem now for various projects, especially when needing a multi-cam view setup. A lot of these Ghost Hunting / Paranormal groups have been using the AX 53 because of it’s IR Nightshot mode and people rarely mention that. My new XF 405 has stunning IR mode to. Thanks for the one year review, appreciated.
I used the XF100 for years and loved the size and image quality. The XF405 is undoubtedly a superior camera to the AX53 (it should be for the price difference) but it's very interesting to hear that you use the two together. How do you find the Canon and Sony colour. Do they match up fairly well?
Well at the moment the XF 405 has like Normal Mode and WD (Wide Dynamic) mode which gives you like 14 stops either way. The Canon normal mode matches up pretty well with the AX 53. I have created Luts either way in Adobe Premier to match them better. There isn't that much difference in image quality between them really, but on the Canon, I have like many more options for inputs /outputs which suites my run N gun situations better.
The Canon has no C-log at the moment but they have promised it in a future firmware release around Feb 2018.
Hi Arthur, I am interested in the XF400, too. Where did you have this promise from Canon? As far as I know the only thing they promised is a new file format with Long GOP (4.2.0 8-bit), that's all.
It's on one of the official Canon XF 400 / 405 release video's on RUclips. Also announced in the Canon support forums from memory. I can try and find the references if you allow me some time. I am in transit at the moment.
Thanks, Arthur, just take your time. I asked about the waveform monitors, vectorscopes, and a couple of other functions, which all were nice PRO features in XF200, and they didn't promise anything.
does this camera come with editing software that you can download to your PC
Where on Earth are the AX53 & VX1 successor? The 4K60 camcorders for
Well this is a whole video in its own right! The obvious answer seems to be that focus is on what people are buying for video. On the whole, that would probably not be this form factor. I think there's more to it that that though. Nearly 5 years on and I would definitely buy an AX53 successor.
Hey man, thank you for the vids. I’m trying to get serious about my vlogs and have been really considering the ax53. Your vids are the best on RUclips for this camera so of course I’ve subscribed. The other vids make me want to sanitize my phone screen..... Have a quick question if that’s cool... Does this camera have a wide angle setting or would recommend using an add-on lens? If so what kind (on a budget)? Possibly one with a good...? Thank you!
BOSS ? It works ONLY in HD mode. WHY not in 4 K ?
I owned this camera for a short while. Loved the features but traded it in on the larger and a bit more expensive Sony AX700. The 1 inch sensor of the AX700 makes a huge difference in image quality in 4K while retaining all the great things about a camcorder, Great auto focus, image stabilization and zoom control.
I have never used the AX700 but I use the Z90 with the 1" and the image quality is outstanding. Not sure about the "bit more expensive" though :-) - The AX700 is double the price (or more) of the AX53 in the UK which would put it well out of many people's reach.
Yes, quite true on the cost. I use these cameras for professional work so well worth it for me.
What sort of lens filter do you recommend with this camera?
is there any problems with a tripod ? I read many reports of excessive cam shake when attached to a tripod. anyone got any input on this?
The earlier versions of the AX53 had this strange problem. Sony issued a software update but this screwed up the focus travel - i.e. Originally the extreme focus shift was about 2 turns of the focus ring but, with the update, this became 7 turns of the focus ring - you can imagine the complaints! Now another common problem has surfaced and that is; when you switch on the 'corder it runs for a few seconds then goes into reboot mode = repair mode! I really wanted to buy the AX53 but these issues, and the weak tripod bush means that I won't being doing so anytime soon. The AX33 seems to be a better option as this model seems to be good as gold.
Thanks mate. Great video. Just a quick question. My AX53 gimbal seems to get jammed into the corner when I'm transporting it so i have to free it up all the time. Have you ever had that happen?
what about low light performance out side and in dark buildings with no lights just ir light.
Does this camera have a date and time stamp embedded on the video?
How would this camera handle backpacking in the woods? I need a good camera that has awesome stabilization, a good zoom capability, beautiful image quality and good sound.
Hi there and thanks for this video. I wish to buy one of these and was wondering if I would be able to just take the SD card out and transfer the footage straight on to iPad Pro so I can edit in lumufusion XAVC S 1080. Hope you have had some kind of experience in this from all your tec videos. Thanks again
Had mine just over 2 years and its been used hard. Its the only video camera that I've owned that HAS NOT been sent back for warranty work.
Can you charge it by power bank???
@@GabrieliusSer The camera does have a usb port, but i just use the supplied ac charger.
Thanks for this review. I can see myself getting one I dont always like using my other camera far to big. Whats it like in low light?
Can this camcorder output HDMI (for livestreaming ) AND simultaneously record to an SD card?
Good question. I'm not sure as I've only ever taken a feed out and used that. I'll give it a try and let you know unless someone else comes back with a response.
so the test was done?
I liked your review....My FDR-AX53 suffered rather badly with "Focus Lag" and very bad wide angle vignetting making the camcorder virtually unusable...happily, the dealer offered a full refund with out hesitation and without testing??. That in itself seemed a bit ominous but never the less, I got rid of it.
I want this camera, i love night vision mode😍
How would you compare the image quality of this AX53 to your newer Z90? Is the quality significantly better on the Z90?
Simple answer. No. The Z90 is technically superior in many ways and provides much more control and functionality to allow you to achieve a better-looking image (better autofocus, S-LOG, full manual control, ND filter etc.), but the AX53 is solid. I doubt most people would be able to tell them apart without pixel peeping.
I think the only thing that really needs adding to an AX53 is an ND filter to avoid that high shutter speed look which is genuinely a bit odd to watch.
TDCatTech Thanks so much for replying so quickly. I literally have the NX80 in my cart...the same sensor as the Z90. I actually had the chance to use the Z90 and when I compared the footage to my AX53 that I’ve had for quite a while...it didn’t exactly blow me away so I wanted to get another opinion. You’re right about the ND filter on the AX53. It’s a great little camcorder and I still recommend it even today.
It really depends what you're doing. I opted for the Z90 because I wanted full manual control, professional audio connectivity and a non-region locked camera in the smallest package I could find. On the flipside, the AX53 beats the Z90 hands down when it comes to stabilisation, portability and battery life.
Yep, it's still a great camera in 2018.
"it's still on sale" in December 2017. And it's STILL on sale August 2019...! I want to get a camcorder with the BOSS stabilisation and it looks like I might just need to get this 3 year-old dinosaur...
Just bought the dinosaur and I'm so happy :)
@@spartanproductions6309 I did as well! Amazing stabilisation but dark scenes struggled as expected. Might have a new Jurassic Park movie coming out soon.
I just bought one a few days ago too. So far so good. Even though my RX 10 iv is sharper, the stabilization is much much better than the rx.
It's May 2020 and I am asking myself the same thing.
@@thickensick Only used it a handful of times on the critical trips I bought it for last year, but it's been great! Don't expect great low light, but this camera isn't for that anyway. Stabilisation is amazing and the long zoom very handy. Recommend getting a protective UV filter and a lens cap to keep the dust out of the stabilisation system.
Great video demonstration. The ax53 is produced in 2016. Do you suggest me buy this Handycam now? Thanks
If you want this style of camera (see below) and you're happy with HD and don't need stills capability, I would absolutely recommend it. If you need to shoot in an enclosed environment this is a superb choice. Stabilisation of this camera still can't be beaten without a gimbal.
A lot of people don't go for these anymore because of three reasons. Firstly, the low light capability isn't amazing compared to a larger sensor camera. Also, you can't achieve a shallow depth of field. Thirdly, they're not fashionable. As sad as it sounds, it's simply not the style of camera to have and use.
you could recommend a gimbal or something like that?
what sd card do you reccomend? i just bought this camera to video wildlife outdoors,
I can't really recommend one except the one I use (amzn.to/2oojDEp) which I've never had any problems with. You don't really need an Extreme Pro for these data rates though. An Extreme would work just fine.
I have this camcorder and although it's OK the autofocus is far too slow compared to my Panasonic 991, also it's not as user friendly and not completely fully adjustable. The only real gain with it is the stabilization for hand held shots. I will point out that I have been using all the different types of movie cameras since the mid 60s from 8 &16mm film to video to todays digital equipment so not exactly a newbie .
Purchased on of these camcorders in July 2017. It quickly became our go-to camera for our RUclips channel. Great camera but the tripode mount started to break out of the base and 2 weeks ago the camera failed, it will not switch on. It goes through the start up mode 3 times then dies.
Sony has said send it in for a repair estimate and supplied a free post number. Unfortunately we are on the other side of the world at the moment and Fedx want a ton of money to ship it back to the UK.
That's interesting. Somebody on YT has unloaded a video showing how to repair a broken tripod base of an AX53 using some sort of expoxy resin. Your start up/die issue seems to be a common problem on these 'corders - I have seen quite a few reports on this matter and always just out of warranty. These are some of the reasons that I won't be buying the AX53 anytime soon.
I am surprised at your comments about the screen display. It is almost useless in daylight and worse in bright sun. You have to use the viewfinder to be sure about the image you are filming. On the other hand I appreciate your tip about HD improving the zoom clarity over the 4k because I have always been disappointed by the full zoom quality of the image, so I will try out HD and see if the zoom improves. Update: I tried the full zoom on HD and it is certainly better than the 4k.
Do you still own and use this camcorder? I'm getting old and shaky and think this may well do the job!
I do. Image quality on this camera is on a par with the ZVF or ZV-E10 Sony cameras (though it has a smaller sensor) and the stabilisation is better. Basically, a camcorder from 2016 can beat a 'vlogging camera' from 2021 in some respects.
Can someone help me, please. I would be extremely gratefull.
I can´t for MY LIFE figure out where to find the mp4-files for the slow motion clips I have recorded using the slo mo function.
When connecting my camera and card to the computer all files except the slo mo files are in the same folder, all in mp4 and in high resolution. The slo mo files end up in another folder i MTS-fomat and in low resolution. Why aren´t they in the same folder as high resolution mp4 as well?
Please help!
Wwhat about color grading for it?
Hello TDCatTech. Great vid. Quick question. I am looking to buy a camcorder most specifically for shooting fireworks. I believe this Camera does well in low light situations. My question has to do with focus. Is there a manual focus and can it be set to infinity? Thank you
Yes and yes. It's decent in low light though a lot of smartphones do very nicely in that respect. However, try getting the zoom range of this camera on a smartphone!
Thanks you for the nice review. I own the AX53 sinds May 2017 and I am very plesed using it. However, now the plastic bottom plate around tripod insert nut is damaged. As far as I know I always carefully mounted the camera on my tripod if needed. Somehow, the construction of the bottom plate seems inadequate to me. Did you anyway hear of similar bottom plate damages? Perhaps it is just me encountering this failure.
I've owned two of these and the same happens. Definitely a fault with the design.
I am wanting to buy a camera to record my wife street busking, using a sound system. At the moment we are just using a smartphone and the autofocus constantly changes when someone walks past in front of the camera. We need good quality image and good quality sound that can also reduce wind noise. I realise that we may need to get an external mic, but would this camera suit our needs?
With the level of manual control and mic input, I would have thought this would do a great job. It depends what look you're after but this would be simple to use and even full autofocus isn't as 'jumpy' as smartphones can be. This vid ruclips.net/video/JzUx_IPmHiU/видео.html might be of interest to you.
Hello, can I record a video 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs long with this camera? I'm trying to find one that will allow me to record my son's hockey game and I can't find one. I'm returning a canon because it will stop at 15 minutes, it seems that all these camcorders do that! Thank you for the video!
Usually cameras that record video are limited to 30 mins max so they don't need to be classed under the camcorder tax bracket. A true camcorder (such as the AX53) can record any time (battery and memory card allowing).
best camera for hockey!!! I´ve done over 400 film on my youtube Chanel and professional guys have said that they are impressed! I use final cut
just bought this camera for my youtube channel
batteries -- what is the real life battery life when recording in 4k?
Hello. I want to buy a camera or camcorder to shooting every downtown in USA/Canada. I need a very good/professional equipment since it make part of my business. I want to attach the camera to the roof of my car to get better result. Is there anyway could help me to decide what to buy according my needs.
Do not use this camera if you are attaching it to anything. The stabilization turns off automatically and is extremely shaky. Not only do you get the normal un-stabilized view, but it is as if the lens is supported by springs, and is very shaky. Unusable footage when used as a "dash cam" type camera. Excellent when used hand-held.
Thank you!
What memory card do you recommend with this camcorder?
Thanks for the answer
I personally use Sandisk 128GB Extreme cards but many others would be suitable. As long as you consider that you'll need a consistent 100mbps at 4K (12.5MB/sec but let's round up to 20MB/sec to allow a generous headroom)
Thank you!
Thank you for making this video. I'm very close to buying it. So many people have bashed the camera for issues regarding shaky video when using a tripod. Have you experienced this? has it been fixed with the latest firmware update?
To be honest, I really don't know. I use it on a tripod but only on wide shots so the image is fine. Given the massive zoom level on this, I would expect there to be shake. It would only take the slightest vibration and, given that the optics are mounted on an internal 'gimbal', when this is turned off I doubt they would be stable enough internally.
I'm guessing though. I might have to grab the camera and give that a try. :-)
Thank you for answering so quickly. I'm looking forward to the video where you try it :)
Why this camera only in a consumer version exists, is a mystery to me... Great video! Subbed ;-)
Good review
I’m divided between this and the hf-g40/21. Those have better manual control and low-light ability than the ax53, but it seems to me that the ax53 is a better walkabout camera with its superior IS.
I’m using this mainly for filming family vacations and school projects with the boy.
What are your thought?
Such a tricky one but my personal opinions are...
1. Zoom rocker is much better on the Canon. It's the same as the XF line I think and allows such subtle control.
2. Canon is only HD if that's important.
3. Sony colour is general better in my experience. I use Pana, Canon and Sony and Sony always provides the best colour out of the box.
4. Canon is a 35mbps 1080p 50fps capture. Sony is 50mbps.
5. BOSS stabilisation is good. I've yet to use a camcorder that beats it.
6. Sony is a little smaller? Not sure on that.
7. Sony zoom is greater when in Intelligent Active mode.
I would probably stick with the Sony if someone came up to me and asked me to swap even though I love Canon stuff.
thanks for the reply. I think the BOSS IS might be the key because I will be chasing kids around with it. 4k is nice, but not important.
Do you shoot in 60fps and convert or render it in 30fps? This video looks very good and it doesn't look like it was shot in 60fps. I have the same camera and it's incredible how crisp and clear the video is. Trying to get the best video out of my shots for my RUclips Channel. Thanks.
This video was shot on a different camera (DVX200). It was shot in UHD 25fps (I'm in a PAL zone) and then scaled and delivered in FHD 1080p 25fps.
When I film on the AX53 for RUclips, it is generally always at FHD 1080p 50fps (so 60fps for you). I then upload to RUclips in 50p. An example of the results are here ruclips.net/video/JzUx_IPmHiU/видео.html
Is there a downside of always shooting at 60fps?
can I attach a lens hood to it ?
I have purchased a generic petal-shaped-hood, pictures and link are in the group. Can be used only with BOSS set to off, because at the widest zoom position the hood gets in the frame (when BOSS swings around).
You are doing great videos. I have really learned a lot about this camera.
I am considering buying this camera to film the details of spiders building webs. This requires 100fps (high speed recording) in nightshot mode (as some spiders stop building unless there is no visible light). I have an external infrared light and a good tripod.
My questions are:
- does nightshot work in combination with 100fps recording?
- I am filming at a distance of about 10 centimetres and I would like to see the spider as big as possible. Because of the close-up distance I need to be in the wide angle mode. How much can you zoom with a focal distance of 10 cm? (i.e. when filming a ruler at a distance of 10 cm, how many centimetres of that ruler can you see across the frame when you zoom in as much as possible?)
your help is very much appreciated.
Ive just bought this camera for pretty much the same reason as you, as in I need good infrared shooting. I'll have a play and let you know. If I can figure it out that is.
Thanks. I could finally test the camera myself in the store. While the macro ability is good, high speed recording and nightshot are not compatible. Now I am looking into other options ...
I have been looking for a camcorder, but not having owned one since the mid-2000s, it is (as expected) a very different field. I think I will go for this one. It is for general everyday use, don't need to be changing lenses etc. Also looking at the FDR-AX700 (just simply because it is more so one assumes is better - though not always the case I know). Presumably a go-pro will generate similar picture quality ? As this is something I don't know. Great video btw.
The AX700 offers more control. It's closer to the professional X70 and X90 cameras with all standard controls on camera and built in ND. The AX53 comes close in image quality (and better stabilisation) but if you need to set the camera up very precisely, could leave you wanting more. It is smaller though. GoPro produce fantastic image quality but they're a completely different tool with their wide angle fixed lenses. Extremely useful when required but you'd probably want both a main camera and a GoPro :-)
Thanks very much. I have wondered what produced better images, go-pro or camcorders ? I don't do any action stuff so prob don't need the go-pro. Actually, in all honesty, im probably more likely to just point and shoot so the AX53 probably would do the trick. Though, if the AX700 offers better manual controls (on top of good point and shoot capabilities) then I'd quite like to explore this. Are you referring to stuff like different frame rates etc ?
Full control around shutter speed, iris (aperture) and gain. I doubt it will offer different frame rates though it may not be region locked so you might be able to use it in PAL and NTSC modes too.
I have the Sony ax53 & gopro hero7 black & the absolute knock on the gopro is low light, once the lights get dim then the gopro footage goes to trash BUT surprisingly in strong sunlight the hero7 black is phenomenal....I'm happy with my gopro hero7 black but I wish I had got the Osmo pocket.
Hey what camera did you use to shoot this video its great
I think this was shot on the Panasonic DVX200. It looks like the type of grade I would have done from that camera.
Santa brought me this for Christmas 2018!! Can't wait to get filming... Keep you posted... ps what setting are you talking about "full HD"
Full HD (or FHD or 1080p) is 1920x1080px. I'm just making the distinction between this and HD which is actually 1280x720px (or 720p). The AX53 is a great quality, flexible camera. Have fun!
Can you charge it by power bank???
You can, but with a cheap extended battery you can get two hours from one charge. Yes, that’s right, TWO HOURS!
just picked one up cheap, will check your other vids on it.
How much?
I just can't decide the Sony AX-53 or the Canon G40!
Help me ! is it better than the G40?
Simple starting point. Do you need or want 4K? The G40 is a 1080p camera only. Second to that key question, are you a tripod or only handheld user? Tripod, G40 is probably better but handheld, the AX53 stabilisation is excellent.
Please do a review on the sony ax100
the stabilization in 4k active mode is rather poor. same in hd mode both active and intelligent! very expensive
in motion all above
Keren
I tried this camera out the 4k video is jaw dropping but 1080p is awful you loose so much detail why in there right mind would any buy a 4k!
Camcorder and only use it as a 1080p cam
Looking at purely the technical reasons, better stabilization options, better reach in camera and 50 & 100fps options. Of course, then there's the simpler editing, smaller files etc. but that's more down to your audience and what devices you expect your content to be viewed on.
Hi there and thanks for this video. I wish to buy one of these and was wondering if I would be able to just take the SD card out and transfer the footage straight on to iPad Pro so I can edit in lumufusion XAVC S 1080. Hope you have had some kind of experience in this.