Sony - AX43A 4K Handycam with Exmore R CMOS sensor camcorder - Black

Purchased "open-box excellent" and received product like new. This a great camcorder for anyone looking to get in to semi-professional videography and wants to record for long periods of time at high quality with a minimal amount of gear on hand. The camera has a built-in gimbal that is very good and with some practice you can make very smooth shots. This camcorder can handle a wide variety of subject matter. There is a 20x optical zoom (wowee), so you could even potential film some wildlife. While you can not manually control the focus while shooting, like on the AX53, you can set a manual focus so you can do talking-head style videos without the autofocus interrupting the shot. That is to say, when you do need continuos auto-focus, it is very responsive and accurate. One drawback of the camcorder is it will not film in vertical mode like a phone or newer camera. You are limited to 16:9 ratio shots. The lens is wide enough that you could potentially vlog with this camcorder but it is not very practical and the content will not be the correct ratio for social media platforms. Filming handheld for long periods of time can be uncomfortable from holding your hand and the camera up. The included battery will operate for hours shooting at 4K about 1 and a quarter hours and at 1080p, about 1 and 3/4 hours. A 128GB SDXC card will hold over an hour of 4K video and over two hours of 1080p video. The camcorder is designed to run while plugged in to continuous power, so you could theoretically shoot until the SD card is full. I also purchased the Sony ECM-GZ1M "gun zoom" microphone. The zoom feature does work with the AX43A and while I haven't used it very much yet, it is very cool to have. This microphone also works on my ZV-1, but only as a gun mic. The camcorder also has a line in and monitoring out ports. Additionally, I purchased ProMaster's version of the RM-VPR1 remote control. This works well for controlling zoom and cutting shots without disturbing the camera. There is also an option to purchase batteries that are larger or smaller than the included one. There are other cool features in the Sony eco-system, like the ability to sync-start multiple cameras over wireless. This is probably also light enough to use reliably as an overhead camera. I find that the AX43A is a great, fully powered camcorder for anyone that just wants to film and not fiddle with every detail but also want to learn how to manually control the camera when they are ready.

The Sony FDRAX43A is a 4K UHD HDR camcorder is designed to cater to the needs of everyone whether your are a professional videographer, content creator, Vloggers or even for a hobbyist This device is packed with features that make it ideal for capturing a high-quality videos/images , whether you're a professional or an amateur. After using for a week I came across lot of great stuff this Sony camcorder has to offer and why it's worth considering for your next video production project. Design and Build Quality: The Sony AX43A has a sleek and compact design that makes it easy to carry around. The camcorder is made of high-quality materials, which give it a solid and durable feel and making it lightweight and easy to handle for extended periods of time without any hand fatigue The device has a 3-inch lcd flip-out and tilting touch screen that makes it easy to adjust settings, review footage, and navigate the menu. The screen is very responsive, clear, and provides an excellent viewing experience. Imaging Performance: The Sony AX43A features a 20x optical zoom lens that enables you to get up close and personal with your subject matter. The lens is fast and accurate, making it easy to capture sharp and clear images even in challenging lighting conditions with the help of low-light CMOS sensor. The camcorder is equipped with advanced image stabilization technology with built in Gimbal that minimizes camera shake ups and ensures stable footage. One of the key feature of this device is its ability to record in UHD 4K resolution at 24/30 frames per second, providing a level of detail and the clarity that is simply unmatched by other camcorders in its range. with its 16.6MP sensor this camera produce stunning image quality with excellent color accuracy and detail. The device is also capable of recording in slow motion and can shoot up to 120 frames per second, which is ideal for capturing fast-moving action. Audio Performance: The Sony AX43A has a microphone input, which allows you to attach an external microphone for improved audio quality. The camcorder also features a built-in microphone, which provides good audio quality for most situations. However, if you're looking to capture professional-quality audio, I recommend to use an external microphone. Creative Features: The Sony AX43A is packed with features that allow you to take your video production to the next level. The device has a range of shooting modes, including manual, semi-automatic, and automatic. This makes it easy to choose the right shooting mode for your particular needs. The camcorder also has a range of creative effects that you can apply to your footage, such as time-lapse, slow motion, and a variety of picture profiles. These creative features give you the flexibility to capture footage that is truly unique and visually stunning which makes a amateurs work too look professional Connectivity: This camcorder has a range of connectivity options, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and micro HDMI. This makes it easy to transfer your files to your computer or any other devices. You can also use the Sony Imaging Edge Mobile app to control the camcorder remotely, adjust settings, and review footage etc. Gist: The Sony AX43A is a versatile and very much capable camcorder that is a great solution for capturing high-quality content Whether you're a professional or an newbie, this device has everything you need to create stunning and creative footage. The advanced image stabilization technology, 20x optical zoom lens and 40x clear zoom, and the range of creative features it has makes it an excellent choice for those looking for a high-quality camcorder. Overall, this Sony AX43A is an excellent choice of investment for anyone looking to take their video production to the next level without much help from others or buying multiple equipment in order to get a studio level content

This video camera is a decidedly mixed bag for me. It takes great high quality video, but is hamstrung by a clunky interface and significant limitations when interfacing with a mobile device. Video is impressive, with the ability to take 4K videos at 24-30 fps, or full HD videos at up to 120 fps. Video images are crisp, but colors are a little muted in contrast to the more vivid colors on my Pixel 7 Pro using 10-bit HDR. Optical image stabilization is very good, with no choppiness when walking or even jogging while recording. Optical zoom goes to 20x, and with additional digital zoom can reach 40x. Sound recording is good as well, although wind noise was pronounced at times. Build quality is good, as you would expect from Sony, but there's a lot of plastic. The flip-out touchscreen viewfinder is bright and clear, and it swivels a full 360 degrees. The battery pack juts out awkwardly in the back, pretty much forcing your thumb to rest on the video start/stop button -- the problem with this design is that it forces the hand and fingers to be resting only on the right half of the camera, which can make it a little unstable when trying to manipulate the zoom rocker at the top (e.g, trying to push the zoom rocker to the left tends to shift the whole camera to the left, if my thumb can't rest on the left side of the camera as a counter-balance). File formats can be confusing. Sony uses XAVC, which can accommodate higher bitrates when recording 4K and therefore higher quality and more detailed videos -- but this format is not compatible with Android or iPhone, and requires specific software on a Mac or PC that supports the file format in order to play back or edit. The camera does create a duplicate video file in AVCHD format (which is compatible with mobile phones), but this is only in 720p. It's a similar situation with still images, which are 3840x2160 when viewed on a PC, but 1920x1080 when transferred to a mobile phone (compare this with a typical picture on a Pixel 7 Pro which is 4080x3072). The UI is clunky on the 3" flip-out touchscreen. Buttons are pretty small, so if you have big fingers, it might be a challenge to navigate around. Most of us are used to phone interfaces that include swiping or dragging, but those aren't supported here -- only taps, so it takes a little bit of getting used to. The touchscreen is glossy, so it can be a bit challenging to use on a bright day, since my reflection (along with all the fingerprints from having to touch it so much) would sometimes get in the way of the scene I was trying to capture. A matte finish probably would've been better. Transferring files worked best with a cable connection. There is a wireless file transfer option, but it's pretty wonky, requiring scanning of QR codes and installing a dedicated app on your phone. I couldn't get the NFC feature to work with my Pixel 7 Pro. The bottom line is that this video camera (as mentioned in the product description) is best suited for a professional videographer or content creator who needs to use the best possible (but not widely compatible) video format. Casual users will likely find the XAVC format overkill, and frustrating to use for sharing with friends or posting to social media sites.