Customer Reviews

Sony HDR-AX2000 Handycam camcorder

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was at a Sony Store recently and got to test drive this amazing camera for a day. I put it through a stress test of constantly changing lighting and bad (on purpose) camera movement to see if I could reproduce the infamous "jello" effect from a rolling shutter on CMOS chips. I even tried to reproduce a complaint I read about on Sony's own website that says after 2GB (or 12 mins) of shooting the file would split into 2 pieces and cause stutter in audio and dropped frames at the break. I was using a class 4 SDHC card. The test was shot in 1080 24p FX mode.

Lets cut to the chase.

Pros:
Easy to operate: Being a Canon guy, I thought the controls on a Sony might be a jump for me, but they're all pretty standard. I had no problems jumping in and doing what I wanted with it.

Low light/Changing Light operations: The front of the store was well-lit with a mixture of color temperature (florescent, tungsten, LED) flood lights. The AX2000 had no problems with automatic white balance. I rolled the iris up to over-expose the image then had the camera auto-iris to reproduce some image tearing. There were no issues. I walked to the back with a dramatic lighting change. This was lit like a home theater and the camera had no problems keeping up.

Lens: I really liked the 20x zoom and the controls on the lens itself. The placement of the focus, zoom, and iris rings were very nice. I had no trouble telling which one was which and reaching them while I was shooting.

Look and feel: The camera looks like a pro would use it. The ergonomics were fantastic. Buttons that needed to be buttons were buttons, and switches that needed to be switches were switches.

Stock battery: I was amazed at how long it was lasting. Don't get me wrong, it's something that a pro would HAVE to upgrade, but in a pinch I wouldn't be worried about using it.

Cons:
Stock Microphone: This is no surprise, a stock mic that's bad? NO WAY! I haven't come across many prosumer cameras with a good mic. This is an easy (and not too expensive) fix, buy a shotgun mic.

Auto focus: This seemed a little sluggish to me. If you're shooting a wedding or something, this won't be a big deal. If you're shooting a sporting event, it might...

Overall Impression:
Some people have complained about editing AVCHD. I'll say this: I'm on a Core2 Quad with 8GB RAM and a GeForce GT 120 and Premier CS5 and it worked like a charm. Of course I had to render every transition, but playback was smooth as silk and scrubbing through video wasn't horrid.

I believe that this camera stands alone with no equal right now. The Panasonic version might have 3CCDs, but the zoom isn't as good and it only records to 1 memory stick which means that I'd have to switch media more often. I was also unable to reproduce the "jello" effect that some complain about with CMOS sensors. I was handheld the entire time and was NOT being careful when I shot. I just wish my boys at Canon would make something similar ;-) because I'm going to be switching brands as soon as I save up the cash.

Other Thoughts:
Canon has announced the XF105 and XF100. These are going to be smaller (and cheaper) versions of the XF305 and XF300. Because the XF100 will shoot with 50Mb/s and 4:2:2 color space, I doubt it will be in the $3000-$4000 range. Although, I'll be ecstatic if it is!

PS... I happen to LOVE Jello! I don't need Bill Cosby coming after me!

This Sony camera is a nice addition to the Sony Line-up, somewhat of a replacement for the HVR-V1u, only shooting tapeless to MemoryStick and SD cards instead of tape. It was released around March of 2010, and competes mostly with the Panasonic HMC-150 which has similar features. Here are the pros as I see it:

* Wider angled lens than many other cameras, which is nice for interiors, and filmmaking. But not much wider than the HMC-150.
* 20x zoom, which is very nice to have. Only the Canons equal this. Sony's digital zoom is also quite good in a pinch.
* Very fine quality LCD screen. You can argue about the placement.
* Camera will shoot 1080, but also 480, if you want to shoot standard definition like the "old days".

Here are some cons:

* Camera will not shoot 720p, and will not overcrank (no slow motion).
* AVCHD footage may not play nice with Final Cut Pro or some software, yielding large file sizes that may need converting.
* Low light performance of 1.5lux is a bit of hype. The camera performs about as well as all the others in low light in this class.
* Arguably overpriced, especially with the onslaught of incredible footage seen from DSLR cameras.
* On board microphone is useless.

Some other things to consider: Camera has CMOS chips, which are eventually going to be all that is made. This may be prone to some rolling shutter issues or vibration issues. I'll let you research this on your own. But CMOS does use less power than CCD chips. Chips are only 1/3", which will soon be a thing of the past.

Bottom line - If you are a Sony user and have been waiting for a camera that shoots to SD cards in this price range, this will do it, and all you need. It would be very handy for events, sports, interviews, documentaries and some indie filmmaking. It doesn't have the interchangeable lenses that the Z5u or EX-3 have, but it's less expensive than those, and unlike the V1u, it is tapeless, and is probably a stop better in low light than the V1u. If you can live without the overcranking and have a good XLR microhone already, this may be the camera for you.

My experience level is not professional, just an avid amateur. I have used this camcorder
in various lighting conditions and all of my videos look great. I really like using
the super slow motion feature; it allows me to capture stunning slow motion video.
Low light is fantastic.
Macro shots are crisp and vivid.
Manual focus couldn't be easier.
Controls are placed within easy natural reach.
LCD screen is in a perfect location for low angle shots
"Steady Shot" in the "active" mode is rock steady
I upgraded from a Panasonic ag dvc30 and this is a huge leap in technology.
Again I'm not a professional but my Sony HDR AX2000 makes my videos look like I am.

Bought two of these for a live broadcast we produce each month. Great camera if you use it to record to tape but if you are trying to get a live analog composite S-Video or component feed out of this camera you will get an inconsistent, blurry and fuzzy picture every time. It has to do with the horrible proprietary "D" connector they put on this camera. Come on Sony, you can do better than that in this range of camera. After use of 3 hours a month for less than two years both of these cameras need repair. I'm looking elsewhere now.