Sony HDRFX1000 High Definition MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

by Sony

Product Details

• Item Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001G609CQ
• Item model number: HDRFX1000
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,919 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 24, 2003

Product Description

The Sony HDRFX1000 Handycam camcorder delivers HD broadcast-quality moving images. With 24p Progressive Scan Mode, the HDRFX1000's high-quality film-like motion lets you realize brilliant scene reproduction. CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Color provide the HDRFX1000 with the color and gamma range to give your footage an even more film-like feel. Three 1/3" ClearVid CMOS image sensors with Exmor derived technology capture sharp, detailed images even in lower-light (1.5 LUX) situations. The 29.5mm Wide-Angle to 590mm Telephoto G-Lens allows for wider angle shooting and brings the action closer (20x Optical). Three built-in neutral density filters and three manual rings provide even more flexibility.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good camera for low-light and artificial conditions, March 10, 2009

By 

A. Sadovnikov - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony HDRFX1000 High Definition MiniDV Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

I purchaized FX1000 form Amazon two months ago to videotape theatrical performances at home. I have chosen it because of good low light specification (1.5Lux) and made the right choice. With correct manual settings (most important - maximum gain <15dB) it produces excellent picture for poorly lit scenes as well as for scenes under artificial (pure red, blue, green) lightling. Low-light noise is slightly worse than for VX2100 that is known champion for such conditions (1.0Lux). However, resolution is much better than for VX2100: I can hardly see pixelization or any artifacts on 6ft x 4ft screen (using Sony HD projector).
The only drawback is very small menu wheel that is difficult to use (much worse than in VX2100).
Otherwise, after 30h of videotaping in very demanding conditions it works wery well. Definitely this is not point-and-shoot camera. It has tons of knobs and switches (nicley described in the manual) and you have to invest some time and patience to get amazing results.
Although this is my first HD camera (I owned Sony VX2100 for 2.5 years) and I have nothing to compare it with, I give it 5 stars because I do not see any serious drawbacks.
August 2010 addition: Now I own it for 17 months, have taped ~60h of video and camera works great.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great camera for the price, February 22, 2009

By 

Corey A. Leigh (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sony HDRFX1000 High Definition MiniDV Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

This camera is fantastic, especially given its price range. The lowlight, with manual settings, is fantastic. The picture quality is awesome as well. The largest negative is the location of the hot-shoe in relation to the lcd screen. If you have a mic (a must) or light or whatever, it blocks your ability to close or open the LCD. Otherwise, this is a camera to surpass the Canon XH-A1, which has previously been top of the class at this price point in HDV 3-chip cameras.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice camera with a few minor reservations, December 2, 2009

By 

Theodore Trinkaus "videoguy" (pittsboro NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sony HDRFX1000 High Definition MiniDV Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

Having had this camera for only a few days, this review is somewhat preliminary but I have owned a couple of Sony cameras (TRV900 and FX2100)and my first impressions are generally good.
First of all, it feels good in your hand and the unit feels solid. The hi res lcd screen is great, I just wish they'd make it as big and bright like the 3.5" on the TRV900. The lens is great with a nice wide angle of view, but it does have a bit of barrel distortion. The tele-extender does not have a smooth transition from optical to digital like most zooms, it's a tele-extender on the lens, making it more of a telephoto zoom. I was surprised by this design, it seems a digital zoom beyond the regular optical one would be better since it would give you a continuous 30x zooming range.

The left side of the camera is cluttered, more so than it needs to be. I think Sony sometimes changes things that don't need changing, like moving the scrolling wheel to the side where it's lost in a maze of buttons. This may sound nit picky, but when you're in the field shooting you want simplicity. The less you have to think about the controls, the more you can concentrate on composing. I do like the iris ring on the lens barrel(one less reason to try to find that scroll wheel!). The built in mike actually sounds pretty good but a Rode Video Mike or similiar would probably be worth it.

I played with the "cinematone" stuff and the jury's still out for me. Video does not look like film. I've seen too many cameras with 24p, 30p, Progressive scan, etc that just looked like jerky video, not film. I think it can be a useful feature but it doesn't turn your footage into "instant film". Anytime I've tried to make my footage look like film, I've had to do each scene in post, separately.

Anyway, the low light capability is very good, and the resolution is stunning if you're going to hi def for the first time. Supposedly, HDV is a less efficient codec than AVC(with more artifacts)but I have not noticed any, even in low light. Tape has it's limitations(1hr recording, dropouts) but I haven't had any. I'm using the regular Sony tapes not the fancy HD ones (and they're cheap)! Tape is also an great archive format.

That's all for now, if i have more thoughts as I go along I'll update this review. Hope this helps.

Recently shot a wedding with this cam and it worked great. The 20x zoom came in very handy during the ceremony considering I couldn't move around. The auto focus worked perfectly 95% of the time allowing me to concentrate on composition. The built-in mic provided good sound quality. I did use a wireless with an external XLR adapter during the ceremony that worked very well.
Overall, I think this camera offers a very good bang for your buck in picture quality if you can live without the XLR inputs but you'll need to get used to finding the scroll wheel. Highly recommended.