Name: Sony FDR-AX33 4K Ultra HD Handycam Camcorder with Exmor R CMOS Sensor
Brand: Sony
SKU: SOFDRAX33
Price: 848.99 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.4 (137 reviews)

Sony FDR-AX33 4K Ultra HD Handycam Camcorder with Exmor R CMOS Sensor

Sony FDR-AX33

Sony

Adorama

Video

Video Cameras

Consumer Camcorders

Sony Consumer Camcorders

Sony FDR-AX33 

Top Rated Gear: Sony FDR-AX33 4K Ultra HD Handycam Camcorder with Exmor R CMOS Sensor Color: Black, Configuration: Camcorder Only, Ergonomics: Palmheld, Features: Built-In Microphone, Touch Screen LCD, Wi-Fi, LCD Size: 3"

I purchased this handycam 4 years ago and during this time had no issue with its quality.

Great Handycam

The product has issues with the focus, and its not easy to fix.

Not worth it

Simply not worth the £600+ I paid for this camcorder

Don't pay £600+ for this product

I have used this camera for just over a week now and very happy with the 4K video quality. The one minor improvement would be an image window that could be more easily seen in bright daylight.

Affordable 4k Video Camera

This is my sixth Sony camcorder. Each time I upgrade to better than the last

Great camera

So happy with the product and the crystal output of the recordings

The Best!!!

I have used Sony video gear in the past and really liked it. but 3 months after my warrantee ran out the shutter quit closing when I close the display. An online basic repair was for over $350, more than half the cost of a new camera. I think this might be a ploy to sell more video equipment.

Poor Warrantee

Bought this recently despite the fact that the A43 is out. Good to have this for travel. Functions and features are good for this price (promotion). Recommend to use this for travel and gift for your children.

Value for money

I use mine to do presentations on channel 4. The camcorder does everything I want and so much more. Great camera that is a handful. Only thing missing is a coffee pot recepticial (Grin)

great cam corder

I bought this camera while visiting my brother Teofanes G in Virginia USA, back in 2015. I have been travelling back and forth between South America and north America, this camera is wonderful, it was one of the first 4k cameras in the world and was the best camera of 2015 at the electronic show in California, USA. Today it is working impeccably well, amazing videos and still images. Like everything else built by sony reliable and solid. I do not to replace it anytime soon. I am very happy with this purchase. I dont remember how much I paid then, but it was the fair price, I am sure.

4K CAMERA AX33 4K Handycam. BUILT TO LAST!

USED CAMERA FOR SKIING WHILE MOVING, WHILE SAILING, BACKPACKING AND TRAVELLING THROUGH EUROPE. TERRIFIC QUALITY. AS NORMAL IT'S HEAVIER THAN MY GOPRO BUT MORE VERSITAL FOR VIDEO.

NO JIGGLE ON VIDEO, SUPERIOR VIDEO QUALITY

I bought this used a week ago and am still learning the many features. Setting up wifi is not very difficult. The touchscreen seemed balky at first but it takes a different touch than any smart phone. The battery stays charged long enough so I'm looking forward to recording band rehearsals and concerts. Many features to explore with this.

Works great

Didn’t realise that there was internal memory built-in

Good design and seems easy to use so far.

I use this product for almost all the occasions. So far all I can suggest is that the features are great. Especially the in built 5.1sound recording system

Great features for a great Price

having had my old sony camcorder for nearly 20 years and yes its still working.it was time for a new one.having done a music test and wow was i impressed,the sound was sharp clear from trebble to bass,the picture quality is excellent even in low light.i would highly recommend it.not being a brand snob just have always had sony camcorders,from the hi8 tape version to hard drive and now 4k

excellent workstation

great colours, like real, good features, negativity is comes in after sunset, image become sandy and no flash for pictures either. apart from that great cam

good camera for family records

Purchased it to live stream. Don't do it. although the online documentation indicates it can lives stream to streaming services - it can only stream to ustreem a platform that no one uses... Not as helpful as you would imagine.

Don't buy this camera to live stream

The AX33 is a huge step-up from my old Sony camcorder, and as an avid home-video hobbyist I always knew I wanted more out of the picture quality. As many reviews state, the AX33 really does deliver on this, and even though I've not tested it in many situations yet, I can clearly see the improved colour saturation and sharpness.
It's easy to start with the basics of the camcorder, but there are certainly a lot of extra features that I didn't have before, like focus peaking and zebra lines. I would of preferred a more in-depth manual or tutorials on-line from Sony, as knowing this is probably aimed at the amateur wishing to take their work further - like many others I have not had years in the field learning what all the features mean and techniques. I have been researching online videos from other users to learn a lot of these,and I would recommend anyone else who is not familiar to do the same. You will want to learn these features for sure.

The obvious benefit of the AX33 is the Balanced Optical Steady Shot feature, which physically helps stabilise your footage (with digital assist if needed), which makes a huge difference when on the move. The best way I can describe it, is that the lens 'floats' inside the unit, allowing for multiple-axis movement. I've always had to rely on digital stabilisation in the editing software when shooting days out with the family which drastically reduced the output quality (which wasn't great to start). This was one of the main factors that I wanted this camcorder and it really paid off. The 10x optical zoom is a little on the short side, but since the image quality is so good you can add some digital zoom in there no problem, and it's enough for most applications. The only issue with the moving lens is that I worry when I'm carrying the camcorder I can hear it knocking around the inside of the unit. Not sure if Sony built it to accept that, but I hope so.
Other features that are on here but seldom mentioned is the ability to stream live footage with the right PC software, connect via Wi-fi to your smartphone or computer, and link up multiple cameras from the Sony range to give multiple angles (to name a few). The only other issue I have is that the front protective lens cover seems thin and flimsy, and opens when the camcorder turns on. I would recommend buying a UV filter or similar (at 52mm) to protect not only the lens, but also the internal unit, as the balanced optical steady shot does mean there is a gap around the lens. You'll need an SD card that writes as close to 100mb/s or more if you are wanting to film 4K.
On a more technical note, you can manually adjust most features on this camcorder, but when it comes to the exposure, the iris and the shutter speed - you can only adjust one at a time, which makes it very hard when you're setting up for specific shots that require precision in the lighting (potentially special effects or using for stop-motion etc.) which is a shame for a camera that does so much for stepping into the more semi-pro market. A minor thing that most people will not notice, but something I've learnt post-purchase.

Overall I know that I'll be using the AX33 for some time to come, with it's breadth of features and high-quality imaging, it's going to be used for a wide-variety of projects around the home. A good price, for people looking for that step-up their video projects.

Solid pro-amateur camcorder

We wanted a good quality camcorder to take on a special holiday. Picture quality is great. Easy to use. Zoom is smooth. I like the night mode. Not explored the other functions yet. Really pleased with the camcorder. I am hoping it will last for years to come

Great camcorder

I use this for my YouTube channel for 4k quality. This has great features too.

Best 4K camcorder you can buy.

I bought this camera in November and it has been superb. I love it. The features are great. I've used it to capture weddings, photo sessions, church services and even basketball games. So glad I purchased it!

Great features!

Happy with purchase, using this to record soccer games.

Great product

I bought this on Cyber Monday at an excellent price

Great 4K Handycam

The camera is good and works well. No issues. It does not blow me away but works as expected. The wifi feature is a joke though. Very misleading but I researched and knew this before the purchase. The big problem is the software. PlayMemories is a complete mess. My MAC freezes and the new updates don't support it. My PC operating software also has issues.

Camera Good, Software is horrible

Received as a gift. Not really sure why this product exists given we all have 4K video recording in our phones these days. In comparison, its very big and bulky. The addition of image stabilisation and ability to record for longer and optical zoom are the only features I can see that are better than a phone video, but not sure how many times I need that in a video I would shoot, remain to be convinced of its place in my life. Other than that it seems a quality piece of kit.

Good Quality Camcorder, but bulky

I bought last year and I am satisfied to had this item.

Great.

Purchased mostly for taking out in the field for videos. The 10X optical zoom was a concern since past camcorders had more magnification, so far it has not been an issue but I think it will be a draw back at times in the future. Sill photos are better than expected, especially indoors under poor lighting. Video quality is excellent for hosting on computer and websites, I have not burned any to disk to play on TV yet, but the quality on small screen makes me think it will be fine when saved in higher resolution. I'm not a fan of Play Memories yet, maybe I will figure it out and it will be fine, but I just purchased another video editor that will handle the 4K to try instead. Not a reflection on the camera itself, just the software.

Meets Expectations

I bought this camera as an upgrade to my old Sony Hi-8 cassette cameras. While I still have some use for the older camcorders, I wanted something that had a better quality picture and I'm very happy about my purchase.

my first 4k camera

I had this camera for several years and I love it.

Great little camera with high quality

This cam recorder made excellent videos in full HD, the sharp and brightness are so spectacular and vivid, I use for my you tube channel and works smooth and easy to operate.

Sony FDR-AX33 4K Ultra HD Handycam Camcorder with Exmor R CMOS Sensor

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