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Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2013-01-14T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent product

I own this camera for five years and all I can say is: The best camera ever ! Sorry is not available anymore.

Happy7

2012-08-07T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Best choice so far

Well I had a few camcorders in use during the last 5 years and I am still in love with the FX1, simply because of the 3CCD which my eye tells is still superior over the more recent C'MOS and XMOR. I mean, yes it does eat up more power and no XLR input but I am okay with that as I am happiest with the image quality. Am not bothered with the fact that it does not record to a more compressed format (AVCHD) but that's harder to handle when editing anyway so.. FX1, still my favorite . No longer produced but I will treasure mine like it's pure gold.

Videodan

2012-02-06T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Its a Perfect Camera

Awesome HD recording, perfect for Documentaries, Weddings and parties.

Topheriizb

2010-05-24T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great camera for the price

I have owned my FX1 for six years now, it is a wonderful camcorder. The picture quality is far superior to other camera's of this generation and spec. The extended life battery lasts over 420 minutes allowing me to shoot an entire wedding from the bride getting ready until the end of the reception off ONE battery! -- I have recently purchased the FX1000 and am looking forward to an upgrade to the AX2000 - I would highly recommend this camcorder to anyone looking to make money from video production. You will NOT be disappointed!

ZachMac

2009-05-28T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Camera

Amazing video outdoors, works well with poor lighting, picture is clear, colors are vivid! If you know how to use a professional camera properly, this should be a great buy for anyone!

apagicv

2008-12-31T19:00:00

Rated 1 out of 5

Sony FX1

What can I say about this camera other than the fact that I should have waited a little longer before switching to HD. At the time, it was the only pro-levelesque HD camera and that was the reason why I bought it. Like anything else, I usually wait for a company to get all the bugs out before buying their first gen. product but I didn't follow my usual gut feeling. In my opinion, the company should have addressed the low-light issue that it has before launching it. Wanna know what you should do? Buy a different HD camera and make sure that it does amazingly great in low-light.

LTPhotography

Sony HDR-FX1 HDV 1080i High Definition Handycam Camcorder - SKU#1455499 Specifications

  • Image Sensor

    Imaging Device: 3 - 1/3", 16:9 1120K Pixel Advanced HAD CCDs

  • Audio/Video

    Video Actual: 1070K Pixels

  • Television System

    NTSC

  • Tape Format/Speed

    Mini DV

  • Optical Zoom

    Optical Zoom: 12X

  • Lens

    Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar f/1.6-2.8
    Focal Distance: 4.5 to 54.0mm
    35mm Conversion: 32.5 to 390mm

  • Focusing System

    Full Range Auto/Manual (Ring) / One Touch

  • Shutter Speed

    1/4-1/4000 (Program AE Mode)

  • Illumination

    Minimum Illumination: 3 lux
    NightShot Infrared System: N/A

  • Filter Size

    Filter Diameter: 72mm

  • Viewfinder

    Color, Precision 16:9 (252K pixel)

  • LCD Screen

    3.5" 16:9 (250K) Precision Hybrid Color
    Accessory Shoe: Yes (Cold)

  • Manual Controls

    Exposure: Manual Iris, Touch Panel (24 Step)

  • Input terminals

    Video Input/Output: Yes (Composite (Mini) and S-Video/Yes (Component, Mini, and S-Video)
    Audio Input/Output: Yes/Yes (Stereo, Mini)
    i.LINK DV Interface (IEEE1394): Yes
    USB: N/A

  • Output terminals

    See Above

  • Microphone

    Mic. Input: Yes (Stereo, Mini)

  • Headphone Jack

    Yes (Stereo, Mini)

  • Power Requirements

    Power Consumption (VF/LCD/VF+LCD): 7.4W / 8.0W / 8.4W

  • Dimensions

    (WHD): 6" x 7 1/8" x 14 3/8"

  • Weight

    Weight: 4 lbs 4 oz

  • Special Features

    White Balance: Auto/One-Push (A)(B)/Preset
    Iris Control: Yes, Gain Independent
    Super SteadyShot Optical Stabilization System

About Sony HDR-FX1 HDV 1080i High Definition Handycam Camcorder - SKU#1455499

FEATURED REVIEWS

Great camera for the price

By ZachMac

I have owned my FX1 for six years now, it is a wonderful camcorder. The picture quality is far superior to other camera's of this generation and spec. The extended life battery lasts over 420 minutes allowing me to shoot an entire wedding from the bride getting ready until the end of the reception off ONE battery! -- I have recently purchased the FX1000 and am looking forward to an upgrade to the AX2000 - I would highly recommend this camcorder to anyone looking to make money from video produ...

View full Review

Great Camera

By apagicv

Amazing video outdoors, works well with poor lighting, picture is clear, colors are vivid! If you know how to use a professional camera properly, this should be a great buy for anyone!

Presenting the world's first consumer 1080i high definition camcorder, the Sony Handycam HDR-FX1. A revolution in form and function, the HDR-FX1 allows you to play and record interlaced high definition video at resolutions up to 1440 x 1080 for professional quality video with vivid colors and striking detail. It even offers the ability to switch to standard DV recording and playback as the situation warrants.

The HDR-FX1 features the Real-time HD Codec Engine, which offers professional-level MPEG2 video compression, and 14bit HD DXP (Digital Extended Processor) for increased processing speed. Images are captured on three chip Advanced HAD CCD system that provides increased detail and improved video performance without the color bleeding found in other system. Optical capabilities include a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 12x optical zoom and Super SteadyShot image stabilization.

The HDR-FX1 offers an unprecedented amount of control to the user, including manual zoom, focus, and iris control. Picture Profile allows the user to create a number of preset video modes for a variety of shooting settings. Composing shots is easier than even with the 3.5" precision hybrid SwivelScreen LCD display1 and the extra-large electronic viewfinder.

The Sony HDR-FX1 HDV Handycam camcorder the revolution begins.

Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD imagers with 1,120K effective (video) pixels provides excellent detail and clarity with exceptional digital video performance. Using a 3 chip Advanced HAD CCD system and dichroic prism toseparate color information, colors are extremely accurate, and color bleeding" and smearing" are greatly reduced.

Enhanced CCD design allows more light to reach the imager which reduces video noise to improve signal-to-noise ratio by up to 6db (2x better than a standard CCD). Particularly effective when shooting in dark situations.

From the innovators in camcorder technology, Sony's HDR-FX1 camcorder is the world's first HDV1080i consumer level camcorder and player. Now you can record all your memories in true high-definition video. The HDR-FX1 is capable of recording and playing back both High Definition and Standard Definition video recorded on standard MiniDV cassettes.

A Sony developed Real Time MPEG Encode/Decode system with reduced in energy consumption and compact size to fit inside a personal camcorder. Provides efficient MPEG2 compression, and recording and playback of clear HD images at the same bit rate of the DV format, so that High Definition video can be recorded on the same cassettes as are used for MiniDV recording.

From the authority in lens technology, the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens provides a high quality 12x optical zoom which maintains image clarity and colorwhile reducing glare and flare.

3.5" 250K pixel LCD display makes images sharp and detailed during playback or when monitoring recording.

Sony HDR-FX1 HDV 1080i High Definition Handycam Camcorder - SKU#1455499 Features

  • 3-1/3" 16:9 Advanced HAD CCD Imagers 1,120K Pixels Gross
  • Advanced HAD CCD Technology
  • HDV Recording Format
  • Switchable HDV/DV Format Recording
  • Real-time HD Codec Engine
  • 12X Optical Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
  • 3.5" Wide Precision Hybrid SwivelScreen LCD Display (250K Pixels)
  • Super SteadyShot Optical Stabilization System
  • Analog/Digital Conversion with Pass-Through
  • Manual Zoom and Manual Focus Ring
  • Expanded Focus Indicator magnified, temporarily, up to 4X its original size without any loss of distortion
  • Picture Profile Allows the user to set manual adjustments for a scene (color, sharpness, white balance, etc) into any one of six presets
  • CineFrame Recording Provides the option of recording video at either 30 fps or with a feeling of film-like" 24 fps.
  • 3 buttons on the exterior of the camcorder are user-assignable so that they can be set to the options most commonly utilized
  • i.LINK DV Interface (IEEE1394)
  • The HDR-FX1 records audio in MPEG1 Audio Layer II while recording in HDV format that provides outstanding sound quality even when compressed
  • In the standard DV format audio is recorded in either 12/16 bit (selectable) PCMDigital Stereo for audio quality that rivals that of a CD
  • Manual Iris adjustable from f1.6 to f11, in 24 steps.
  • Shot Transition allows for a smooth automatic scene transition
  • Settings for focus, zoom, iris, gain, shutter, and white balance can be set to the A/B button and a smooth transition will take place according to the set time
  • Enables the focus to gradually shift from the front of the screen to a deeper part of the screen. Thus the iris enables a smooth change of depth of field.

What's in the box:

  • Lens Hood
  • Item Note: Unit only no accessories; camera does not power on; Cosmetic Condition V