Has anyone pre-ordered a Sony AX100 4k or CX900?

[Clive McLaughlin]

Like title says - I’m really considering the CX900 - but I hate the vagaries around release dates.

Anyone heard a date?

[Danny O'Neill]

What's your reasoning for going for a consumer camera which will most likely require full auto vs a pro camera? Is it the 4k?

[Clive McLaughlin]

I'm primarily a DSLR (6D) shooter Danny, but for my long form, I supplement the DSLR footage with the best handicams I can get for my budget. Currently I have a CX730.

In fairness, I wouldn't call these consumer, but 'prosumer'.

I can't see many Dads coughing up £1300 for childrens birthday videos.

PS, I believe the CX900 is going to be fantastic quality. ANd I'm just not buying into the 4K market especially not for wedding DVD production.

[Monday Isa]

Pre-ordered the AX100. It will be taking the place of my VG30. As much as I love that little cam using it as a cya and limo camera the kids absolutely hate not being able to zoom properly. Shooting 4k and down converting will give a much sharper image and pleasing image then the VG30. All i got for a date is end of the month.

[Jeff Harper]

Sony's AX100 is certainly on my radar but not ready to order. The CX900 will also offer great images, but I wholeheartedly agree with Danny on the consumer vs prosumer models. I couldn't bring myself to purchase the CX900 with the AX100 so close in price.

Besides Clive, what choice do we have? We may not like the wait but there are no real alternatives for anyone who wants this IQ at this price point in this form factor. If someone wants the camera, they should order it unless there is something else out there to turn to. In my case, I turned to the excellent but frustrating RX10 because I didn't have the patience to wait and because I needed a DSLR style camera anyway.

I have pre-ordered cameras several times from both B&H as well as Amazon and felt in all three instances the wait was more than worth it.

Frustrating that the AX lacks no handle/shotgun mount and that it offers only single-slot card. Nevertheless it is a lot of image quality for the money for sure. Who cares that it's USB 2, it's a non issue, but still can't get over the pettiness of Sony not including USB 3. Real head scratcher.

I am anxious to see real world 1080 footage from the AX100. Not thrilled with 4K and the larger pixels, though it might do terrific at 1920 x 1080, just have too wait and see.

The 1" sensor on this form factor is of course amazing. During my frustrating days of shooting with the GH1/GH2s I kept asking myself why someone could not or would not put a 1" sensor in a video camera. Glad they finally made it happen.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

What's your reasoning for going for a consumer camera which will most likely require full auto vs a pro camera? Is it the 4k?

Not sure how they compare to my sony cx730's but both at least look like a step up in functionality, I use my cx730 handicams exclusively during ceremonies or in any occasion I need to get it right the first time, I adjust exposure manually all the time and use spotfocus on the lcd screen when needed, whitebalance can also be set manually if necessary.

Since I have used small and large form "dslrs" and handicams I can say without a doubt that in any situation where I need to get it right the first time with no room for error I will use my handicams, they provide me a smooth zoom, smooth exposure changes (with zebra's) and very good autofocus with a very good image quality and low light performance. If one of my two cx730's would die I will replace them with a ax100 or cx900 without even thinking about it. :)

[Clive McLaughlin]

Noa, I had been looking a second CX730 for a while, somebody posted an ebay auction for one - I watched it for seven days.... then forgot till half hour after the auction ended! I usually only bid at last minute.

I was so gutted because it went for £590!

But in a way I'm glad, its sort of confirmed in my head to get a CX900 now.

I usually have a CX730 in one corner at ceremony and man my 6D in the other corner. My plan now is to have two full auto handicams in both corners and then have more freedom with my 6D on monopod - changing lenses when appropriate, moving around, getting really creative.

The handicams are more than sufficient for long form - especially for DVD. I would still be planning to use my DSLR footage at important times like the vows - and a nice tighter crop on my new 85mm 1.8.

So I think I'm just going to wait for the CX900 to complete my gear spending for the year.

2013 Setup -
Canon 6D
Sigma 50mm 1.4
Canon 550D
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 (APS-C only)
Sony CX730

2014 Purchases -
Laing P-04
Canon 17-70 f4 L (the wide end for steadycam work)
Canon 85mm f1.8 (for tighter crop at times)

[Noa Put]

I also forgot the worry free "no 30 minute recording limit feature" :) and also very important a battery choice to make the camera go on for hours constantly and a stabilization no dslr (with the exeption of a Olympus em5 or em1) can match, I see the AX100 4k or CX900 also adds a integrated nd filter, if the lowlight performance on both new models is on par or even better then the cx7xx model both are no-brainers. The larger sensor will give you a shallower dof which will make them match better with your dslr's.

You can still, like you do, use a 3rd dslr for thighter shots or when you want to add some shallower dof, of just for any other beautyshot. People should stop seeing these camera's as holiday consumer cams, they are a wolf in sheep's clothing's :)

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

If one of my two cx730's would die I will replace them with a ax100 or cx900 without even thinking about it. :)

One of mine did die at the end of last year but I managed to get it repaired (new power board) for £100 - well worth it - these are great B cameras!

[Dave Blackhurst]

Methinks the "holiday consumer cam" is dead, replaced by cell phones and tablets - very few care enough about the quality of their shots (selfies?) to buy a "real" camera anymore. And the stupid things just get better with every new release, narrowing the advantage of "real" cameras!

It will be interesting to see where the video camera market niche goes - I think the manufacturers will have to work very hard to appeal to the die hard enthusiast, and release some seriously powerful cameras! I'm just worried the days of relatively favorable cost to value ratios may be ending...

[Christopher Ellington]

It seems very similar to the personal computer market these days. The way smartphone cameras have captured the point and shoot/dedicated GPS device market, the smartphone and tablet wave have captured the consumer personal computer market.

Now the dedicated camcorder and DSLR market seems to be for enthusiast/professionals/tech seeking users as well as high end desktop computers and laptops.

[Dave Blackhurst]

Yep - those pesky Apple products came along, changed the paradigm, and knocked a lot of things off the rails! And of course competition from Android/Chrome based gadgets too...

One has to wonder how many "innovations" we will see come and then go in our lifetimes! I once swore I'd NEVER own a cell phone... sigh...

The scary thing is now they seem to want to bring the watch back... not sure WHAT to make of that!


I do think this argues for a much faster acceptance of 4k, what with super high resolution screens on many of the high end "devices" I'm seeing, and of course 4K cell phone cams... I find it sort of funny in a way how these tiny devices are driving the market for "quality" imaging - they are heavily advertising how great their cameras are for stills and video, though I think it's in the same league as one that advertised how great its tiny little speakers were placed for "audio quality". There are limits to what you can squeeze into a pocket sized item!


The thing I've noticed the most is that as these "consumer" devices have met the needs of the "average" consumer, there's a noticeable reduction in the quantity of "high end" stuff available, and a slowing of innovation and price drops as the market shrinks... not sure what that will mean as we move ahead!?

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Clive McLaughlin

Noa, I had been looking a second CX730 for a while, somebody posted an ebay auction for one - I watched it for seven days.... then forgot till half hour after the auction ended! I usually only bid at last minute.

I was so gutted because it went for £590!

As well as CX730 cameras I have a CX700 - pretty much the same spec - the manual controls are the same but without the Zeiss lens/stabilisation - I think the sensor is slightly smaller but for a locked off camera it matches the CX730 nicely - plenty pop up on ebay at a cheap price

Sony Handycam HDR-CX700VE 12.1 Mega Pixel Camcorder - Black 4905524766370 | eBay

Pete

[Jeff Harper]

I think I have completely misunderstood the differences between the CX900 and the AX100. They are essentially the exact same camera body and sensor and one shoots 4K and the other 1080. Is this correct as far as the rest of you know?

I just talked to someone and found out that the shoe mount is non-standard (I hate Sony for these things they do sometimes) and I believe this is true for both cameras.

[Noa Put]

The cx900 doesn't have zebra's, the ax100 has if I have to beleive the specs, that's an important difference