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Sony HDR-AX200 review
Sony’s HDRAX200H AVCHD Flash Memory Camcorder featuring 1920 x
1080/60i, film-like progressive scan 24p/30p, superior low light,
wide-angle G Lens, Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization, 3 built-in
neutral density filters and more.
Film-like Progressive Recording 24p/30p - In addition to 1080/60i
recording, the HDR-AX2000 offers a 1080/24p and 1080/30p Progressive Scan
mode that enables shooting with film-like results. Signals scanned at
24p/30p are converted to 60i (using 2-3 pulldown for 24p) and recorded on
MemoryStick PRO Duo™ media.
3x 1/3" Exmor™ 3CMOS Sensors - The HDR-AX2000 features three 1/3”
Exmor™ 3CMOS Sensors , each having 1,120K total pixels. The 3 independent
CMOS sensors each handle one of the colour elements – red, green, blue
(RGB) – improving the colour reproduction of video recordings. Dark
scenes can be captured with low noise thanks to ExmorTM technology that
features a new column A/D converter and dual noise reduction. Sensor
resolution has been optimized and the photosensitive surface area has been
maximized thanks to the unique grid arrangement of the photo diode sensors,
in which each is rotated by 45 degrees. This model also features the signal
processing circuit, the Enhanced Imaging Processor (EIP) which uses
Sony’s unique image-processing technology.
Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization w/ Active Mode - Optical
SteadyShot™ image stabilization with Active Mode improves on existing
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization by allowing the camera lens to shift
over a greater range of motion allowing the camera to compensate for
greater degrees of camera shake and deliver a stunning level of image
smoothness.
3x manual rings for superior control: zoom, focus, and iris - The
HDR-AX2000 has three independent manual rings (zoom, focus, and IRIS ) for
superior control and flexibility while filming which make it easier to
promptly make adjustments to meet shooting needs. The IRIS ring allows you
to adjust the aperture to attain optimal brightness and express beautiful
depth of field shots, highlighting a subject while blurring a foreground or
background. Exposure can also be assigned to the IRIS ring enabling the
camera to automatically select the optimal iris, gain or shutter speed,
seamlessly enabling adjustment of exposure.
Manual Gain/Shutter/White Balance Adjustment - The ability to manually
adjust gain, shutter speed, and white balance makes it possible to
fine-tune the HDR-AX2000 model’s settings for near-professional
operability and advanced image expression.
Additional record and zoom lever control on handle - A record start/stop
button is featured on the handle as well as on the side grip. The zoom
lever enables easy zooming even when shooting from a low angle.
HDMI™ Connection - HDMI™ connectivity provides a simple, high-quality
video and audio connection, with the ability to transmit HD video from the
camcorder to compatible HDTVs via a single cable.
Picture Profile (up to 6) - Allows the user to set manual adjustments for a
scene (colour, sharpness, white balance, etc) into any one of 6
customizable presets, so they can be called up at just the touch of a
button. This is useful when shooting under the same conditions repeatedly,
as options do not have to be re-set each time. 4 settings for various
shooting conditions are offered as defaults – portrait/ cinema/ sunset/
monotone.
Peaking - This feature emphasizes the screen’s edge in the LCD and
viewfinder, making it easier to adjust the focus. You can change the
peaking colour to white, red, or yellow according to the colour of the
subject, and you can also set the peaking level to high, medium, or low.
This feature is handy when shooting with manual focus, because it makes it
easy to tell where the focus is currently.
Fader - To enhance viewing enjoyment, users can create transitions between
scenes by using the White fader or Black fader to fade images in and out.
Up to 24Mbps AVCHD video - The HDR-AX2000 can capture video at up to 24Mbps
for amazing clarity and detail, ideal for recording on to Blu-ray® media
since the AVCHD2 codec is highly compatible with the Blu-ray format.
Dual XLR Professional Audio Inputs - Professional quality video requires
professional quality audio. Featuring dual XLR 3-pin audio jacks, you will
be able to provide +48V phantom power to external microphones.
Additionally, the grounded connection allows insertion/removal of
connectors in live equipment without picking up external signals.
CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Colour control - For extra control over
image expression, Cinematone GammaTM technology is used to deepen the
colour and Cinematone Colour to recreate film-like colour tones. Cinematone
Gamma also allows operators to quickly set up and load a gamma curve with
similar contrast characteristics to a film gamma curve.
3.2" Xtra Fine LCD™ display1 (921k pixels) - The 3.2” Wide1 (16:9)
Touch Panel Xtra Fine™ LCD screen displays sharp, bright, vivid images,
letting you compose a shot more easily — even outdoors, while
enabling you to change settings to best represent the scene. With 921K
pixels resolution and a wide viewing angle, the XtraFine LCD™ screen is
like having a HDTV built into your camcorder.
Minus Auto Gain Control (Minus AGC) - When shooting in overly bright
conditions, this feature enables the selection of gain settings in the
negative range for satisfying results with minimal noise.
Improved Noise Reduction (w/ Exmor™ col. A/D conversion) - Exmor™
technology captures video with high resolution, high sensitivity, and
exceptional detail. Advanced on-sensor A/D conversion and dual noise
reduction yields rich tonal reproduction with high signal-to-noise ratio.
Dual Media Slots - Capture still images directly onto one of two selectable
Memory Stick PRO Duo™ media or SD/SDHC mediaslots for easy transfer to
PCs for emailing, printing, or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick®
devices (sold separately).
x.v. color™ Technology - x.v.color™ technology can capture or display
nearly twice as many (1.8x) viewable colours than possible with the
traditional RGB colour standard. This provides a more accurate and vivid
colour range, for a more natural, lifelike overall experience.
Centre Marker/Guide-frame - The LCD and viewfinder feature a Centre Marker
that lets users identify the centre of the screen at a glance. Users can
also display a Guide-frame grid on the screen that simplifies the vertical
and horizontal alignment of shots.
Superior low-light (1.5 LUX) shooting capabilities - Superior low-light
ability with high sensitivity enables clear shooting of subjects in light
as low as 1.5 lux (at 1/30 fixed shutter speed with auto iris and auto
gain). This allows you to capture sharp detail and brilliant colours even
in less than perfect lighting, especially when professional lighting cannot
be used.
Wide Angle G-Lens: 29.5mm Wide to 590mm (20x) Telephoto - The HDR-AX2000 is
equipped with a 29.5mm wide-angle “G Lens” made from advanced 10 group,
15 element lens including “Extra-low Dispersion glass” which reduces
chromatic aberration caused by light refraction, and produces video with
extremely low colour fringing. Designed for shooting situations ranging
from broad landscape shots to conditions where sufficient distance from the
subject is difficult to obtain. The 20x optical zoom (29.5mm-590mm: 35mm
conversion) lets you zoom in to the subjects you can’t get close to.
The optical zoom takes maximum advantage of the lens performance, so image
quality does not suffer even at a zoom ratio of 20x, allowing you to
faithfully reproduce the subject’s impact. The digital extender
increases zoom by 1.5 throughout the range up to 30x at full zoom.
3x built-in neutral density (ND) filters - Gain more colour control in
extreme settings with three built-in ND filters for adjusting the amount of
light entering the Image Sensor through the lens. Depending on shooting
conditions, the operator can chose from Clear, 1/4, 1/16, or 1/64 filters.
In strong, glaring sunlight these filters give users more flexibility in
choosing the shutter speed and aperture for superior creative control.
Enhanced Imaging Processor (EIP) Technology - The EIP processor is able to
rapidly process the vast amounts of pixel data read from the "3
ClearVid CMOS Sensor", and record beautiful HD and colourful video.
The ClearVid CMOS Sensor™ has been developed using the most advanced
technologies in the semiconductor industry. It handles video data in 1920 x
1080p and 4:2:2 colour space for high-quality signal processing before
recording it to MemoryStick PRO Duo™ media. Combined use of the EIP and 3
ClearVid CMOS Sensor imaging system allows the HDR-AX2000 camcorder to
provide extremely high image quality with a smooth gradation and detailed
image reproduction.
Assignable Buttons - This feature allows you to assign features you use
often to shortcut buttons. The commonly used features can be used quickly
without going through a menu selection (default: Zebra, AE Shift, and
Record Review). Features that can be assigned: Extended Focus / Digital
Extender (30x) / Ring Rotate/ AE Shift / Index Mark / SteadyShot / Back
Light / Spotlight / Fader / Smooth Slow Rec / Colour Bar / Rec Review / End
Search / Zebra / Marker / Peaking / Pict. Profile / Shot Transition.
0.45"Xtra Fine View Finder - This camcorder features a high-resolution
0.45” Xtra Fine (1,227K pixels) View Finder1 that offers extra clear
visibility.
Multi-Language Menu - Change the menu display from English to English
(Simplified), Canadian French, Latin American Spanish, or Brazilian
Portuguese
Zebra display - While you are shooting, you can add a striped pattern to
bright areas of the video image, and display it in the LCD and viewfinder.
You can use this as a rough guide for adjusting brightness, helping to
prevent blocked highlights.
Colour Bar - Four types of Colour Bars are available for use. These are
convenient for colour adjustment when playing back images on a TV or
monitor.
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