Sony FDR-AX33 revealed as an affordable 4K camcorder

Sony has revealed several camcorders at CES 2015, the most interesting of them being the FDR-AX33, which is the company’s most compact camcorder that is capable of capturing 4K videos.

A few years ago, recording videos at 4K resolution on the cheap was just a dream. Nowadays, things have changed and there are plenty of solutions available for consumers, while many more have started to pour in.

One of these products is the new Sony FDR-AX33, that has become the manufacturer’s smallest and lightest consumer-centric 4K camcorder.

Sony has revealed its first “true” 4K Handycam, the FDR-AX33, which is said to be a capable, cheap, small, and lighter 4K camcorder.

Sony FDR-AX33 becomes official as a small and lightweight 4K camcorder at CES 2015

The FDR-AX33 4K Handycam is roughly 20% lighter as well as 30% tinier than the FDR-AX100, another 4K Handycam, but one that has been launched during the 2014 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show.

Sony says that this is its first camcorder that shoots high-resolution videos to come packed with Balanced Optical SteadyShot technology. This image stabilization system will deliver smooth, detailed videos without blur throughout the camera’s focal range.

The AX33 supports XAVC-S codec and a bitrate of 100Mbps. The resulting clips can be reviewed on 4K TVs using a conventional HDMI cable, which will be supplied in the package. Nevertheless, this camcorder also supports the MP4 format.

This 4K Handycam can take 20.6-megapixel photos using a simple trick

Sony FDR-AX33 can capture 8.3-megapixel stills while recording 4K videos at the touch of a button. Additionally, it supports Highlight Movie Maker, which automatically creates a short movie consisting of clips and stills as well as moments tagged by the users.

Framing the videos is quite easy, as the camera comes with a built-in electronic viewfinder as well as a 3-inch LCD touchscreen with high-visibility even in broad daylight.

The device features an 8.3-megapixel Exmor R CMOS image sensor and a Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* lens with a 35mm focal equivalent of approximately 29.8-298mm, thanks to a 10x optical zoom.

Using interpolation, the FDR-AX33 can take 20.6-megapixel photos, which can be shared on the web using WiFi or NFC. Moreover, videos can be streamed via USTREAM, if the internet connection allows it.

More information about Sony’s most compact 4K Handycam yet

Other notable features of the Sony FDR-AX33 are its built-in 5.1-channel microphone, Bionz X image processor, direct pixel readout, and a USB port.

The company has confirmed that its camcorder will begin shipping in March for a price of $999. This 4K Handycam will become available for pre-order soon at Amazon, so stay tuned!