4K was definitely a prominent buzzword at CES this year; however, it is so common now that is not quite as buzz-worthy on consumer products as it has been in the past couple of years. Still, both Panasonic and Sony delivered new and affordable consumer 4K camcorders at CES this year. We’ve already covered the Panasonic announcement here. And Sony announced its new FDR-AX33 Handycam.
The new AX33 rounds out Sony’s 4K camcorder line with a consumer version that sits below its bigger brothers – the prosumer FDR-AX100 and the very serious FDR-AX1.
The AX33 features a Zeiss lens with a 10x optical zoom and a 5.1 channel surround microphone. It records 4K video with Sony’s new XAVC-S codec at 100Mbps. The camcorder has an upgraded SteadyShot stabilization unit that includes the lens and sensor in the unit so essentially the entire camera is stabilized within the body that you handhold. You can get a little taste of how well it works in the demo video below.
The camera also captures up to 1080/60p video for overcranked footage if you want to slow it down in post. Even if it is a consumer camera, there is still plenty of fun to be had with half-speed slow motion footage from vacation and birthday videos.
The AX33 also has common features like a 3″ touchscreen display and WiFi/NFC connectivity. It should ship in March 2015 for $999. Check it out here at B&H Photo.
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