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Sony FDR-AX33 Vs. Sony FDR-AX53 | 4K Camcorders (Differences, Best Models, Reviews)

January 20, 2020 by  
Filed under Digital Camcorders

Sony FDR-AX33 Vs. Sony FDR-AX53 4K Camcorders (Differences): Sony is a leader in 4K camera and camcorder technology. 4K provides 4x the resolution of HD, the same resolution as 4K TVs and the Sony 4K Projectors that are installed at most movie theaters. By shooting in 4K today, you are future proofing your videos for […]

Getting the best sound from your camcorder | External Microphones & Sound Recorders

January 14, 2020 by  
Filed under Camcorder Articles

Most people use camcorders out of the box with its internal built-in microphone. Microphones that come installed on your camcorder vary in quality and most will give you stereo sound. These built-in microphones have their limitations (like picking up sounds from the camcorder, or noises that come from holding the camcorder). External microphones can isolate […]

Sony Handycam FDR-AX33 4K Ultra HD Camcorder | Review

January 3, 2020 by  
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The FDR-AX33 was Sony’s first compact 4K consumer camcorder. SmartReview previewed this model a while back at CES in Las Vegas and it received many Best of CES awards. This model shoots at 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) which is at 8 megapixels resolution verus only 2 megapixels for Full HD. In addition to shooting at 4 times the resolution of HD, this model has Sony’s best Balanced Optical Steadyshot™ (BOSS) image stabilization, the first 4K model to have this technology.

This camcorder, although a consumer model has many high end features, such as a premium Carl Zeiss lens f1.8-3.4 (10x optical and 20x extended zoom). Shooting at this resolution will future proof your videos, as the industry moves toward 4K resolution in TVs. Footage in 4K can also be used for Full HD video production, as you can crop or zoom in on your footage and still maintain Full HD quality. Manual Control (Iris, Shutter, Exposure, and White Balance. EVF Viewfinder. Shoots at 100Mbps for best picture quality. …More…

Best JVC Quad-Proof Waterproof Camcorders | Comparison & Reviews | 2019-2020

January 2, 2020 by  
Filed under Digital Camcorders

JVC 2019-2020 Quad-Proof Everio Waterproof Camcorder Models Lineup – This is a roundup of JVC camcorders that are labelled as “Quad-Proof”. These are unique camcorders, as they are designed to withstand the rigors of the outdoors. They must meet 4 qualifications. This includes Waterproof down to 16.4 feet (and it floats), Shockproof from falls up […]

Panasonic HC-X1000 4K-60p Ultra HD DCI Pro Camcorder | Review

October 10, 2019 by  
Filed under Digital Camcorders, Featured Camcorder


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Panasonic’s HC-X1000 Pro Camcorder is the lowest priced Pro 4K Camcorder from Panasonic. 4K has 4 times the resolution of Full HD, and is about the same resolution as the 4K projector in your local movie theater. The HC-X1000 shoots 4K video at 8 megapixels (3840 x 2160) per frame, vs. 2 megapixels (1920 x 1080) of Full HD. It will also shoot at Cinematic 4K (4096 x 2160p). 2 Channel XLR Input.

With the industry transitioning to 4K TVs, this camcorder will future proof your videos to look spectacular on these TVs. Cinematic 4K is the same resolution as movie theater 4K projectors. If you shoot video in 4K and then convert it to HD, the video will still appear much sharper than a regular HD camcorder would. The HC-X1000 can record in either 4K or HD. What sets this Pro camcorder apart from Consumer versions is that this one can shoot at 4K 60p (60fps) in full UHD 4K. The camcorder records 4K video to SDXC U3 Memory cards, with 4K recording at a high 150mbps bit rate. Dual SD Card Slots. Up to one hour of video recording at best compression per card. For best image quality the camcorder includes a fast Leica F1.8-F3.6 lens that was designed for the HC-X1000 to help in low light situations. For night recording, you can use the infrared Night Vision feature. Included are advanced features such as High-Speed, High-Precision AF, ND Filters, and Triple manual lens rings. WiFi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) and NFC Built-in. …Read More…

Canon Professional XF400 4K Ultra HD Camcorder | Reviews | Dual Pixel CMOS AF

July 5, 2019 by  
Filed under Digital Camcorders, Featured Camcorder


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The Canon Professional XF400 is Canon’s Pro 4K Ultra HD Camcorder. 4K Ultra HD has 4x the resolution of full HD, the same resolution used on 4K TVs and Movie Theater 4K projectors. The XF400 upgrades the popular XF Pro Series with many new features. The Canon Pro XF400 has a new much larger (1-inch) 4K UHD CMOS Imager with Wide Dynamic Range Gamma and improved low light performance. Compact in size. Records video in 4K Ultra HD at up to 60fps, and Full HD at up to 120fps. Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots) The 15x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and low light performance even at full zoom.

The Professional XF400 features the new 5-Axis image stabilization (keeps video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). Infrared Night Vision Feature. Another big first is the inclusion of the excellent Dual Pixel AF a high-speed, high-precision autofocus technology to a consumer camcorder. The new Dual Digic DV6 Processors are what powers these new advanced features, including 4K @60fps (4K 60p), and 1080p @120fps. The Large 3.5-inch high resolution touchscreen is the highest resolution screen on a camcorder that we have reviewed. For Sound, the Pro XF400 has Dual XLR inputs, and external microphone and headphone jacks for recording and monitoring audio. …More…

Canon VIXIA HF W11 Full HD Waterproof Camcorder | Review

February 10, 2019 by  
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The Canon HF-W11 is Canon’s first fully waterproof Full HD Camcorder. The W11 for your outdoor adventures at the beach, sports, boating, and areas with inclement weather. Records in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD Video (1080p). The Canon W11 is Waterproof (to 16.4 feet), Shockproof (to 4.9 feet), Dust Proof, and Freeze Proof (to 14 degrees fahrenheit). The 40x Optical Zoom Lens (60x dynamic zoom) delivers excellent image quality, bringing objects closer. The Intelligent IS image stabilization prevents blurring while shoot handheld. This model has a long battery life of 2 hours, 40 minutes recording time (no need to change batteries in bad weather). A built-in LED light will illuminate when lighting is dim. The auto-focus system has face tracking to maintain sharp videos. A time-lapse video feature is built-in to the Canon W11. Built in 32GB memory, and an SD card slot for long recordings. …More…

Canon Vixia HF G21 Full HD Camcorder | Reviews 2019

January 12, 2019 by  
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Best of 2019 Award The Canon HF-G21 is Canon’s top of the line flagship of consumer Full HD camcorders. The G21 has a new sensor with Wide Dynamic Range Gamma and improved low light performance. Compact in size. Records video in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots) The 20x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and low light performance even at full zoom. The Dynamic SuperRange optical image stabilization (keeps video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). The Large 3.0-inch LCD touchscreen has capacitive touch, for touch focus or menus. External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, 3 megapixel photos and the new Digital DV 4 image processor.

Included are advanced features such as an updated large 1/2.84 inch HD CMOS Pro Imager (better for low light) provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p) a 30p mode, and a high 60p (60fps) mode. External Microphone Jack for better sound options. The HF G21 records at up to 28mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate), or 35mbps using the MP4 recording mode. At maximum quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes to a single 32GB flash card, or 5 hours 50 minutes if using both card slots. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). The HF G21 records at up to 28mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate), or 35mbps using the new MP4 recording mode. At maximum quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes to a single 32GB flash card, or 5 hours 50 minutes if using both card slots. The HF-G21 has won our BEST of 2019 award for consumer HD camcorders.
…More…

Canon Vixia GX10 4K Ultra HD Camcorder | Reviews

January 4, 2019 by  
Filed under Digital Camcorders, Featured Camcorder


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The Canon Vixia GX10 is Canon’s first consumer 4K Ultra HD Camcorder. 4K Ultra HD has 4x the resolution of full HD, the same resolution used on 4K TVs and Movie Theater 4K projectors. The GX10 shares much of the same hardware as the Pro XF-400 4K Camcorder, with the main difference being XLR audio. So you get Pro features on a Prosumer camcorder. The GX10 has a new much larger (1-inch) 4K UHD CMOS Imager with Wide Dynamic Range Gamma and improved low light performance. Compact in size. Records video in 4K Ultra HD at up to 60fps (4K 60p), and Full HD at up to 120fps. Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots)

The 15x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and low light performance even at full zoom. The Vixia GX10 features the new 5-Axis image stabilization (keeps video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). Another big first is the inclusion of the excellent Dual Pixel AF a high-speed, high-precision autofocus technology to a consumer camcorder. The new Dual Digic DV6 Processors are what powers these new advanced features, including 4K @60fps, and 1080p @120fps. The Large 3.5-inch high resolution touchscreen is the highest resolution screen on a camcorder that we have reviewed. For Sound, the GX10 has both external microphone and headphone jacks for recording and monitoring audio. Built-in WiFi. The GX10 has won our BEST of 2018 award for consumer HD camcorders.
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Canon XA30 Professional Compact HD Camcorder | Review 2017

May 11, 2017 by  
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The Canon Professional XA30 is Canon’s top flash memory based HD camcorder. Compact in size. The XA30 has a new imager with Wide Dynamic Range, and better low light performance. Records in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots). Relay Recording allows the camcorder to automatically switch video recording to the next available SDHC/SDXC memory card when one card is full. You can also record simultaneoulsy to both cards as a safety backup. The upgraded 20x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and has SuperRange optical image stabilization (to keep video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). Included lens hood. Even at 20x, it maintains a light gathering F2.8. The XA30 has a large 3.5-inch high resolution OLED touchscreen. Built-in Dual Band WIFI. External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, Digital DV 4 image processor. Included are advanced features such as Canon’s Native 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor (better for low light) and provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p). External Microphone Jack for better sound options. The XA30 records at up to 35mbps. At the maximum AVCHD quality , you can record about 5 hours and 55 minutes to a 64GB SDHC or SDXC memory card. More recording time is also available if you use both memory card slots. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). EVF Viewfinder. The Canon Pro XA30 has won our BEST of 2017 award for Pro HD camcorders under $2,000… …More…

Canon Vixia HF G40 HD Camcorder | Reviews

January 29, 2017 by  
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The Canon HF-G40 is Canon’s current top of the line flagship of HD consumer camcorders. The G40 has a new sensor with Wide Dynamic Range Gamma and improved low light performance. Compact in size. Records video in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots) The 20x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and low light performance even at full zoom. The Dynamic SuperRange optical image stabilization (keeps video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). The Large 3.5-inch high resolution OLED touchscreen is the highest resolution screen on a camcorder that we have reviewed. EVF Viewfinder. External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, 3 megapixel photos and the new Digital DV 4 image processor. Included are advanced features such as an updated large 1/2.84 inch HD CMOS Pro Imager (better for low light) provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p) a 30p mode, and a new 60p mode. External Microphone Jack for better sound options, and Headphone Jack to monitor sound. The HF G40 records at up to 28mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate), or 35mbps using the new MP4 recording mode. At maximum quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes to a single 32GB flash card, or 5 hours 50 minutes if using both card slots. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). Built-in WIFI. The HF-G40 has won our BEST of 2017 award for consumer HD camcorders.
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Canon VIXIA HF R72 32GB Full HD Camcorder | Review 2016

August 29, 2016 by  
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*New for 2016. The Canon HF-R72 is Canon’s low cost Dual Flash Memory HD Camcorder. Records in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD Video (1080p). The 32x Optical Zoom Lens (53x advanced zoom) delivers excellent image quality and has SuperRange optical image stabilization (to keep video sharp in low light, or when doing handheld shots without a tripod). External Microphone Terminal and Headphone Jack. Included is a 1/4.85 inch HD CMOS Image Sensor, AVCHD H.264, Cinema-Look Filters, 2 megapixel still images, and a 24p, 30p and new 60p mode. The External Microphone Jack will give you better sound options. The HF-R42 records at up to 24mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate) or 35mbps using MP4 compression. At maximum HD quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes to a 32GB SDHC/SDXC memory card (record more time to internal 32GB). Built-in WiFi® technology on the VIXIA HF R72 lets you share your HD video with friends and family. Control your camcorders functions from a remote location. Camcorder turns on/off instantly when you open the LCD panel. Dolby Digital AC3 (2 Channel)sound. …More…

Canon VIXIA HF R700 Full HD Camcorder | Review 2016

August 24, 2016 by  
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*New for 2016. The Canon HF-R700 is Canon’s lowest cost Full HD Camcorder. Records in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD Video (1080p). The 32x Optical Zoom Lens (53x advanced zoom) delivers excellent image quality and has SuperRange optical image stabilization (to keep video sharp in low light, or when doing handheld shots without a tripod). External Microphone Terminal and Headphone Jack. Included is a 1/4.85 inch HD CMOS Image Sensor, AVCHD H.264, Cinema-Look Filters, 2 megapixel still images, and a 24p, 30p and new 60p mode. The External Microphone Jack will give you better sound options. The HF-R42 records at up to 24mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate) or 35mbps using MP4 compression. At maximum HD quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes to a 32GB SDHC/SDXC memory card. Camcorder turns on/off instantly when you open the LCD panel. Dolby Digital AC3 (2 Channel)sound. …More…

CES 2016: Whats New in HD & 4K Camcorders | 2016 Models

July 10, 2016 by  
Filed under Camcorder Articles, Digital Camcorders

SmartReview.com attended the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas (CES 2016) to report on the latest camcorders for 2016. Here is a short overview of what caught our attention at the show in regards to the latest HD & 4K Camcorders. The biggest news was the introduction truly compact consumer 4K Camcorders from Sony and […]

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