Sony has been around for quite some time. The company already produced many advanced technology devices and video recorder is one of them. Nowadays, the new standard of Video Camera is the 4K ability. You can find many of them in the market, but not all are in a high quality. For those who want to purchase a great 4K video camera, you should read our article below because we are going to compare the famous Sony PXW-X70 and AX100.
In this article we will give you information about:
– What is Sony PXW-X70 and AX100
– What Sony PXW-X70 and AX100 can offer to you
– Sony PXW-X70 vs AX100
About Sony PXW X70
Sony PXW X70 is the first compact camcorder in XDCAM range released by Sony. This camera combined the small size and an unusually large sensor. For those who are still new into this camera, this camera literary can be used directly out of the box after you charge the battery and install the SDXC. PXW X70 is released to follow the step of AX100 and has a new firmware. Another interesting feature in this camcorder is the new large sensor mentioned earlier. The PXW X70 comes with a 1” type sensor that is larger than the super 16 size sensor and eight times better than 1/3” sensor. This feature will provide you with more cinematic appearing depth of field than what you can get with 1/3” sensor.
Sony PXW X70 Features
Sensor is very important when it comes to choosing video camera. In recent years we see there are much advancement start from NTSC 480i to 1080P and now the 4K or UHD 2160P. With the new sensor Sony need to design new lenses to cover it. In the PXW X70, Sony paired their sensor with Zeiss F/2.8-4.5 lens. Read our other comparison on Canon XA35 vs Sony PXW X70 here.
The PXW X70 camera works on HD video using the XAVC Long-GOP codec with 4:3:3 with 10 bit color sampling at 50 Mb/second to provide you with high data rate that is suitable for broadcasts application. The camera are using two SD card slots to allow you do relay recording completed with 3G-SDI and HDMI output. As an additional feature this camera has WIFI connection to let you control the camera with a smartphone.
The Sony PXW X70 has 12x integrated optical zoom lens with a three level switchable ND filter. It able to do 24x clear Image Zoom that will keep the quality of the HD image. It also has digital extender to allow you zoom up to 48x. This camera records video using the MXF file format that is known to efficiently compress full HD (1980 X 1080) resolution using the MPEG-P AVC/H.264 CODEC.
About Sony AX100
The Sony AX100 is one camera among the Sony’s Handycam line that was marketed towards end-consumer rather than professional. However the appearance of this camera will give you a bunch of professional look. As you can expect from a Handycam, the size is not as big as professional camera, but the material Sony used to finish the body is the high quality one, the built is also well balanced and comfortable when held.
Sony AX100 Features
With only 2 lbs. the Sony AX100 is a versatile camcorder, it also allow you to take 4K Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 video at 24 and 30 fps. Not only that, this camcorder will allow you to opt lower quality at 1920 x 1080 in XAVC S, AVCHD, or web-optimized MP4 and high quality 20 MP still pictures. The Sony AX100 used SD or Memory Stick Duo memory cards. If you are going to XAVCS recording, you should use SDXC Class 10 cards.
The sensor planted on Sony AX100 is the 1,0” Exmor R CMOS sensor. With the back-illuminated technology combined with Sony’s Column A/D Conversion the noise will be reduced by 50%. With this feature, you will be able to capture great video even when under low light condition. The new Firmware on Sony AX100 now able to record 4K video at 100MB/s with the XAVC codec. The updater also makes the camera able to capture images from XAVC S movie, adjustable trimming frame size, and improved the autofocus performance when taking picture with person in the frame.
The Sony AX100 has Carl Zeiss VarioSonnar T* lens with a wide 35mm-equivalent focal length of 29mm, which making it suitable for capturing landscapes. It also able to do 12 x optical zoom and 24x clear image zoom.
Sony PXW-X70 vs. AX100
Conclusion
As we can see above, the specification of both PXW X70 and AX100 is quite similar. Both of them has the same 1” large sensor and have 62 mm lens diameter. Both of them also able to take 4K HD video, in this case the PXW X70 will need an upgrade. The Optical Zoom and Clear Image Zoom is also the same at 12x and 24 x respectively. What makes them difference is the market Sony aimed. The AX100 is marketed towards end-user or customer, while the PXW X70 is marketed toward professional or movie students. When choosing between both, you should think about what you are going to use the camera for. If you only want to take HD video for personal used, we recommend you the lighter and cheaper AX100.
