HDR-FX1 Review
DV Mag by Adam Wilt 
It's a 1080i/60, 16:9 camcorder for $3,700! Very good MPEG-2 encoding for the bitrate. Decent HD pictures with great down-conversion, 480i DV recording, and legacy SD support. Wide 4.5 mm lens with smooth zoom and focus. Daylight-viewable LCD. Dual Shot Transition presets for programmable moves; six tweakable picture profiles. The HDR-FX1 is the DCR-VX1000 of the high-definition world: It's the first HD camcorder combining truly acceptable pictures, sufficient image tweaks, smooth operational controls, and a price lower than the original VX1000's. This consumer camera, along with its more capable but more expensive sibling the HVR-Z1, makes HD shooting affordable for the masses. It won't displace Varicams and CineAltas, but it brings HD acquisition to a vastly wider market. The HDR-FX1 is Sony's first foray into the brave new world of HDV, and it's a creditable first attempt (www.sony.com). Imagine a DCR-VX2100 that just happens to shoot 1080i/60 HD, as well as 480i/60 DV, and you've got a pretty good handle on its performance. The FX1's images have many of the same attributes as VX2100 images, both good and bad, and the camera shares many design traits of its DV predecessors, even as it adds new capabilities and features. Read more...
It's a 1080i/60, 16:9 camcorder for $3,700! Very good MPEG-2 encoding for the bitrate. Decent HD pictures with great down-conversion, 480i DV recording, and legacy SD support. Wide 4.5 mm lens with smooth zoom and focus. Daylight-viewable LCD. Dual Shot Transition presets for programmable moves; six tweakable picture profiles. The HDR-FX1 is the DCR-VX1000 of the high-definition world: It's the first HD camcorder combining truly acceptable pictures, sufficient image tweaks, smooth operational controls, and a price lower than the original VX1000's. This consumer camera, along with its more capable but more expensive sibling the HVR-Z1, makes HD shooting affordable for the masses. It won't displace Varicams and CineAltas, but it brings HD acquisition to a vastly wider market. The HDR-FX1 is Sony's first foray into the brave new world of HDV, and it's a creditable first attempt (www.sony.com). Imagine a DCR-VX2100 that just happens to shoot 1080i/60 HD, as well as 480i/60 DV, and you've got a pretty good handle on its performance. The FX1's images have many of the same attributes as VX2100 images, both good and bad, and the camera shares many design traits of its DV predecessors, even as it adds new capabilities and features. Read more...
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