Sony FDR-AX53
Crutchfield customer from Simi Valley, CA on 3/13/2021
Needed to shoot football games in 4K. Trainwreck! My iPhone 11 PM killed it in every aspect with the exception of zoom. About the zoom, both this camcorder and the iPhone 11 leave a lot to be desired if you want to maintain a clear image while zoomed. Dinosaur of a design, 4K/30 ... my iPhone records 4K/60 and without much if any notable shake. A complete waste of time and money. Am sending it back and trading-up my iPhone in for an 8K Samsung S-21 Ultra.
Pros: None.
Cons: As stated above.
1 of 4 found this helpful
Very Nice Camera
Crutchfield customer from East Falmouth, MA on 12/6/2020
Very nice camera, great image quality and functionality, even though it's a little on large size. Crutchfield made the whole experience easy with expert help.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Sony Handycam FDR-AX53
Crutchfield customer from Pontotoc, MS on 11/10/2020
We use this camera along with two others (FDR-X53), for live streaming. Great cameras! Setup and picture quality is great! Ease of use is outstanding!
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1 of 4 found this helpful
Sony Handycam FDR-AX53
Guest from Charlottesvle, VA on 6/25/2020
Great camera with one issue. If you need to use the audio line in, there is allot of noise that is very difficult to completely eliminate.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Easier than a DSL camera with same quality results
Crutchfield customer from Madison, WI on 5/9/2019
Best priced cam for taking 4k video. You do have to buy SD cards as there is no internal storage, The zoom is great at 20X. Picture of course is awesome. This has the sony stabilization which is great. A Zeiss lens which I would buy the camera just for that, Nice touch screen menu that is pretty easy to follow.
Pros: Stabilization Zeiss lens 4K! Menu
Cons: No internal storage
1 of 2 found this helpful
Sony Handycam FDR-AX53
Daniel from Austin, TX on 2/2/2019
My daughter has used this camera for more than a year and is quite happy with the ability to upload videos to her classmates. Based on her experiences, we decided to purchase this second camera for my use as a video diary for the dogs and me. This will be a great asset considering the videos will be stored on external hard drives until edited unto m-discs which last 1000 years. Our current library consists of 8mm digital tapes which we are in the grueling process of digitizing onto the computer drives. We hope we can them converted before they deteriorate as some are 29 years old. The load time from the 8mm to computer is as long as the video i.e. two hour video, two hour capture time. Fortunately any new footage created with the AX-53 can be loaded as fast as inserting the memory card into the computer port. My daughter does everything with her smart phone, but my abilities are restricted to computer applications. Very anxious to try the wifi feature with her phone and the two cameras together. Crutchfield has exceeded my wildest expectation of customer service. They are truly loyal to their customers and definitely carry the best bargain. When you research the industry like me, you will find your business at Crutchfield every time.
Pros: Crutchfield great company to do business with, oh sorry the camera future proofs for 4k tv viewing, eliminates need to store films, quick up or download to computer or phone, wifi connectability
Cons: Vel-cro strap too small for my giant hand. Would like to get four fingers in there, but room for only three. Looks strange with pinky sticking out.
5 of 5 found this helpful
Amazing picture
Cirilo from Bakersfield, CA on 1/28/2018
Amazing picture and sound recording, very easy to use
Pros: Greasy quality video, gray sound recording and takes great pictures to
Cons: A tad big,
1 of 3 found this helpful
outstanding video quality
Gene from Closter, NJ on 1/21/2018
I purchased this camcorder because of its outstanding video quality and BOSS stabilization feature and it did not disappoint. The video quality was just stunning, even in low light. Colors and detail were so lifelike. BOSS kept the videos nice and steady, correcting even when I was filming while walking around. I would say there are 3 downsides to this product though and they manifest themselves because of the way I shoot. - the 0.24" viewfinder is small and since I shoot sports I couldn't make out what was happening on the field very well. I tried shoot by the monitor but it takes getting used to - the camcorder form factor doesn't encourage two-handed shooting. Even with the great BOSS system, I still wanted to use two hands but it takes time to adapt if you're used to a DSLR/mirrorless camera - the display shows some controls on the left in a gray bar super-imposed on the live video view so you can't see everything that is captured Other limitations to be aware off - auto-focus is just average but predictable. Not fast, not slow, not great but not bad in any sense of the word - the "take photo" button is right by the zoom lever and very easy to hit when zooming. I actually wouldn't have minded if it just took a picture but in certain modes it says it can't take a picture and that message box covers up what you are filming
Pros: outstanding video quality great resolution, incredible colors BOSS stabilization keeps your videos steady SmartPhone remote control is very useful articulating screen connections for external microphone
Cons: viewfinder is small camcorder form factor takes getting used to gray bar in live view take photo button build quality doesn't inspire confidence
3 of 3 found this helpful
Sony Handycam FDR-AX53
Crutchfield customer from San Diego, CA on 10/17/2017
Excellent image quality in all hd or 4k settings. Also allows you to make a smaller mp4 video simultaneously for easily sharing to smartphone. Image stabilization is the best. Great for shots of kids performances even at a distance.
Pros: excellent picture, stabilization, and wifi
Cons: little to large for fitting in your pocket
4 of 5 found this helpful
Sony Handycam FDR-AX53
Jacob from Taylor, Michigan on 5/31/2017
Great beginners camera. Easy controls. Excellent picture quality and easy to use.
Pros: Lightweight, easy controls, easy to use, 4K on a budget
Cons: No light
2 of 4 found this helpful
Great image sensor and features. Major image stabilization issues.
Jeff from Plano, TX on 5/25/2017
Takes great video, but has some major issues with image stabilization that I can't live with. a) The BOSS stabilization system overshoots when you pan. Pan along and when you stop panning, the lens keeps moving a bit and then comes back a bit. To stop on a subject you have to fight the camera lens movement. Very difficult to keep a subject centered a higher zoom levels when the camera is moving the lens around. b) The image stabilization just turns off when it wants to. Shooting my son's Spring choir performance on a non-fluid tripod. Image stabilization was working as I was panning around the stage. When a solo came up, I zoomed in on a microphone and singer. All of a sudden, on my next pan, the image stabilization had turned off and the video jerked all over the place. Totally unacceptable! Haven't had this camcorder for a week and I'm pretty much done with it already.
Pros: Nice features. Great auto control. Very small. Nice zoom levels. Very low noise in low light.
Cons: Image stabilization issues. Keeps wandering when you stop panning. Must fight the camera to keep the subject centered. Image stabilization turns itself off whenever it wants to.
8 of 9 found this helpful
Nice up grade
Clayton from Kennett Square, PA on 2/15/2017
This camera is a very nice step up from my entry level camcorder. I was not sure I wanted to spring for the cost but now I have used it I feel the step up in quality of image makes the price fair. The image stabilization makes for much better hand held shots but it is not a replacement for a tripod. If you are a Mac user be aware that Mac does not support the AVCHD shooting mode. Is there a problem between Sony, Panasonic and Apple? All camcorders should have eye viewers like this as screens are mostly impossible to view outdoors. Zoom in and out worked much smoother than my old camcorder.
Pros: image quality simplicity of touch screen control
Cons: still are better off using a tripod Mac does not support the AVCHD shooting mode.
10 of 10 found this helpful
Sony Handycam FDR-AX53
Terry from Owasso, OK on 2/3/2017
Love the camera! I hadn't seen one in person before ordering it and was worried that it might be to large. When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by it's size which is just about perfect. Top quality and easy to use. Crutchfield's rep led me to the right camera and provided awesome service.
Pros: Size, ease of use and awesome picture quality. The camera has several features that are closer to pro cameras.
Cons: A bit expensive.
4 of 6 found this helpful
very sweet
Diana from Stanardsville,VA on 6/27/2016
Just return from Yellowstone NP love filming Wildlife,so zooming was great, video looked fantastic on my 4K TV.Had other Sony cams ,this one has a eyepiece 20 optical zoom and Great Steady shot.Surprised a little by the weight slightly noisy when turned on.
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3 of 3 found this helpful
