Shooting your own 4K video may be closer than you think.
Sony's new $4,500 FRD-AX1 camcorder, announced Wednesday at IFA in Berlin, puts 4K video in the palm of your hand and stores the content on XQD memory cards.
The FRD-AX1 is not necessarily a camcorder you’d buy for capturing home movies. Sony is targeting the "prosumer" market for this particular device -- think wedding videographers and independent filmmakers who want to capture the best video possible for a client but may not have the funds to purchase a professional rig.
Available in mid October, Sony's FRD-AX1 can record 4K video (3840 x 2160) at 60p, but if you’d rather shoot in HD, the camcorder also records 1920 x 1080 video at 60p. A 64GB card holds roughly 1 hour of video.
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In addition to the 4K camcorder, Sony also announced a new music video recorder, called HDR-MV1, with linear PCM microphones for high-quality sound and high-definition video. The camcorder pairs with smartphones via NFC and uses your phone as a viewfinder.
HDR-MV1 can record sound better than you average camcorder (or even some of the high end models out there). The camera has a wide-angle capable of getting the entire group in the shot, and can be ideal for small indie bands who want to record a performance and share it on social media.
I had the opportunity to get a quick hands-on time with the camcorder and walked away impressed, particularly with the quality of audio the pint-sized camcorder was able to capture. While I can see its use for music videos, it could also come in handy for video bloggers and other types of video in which audio is the most important part of the recording.
The HRD-MV1 will ship in November for $299.