Sony HDRFX1000 High Definition MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

Stay away from them

I purchaized FX1000 form Amazon two months ago to videotape theatrical performances at home. I have chosen it because of good low light specification (1.5Lux) and made the right choice. With correct manual settings (most important - maximum gain <15dB) it produces excellent picture for poorly lit scenes as well as for scenes under artificial (pure red, blue, green) lightling. Low-light noise is slightly worse than for VX2100 that is known champion for such conditions (1.0Lux). However, resolution is much better than for VX2100: I can hardly see pixelization or any artifacts on 6ft x 4ft screen (using Sony HD projector).The only drawback is very small menu wheel that is difficult to use (much worse than in VX2100).Otherwise, after 30h of videotaping in very demanding conditions it works wery well. Definitely this is not point-and-shoot camera. It has tons of knobs and switches (nicley described in the manual) and you have to invest some time and patience to get amazing results.Although this is my first HD camera (I owned Sony VX2100 for 2.5 years) and I have nothing to compare it with, I give it 5 stars because I do not see any serious drawbacks.August 2010 addition: Now I own it for 17 months, have taped ~60h of video and camera works great.

For the most part, this camera is easy to figure out coming from using a Sony VX 2100 to this. But, my problem with it so far is that it sounds faintly like a coffee maker in record mode, and gets louder the longer it is recording.The first one that was sent to my house was so loud that I returned it in exchange for a new one. This one is not quite as loud, but still does sound somewhat like a coffee maker especially after 5 minutes of recording. At first, you can only hear it up to your ear. Then, after a few minutes, you can be 2 feet away from the camera and hear it.So far, that is my only complaint. I have only shot one wedding with it so far and have not edited the footage to see the difference in picture quality yet.

I previously purchased the Sony HDR-FX1 a couple of years ago and when it was time to purchase a second camera to add to my growing video company, I bought the HDR-FX1000 since it was advertised as a better version of the FX1. The very first thing I shot with this camera was an indoor awards ceremony where the lights in the auditorium were pretty dim. I shot this event with both cameras. Because the FX1000 has a lower lux rating I expected this camera to be able to give better and brighter images in the low light conditions. In fact, the footage from the FX1 looked MUCH better. While the FX1000 image was brighter, this increase in brightness came with a tremendous increase in the amount of "grain" in the image. The FX1 image was a slight bit darker but the image was significantly cleaner. Given the trade off, I decided that the cleaner image in the long run was more important for me and returned the FX1000 for another FX1.RLN

I 've just received FX 1000 from Prostreet1 today. It 's very well packed. Indeed it's Used - Like new. This cam is a upgrade from my VX 2000 (Don't laugh at me. I have just captured a funeral by VX 2000 on Jannuary 2015. Pictures came out very good when play back DVD on Blueray player with HDMI cable connection on medium TV. Surprise me! It just appears grain on 50 '' TV: not bad.That 's also a reason I need a backup and upgrade to this HD cam. I read a "Videomaker's 2009 Best Tape Camcorder: Sony HDR-FX1000 HDV Camcorder Review." and some reviews here. I feel it's a gift (A camcorder bag - very nice) I did try to capture and use some functions. All work very well. Very good in low light and good for my budget :)

I bought the Sony FX1000 as I wanted a semi pro video camera to use for my own videos. I have a background in TV production and found the manual controls great to use. The image quality is brilliant.Being digital you can import the footage straight into you computer to edit.The movies I have filmed have looked great, sounded good and have been fun to produce. If you want a great camera, this is it.

Great value!

This camcorder can see in the dark, it was a great choice for dance shows (bad lighting, change all the time). Build to last, and its nice to keep MiniDV as a backup. Large battery good for 7-8 hours (lots of zoom action)Can't find anything negative.