POV Camera News

Sony stepped up its 4K game at CES. The company introduced a powerful and tough new POV  camera, the 4K Action Cam. The new model, known as the FDR-X1000V, is a compact, splash-proof POV camera that allows users to easily capture stunning 4K content (3840x2160@30p 100Mbps1/60Mpbs), which can be played back on a compatible 4K TV directly from the camera through HDMI. It also features enhanced HD video performance with upgraded stabilization, image quality and high-frame rate shooting.

The FDR-X1000V features a ZEISS Tessar lens with an ultra-wide angle 170˚ field of view, a back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and a BIONZ X processor—ensuring that video quality remains consistently strong across all shooting environments.

The new 4K Action camera borrows the full pixel readout technology from other high-end Sony cameras. This allows the camera to read and process data from all of the sensor’s pixels to create smooth, highly detailed 4K and HD videos in a variety of formats including MP4 and the high data stream XAVC S codec.

The Sony 4K Action Cam FDR-X1000V will go on sale in March for $500 and is packaged with the SPK-X1 waterproof case. The Action Cam FDR-X1000VR bundle adds the RM-LVR2 Live View Remote and will be sold for about $600.

Sony FDR-AX33

Sony also introduced a traditional camcorder at CES that can shoot 4K, which retails for just under $1,000. Called the FDR-AX33, its Sony’s first 4K camcorder featuring the acclaimed Balanced Optical SteadyShot (B.O.SS) image stabilization technology. B.O.SS stabilization technology is designed to capture 4K video that is smooth, stable and blur-free at focal lengths ranging from wide-angle to extended telescopic zoom.

This can be useful during 4K shooting, where stabilization is often a challenge due to the immense amount of data in each frame. 4K video can be recorded by the camera in the advanced XAVC S video format at an extremely high bit rate of 100 Mbps, allowing each frame to be packed with detail and with minimal distortion thanks to high speed sensor readout. 

For advanced videographers, the new 4K camcorder includes a customizable manual ring and manual button that can be assigned to key functions like zoom, focus and exposure adjustments etc. The camera is equipped with a high-performance electronic viewfinder approximately 3x the resolution of previous models, and a 3.0” Wide Xtra Fine LCD WhiteMagic display that performs well in all shooting environments including bright sunlight. 

Post shooting, 4K video content shot with the FDR-AX33 camcorder can be played back directly on a compatible 4K television through the supplied HDMI cable, or in super-sampled Full HD is connected to an HDTV. The camcorder can also “trim” 4K images from video frames, enlarging a chosen portion of the frame to fill the screen with Full HD quality. In this mode, trimming size can be changed with a zoom lever or on-screen icon. Also, with support of 4K still image capture, users can extract and save 8.3 MP still images from 4K movie footage without impacting the impressive 4K video quality.

The 4K-shooting Sony FDR-X1000V will go on sale in February for $999.