Product Reviews

I have had a Sony HDR-CX130E for many years now and it has been great. However I feel that I would like an upgrade with a few more features and this FDR-AX53 really fits the bill. I love the design and the extra weight which must contribute to steadiness. I haven’t had the opportunity to use it yet but with a holiday in Cornwall coming up and a wedding in September I’m sure it will be given a thorough testing.

Excellent camera to use indoors and outside when there is cloud cover or when the sun is not too bright, otherwise there is the same problem as with all cameras i.e seeing the subject in the monitor; also not easy in the viewfinder.

I bought this camera for 3 reasons. (1) to replace an HVR-Z5 as transferring images into Premiere is no longer easy. (2) good steady-shot and 4K recording functions (3) it's light and easy to handle. The limited ability to operate multiple functions in manual mode is frustrating. The "door" covering the multi-function shoe is flimsy and when open it rattles. A few more functions from the AX700 would be welcome.

I particularly wanted a handy-cam and was pleased with my choice. The quality is excellent and it is easy to use. Only annoyances is the button on the side that switches it to manual focus, which can easily be knocked and not noticed during night filming and the viewfinder not displaying as clear & focused view as that of the pull out display.

This was an excellent choice on my part it has all I could have wished for in a Camcorder. Only had it a about a week so still learning all of the features. It is well built and in comparison to the cheaper Camcorders out there is well worth the extra money.

I am not an expert with camera's. I use this mostly to film my kids hockey and rugby games. After a month of use I can give this a great review. It has a great picture and keeps up with the action. It is easy to use right out of the box for someone like me that really doesn't know what everything does. To be fair that would be with any camera. I would certainly recommend it to sports parents that are looking to capture their kids events.

Had this camera for around 4 weeks now and I can honestly say what a brilliant bit of kit this is the zoom is well just amazing and the built in gimbal well that’s another massive bonus to this camera holds the image stable even when on full zoom ,the picture quality is fantastic,Also the still photos are great even thou it’s not built for that really but you wouldn’t think so,it maybe made back in 2016 but your be hard to find a better cam corder than the AX 53 in 2024 with what this camera as, only draw back is it comes with te small battery which depending on how you use the camera will last about a hour or just over and you need to purchase a couple of longer life battery’s apart from that Happy Days ⭐️

I am a keen videographer of railways and after 16years my SR7 required replacement. After much research and assistance from The Sony Centre in Falkirk I decided to purchase the AX53. I have now completed a number of projects with great results. The camera is so easy to operate in auto mode and the zoom to wide transition is so smooth.

Just bought ... I'm already very happy, 'cause the camera has great FUllHD-HighFps / 4k features. Very simple to use; I'm quite sure I will buy an other unit, because we are going to use it combined during our sport competitions (Judo) to allow multi-angle-views. Great product, great lens !

The Cover hiding the connectiondevice for microphones and so on should be of a more solid Design . It Van Break easier…… Otherwise: a nice Mashine,

I have used this Handycam for a week now and having had several other makes in the recent past, this one is, as far as I can tell, pretty much the best value on the market. Using in full Auto delivers pro like results first time. add a rubber cup to the EVF and it works in strong sunlight too. Stabilisation is outstanding in 4K and HD. Picture quality is excellent and the still shots are pretty good too. 9/10 over all from me

FANTASTIC PICTURE QUALITY - ONBOARD STABILIZATION IS THE BEST I HAVE USED. ALL ROUND WINNER.

Piecing my life together I needed support toward my sansung monitor/computer and telly 4K style. Interestingly I will use the HDR AX53 ARTISTICALLY to develope my art and poetry... The structure of acquiring

This Sony ax53 has a stunning image stabilization system. I have had several top of the range Sony cameras since 1986. This one tops it all. The image is so still that even if you film from a car in motion it looks like you were filming standing on the ground with a sturdy tripod. Really stunning!

Received camera on 8/4/22. Worked well until 9/24/22 when my Shure microphone no longer functioned. Replaced mike iwh new microphone and it also didn't function. Conclusion AX53 mic jack faulty. Purchased another microphone (Sony) that runs from hot shoe. Both it & internal mic function. Day after new mic used I experienced difficulty with SD card. Not sure where that problem is located, Thinking not a Sony problem because camera will play both still and movies but no files can be found when card is read in computer. Otherwise I am happy with the AX53 and what I produced before I lost sound recording. I will complete this review and iwhhold further rating after the wired microphone issue its resolved, Also might mention that I cannot use the Sony smartphone app on the AX53 but did get I to work on a Sony A99.

I bought this camera for about 2 weeks ago. I read the many good reviews, and i`m very glad I bought this camera

I have produced a few you tube videos with The FDR-AX53 and am pleased with the results. All videos filed in September were made with the FDR-AX53 and can be viewed at my channel- FreeLiveMusicFortPierceFL

Compact , easy-to-use all in one unit built in options

The FDR-AX53 is exceptionel better than my former Sony Camcorder. The focal length for wide angle shots is very good and the easier use of assigning different functions to the manual ring is also more comfortable. All in all a very good camera for daily use.

Bought this a month or so ago and have used it 4 times, once for a 1.5 hour sporting event. Very happy with it. Areas for improvement would be the phone app. I have not been able to connect to the camera. That process is very arcane and needs a lot of improvement. I think that app itself needs to be completely rewritten and fixed. Other than that, I am happy with it.

Got this for Christmas, spent a couple of days familiarising myself with camera and terminology, now I just need to practice with my editing suite.

Love the camera so far. The recordings look great and they look great on tv

Purchased recently as an upgrade to 4k from the sony CX410VE which still gives super HD video and if the AX53 performs as long I shall be more than satisfied. As well as the higher resolution video, the impressive lens, with super zoom capabilities the additional eye piece, whilst small, still allows more accurate framing when reflection on the screen simply makes the flip-out useless, an annoyance with the CX410VE. The use of the "manual" settings is taking a bit to learn but there are some options to fully automatic. Yet the auto settings seem to answer for many situations. The AX53 does have a few issues, as already mentioned the eye piece is too small and does not have a soft rubber surround, the flip out screen is no bigger than the CX410VE at 3 inch and finding a suitable lens hood is still ongoing after one abortive purchase. But the camcorder is a lovely handful, substantial and adaptable to my hobby needs.

I am amazed how stable video I can get with full zoom and no tripod! 4K is sharp! Videos look great on big screen.

I am always impressed by the video quality both HD and 4k. Also the still photos are excellent.

This cam was a replacement for my old long-serving Canon cassette camcorder. It has much more tech as one would expect and as soon as Covid allows I will be using it to the fullest extent. On the advice of the Brummie on uTube I have umpteen accessories like Rhode mike and lens filters which are probably not necessary but boys will be boys with toys! Two tandem recording formats are so cool so buy it!

I bought the FDR-AX53 about 2 years ago - I am not sorry that I did so - it is amazing - for me, I am not a professional, but expect good results from my cameras - this Video Camera is wonderful - it surpasses my expectations in every possible way . . . be it sharpness and also it's got a magnificent stabilisation that i've never encountered something like it before . . . what can I say I'd rate this video camera 5 stars - if there were more I would rate it at the highest possible rating.

We have only had 2 months and it is already not working. Getting error message that it can’t write to any media. This is the second Sony that has not performed. This should be covered under warranty since we just bought, but that means we will be without a camera for a while. My iPhone seems to be the only reliable video I can count on. So frustrating!

This camera does everything I need it to do. Excellent Picture, Excellent Sound, Excellent Gimbal Feature and Great Colours. Down side, limited manual fictionality! You setup shutter speed everything els goes into auto mode, this means you have to decide whats more important at the time of shooting your movie that can change in post-production, otherwise a great camera.

I’ve had this a year now and have been very impressed with its performance. Both the video and the still shots. The stabilisation is fantastic.

The AX53 is a mixed bag. I'm upgrading from an XR-500. The good... Image stabilization and 4K quality is superb. That's pretty much what you're buying the camera for. Quick auto focus, and great zooming abilities. Negatives...Exposure in auto mode is terrible. The old camera did so much better. Anything faster than the slowest pans are not clear. The design is clunky and bigger than the XR-500 to handle the huge lens. If not using a tripod, hand fatigue sets in quickly, as it never did on the XR-500. Major disappointment.... most of the "cool" features including 5.1 surround, slow motion, etc. are not possible in 4K.Come on Sony, help us pro-sumers out. If were shelling out the $ for 4K we want those features usable in 4K. Had I know this, I probably would have not purchased this camera. In a nutshell, quality is great, features are severely limited in 4K.

Pros: Great picture quality on default settings Excellent battery life Built in image stabilisation gimbal (worked well for walking selfie vlog) Great zoom (stable when hand held due to the gimbal too) Cons: very little control over settings (limited to one setting at a time and everything else must be auto. EG: you can change aperture but not at same time as ISO Maybes: other reviews said no ND filter is a problem. I bought an attachable one but haven't tested for the difference yet. I watched dozens of review of this camera (and the AX43 I wanted, but was never in stock - the difference being the viewfinder this has which i didn't need) before choosing a camcorder over a camera for vlogging like the ZV1. It is slightly heavier than equivalent cameras but it has longer battery life and built in image stabilising gimbal. I saw lots of reviews having issues with maximum recording duration on the camera-as-video devices (overheating + film time limits) but this has had no limitations in my first few weeks of use and testing. The photos are OK but not amazing. It doesn't do a great Bokeh effect as everything is pin sharp. If I knew more about cameras and taking nice photos and setting things like ISO then maybe camera options would be better, but for a video first, turn on and film, don't worry about settings, have both audio in and audio out to monitor and check sound whilst recording, this has been a good choice.

Both the lens and picture quality are first class with stunning close up images. Menus are easy to navigate and it feels like a quality piece of kit. Purchased this is July and the first one would not record in 4K and closed the camera down every time you tried. A search of the web shows this to be a rare fault and the replacement has had no issues at all. Value for money it’s not cheap but supplies of all 4K cameras seem constrained due to chip shortage worldwide and it is in my view worth the premium paid

Purchased 1 1/2 months ago...easy to use...outstanding product

4k plus 5.1 surround not supported. 4k recording transfer to BluRay disc not supported. H.265 coding not built-in. Very disappointed with unsatisfactory futures and limited 4k use. Without obtaining the above no product should have been sold in the market.

I've had this camera for about two weeks. The picture quality is very good, especially when coupled with the superb built-in stabilization, both mechanical and software (in HD mode, camera can use the unused sensor pixels to further steady the shot). I wanted a small form factor to shoot candidly, but Sony did cripple this camera, I assume so it would not compete with it's more robust cousins that can shoot "full manual". You can set aperture, shutter speed or gain (iso) manually, but only one at a time - the other two will always stay on automatic, and you have no idea what they are set at when shooting. A couple of ways to get around it would be to use the exposure adjustment, and to keep the shutter speed low on bright days, use a neutral density (ND) filter. The zoom is quiet - I haven't noticed any noise being picked up by the mic. There are two speeds, depending on how far you push the rocker switch - I wish there was a menu option to choose variable or fixed, as my $200 Canon Vixia R800 has. It's nice having a viewfinder, but it is small and they blew it by not including an eye cup so you could actually use it. And no lens hood? You will get lens flare shooting outside on sunny days if the sun is anywhere in front of the camera - these small things matter and I would gladly pay a few bucks more for an included hood.

Bought last night. Seems easy to use, and is very good in low light. Happy so far.

Great camcorder, just be cautious of the price you buy it at. The quality is nice, the built-in microphone knocked off a star for me, but easy fix with external options and post-processing. The manual says to use PlayMemories app, but I had a little more luck with Imaging Edge Mobile. Nice battery life, easy to use.

This is my 3rd Camcorder and I love the product takes great Movies

I have been using the FDR-AX53 for about a month to record my YouTube videos and the video quality is superb. Ultra fast focus and crisp details. Easy to use menu make it very user friendly.

I bought this one month ago. It is very good for video and photo

Basic shooting with the camera is simple enough, the viewfinder is excellent and the controls fall easily to hand. Where it goes to pot is in the interface to the computer. I use a Macbook Pro and to transfer video files you first need to install Sony proprietary software (Playmemories Home). This is where Sony have failed miserably. The software cannot be installed on a modern operating system computer (ie Sierra) and the Sony support pages are an unmitigated nightmare. I bought a high end SD card in the hope the movie would record onto that but there seems to be no way of actually recording onto the SD card (The camera defaults to its internal memory. This camera is therefore ultimately only any good for people shooting traditional family baby film and playing them back direct from the camera onto a television. This is not a camera for professional or semi professional use. I wish I had bought one of the other cameras on my short list. I will be seeking to return it to Amazon tomorrow.

I brought this camera 3 weeks ago. I have now used this camera a few times now and never fails to disappoint me with its crystal clear videos, sound and photos it creates

This is my third hand held Sony camera and they’ve only get better. The picture quality in 4k is awesome - just like looking through a window The stabiliser is excellent even in telephoto mode It has a limited range of manual settings at the same time but can manage volume, exposure and spot focus together which is all you need generally My previous camera the AX 33 was used aa a B camera in professional productions and cuts in with my FS5 beautifully Well done Sony

I purchased this a month ago on line without seeing it first, it’s been a great buy. A lot of online reviews helped with my decision. It’s only been used in practice so far to prepare for the summer months. I’m more than happy to recommend this easy to use Handycam from Sony to anyone considering this model.

I brought this camera to use on our paranormal investigations so mainly used to shoot in night vision. amazing quality ! (we have added and additional ir light to the camera and also an external mic

It’s easy to use. The zoom is better than expected and the picture quality is excellent.

Since I purchased this product two years ago to film sporting play-by-play, I have not be disappointed! I have definitely used it for more than my initially intended use.

The camera takes great video and had good image stabilization, but once the touch screen stops working, (which appears to be a common problem) you can no longer use the camera. There are no manual buttons to get into the menus etc without the touchscreen.

Have been using a camera phone (S20) for a few months and have been fairly happy until you have to zoom. So started using a DSLR for more distant videos but keeping the hand shake to a minimum is difficult. Bought the AX53 as I was fed up with both of the above and the fact there is a £100 cashback offer. The quality and stabilisation is phenomenal, very happy with results even in low light. Would definitely recommend buying one even if its for a novice like me, just point and record.

Purchased this to replace/use along side my Panasonic for my youtube channel after researching, not had chance to use it yet.

Bought this for ease of use and got more than I bargained for. Fantastic image stablilization. I shoot a lot of extreme sports and it works great, never out of focus.

I bought this to replace my 6 years old Sony PJ530e to enable shooting in 4K. The AX53 feels comfortable in the hand and very easy to use. Compare to the previous camcorder this is a little big bigger and heavier, though comfortably so, giving a feeling of good balance and accessibility for shooting video. I have only had this model for less than 2 weeks, so haven't had the opportunity to do much other than test its capabilities. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I hope to get out and about to more fully explore the potential - mainly for own personal video work, though does have capability to be used for semi-pro work. So far I am very pleased pleased with picture quality, both video and still, though for the latter I would still use my Nikon digital SLR. Overall an excellent point and shoot camcorder, with much more ability to step up with manual controls available through the menu system.

I think it's time to add a 4 stacked super 35 full frame film sensors and with recording in raw h.264 avc mpeg 4 And raw hevc h.265 and raw fvc h.266 all with a 1:1 lossless avi with with a maximum of 90,000GB file for a full maximum quality and a battery life of 5 weeks of straight recording non stop with a built in unlimited storage non removable and reinforced microphones for a top premium quality crisp and clear and loud sound with a raw audio format with aiff encoding with a resolution of 192khz 24bit Stereo + full range sound quality and a 8000 crisp image zoom with 8k 60fps.

hi all just to say as a real-world user of this camera must say it beat my expectations I bought mine from castle camera Bournemouth as at the present time there the only one I could find with stock if you wish to fit a lens hood then your have to get a 55mm to 72mm step up ring and a 72mm petal lens hood which works perfectly with the BOSS stabilization system of the camera

The Steady shot system is really great, keeps the image steady even when zoomed in. Not quite so good if trying to walk and film in 4K, slight side to side jitter in playback. Picks up wind noise outside. Side screen not very easy to use in bright sun light, viewfinder is fine, but need to remove glasses to use properly. Use it on fully automatic and it produces great quality film.