Customer Ratings & Reviews

Received my camera today. It was described as "Open Box", "Condition Excellent", and I agree. There is no damage or even sign of use on the camera or accessories and everything was included and nicely packed into the original box. I had read some reviews saying this was a larger HandyCam, so I got out my older HandyCams to compare. The largest is a Video8 unit from 1995. I used it 7 years and documented both of my sons' first years and many important family events. The 2002 HandyCam DVD was a nice upgrade in picture quality and convenience. It was much smaller and featured Super SteadyShot, so the video was much smoother. The AX53 is longer than the HCDVD, but not as tall. I expected to use the bag from the DVD HandyCam, but the AX53 is about 1 inch too long and doesn't fit. Well, it does fit with the battery removed but there is nowhere in the case to put the battery. Of the three cameras, the AX53 is much smaller than the Video8 HandyCam, and smaller than the DVD HandyCam in all dimensions but length. In the hand, the start/stop button, picture button, and zoom rocker are right where I expect them to be, so it feels very familiar. One point notes is that the first two came with remotes for recording and for playback, so you can wire the camera to a TV and control it across the room. The AX53 did not include a remote but can use a smartphone to control it. I've used the Sony HandyCams and a long zoom Cybershot for 25 years now, and have never had a failure. The old ones are hopelessly outdated but still work. Expecting this AX53 to continue the family tradition!

Super smooth zoom in and out,great battery life,super great picture quality

Video/photo quality is great. Menues are understandable but UI is mediocre. It’s kind of a pain to switch between different photo/vid settings. Would love to see more actual buttons instead of having to go to the menu for everything. Camera is a decent size and weight. But don’t expect to be able to take great action footage. Overall this is a good prosumer model that can handle a wide variety of needs. A jack of all trades and master of none.

Excellent Cam Corder for content creators. Also a high end option for personal users looking to capture family memories. Highly recommend anyone looking for a quality camera that can do it all very well are a competitive price.

Recomend buy 100%.......................05.05.2025..

The best camera for filming a zoomed in moving target.

Just finished a season of filming High School and Junior football games. I have 2 of these to get a wide and tight angle from the sideline. Footage is so clear and smooth when filming at 60p. Highlight videos look amazing. I have also used this camera for 2 weddings and finished product looks beautiful.

So I bought this on a decent sale after looking online for good 4K camcorders. My first trip with this camcorder was to record the totality of the 2017 Eclipse, which I used in Albany Oregon. Worked great. I love the ease of use and VERY MUCH SO the COLOR EYEPIECE which is missing from so many devices today. This works for outdoor shooting as you can CLEARLY and VIVIDLY see everything you're shooting while outdoors. Couple of caveats to know up front for those that it matters to: You cannot record in 5.1 surround sound while shooting in 4K, for me I didn't care as I don't do anything with 5.1 yet. Also the full features and benefits of the BOSS (Balanced Optical Steady Shot) image stabilization system are fully working in 1080p but only partially in 4k. However it still does a good job of stabilization in 4k. I really am partial to the Full HD 1080p 60fps recording setting. Also this camcorder can record up to 100Mbps in 4k which looks great! Another really wonderful feature of this camcorder is how wide the shot is when you zoom out. Extremely useful for shooting subjects close to you. Also it does very very well in low light. I also have a JVC GS-TD1 that does wonderful in low light and I would say that this Sony does just as good.

I bought this camera because I specifically wanted certain features. Viewfinder - When filming anything outdoors, I want a viewfinder. I bought my previous video camera used because cameras with viewfinders got so hard to find. When I became in the market again, I found this one, and the viewfinder is great and so easy to film with. Image stabilization - This is a must when filming sports or other action type shots. So far I've only used it to film a graduation parade. I was holding a camera in one hand and my sign in the other, filming the kids driving by, and I'm amazed at how great my shots are, even zooming to see the people in the car, without a bunch of shakiness. I am super impressed. High resolution - When I film my school's Christmas program I can only set a camera on a tripod, unmanned. I want a higher resolution so that I can zoom and pan in the post processing. I've not yet done it, but this higher resolution will allow me to do it with much better results than my older camera. Also the sound on this is great! At the parade, I could easily tell that the parade music was to my right when I was filming, and overall it just had a great quality. I also like how wide angle this gets, more wide than my previous camera. I took some photos with it as well and they turned out pretty well too. Not my main goal, but a nice feature. The camera is easy to hold and operate. I wish it came with a shoulder strap, but I used an old one that I hooked onto the hand strap that should work fine. The battery life seems good, but I bought an extra with an external charger, because when on trips we may be out for a whole day and I'll want to be prepared. If I can edit this later, I might add more, but so far I love this!!

Before making this purchase, I spent 6 months reviewing multiple brands and units. Haven't owned a camcorder in 25yrs, currently use my Nikon D810 with 20mm prime f1.8 and 24-70 f2.8 for the occasional 5-10 min video. That said to qualify that I have a high expectation of image clarity and color reproduction. Substandard equipment [within my budget] just won't do. By sheer luck, I came across a comment someone made about seeing this at CES and found a video accordingly. After reviewing the specs and seeing the ''bare minimum'' posted video from this particular camcorder, decided to wait and look personally when it came out. Very glad I did.... Pro's: In sunlight, 4K, this camcorder is absolutely PHENOMENAL. Color, clarity, depth of detail is simply beyond expectation. 1080P is slightly less when compared side by side, but still fantastic. You can pause a recording and see details in the image the look like a still photograph. Daylight, indoors, 4K, still produced recordings above my personal expectations. Color is great, clarity [if you have your settings and focus tracking properly] still great. Sound capture: Using only the internal mic, it's not perfect but MUCH better than expected and for home/personal use I have no need for a shotgun mic [which is available] Depending on your settings it offers Stereo, in 4K, or 5.1 surround in lower resolution. Low Light: wow, read the specs but really didn't think it would be this good. Not studio grade, but for my experience and needs pretty close. Scenes filmed on the city street, at night, 4K, are clear and colorful even handheld. In depth, real world, low light test: https://youtu.be/jA3TpopmSvw Optical stabilization: Are you kidding me? 5 axis floating head you can see move? This thing records video in low light, 4K from a moving car you can easily use for home movies [or security footage] if desired. Stop the frame and you can read the road signs going down the highway... B.O.S.S. in 1080P is even better when walking around, almost no movement. Cons: Occasionally struggles a bit in low light moving from varying depth of field objects if it's a dark subject and faster moving pan, but actually I don't see the need for that [you can also bump the focus assist to correct or simply let the camera catch up] Dropping the resolution to take advantage of 5.1 surround and additional image stabilization results in more noise [especially bare minimum lighting], but who wants that/those shots anyway. Battery life with the supplied unit isn't stellar [2-1/2 hrs +/-], better than the 90's units though ~ I'd recommend buying a spare and an external charger as it's only rechargeable using the cord when on the unit otherwise. Summation: For the money, this unit easily performs above it's level. I put it on par, perhaps better, with the more expensive AX100 for 700.00 less. Still well within my return period, have around 50hrs of recorded video used and have no buyers remorse. It's a keeper.

I own a sound recording studio, but also record live choral, orchestral and band concerts, which many of my clients ask that I record video for as well. I have been using several older Sony HDR-CX-210 camcorders for about 12 years which only operate at 1k or 1080, but enable me to have multi-camera shots and edit them and my high quality audio in post production. I have known I needed a 4k camcorder for a while, but kept putting it off because it is not my main business, recording sound is. I did a lot of research and the Sony AX53 hit all my sweet spots. But I didn't realize that 4k video it gives me is so much better, and that in post production, because the quality and resolution is so good, I can actually use it to zoom in and out of shots I've already recorded, and they still look great! So in essence, it's like I had an extra camera and cameraman, and it has an extra audio input if needed!

This isn't intended for professional use, so I won't get mad at it for not being a pro-level camera. The video quality is great. The battery life is far above expected. Stabilization and zoom are both fantastic. Manual settings are there but it's really not as convenient or comfortable as other cameras. I wish there was a zoom rocker instead of the tiny switch... but for a consumer camera that's completely fine. Again, picture quality is winning -I like it. I returned the camera because ultimately it wasn't what I needed. But I'd absolutely recommend it for anything except paid work. Not because the image quality was poor, but because for my purposes it was a little annoying to use. Certain things I look for were buried in the menu a little bit.

The best consumer grade 4K camcorder on the market. Incredible 20 optical zoom and a super steady shot for shake free ultra closeups. And the 4K image /video displayed on an OLED screen will literally blow you away. For over 30 years I was part of the video industry. This camera is worth every penny to those who want first class consumer grade video.

This camera takes amazing video and the zoom capability allows you to capture those important moments up close. Easy to use and keeps a charge for a long time. Would definitely recommend for high quality as well as ease of use.

video quality is very good. I have been using the video camara for my boys basketball games and family parties. It is easy to use even for someone like me with very minimal tech knowledge. The battery lasts beyond 3-4 basket ball games.

This video camera is the best. It fits both my husbands and my needs. It’s super clear, can zoom really well, not heavy, simple and easy to use. I can go on and on. Best purchase I’ve made!

After reading and researching camcorders, I came to this model. It is just shy of prosumer camcorders in price and specs. The lens is floating on a gimble inside the camcorder, which makes for great image stabilization for hand held recordings. I read the reviews about being on a tripod, but I don't do enough panning to notice the lens correction. HD recordings are superb, 4K could be a little better, but for the price, I was impressed. The zoom on this is amazingly creepy. You can use just optical and be happy or turn on the digital zoom and be amazed you can film fleas. If you use a lens filter, you will run into dark corners in your video at panning wide angle shots. I have yet to find a filter that this doesn't happen with, but I just zoom a little and it doesn't happen. If you use the active or intelligent stabilization, you will be unable to take still photos. This isn't listed anywhere until you buy it. The streaming service used for the "Streaming capabilities" no longer is free or at a reasonable price ($99/mo). This was a good option that I would have liked to try, but I have a Hero 7, so I wasn't devastated, just disappointed. The builtin mic is usable, it has some features that help with reducing noise and user interruptions. I was impressed with it, but I still got a shotgun mic for more direct audio. I may get a stereo mic later, but for now the builtin and my Rode are enough. Overall, this camcorder has impressed me. I am a savvy techie and it didn't take me long to find the ins and outs of the menu. It is not very intuitive, but its decent. The touch screen is not as responsive as I would like and the gimble lens does take some getting use to, but I like it. Great hand held, good tripod mountable, decent photos, and only lacking a few other features. If you are the fence, buy this one, unless Sony puts out a better model.

While we are somewhat new to the Camcorder world, we are very impressed with the quality of this camera, and with the relative ease of use. It seems to hold a charge well, the image stabilizing works well and the lens is sharp and delivers clear video imagery. There seems to be plenty of scope for filming in a wide variety of different situations. We haven't tried to film any fast-motion video (cars moving by for example), so I can't speak to that capability, but overall it does very well.

First off I want to say that Best Buy's customer service was very helpful with this purchase. I made the mistake of purchasing my camera as an open box item in an effort to save a few hundred dollars and, in addition to the box having looked as though it had been through a war, the camera was physically dirty and did not function properly. Recording in 4K mode was not possible and caused the camera to crash immediately. Upset, I contacted my local Best Buy store and they immediately set up a return at the store with no questions asked and I was able repurchase it as brand new. No fuss, no hassle. Now, on to the camcorder itself. The new one functions absolutely perfect and is excellent. The 4K video is beautiful looking and the image stabilization is far and away the best I have ever experienced. The 20X zoom is great and thanks to the image stabilization I can hold the image steady easily when zoomed fully in. The camera boots up very fast which is great for capturing those quick family moments. Although it does have some manual control settings, it is mostly focused on the casual user who just wants to pick it up and easily record beautiful footage quickly and automatically. The "Intelligent Auto" mode achieves this with fantastic results. I love having a camcorder that I can just pickup and start recording without fiddling with settings and still achieve professional looking results. When you do want to play with the settings, the 3 inch capacitive touchscreen works great and is every bit as responsive as a quality smart phone screen. I also like that it has an actual viewfinder instead of only relying in the flip out screen. While the screen is great, I find that I can see better using the viewfinder when I'm out in bright sunlight. For what I use it for, which is family memories and vacations, this camcorder is ideal. Just don't buy it as an open box item, as I found out the hard way.

A long time ago, I bought a Sony trinitron tv and it had the most beautiful picture. Sony is known for quality. I didn't like those Sony cyber-shots. They lost me then. Then, I bought a Sony HDR CX150 and that is real nice little camcorder. My complaint is that when i zoomed in and out, i had to do it slowly because my picture would blur and then refocus. that little camcorder, i could put in my pocket or a purse. that blur doesn't happen on the AX53. The AX53 has the moving lens, so you don't have to be standing perfectly still. it moves with you. it's a LOT bigger camcorder, but, it has a lot more in it. It records in 4k, in keeping up with technology. i asked best buy what are the prices on 4k tv's and, they're very reasonable. i have not reviewed 4k on a 4k tv yet, but i'm sure it will be everything i imagine and what i've been told. the camcorder is easy to operate and i found a you tube on it. that's someone else personal experience outside of what you read on the manual. i think it's a very good camcorder. i'm happy with it.