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 The old ones are hopelessly outdated but still work.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!

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.

The best camera for filming a zoomed in moving target.

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.

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.

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

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.

I bought the AX53 shortly after the birth of our first child, wanting something that was better for video than my phone (Pixel 3xl). I have zero regrets with this purchase as it's allowed my to effortlessly capture hours and hours of memories in surprisingly high quality. When picking a camcorder, picture and sound quality, and ease of use were the only important criteria. I knew 4K was going to be a must, and contemplated spending more, up to 2.5x more, for HDR (looking at Sony's AX100 and 700 cams, as well as those from Canon and Panasonic). I also was interested in trying to find a camcorder that would shoot in 5.1 surround while in 4k mode, but this wasn't possible inside the price range I was considering. I've owned other Sony imaging products, with my main camera being an a6300, so having a common hot shoe interface was definitely a plus, and I knew Sony sensors are among the best for imagine quality which is what drove me here. After hours of comparison videos on YouTube and reviews and forum posts, I finally landed on the AX53 primarily for one reason: the absurdly amazing optical image stabilization. They describe it as having what is essentially an internal gimbal, and after hours of usage in a variety of scenarios (walking around, zooming in, etc) I can say without a doubt that this is the greatest feature of this camera. Generally, if you're not using a tripod, your videos are going to be annoyingly shaky. This simply isn't an issue in the vast majority of scenarios with the AX53. It's the reason I chose this one over the slightly superior imagine quality of the 1" sensor on the AX100, which is relatively close in cost. That one has no optical stabilization, so the trade-off in image quality was easily worth it. That being said, I'm also very satisfied with how great the videos look. Watching them using the included HDMI cable on both a 55" 4K TV and a 4K projector on a 93" screen, I'm very, very pleased with how good they turn out. The only really semi downside, which would've been better on the AX100, is that sometimes low light videos look less than stellar, especially when compared to what this thing does in daylight. Overall, great video quality though when using the 4K 100mbps setting. Usability with the AX53, like others on the market I suspect, is what I'd consider comparable to a point and shoot camera. You flip the screen open, that turns it on, and you're immediately ready to start taking videos. When you're done, close the screen and it's off. This couldn't be any simpler. Changing shooting modes and settings is also simple, with most of the options being configurable from a button on the main display. One additional option that I didn't think I'd use, but that I'm really glad to have, is the dual shooting mode, where you can record videos simultaneously in full quality, as well as in lesser quality .MP4 files. This enables quick sharing without the need to down convert in situations where you just want to quickly share a video to social media or via text. Great feature. The main downside I've seen discussed with the AX53 is the manual image setting controls. While you can technically set most of the aspects of the image, you can only set one thing at a time, meaning you don't REALLY have manual control over the image. For me, this isn't really that much of an issue, given the cam's auto mode does a pretty great job of getting things right in the vast majority of scenes. This may be a huge sticking point for those who desire complete control over things like aperture, focus, and WB, though. Overall, I am completely satisfied with the AX53. It does it's job very well with no nagging issues. Even though it's a couple years old at this point, the image quality is very good. I would highly recommend this one.

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.

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.

This camera doesn't disappoint this 30 year videographer. The 4K picture that this camera produces, with the stabilization is a lot of bang for the buck. The quality is outstanding with the features that this produces. I do a lot of volunteering of making veteran videos, this camera has made a huge difference as I was using a Canon Vixia model that didn't have 4K recording capabilities (Still a great camera that I will continue to use for a number of years). The wifi feature is nice, using it with my ipad pro, the app is nice, but it would be nice to be able to make settings changes while viewing on the iphone or ipad, but it shouldn't discourage anyone to buy this camera at the great price for the great features.

This camera is very good image quality in regular light and well lite locations. Would give 5 stars if quality was better in low light conditions. Good quality when using zoom. Battery life is acceptable. Colors seem natural looking. Would recommend buying.

Probably one of the best consumer camcorders available. Excellent 4k, incredible image stabilization, and the night shot IR light Is bright enough to light up a typical size room. This thing is not the best in low light, although beats any other consumer camcorder I've seen. However with that in mind this IS a CONSUMER camcorder (hence the 5 star rating, when compared to other CONSUMER camcorders only, otherwise would only get a 2 maybe 3). Don't expect excellent low light performance or lots of manual controls. For someone looking to shoot paid gigs such as weddings etc, I can't recommend the Sony ax100 enough!

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.

I'm impressed.The functions and video quality are a step up from my older Sony cx405.If your looking into recording your kids sports and posting on social media this camcorder serves its purpose.The whole team looks forward to it.A little pricey but u well worth the investment.

I looked at many review for a 4K camcorder. I researched on many websites and decided this was the camcorder for me. In my research I also found that Best Buy had the best price. I purchased from the store in Greeley Colorado. This store has great employees and always willing to help. This camcorder has been all I though it was and better. So glad I made this purchase.

In my opinion the Sony ax-53 has performed incredibly well. It’s surpassed nearly all my expectations. High School soccer and Basketball are no problem for this camcorder. Even for interviews and walk and talk filming as well. Very stable for handheld use. It’s not fair to judge this product by standards beyond its limitations. So please understand that my issue with it is really more a matter of what I am looking for in a product than the product itself. I realized after using it for multiple uses that what I really needed was a camera with ability to record video in 4K for an hour without overheating but also be able to take photos like a camera with a full frame or crop sensor. If you’re looking for a product to record things like sporting events in 4K and also wanting to have a product that can take quality photos than this Camcorder is probably not for you. If you’re looking for what I believe is the best camcorder available to consumers then I believe that this is the best one out there to get

I purchased my Sony FDR AX53 around 2 weeks ago. The video quality is excellent. It was well packaged and everything was in the box that should be. I got a good price from Best Buy also. The only issue I have with this product is that I find it impossible (so far) to copy anything I record in 4K or any file format other than ACVHD. Even thought I purchased the adapter (required) for the direct copy feature and formatted my external drive (MAC) to Fat 32 as well as ex Fat and every time I try to direct copy, the camera has a message that pops up saying I can’t copy to external drive because it isn’t formatted correctly. It is very frustrating! I’m going on a trip to NY in a week and will be doing a week long project for around 10 hrs a day. I really need to find the answer to this problem in a hurry or I’m going to have to spend a fortune in memory cards. Sony needs to fix this issue. Make it completely comparable with a Mac. Everything I have seen says that it is, but my experience with a brand new 2TB external drive and a MacBook Pro says otherwise. Hope I figure it out very soon. Other than this issue it has a lot of great features for the price as well as excellent image stabilizer.

Sony Handycam AX53 4K is an exceptional piece of technology! The clarity of the 4K resolution is unparalleled, providing crisp and vivid footage. Its advanced stabilization feature ensures smooth and steady shots, even in dynamic environments. The intuitive controls make it easy to use for both beginners and experienced videographers. I highly recommend this camera for anyone looking to capture professional-quality videos.

I am a complete novice when it comes to shooting video, but I needed a hobby that would give me enjoyment. To that end I researched the latest video equipment, talked to some friends at work who had a lot more knowledge about photography than I do, and came to the conclusion that the choice for me was either the Sony AX33, AX53, or the AX100, if I wanted to jump into the 4K video game. So I got the AX53 and, as suggested to me, I bought it at Best Buy. It's worked out great. The video stabilization and the 4K clarity almost completely make up for my lack of experience, and I'm having a blast. The touch screen menu is user friendly and I learn more tricks every day.