Sony HDR-FX1000E

Hi-Def isn’t just about boosting resolution you know. Sony’s HDR-FX1000E camcorder also uses an optically pure wideangle 20x zoom lens, CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Colour, and Optical SteadyShot stabilisation to deliver those eye-bledingly sharp colours that make other cams look like they’re shooting through early 1900’s, smog-ridden London.

The Sony HDR-FX1000E, with its 1/3″ 3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor, is a class act from top to bottom. We’ll get the gripes out the way, as they’re pretty obvious from the start. There are so many buttons involved here it’s hard to know what you’re supposed to be pressing next. What that means is you’ll need to put a bit of effort in here to get the best out of the HDR-FX1000E, but the results are worth it. The only other issue we have is the price: This pushes on £2,700!

Now we’ve got the bad out the way, let’s talk about the good. And when the Sony HDR-FX1000E’s good, it’s very good. The 1080i video quality is second to none thanks to seamless 25p progressive scan and CinemaTone Gamma and Colour’s rich, filmic hues. Sony’s x.v.Colour technology also makes your movies more colourful than a million rainbows end to end. And with a host of manual controls, so you can adjust the focus, zoom, white balance or exposure, you’re in total control.

Framing up your movies is a breeze too via the 3.2-inch LCD, and there are plenty of connectivity options (HDMI, i.LINK, A/V remote, external mic and headphone input). And the audio capture is, well, almost Oscar worthy.

If you can afford the considerable price, and you don’t mind recording to miniDV tape, then the Sony HDR-FX1000E is an excellent semi-pro camcorder. We just wish it wasn’t so damn expensive.