Living on the water and recording our adventures we have a few different camera's on hand. One is the Sony AX53, a relatively compact video camera with some great features.
A 4K camcorder, the Sony Handycam FDR-AX53 attracted our attention with its impressive mechanical zoom and inbuilt mechanical gimble, both of which make it suitable for capturing footage of our sailing and travel adventures. We bought it to replace our Sony AX43 after the screen stopped working (we will get it repaired one day!) and are happy with the upgrade.
CONTENTS:
Sony AX53 specifications
Lets begin by looking at some of the Sony FDR-AX53 specs in comparison to the lower model, the Sony AX-43. I've chosen things that are important to me as a traveler and YouTube adventure and sailing content creator.
Specification | Sony AX53 | Sony AX43 |
Max Resolution (Video) | 4K @30p / HD @120p | 4K @30p / HD @120p |
Manufacturers price | $1099.99 USD | $949.99 USD |
Weight | 535 grams | 510 grams |
Sensor / Resolution | 1/2.5-inch / 8.29 MP (16:9) | 1/2.5-inch / 8.29 MP (16:9) |
Zoom | 20x optical zoom with 30x/40x (4K/HD) Clear Image Zoom | 20x optical zoom with 30x/40x (4K/HD) Clear Image Zoom |
NightShot Infrared | Yes | No |
Built-in Gimble | Balanced Optical SteadyShot | Balanced Optical SteadyShot |
Time lapse | Yes | Yes |
We previously owned a Sony AX43 but after a year of use there was an issue with the display screen that caused it to go white. The cost of getting that fixed in the area we were in made buying a new one the more sensible choice.
We opted for the AX53 because it has a separate viewfinder, which acts as a backup if the main screen fails. It also has night-shot which we've used more than I'd expected. If you don't care about these features then the cheaper Sony AX43 may be the better option for you.
Physical design of the Sony AX53
The Sony AX53 has the classic Handycam shape with a flip out viewing screen, view finder at the top and record button at the back next to where the battery mounts. Accessories attach to the bottom using a standard camera thread and you can easily change the battery without having to remove the accessories.
When recording you can either use the flip out LCD screen or the view finder. To activate the viewfinder it needs to be pulled out, then you can adjust the angle up and down to suit your preferences. The screen has 180 degrees rotation, which is useful when vlogging or filming an interview.
The camera automatically turns on when the screen is flipped out or the viewfinder is pulled. Something I personally don't like about the design is that the manual ON/OFF button is underneath the screen, so it has to be open to use that button.
One of the coolest features of the AX53 is the in-built mechanical gimble powered by Sony's Balanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilization technology. This mechanism is inside the camera housing and moves the entire lens unit and sensor to compensate for motion. Given we live on a boat and tend to film adventure or sailing videos, having an inbuilt stabilizer is great.
Sony AX53 camera setup
Unlike our DJI Osmo Action 4 camera, the setup for the Sony AX 53 is quite simple; just turn it on and follow the prompts to set the date and time.
Like most compact camera's and camcorders it takes a standard SD card which usually needs to have at least 4GB of storage, although we prefer at least 128 GB.
Functionality of the Sony AX53
If you've had digital camera's before the AX53 is fairly intuitive to use.
When the camera is on you can scroll through the settings using the flip out touch screen. There are a lot of customization options and the ability to set features to manual or automatic.
Sony AX53 recording quality
In my opinion the best way to understand a camera's recording quality is to see it in action.
This is a video I shot in Trinidad when we were on the hardstand with our Leopard 45 catamaran for warranty repairs. If you skip to 22 minutes I used the Sony AX53 to record some nearby bushfires, which also shows off the zoom quality.
The other camera used to film this video was the Sony ZV-1, which is a handheld vlogging camera. When I compare the two, the main difference I notice is that the color profile of the AX-53 is slightly more muted.
Zoom Range
One of the highlights of the AX-53 is the 20x optical zoom, which allows you to clearly film objects over a great distance. We're extremely happy with the performance of the zoom, but as a user you need to be aware that the autofocus can't always keep up with the speed of the zoomed in shot. You do have some pressure control over the zoom speed, so slowing down can help.
Night Shot
Something unique the AX-53 has over the AX-43 is the infrared night shot feature, a low light function which can easily be turned on with the press of a button. It works best when there's still some light, but if you skip to around the 10 minute mark of this video you can see how it does with no natural or artificial light.
Longevity
We've had our Sony FDR AX53 since March 2023 and so far have not had any problems. It has a few gel coat finger prints on it because it's been used primary around the shipyard and to document warranty repairs, which is very much a construction type environment.
Learning from our Sony FDR AX-43, we are VERY gentle when opening and closing the screen to try and preserve the internal wiring for as long as possible.
Sony AX53 camera accessories
Sometimes, especially on Amazon, the Sony AX53 is sold in a bundle with other camera accessories. Personally I chose to only buy the unit by itself and generally use two additions for it.
Joby GorillaPod 3K tripod which we've had since we went backpacking back in 2018.
2 spare official Sony batteries
For the SD card we use a Sandisk Extreme Pro. We use them in all of our cameras and in 8 years haven't had an issue.
Fast FAQ
Here's a few questions I've seen asked online and my answers as someone who's used two different Sony Handycam 4K cameras over the course of a couple years.
Q: When did the Sony FDR-AX53 come out?
A: The camera was first launched back in 2016 but the performance and software updates mean it's still a relevant option now if you're in the market for an affordable video camera.
Q: Is the FDR-AX53 any good?
A: From our experience, we think it is. We like the inbuilt gimble, relatively compact size and lengthy optical zoom.
Q: Does the Sony Handycam AX53 have night vision?
A: As we showed before the AX53 Handycam does have a night vision mode, while the AX43 doesn't. I was pleasantly surprised that it could still pick shapes up with little to no light, but you need to move slowly and hold the camera very steady otherwise the image quality suffers.
Summing it up
If you're looking for a new camcorder then the Sony AX53 is well worth considering. We're happy with the performance of ours to the point where we have a spare in the cupboard, just in case the current one takes a swim overboard.
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