United Kingdom
Catalog   /   TVs & Video   /   Camcorders & Accessories   /   Camcorders

Comparison Sony PXW-Z280 vs Sony FDR-AX1E

Add to comparison
Sony PXW-Z280
Sony FDR-AX1E
Sony PXW-Z280Sony FDR-AX1E
Outdated Product
from £9,999.00 
Outdated Product
TOP sellers
Featuresprofessionalprofessional
Media typeflash (memory card)flash (memory card)
Sensor
Sensor typeCMOSCMOS
Number of sensors3
Sensor size1/2"1/2.3"
Number of megapixels18.9
Effective megapixels8.3
Camera lens
Focal length (35mm equivalent)30 – 515 mm29.5 — 590 mm
Aperturef/1.6 — f/3.4
Optical zoom17 х20 х
Image stabilizationoptical
optical /SteadyShot/
Filter diameter77 mm72 mm
Manual focus
Video shooting
Video resolution3840x2160 px3840x2160 px
Frame frequency60 fps60 fps
Recording formatsXAVC, MPEG2, AVCHD
Video recording speed150 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 35 Mbps, 25 Mbps150 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 60 Mbps, 50 Mbps
Minimum illuminance0.01 lux
3 lux /at shutter speed 1/25, 4 lux at shutter speed 1/30/
Shutter speed1/24 – 1/8 000 с1/3 — 1/9000 с
White balance3200K, Memory A mode, Memory B mode, ATW mode
auto, capturing, outdoor, indoor /colour temperature/
Sound recording
48 kHz/24 bit /4 channels/
2-channel Linear PCM 48 kHz 16 bit
Screen
Screen size3.5 "3.5 "
Screen resolution1560 K pixels1229 K pixels
Features
Features
viewfinder
hot shoe
 
Wi-Fi module
NFC
detachable microphone
viewfinder
hot shoe
built-in speaker
 
 
detachable microphone
Memory and sockets
Memory card supportMS, SD, SDHC, SDXCXQD, MS, MS Pro, MS Pro HG, MS Pro HG Duo HX, SD, SDHC, SDXC
Memory card slots23
Connectors
USB
HDMI
 
XLR microphone input
headphone jack
XLR headphone jack
USB /1 input and 1 output/
HDMI
AV output
XLR microphone input
headphone jack
 
Battery
Battery typeBP-U30NP-F970
Battery capacity6600 mAh
Battery life
1 h /with battery BP-U30/
General
Dimensions (WxHxD)
178x202x426 mm /protruding parts and accessories/
189x193x413 mm /with battery and eyecup/
Weight
3000 g /with lens hood and battery/
2770 g /with battery and eyecup/
Color
Added to E-Catalogjune 2019may 2014

Number of sensors

The number of individual light sensors installed in the camera. In our catalog, this parameter is indicated only for models that have more than one sensor.

There are two main varieties of multi-sensor cameras. The first is professional models that carry three sensors on board. Each of them works with only one colour, which allows you to get an image with good clarity and high colour accuracy. Of course, the actual quality of the "picture" largely depends on a number of other parameters, but initially a three-sensor scheme provides better image quality than a single-sensor one.

The second option is 3D camcorders (see "Features"), in which two sensors can be installed — each for its own video channel. See "3D" for more details.

Sensor size

The physical size of the camcorder sensor. It is usually measured diagonally and is indicated in fractions of an inch — for example, 1/3 "or 1/2.33" (the second option is larger, respectively). In addition, sensors of a “photographic” format can be installed in video cameras, in which case the corresponding designation is used — for example, APS-C.

The larger the sensor, the higher the image quality it can provide (all else being equal). This is due to the fact that on larger sensors, each individual pixel is larger, more light falls on it, which increases sensitivity and reduces noise; this is especially important for shooting in low light. For amateur purposes, small sensors are quite enough, but in professional cameras (see "Features") this parameter is at least 1/3". The exception, however, are models with several sensors (see "Number of sensors") in them each individual sensor is quite small, and high quality is ensured by image processing features.

Number of megapixels

The total number of individual photosensitive points (pixels) provided in the design of the sensor (1 megapixel corresponds to a million pixels). This parameter takes into account both those points on which the light falls, and service points that are not directly involved in the construction of the image. Therefore, in modern video cameras, it is more of a reference than practically significant; the actual image quality depends primarily on the number of effective megapixels (see below).

Effective megapixels

The number of light sensitive pixels directly involved in the construction of the image. These are the dots on which the “image” projected by the lens onto the matrix falls. In addition to them, there are also service pixels that are not illuminated during camera operation — they provide auxiliary information necessary for processing the resulting image. Also, when calculating effective megapixels, the reserve area required for electronic stabilization is usually not taken into account (see "Image Stabilization").

The value of the number of effective pixels for different modes of operation of the camcorder will also be different. For example, when recording video, many cameras use multiple pixels to build a single dot on the image; this is due to the fact that the sensor resolutions significantly exceed those required for video shooting (for example, the Full HD standard technically corresponds to only 2.07 megapixels). As a result, the image quality depends more on the sensor size (see above) than on the resolution. And among sensors of the same size, high resolution allows user to get better colour rendering and higher clarity (however, not always — a lot also depends on the peculiarities of image processing). If we are talking about photography, then more megapixels means a higher resolution of the resulting image, but the quality of such a picture can be relatively low due to the increased noise level and low sensitivity of each individual pixel.

Focal length (35mm equivalent)

Focal length of a standard video camera lens in terms of a 35 mm full-frame sensor. This parameter is also called the "equivalent focal length" — EFL.

The focal length itself is the distance from the optical centre of the lens (when focus to infinity) to the sensor, at which the sharpest image is obtained on the sensor. It is one of the key characteristics of any lens, because. determines the viewing angles, the degree of approximation and, accordingly, the specifics of the use of optics. At the same time, it is impossible to compare different options in terms of the actual focal length: the laws of physics are such that with different sizes of sensors, the same focal length will give different viewing angles. Therefore, EFL was adopted as a universal characteristic and criterion for comparison. It can be described as the focal length that a 35mm lens with the same viewing angles would have.

The larger the focal length, the narrower the viewing angle will be and the higher the degree of approximation of the visible scene. Optics with EFL up to 18 mm belongs to the class of ultra wide-angle ("fisheye") and is used primarily to create artistic effects. Distances up to 40 mm correspond to "wide angles", 50 mm gives the same degree of approximation as that of the naked eye, the range of 70-100 mm is considered optimal for portrait shooting, and large values allow the use of optics already as a telephoto lens. Knowing these provisions, one can approximately...evaluate the capabilities of the lens and its suitability for certain tasks; there are more detailed recommendations, they are described in special sources.

Also note that modern video cameras are usually equipped with lenses with a variable focal length (zoom), which allows you to change the degree of approximation and viewing angle; see "Optical Zoom" for details.

Aperture

Aperture of a standard video camera lens.

This parameter describes how much the lens attenuates the light output. Usually it is written as a ratio between the diameter of the active hole and the focal length of the lens, while the first value is taken as one and denoted as f — for example, f/1.8 or f/5.6. Moreover, the smaller the number in such a record, the higher the aperture ratio: for example, in our example, the first option is “lighter” than the second. Also note that most lenses with a variable focal length (see above) also have a variable aperture — in such cases it is indicated by the range from maximum to minimum (from a smaller number to a larger one).

A high aperture ratio is important primarily when shooting in low light conditions: it allows you to capture an image without “lifting up” the sensor sensitivity and without creating additional artifacts in the form of noise, and in the photo shooting mode, you can also work with shorter shutter speeds (which is useful for dynamic scenes). In addition, the higher the aperture, the lower the depth of field and the easier it is to get a blurry background. Note that for simple everyday tasks this parameter does not play a decisive role, but in professional shooting it can be very significant.

Optical zoom

The degree (multiplicity) of image magnification provided by the operation of the lens system in the lens itself, without additional digital processing (see "Digital zoom"). Optical zoom involves changing the focal length (see above): the longer the focal length, the smaller the viewing angle and the larger the objects visible in the frame. And the zoom multiplicity corresponds to the ratio between the maximum and minimum value of this distance. For example, in a 24 – 120 mm system, this parameter will be 120/24 = 5x. However, it is not always appropriate to choose a high zoom camcorder.

The advantage of optical zoom over digital zoom is, first of all, high image quality: regardless of the degree of zoom, the camera uses the entire effective area of the sensor. At the same time, zoom indicators can reach several tens of times, which is more than enough for camcorders of any class. Therefore, this format is the main one today; it is not used only in some models of pocket cameras (see "Features"), where it is not possible to install a large lens with a zoom lens.

For modern models, the value of this parameter at the level of 10 – 12x is considered standard.

Filter diameter

The diameter of the mount designed to install an additional filter on a regular camera lens. Such filters can have different types and purposes: UV filtering, colour correction, polarization, artistic effects, etc.; to select them for a specific camera model, you need to know the diameter of the mount.

Recording formats

Video file formats that the camera can use to store recorded footage. If you want to view these materials using a separate device (player, media centre, etc.), you should make sure that this player supports the appropriate formats, otherwise conversion may be necessary.
Sony PXW-Z280 often compared
Sony FDR-AX1E often compared