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Sony's HXR-NX3DU Camcorder Is Compact and Capable
It's been ages since I've had as much fun with a camera as I've had in reviewing the Sony HXR-NX30U.
At first glance it is just another ultra- compact Handycam. Add the supplied audio block with handle and XLR mie and you're still around 2.5 lb. Note that this camera is also available for about $300 less in a consumer version, HDR-PJ760V. The consumer version lacks the audio block, which makes the NX30Umore suitable for presumer and professional applications.
The NX30U should be viewed as a part of the NXCAM family, which ranges all the way to Sony's new NEX-FS700 4K high-speed camera. That perspective, as well as its extensive feature set and superb image quality, helps take the sting out of the NX30U's $2,300 list price (around $2,000 street). It may look like a consumer camera, but its looks belie its professional features.
Centered around a single 1/2.88" Exmor R CMOS sensor, the NX30's optical block is complemented by a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar ? zoom lens (lOx optical, 120x digital zoom). The sharpness of the lens is apparent, not to mention its excellent contrast More impressive, though, is its active optical stabilization. Effectively, the lens sits in a gyroscopic mount You can't swing the camera wildly and expect stable results, of course; you still need to hold the camera steady. But shot carefully, camera shake will be minimal.
The camera records to either 96 GB of internal Flash memory, SD/ SDHC/SDXC memory card, or Memory Stick. If recording to internal storage, data can be transferred via USB 2.0 to computer. I tested using Class 10 SDHC cards, figuring that's the most likely professional scenario. Recording formats are 1440 ? 1080 or 1920...