Budget-Friendly 4K Video Cameras and Editing Gear

2015 looks to be another great year for video shooters, with a host of new products due over the next several months for users of all skill levels. Here’s what caught my eye at CES in January.

Sony FDR-AX33 4K Camcorder
Though most of the 4K talk revolved around the latest generation of televisions, Sony introduced an inexpensive camcorder with 4K resolution. The FDR-AX33 is designed around a 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor, which delivers Ultra-HD resolution (3840 x 2160) at 24, 25 and 30 frames per second. It also provides full-HD 1080p up to 60fps, utilizing Sony’s XAVC S codec, which can deliver bit rates of up to (50 Mbps and 100 Mbps for 1080p.) Weighing just over a pound, the camcorder provides a DSLR alternative for those who want to produce 4K video. Its features include a ZEISS 10x zoom lens, a 3-inch, high-resolution touch-screen display and Balanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilization.
Price: $1,000

The Alienware 15
Computers no longer create the buzz at the show that they did in the past, but there is still plenty to draw attention. The Alienware 15 is the lightest 15-inch laptop available today weighing a little more than 7 pounds. Built with an aluminum chassis combined with carbon-fiber-filled materials, the laptop provides robust construction as well as high performance. Available with either the AMD Radeon or NVIDIAGeForce GPU, the laptop is powered with a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, delivering the processing power needed for serious video or photo editing. If 4K video editing is in your future, you can outfit the Alienware 15 with a 4K-resolution screen or choose an HD display to save on the retail price. Available at a very competitive price, the model provides Windows users a powerful desktop alternative and an attractive competitor for a MacBook Pro.
Price: $1,200

Sony FDR-X1000V
Beyond a conventional 4K camcorder, Sony also rolled out a brand new action camera, the FDR-X1000V. Boasting 4K resolution via a 12-megapixel image sensor, the camera allows users to capture POV video with Ultra-HD resolution (3830 x 2160) at 30 frames per second, comparable to GoPro’s Hero4 Black Edition. Video can be recorded in MP4. For bit rates of up to 100Mbps, Sony provides its XAVC-S codec. The camera also delivers 120 fps slow motion in full HD and 240 fps slow motion at 720p. A Highlight Movie Maker feature automatically creates a highlight reel of the day’s footage by using the camera’s gyro sensor to determine when the camera was in the thick of the action. Unlike the GoPro, Sony’s action camera records stereo audio and offers image stabilization to keep stills and video steady.
Price: $500

Cintiq 27QHD
Combine the control and precision of working with a stylus with high resolution and a wide color gamut, and you get the Cintiq 27QHD. The company’s latest graphics tablet features a 2560 x 1140, 27-inch built-in display that resolves over 1 billion colors covering 97 percent of Adobe’s color gamut. The tablet supports 2048 pressure sensitivity levels and utilizes multiple stylus nibs to suit your personal needs and preferences. There are two versions, with the Touch version providing support for touch-based gestures.
Prices: $2,229 to $2,799

Canon Vixia HF R
Canon showed three new HD video cameras in its VIXIA lineup: the HF R60 (above), HF R62 and HF R600. All three share the same 57x (32.5-1853mm) optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization, 3-inch touch-screen displays, and a 3.28-megapixel CMOS sensor for recording 1920×1080/60p HD video in either MP4 or AVCHD formats. They all offer fast- and slow-motion modes, cinema-style filters, headphone jacks and Framing Assist. The HF R62 offers 32GB of internal flash memory and Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity. The HF R60 has 8GB of internal memory plus Wi-Fi/NFC. Finally, the HF R600 records directly to an SD card and won’t offer wireless connectivity.
Prices: $300 (HF R600); $400 (HF R60); $450 (HF R62).

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