Sony HXR-NX5 Reviews

The Sony HXR-NX5U is a true workhorse and one of the best camcorders in the AVCHD format. Professional event videographers will love the long record times and well thought out controls.

The HXR-NX5U is as compact as a camera needs to be in this category without sacrificing too much surface area for the camera controls. If you like buttons, dials and switches, you'll quickly fall in love with this camera. That is to say, this is a serious tool for videographers who want more control over their camera.
The Sony HXR-NX5U professional AVCHD video camera is the first of Sony's NXCAM camcorder line. It has all the bells and whistles you come to expect from a mid-size camera, plus a GPS feature that tags your clips with your geographical location. We haven't seen that in this type of pro cam before. The HXR-NX5U is well suited for the serious videographer shooting in a variety of environments and needs a camera that can do it all without tapes and with the more cost-friendly SDHC memory cards. 

On the right side of the camera is the standard handgrip, which is plenty comfortable. The power on/off and record start/stop is squarely on the back. Just above sits a zoom rocker and a conveniently placed Expanded Zoom button (or the 7th assignable button if you choose a custom function). We like the placement of the Expanded Zoom button here. It allows you to quickly and more accurately check your focus, which is always a challenge with these high definition cameras. On top of the right-side layout are 2 XLR mic inputs, each line/mic/mic plus phantom power per each channel and finally a shotgun microphone holder.

Last, but not least, on the rear of the right side is an area reserved for the additional flash memory unit (sold separately, HXR-FMU128, $800). While our review unit did not ship with this additional accessory, we have to note that it is a very attractive add-on for a shooter who does a lot of long recordings. Wedding and event videographers will be able to boost their recording times to 11 hours in FX mode (24 Mbps). We think that's a great feature. The flash memory unit can also detach from the camera and connect directly to your computer.

The rear of the camera houses your main connections: composite video, left and right composite audio, HDMI out, component out, USB and HD/SD SDI out. You'll also find a recessed battery compartment, the on/off switch for GPS and the dual SDHC memory card slots. Upwards, near the eyepiece is a headphone monitor switch that allows you to quickly change between each channel or a stereo mix. This is a nice feature if you commonly mic up two different sources without the additional personnel of an audio mixer constantly evaluating the mix.

The camera's left side is a plethora of buttons and controls. For shooting controls, you'll find the 3 selectable ND filters, auto/manual focus switch, push button auto focus and an iris button. We also have additional gain, white balance and shutter speed controls, too. The auto and manual audio levels for both channels are built in beneath a door that even when closed reveals your selections but inhibits you from an unintended adjustment. Menu and mode controls are also on the left side and 6 assignable buttons, allowing you to make a variety of customizations. All in all, it's a busy looking camera, but everything is well laid out. If there was one area of improvement it would be making the push auto focus button a little bigger or maybe adding a nipple to the button. We found it a little challenging to press on the first try with big fingers.

Sony HXR-NX5 Specs

Display
Size  :               3.2 inch-type, XtraFine LCD    

 Resolution  :   921,600 dots 

Sensors
Resolution (Photo Mode) :    1,037,000 pixels with ClearVid array     

Optical Sensor Type         :    3-chip 1/3-inch type Exmor CMOS with ClearVid pixel array 

Lens
Digital Zoom         

Optical Zoom  

Shutter
Minimum Shutter Speed :    1     

Maximum Shutter Speed :    1/10000 

Mode
Shooting Modes         

Scene Modes 

Media
Type            :         Memory Stick SD Card     

Flash Memory    :
Card Supported  :  Memory Stick PRO Duo(Mark2), Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX, SDHC Card     

Video Format :    MPEG-4
                            MPEG-2

On top of the camcorder is the LCD at 3.2 inches and 921,000 pixels. It flips out from its resting position and reveals the camera's playback controls. The top handle is quite robust with plenty of room for accessories and control. However, if you use the front accessory shoe with a device that extends backwards, it may interfere with the LCD screen's ability to flip out or in. That's probably something you can plan for in advance, or you can use the additional accessory shoe in the back of the top handle.