Budget 4K: Blackmagic Production Camera 4K and Sony FDR-AX1

The new Sony FDR-AX1 shoots 60fps Ultra-High Definition, comes with a built in lens and is only $500 more than the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K. So what's the catch? Well a few things.




credit Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Production Camera 4K

  • 21.12mm x 11.88mm Sensor
  • $4,000
  • No Lens
  • Up to 30fps Ultra HD
  • Not released

credit Sony

Sony FDR-AX1



  • 6.17mm x 5.64mm Sensor (1/2.3")
  • $4,500
  • Built in 20x Zoom Lens
  • Up to 60fps Ultra HD
  • Available today

Sensor
The glaring not-so-advertised difference between the two cameras is sensor size. The Sony sensor is almost a tenth smaller than Blackmagics. That means less sensitivity and a very large 5.64 crop factor as well as a large depth of field. If you like that trendy super small depth of field look this Sony Exmor R sensor is probably not for you. 

credit Wikipedia


Price
If price is the deciding factor you're going to be better off with the FDR-AX1. With a fixed built in lens and compressed XAVC recording a whole lot of money is to be saved not buying extra lenses and storage media as compared to shooting in CinemaDNG with the BMPC.


Frame rate
Now here is the most compelling factor for be: frame rate. I personally love the fluid look of high frame rates like 60fps or 60i fields/s you see on the nightly news. New HDMI 2.0 tv's should be arriving any day now that will support 4K@60fps making the FDR-AX1 that much more appealing and able to be put into real use. Not only for fluid motion but also conforming 60p to a 30p or 24p film for super fluid slow motion.

Availability
Oh yeah... you can't buy the BMPC yet. And it's been delayed, over and over again. I think you know which one to buy if you need a 4K camera today. And if you have an extra grand laying around to up the ante to $5,500, the Sony PXW-Z100 gains you true 4K 4,096 x 2160  to match your spanking new True 4K LG monitor.




* Ultra HD = 3840 x 2160
* 4K = 4,096 x 2160

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