Sony Pro HXR-NX80 4K Ultra HD Camcorder | NXCAM Review 2023

Smart-Rating: 4.7/5 (Click for Reviews)

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The HXR-NX80 is Sony’s upgrade to the popular NXCAM Series 4K Pro camcorder. SmartReview previewed this model at CES in Las Vegas. The biggest upgrades are the new 273 point phase detection AF for fast and accurate video focusing, Dual Card Slots, Higher resolution LCD touchscreen, new 120p mode for HD, S-Log2 and S-Log3, and new HDR recording mode.

This Sony model now shoots at 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) which is at 8 megapixels resolution verus only 2 megapixels for Full HD. In addition to shooting at 4 times the resolution of HD, this model has a huge 1-inch back-illuminated Exmor RS CMOS Sensor (14.2M pixels). This is far larger than most camcorder imagers, and will give better low light performance and increased dynamic range. Shooting at this resolution will future proof your videos, as the industry moves toward 4K resolution in TVs. Footage in 4K can also be used for Full HD video production, as you can crop or zoom in on your footage and still maintain Full HD quality. For best image quality, Sony has equipped the HXR-NX80 with a Carl Zeiss 12x Optical Zoom Lens.

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Sony HXR-NX80 Features: The Sony Pro NXCAM HXR-NX80 can record Full 4K UHD footage at 24p, and 30p. It can also record Full HD at 24p, 30p, 60p and now 120p. The high quality Carl Zeiss Wide Angle Lens has a 35mm equivalent of 29mm – 348mm. Face Detection. NightShot® Infrared System to shoot at night or complete darkness. Other features: Large 3.5 inch Xtra Fine LCD touch-screen (1.55M dots), The powerful Bionz X image processor allows you to record in 4K Ultra HD, as well as improving battery life. XLR Audio Inputs. Standard SMPTE Timecode, WiFi (802.11b/g/n) and NFC to control your camcorder remotely.

Compression and Recording: The HXR-NX80 uses the new highly efficient XAVC-S 4K compression format (100Mbps bit rate) to record 4K @ 30p or 24p, or (50Mbps bit rate) to record 1080p video at 24p, 30p, 60p, and 120p (100Mbps bit rate). The camcorder does have an internal 5.1 surround sound microphone, and a standard accessory shoe for lights, and external microphones. (An XLR accessory is available). The HXR-NX80 also includes an External Microphone Jack and Headphone Jack, as well as XLR Audio inputs. Other Features: Tracking Focus follows selected subjects. Hookup to an HDTV or a 4K TV through the built-in HDMI port. Dolby Digital 5.1 capable. USB 2.0 interface. Built-In ND Filters (Clear, 1/4, 1/16 and 1/64). Electronic OLED Viewfinder (EVF) with 2.35 million dots is provided. Includes a lens hood.

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Upgrade Features for the HXR-NX80 4K Camcorder: The HXR-NX80 adds a new 273-Point Phase Detection Autofocus system for much faster and accurate focusing, similar to the fast focusing of Mirrorless Sony Cameras. Adds S-Log2 and S-Log3 and S-Gamut Picture Profiles. New HLG format, for HDR (High Dynamic Range) which can playback on HDR equipped TVs. Added a 120p mode for Full HD video at (100 Mbps bit rate) recording. LCD resolution has increased to 1.55M dots. Also added was a second SD Card Slot, do now you have Dual SD card slots. Full 4K UHD recording.

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Video Recording: 4K Ultra HD @ 24p, 30p (100Mbps), Full HD at 24p, 30p, 60p (50Mbps), and 120p (100Mbps)
Lens Specifications: 29mm – 348mm (12x optical zoom; 18x extended zoom) F2.8-F4.5 (62mm filter)
Manual Features: Assignable dial provides control of the focus, exposure, white balance, iris, and shutter speed. Advanced controls with expanded focus, zebra, and peaking. 31 step Mic level control.
HXR-NX80 Battery Life: Approximately 2.6 hours recording using the included NP-FV70a battery.

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Smart-Review Commentary: Sony’s new HXR-NX80 is a compact Pro 4K camcorder with amazing image quality thanks to its huge 1-inch imager. This camcorder has many upgrade features from the model it replaces. In your hand, you essentially hold a camcorder that is capable of producing video with almost the same resolution as a movie theater. Since most theaters now have Sony 4K Projectors installed. Shooting at 4K Ultra HD UHD resolution will future proof your videos. 4K has 4 times the pixels of Full HD. 4K looks great, even if you convert it to 1080p. If you shoot in 1080p on this camcorder, it will also have higher quality because it is using the 4K capture to down sample to the 1080p video. And there are many options you have for cropping and zooming in on the 4K video, while still maintaining Full HD quality.

The biggest upgrade from the AX100 Camcorder it replaces is the new phase-detection aufocus system. With 273 phase detection autofocus points, you have coverage over 80% of the entire image sensor area. You now have HDR recording, a Dual Card Slot, higher framerate for HD, S-Log2 & 3, and a higher resolution LCD touchscreen. The Carl Zeiss lens is top quality, so everything on this camcorder is premium quality. The HXR-NX80 has an excellent 2.35 million dot OLED EVF Viewfinder. The camcorder has an extemely efficient recording codec XAVC-S 4K which allows you to record to a standard memory card at a bitrate of 100mbps. In fact, you can store about 1 1/2 hours of video to an inexpensive 64GB memory card. The HXR-NX80 is not only a Smart-Review top pick, but has also won our BEST of 2023 award for 4K Pro Camcorders.

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Sony Professional HXR-NX80 4k Ultra HD Camcorder | Review Summary

Summarized Review: The highly rated Sony Pro HXR-NX80 is Sony’s upgrade to the popular NXCAM Series 4K Pro camcorders. The biggest upgrades are the new 273 point phase detection AF for fast and accurate video focusing, Dual Card Slots, Higher resolution LCD touchscreen, a new 120p mode for HD, S-Log2 and S-Log3, and new HDR recording mode. Features 4K recording and XLR audio inputs. This model has won SmartReview.com’s BEST of 2023 Award.
Written By: Smart Review
Product Rating: 4.7 out of 5

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Resources: Sony Pro HXR-NX80 user manuals