Sony PXW-Z150 4K XDCAM Camcorder
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Great camera, but not quite perfect.
Bottom line - thoroughly pleased with my purchase, zero regrets, this is a fabulous camera that I'm sure will keep me happy for many, many years. Best-in-class and the most feature rich prosumer cam at this price point. I say buy it, you won't regret it. Tic - eee tack time! The digital menu is pretty well organized, but navigating it with the physical buttons is frustrating. ALL of the buttons on the top of the handle are super tiny. I don't kno... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Left wanting more
THE GOOD 1. Parfocal lens 2. Great weight and feel 3. Razor sharp video when properly lit 4. Nice audio options, inputs sound very clean 5. Good zoom options including a digitized version that's actually usable 6. Good battery life 7. Long recording times 8. Excellent quality at 100 MBPS THE BAD 1. You can hear the servo motor when using a shotgun mic 2. Having only one zebra level isnt particularly helpful. Its very important to know areas that ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
After only an hour of use.
Having used the new Sony PXW-Z150 for only under an hour and only have owned a Sony HVR-Z1U camcorder before to compare to, I have to say I was surprised at how much shorter the Z-150 looks. It's only about a 1.5- 2 shorter but makes the whole camcorder appear more compact. The feel of the handle and controls I don't think have changed at all (that's a plus for me). When I first powered up the Z-150 I noticed the LCD screen turned on and off almo... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very happy with this camera
I bought this camera for a project that is extremely run & gun with no setup and rapidly changing shooting conditions. It is performing beautifully so far, and the more I become familiar with it, the more I like it. Despite a few annoyances, I'm giving it a 5 For me, this style of shooting is very different. Normally my projects involve extensive setups, monitors and cables everywhere, fast primes, etc. The project I am using the PXW-Z150 for sim... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A bit disappointed, but will keep the camera
I'm happy enough with this camera, but would not buy it again. It has a good, clean picture, shoots UHD to an SD card, has 2 card slots for spanning, has multiple ND filters built-in, good audio, and I love the 3 rings upfront. It feels very study and well-built. However, it has fallen short of expectations in a number of areas. First, you should know that I have about 3 years experience with the X-70. I was expecting the Z-150 to be an improveme... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very happy so far
The PXW-Z150 is my first step into 4K video after doing 1080 for a few years. I bought into the hype about dSLRs and their great video qualities, but knew enough to get a camcorder (designed for video) rather than a dSLR (designed for still image capture that happens to get video). The NEX-EA50UH seemed to fit with its APS-C imaging chip + interchangeable E-mount lens system + XLR audio inputs. Under good lighting, it did well - but the AX2000 di... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Performs WAY above it's class. Not a big X70!
I got the Z150 to add to my collection and be a partner to my X70, FS5 and A7s-II and EX1r. I originally expected this to be just an X70 inside a bigger body. After two jobs I discovered I was very wrong. Not only does it have all the obvious external differences, it's image quality is actually better. It has a newer generation 1 inch-type stacked sensor with onboard RAM and it seems to me to have considerably improved image processing and noise ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I was misled by high-praise reviews
The reviewer who said that this camera is not for indoor work due to its poor low light performance was spot-on. I should've put more stock in that review. This leads the list of things I'm unhappy with. True, in full daylight (or well-lit indoor situations), it can be really amazing. But indoors, where the lighting is iffy, it fails miserably. Not that it doesn't film indoors it just gives you more noise than anyone would want much of the time. ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Nice camera, choose your protective bag carefully
Pros Buying the PXW-Z150 was a big step up from the prosumer camcorders I had been using for weddings. The 1 inch sensor provided much better low light performance and the color reproduction for skin tones when using the cinematic 24P settings was also a very pleasant improvement. I bought two of the SonyNP-F970 L-series Info-Lithium Batteries for all day wedding sessions and found them to be more than adequate for a 17 hour wedding shooting sess... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good replacement for the NX5U!
I've been waiting for a camcorder with one large sensor for a while! This is it! Having used a NX5u and two AX2000's for the last 5 years I will do alot of comparisons to the Z150 and these older cams. Very similar in appearance, size, layout and functionality. The Z150 is going to be for me somewhat future proof at least for the next few years. With the remote control app it works great as an unmanned camera. As a web streaming stand alone camer... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Really Bad body design
The body is very poorly designed , it is unbalanced, lopsided, crooked, off centred and much much too small for semi pro use. There is no room for anything, for me to hook up my lav mic system, light etc. is a disaster, so so difficult to work with, just not enough room for anything. too release the XLR you have to stick your finger between the the mic holder and there is not enough room. So i grind my finger every time. There is a big auto focus... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Riddled with problems
Like many modern video cameras,the image quality can be great but the PXW-150 is riddled with problems. I lie awake a nights, thinking how much I hate it. The biggest problem for an operator is that the focus, zoom and aperture rings are not connected to anything other than by a drag mechanism. You cant set a focus or zoom mark because the rings turn freely at any time and dont represent the zoom, focus or iris positions. Even though the sensor... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
So far so plastic
OK I have not had the camcorder long but in the first week two things are very apparent A) this is a big camcorder and B) this is a big plastic camcorder. I do not rent out my gear and I am meticulous when it comes to caring for my own stuff. So with that said, the camcorder will work in three years exactly how it works today. Very different from the PXW X70 I had previously. It feels double the size. So far it is hard to distinguish video qualit... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
LCD screen going dark is not a defect
In an earlier review someone else said . . . I retuned the camera brcause the LED screen go out when camera moves. Beware of it. It's too bad you returned this great camera before you got to know it because is not defective. The camera has a gorgeous OLED viewfinder at the rear of the camera. Absolutely fantastic picture. But OLEDs have a shorter lifespan than LCD screens and so Sony builds proximity sensors into their cameras that automatically ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Love this camera!
I really enjoy using this camera! I have been researching for quite a while in order to find the right camera to compliment the style of videography that I use. I have been looking for a camcorder that gave me the right combination of an in-studio to a run-and-gun type of shoot. Working for a sports marketing and event management company, I need to be able to keep up with some fast pace sporting events. I also work with several large corporations... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great al around camera
If you have ever used any previous Sony Camcorders, Like the Z5u or Even PMW200 style, you will love the Z150. The Z150 with its 1 inch sensor has excellent video quality in both 4K and HD modes. The 12x optical zoom range is adequate for many situations, the clear zoom performs very well in both 4k and HD with no noticeable artifacts. In lower light the Z150 even with gain up to +12 or 15db. The camera feels balance for handheld use either loo... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Run & Gun
I bought this camera in June to use as an EFP camera for our church. They had been using DSLR's to do shoots which any professional shooter can tell you is annoying in post when syncing audio and other cameras. I shoot both in a studio setting and outside on EFPs for promos and talking heads. Picture is beautiful and even though I use an external mic the majority of the time the internal mics does a great job. I primarily use them for nat sound i... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not good enough
The Bad: This camera is almost unusable for handheld work. The ergonomics are terrible. Unusable for low light work. I would NEVER use this indoors (I've tried, not worth it). Menu system sucks (not easy to back track your navigation path) Full auto mode is useless because autofocus is terrible. I have a ten year old camcorder that is way better at autofocus than this. Mic mount is laughable. It's the same mount as my FS7, which is also laughable... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great budget option for ENG and documentary
Worked with the Z150 for two weeks during the Cannes Film Festival, in pretty demanding conditions. Shot mostly 4K and some HD. Was very impressed with the image quality and performance. 4K is sharp and detailed, skin tones were on point and vivid (with a little in-camera color tinkering). Camera is light, fast and easy to use, but still robust enough to give professional and broadcast level results. Really liked the multiple formats, made it eas... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A welcome return to dedicated video cameras
After years of shooting with DSLRs it's nice to return to a well-designed camcorder for shooting video. I missed the dual XLR audio inputs, zebra level displays and tactile controls that let me quickly change major functions on the fly. That makes the Z150 a lot easier to adjust in the field versus scrolling through a myriad of menus. And, with the servo lens I can once again do gentle zooms, even hand-held, during the shoot. I shoot scripted, dr... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Unprofessional camera line
I purchased this recorder a few months ago for a special project. I am a photographer and this was my first intro to video assignements. The sony recorder works as advertised but the remote that came with it was defective out of the box. I did not realize this until my first shoot, battery was dead. Replaced the bettery, tested the remote but on the next shoot same problem battery dead. I called B&H but was told this is a warranty issue after 30 ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Better than expected
Im a photographer for the Smithsonian and have been wanting to do short films for the museum. I looked at a number of cameras and it came down to the PXW-Z150 and the FS700r. I finally decided on the Z150 do to the run and gun portability. I was initially concerned about the Sony menu system, but its actually pretty easy, and makes sense. I still have a few things to learn about how some of the features interact with one another, but overall, its... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Love this camera
This is a substantial, but not too bulky all around camera that you can shoot film-style with ease. It has a very sharp viewfinder that allows you to focus accurately. It has a razor-sharp G lens with raised rings for f-stop, focus, and zoom that you can quickly adjust manually without going into any menus. You can set yourgain, shutter speed, hit the white balance, set the aperture, and focus in the field without even looking at a menu. The 1 se... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Terrifying
I can't really give an in-depth review of the camera yet. I unboxed, set-up, added/formatted memory and set it to record to both cards at the same time. I did two test recordings hit the thumbnail button and watched the second clip. When it got to the end of the clip there was an error I didn't see in time and then the camera went into a mode where it seemed to be scanning the memory... and stayed there. I hit the thumbnail button to get out of p... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
