Sony’s NEX-VG10 interchangeable lens camcorder is making the rounds in Japan this week, and one of our favorite tech sites over there, AV Watch, has taken several pictures of the device in action. As some of you may know, the NEX-VG10 is the upcoming camcorder in the NEX series of devices that revolve around using interchangeable lens. The majority of consumer camcorders on the market right now do not have this type of lens system, and the product categories for semi-professional video creation is beginning to blur with the advent of this camcorder and other alternatives such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sony NEX-5 and the Olympus Pen. Those DSLR’s are pushing companies to innovate camcorders as they are offering the same quality or more that traditional HD camcorders.
This latest Sony camcorder has a Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and records in AVCHD (9/17/24mbps) – the 24mbps gives it an advantage over the interchangeable lens cameras out there, but is still behind in comparison to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. And from what we’re reading here, the NEX-VG10 has the same sensor as the NEX-5 and the image processing chip (BIONZ) found within NEX-3/NEX-5. Fortunately, the NEX-VG10 does not have the 29 minute video recording limitation as the NEX-5.
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The best part of the interchangeable lens mount is that you are not restricted to Sony’s E-mount lenses, and an E-to-A lens mount converter (LA-EA1) is available so your older lenses are still compatible. This means you can really Frankenstein some interesting combinations here, as evidenced in the photos. AV Watch notes that its the same mount as the NEX-3/5 and has a very quiet built-in autofocus. The autofocus in the NEX-VG10 seems to be identical to the NEX-5, but has a slightly faster speed. There is also word that the sharpness seems to be tuned for video in comparison to the NEX cameras. AV Watch found the NEX-VG10 to offer smoother video than the NEX cameras, and the omnidirectional microphone (with four mic capsules) seemed to have more than double the recording ability/power of the microphone in the HDR-CX550V.
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Lastly, AV Watch also noted that a free coupon to download the full version of Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 when the product debuts in Japan on September 10th. We also noticed another hands-on with the NEX-VG10 from their sister site, Electric Zooma.
