DVdoctor.review - Sony HDR-FX1E - three-CCD semi-professional HDV Camcorder

[Steve]

You’re a SERIOUS modder. Been overclocking for years. Had liquid-cooling before anyone sold kits. Even created your own fluid formula. Well, my friend, if you’re searching for a new challenge – or, more accurately, a new god to look up to – we know where to start. Genova – Italy. Ask for a man by the name of Matteo Ricchetti. Been modding since he was a kid. And he’s got balls.

Balls enough to pull apart his mate’s brand new Sony FX1 HDV camcorder (the first one in town and bought for over £2,000), throw away the fixed lens and then put what’s left back together again.

No, he’s not mad. He’s a genius. That’s cos he put in a couple of extra bits, too. And now his pal can stick on the front any of the lenses he’s ever bought for his Nikon still-camera lenses.

Then Matteo goes and does it all over again. This time he buys an FX1 for himself and mods it to take the lenses HE wants to use. B-mount pro-type. The sort he uses in his day job as a documentary film maker. And now his £2K camcorder can go head-to-head with professional models costing up to ten times more, and likely win.

The people at DVdoctor don’t take their hats off to too many people, but they’ve christened him Matteo The Modder. Read their in-depth review of the vanilla-flavoured, fixed-lens FX1 Sony wants you to buy. And also their take on the one Matteo can make for you, but Sony would much rather he didn’t. Here are some snippets:
The most important camcorder you’ll read about this year, Sony’s HDR-FX1, looks almost as good as the shots it takes/ The Sony HDR-FX1E is going to change the world/ Like all other prosumer camcorders, except Canon’s XL standard-definition MiniDV camcorder, the FX1E has a fixed lens. Well, that’s what Sony thought!/ Matteo had been thinking of offering a chargeable modding service so, to test the water, he flew to the UK to spend time on our stand during VideoForum/ He and his interchangeable-lens FX1E turned out to be the stars of the show!
And here’s the full review – Matteo The Modder and all.