We and our partners use cookies to give you the best online experience, including to personalise advertising and content. Data about your interaction with this site and the ads shown to you may be shared with companies involved in the delivery and/or personalisation of ads on this site and elsewhere online.

Panasonic HC-VX980 vs Sony FDR-AX33

2.68 in
2.87 in
Panasonic HC-VX980 Camcorder
Panasonic HC-VX980
2.8 in
3.09 in
Sony FDR-AX33 Camcorder
Sony FDR-AX33
Available colors
Editiorial reviews
2
2 editorial reviews
The HC-VX980EB-K is another great 4K camcorder from Panasonic, with fewer features than the top model but the keener price is more than compensation.Read more
The Panasonic HC-VX1 is an affordable camera with a good looking image, better than average low light performance and UHD 4K recording — all for $800.Read more
Read editorial reviews
4
4 editorial reviews
With full manual controls and its BOSS image stabilization, Sony rolls out another traditional 4K camcorder at a lower price.Read more
(Click for Reviews) The FDR-AX33 was Sony's first compact 4K consumer camcorder. SmartReview previewed this model a while back at CES in Las Vegas and it received many Best of CES awards. This model shoots at 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) 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 Sony's best Balanced Optical Steadyshot™ (BOSS) image stabilization, the first 4K model to have this technology. This camcorder, although a consumer model has many high end features, such as a premium Carl Zeiss lens f1.8-3.4 (10x optical and 20x extended zoom). 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. Manual Control (Iris, Shutter, Exposure, and White Balance. EVF Viewfinder. Shoots at 100Mbps for best picture quality. ...More...Read more
The Sony FDR-AX33 4K Handycam Camcorder is my first camcorder. I am quite happy with it and using it more often than my smartphone and DSLR. To figure out why, keep reading my review.Read more
Read editorial reviews
User rating
69
3.8 out of 5
69 user ratings
5 stars
30 %
4 stars
28 %
3 stars
30 %
2 stars
5 %
1 stars
4 %
45
3.9 out of 5
45 user ratings
5 stars
28 %
4 stars
33 %
3 stars
33 %
2 stars
4 %
1 stars
0 %

Full Comparison

Sensor

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Sensor typeMOS BSIExmor R CMOS
Optical sensor size1.0 in1.0 in
Effective megapixels8.29 Mpx8.29 Mpx

Image

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Maximum image resolution6784 x 3816 px6048 x 3400 px
Image stabilizeryesyes

Optics and focus

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Optical zoom20.0 x10.0 x
Digital zoom1500.0 x120.0 x
Focal length equiv37.6 - 752.826.8 - 328
Focal length range (f-f) (Lens system)4.08 - 81.63.8 - 38
Focus adjustmentAuto/ManualAuto/Manual
Filter size1.93 in2.05 in

Screen and viewfinder

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Built-in displayyesyes
DisplayLCDLCD
Display diagonal3.0 in3.0 in
Touchscreenyesyes

Videography features

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Resolution
  • 640 x 480
  • 1280 x 720
  • 1920 x 1080
  • 3840 x 2160
  • 1280 x 720
  • 1440 x 1080
  • 1920 x 1080
  • 3840 x 2160
Maximum resolution3840 x 2160 px3840 x 2160 px
HD type4K Ultra HDFull HD
Video formats supported
  • AVCHD
  • MP4
  • AVCHD
  • H.264
  • XAVC S

Audio features

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Built-in microphoneyesyes
Audio systemDolby Digital 5.1Dolby Digital 2.0

Design

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Colour of productBlackBlack

Dimensions

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Height2.87 in3.09 in
Width2.68 in2.8 in
Depth5.47 in6.1 in
Weight12.38 oz24.69 oz

Storage

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
Compatible memory cards
  • SD
  • SDHC
  • SDXC
  • SD
  • SDXC
  • Memory Stick PRO Duo Mark2
  • SDHC
  • Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
  • Memory Stick XC-HG Duo
Storage typesMemory cardMemory card

Connectivity

Panasonic HC-VX980Panasonic HC-VX980
Sony FDR-AX33Sony FDR-AX33
HDMIyesyes
USB portyesyes
Wi-Fiyesyes

Pros & Cons

Pros
      Cons

          Often compared with Sony FDR-AX33