Sony Handycam NEX-VG900 First Impressions Review

Lens & Imaging System

The new Full Frame CMOS sensor on the NEX-VG900 is the big story here. The 23.3-megapixel Full Frame chip on the VG900 means the camcorder has a sensor more than twice the size of the APS HD CMOS found on the NEX-VG20, and roughly 45 times larger than the 1/2.88-inch chip found in Sony's high-end consumer Handycams, like the HDR-PJ710V. It's also the first Sony camcorder to feature a Full Frame image sensor. Clearly, this is a huge deal.

While the image sensor is certainly large enough and has enough pixels to accommodate 4K video recording, the Sony NEX-VG900 only tops out with 1920 x 1080 Full HD recording (just like most HD camcorders). Another caveat is the fact that to take full advantage of the V900's Full Frame imager, you must use A-mount lenses with the provided A-mount lens adapter (LA-EA3 adapter). Using E-mount lenses on the VG900 will result in the camcorder initiating an APS-C crop mode that only uses a portion of the image sensor.

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