Sony's professional AVCHD camcorder with three CMOS sensors and 20x optical zoom.
The Sony HXR-NX5E is a 3-chip professional camcorder for the European PAL market (NTSC equivalent: HXR-NX5U), featuring three 1/3-inch Exmor CMOS sensors (one per colour channel) and a 20× optical Sony G lens. Full HD 1080i/50 and 1080/25p AVCHD recording at 24 Mbps. At approximately 2,200g with standard accessories.
Three 1/3-inch Exmor CMOS sensors (RGB 3-chip, ClearVid array). Sony G 20× optical lens, 4.1-82mm native focal length (36.1-722mm full-frame equivalent). 1920×1080 AVCHD at 24 Mbps: 1080i/50 (progressive output available), 1080/25p, 720/50p. Approximately 2,200g with standard accessories. Fixed zoom lens; no interchangeable mount.
The 3-chip design provides better colour separation than single-sensor camcorders of the same era: dedicated sensors for red, green, and blue channels avoid the interpolation required by single-sensor Bayer designs. The 36.1-722mm equivalent zoom range covers wide to extreme telephoto for news gathering, documentary, and event production. The E suffix indicates European PAL market configuration (50Hz frame rates).
On the used market the Sony HXR-NX5E is available at professional camcorder pricing. Condition checks: lens zoom and focus function across full range, recording to both media slots, viewfinder display, battery health (BP-U60/NP-F970 type). Fixed Sony G zoom; no interchangeable mount.