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Sony HDR-AS30V Review

The Sony hdr-as30v is a optimally designed for Point Of View shooting during outdoor sports activities such as snowboarding and skydiving. It inherited its design from the AS15V and hence inherited its flaws too, such as the shape of the of the camcorder; the oval shape does not allow one to stand it on flat surface. To use it on such a surface, we have to load it into the waterproof cover but that too has disadvantages as the ports cannot be used inside the cover. There is clearly room for improvement in such a design. However, the fact that the design was not changed also means that it is compatible with sony’s wide line of accessories. Although the waterproof housing was trimmed down resulting in a lighter camera which is also more compact, it also meant that the waterproof lasts only up to 5 meters instead of the extraordinary 60 meters compared to its predecessor. Its outdoor capability can be fully exploited by the camera’s dust and dirt resistance. This means that the camera can be used in snow, rain and other harsh conditions without risk of malfunction.

Some cool features of the AS30V includes its built-in WiFi which can be used along with a smartphone or tablet to control the AS30V remotely while enabling live onscreen video on said tablet or smartphone screen. The GPS system in the AS30V allows for geotagging and can be used with Sony’s Play Memories application to retrace your travels. When using this application with several AS30Vs, it allows the user to see split-screen views. Although these features are handy, it takes it toll on the battery life of the camera. Without the GPS or the WiFi enabled, the battery lasts for a reasonable 2 and a half hours but with these features enabled it only lasts for a meager 30 minutes.

The camera also includes HDMI connectivity as well as a built-in stereo microphone. This allows for high exceptionally high quality audio into along with the HD video. The camcorder also has a external memory slot which allows for a unlimited video recordings.

Although it was designed for video, it does take decent quality still-shots with its separate photo mode which is an improvement to its predecessor. This has a digital stabilization system which works by cropping the angle of view from 170 to 120. Although it does not fully counteract the sort of heaving vibrations you get when mounting the camera or a bike or motorcycle, it does a decent job at it.

Compared to the GoPro Hero3+ in day light conditions, the AS30V struggles in terms of picture quality providing an image which is loses in terms of precision and sharpness The effectiveness of the dynamic range is questionable as bright highlights are overblown by overexposure. That being said, the quality is considered good enough for use in social media and video sharing. However, the use of tightly packed pixel densities in such a basic camcorder that only films up to 4MP can also be questioned. The AS30V performs unusually well in night light conditions with good levels of luminosity.

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Sony HDR-AS100 Review

There are plenty of cameras out there for those people whose activities range from family BBQs to beach holidays. In fact most of us stick to using our smart phones for those all-important selfies or images of what we had for dinner last night. But people for whom adventure features high on the agenda have had a somewhat limited choice.

But alternatives to the GoPro range are emerging on the market and are set to make it a more competitive arena; this can only be a good thing for the adrenaline junkies of the world, any additional product availability is a good thing. So a big welcome to the latest action product from Sony, the hdr-as100v. And Sony is actually a fantastic brand. Their newest Sony FDR-X3000 model was recently named as the best action camera in 2016!

So What’s new with the Sony hdr-as100v?

The new product has all of the same features of previous Sony action cameras, and some. Two major pluses are that it’s lighter and it’s white. If you are off on a hike, the more compact and light your gear the better, and if you mislay the hdr-as100v the colour is going to make it easily identifiable in most environments.

The device also comes with its own tripod, ideal to prevent shake in your shots. The built in image stabilization facility also helps with the shake; it compensates for movement such as running and cycling. If you need to keep your hands free you are going to need the tripod as the shape of the camera itself prevents it from standing on its own.

The All Important Image

Let’s face it photography is all about the pictures you get as a result and the quality of them. With the hdr-as100v you get extra clarity, with a lot of the imperfections found with previous Sony products eliminated. The improvements come from the 30% increase in resolution from the Zeiss Tessar lens. An added bonus is the 170 degree viewing angle for greater visibility of your subject.

If the sum total of your photography ability is point and shoot you have no need to worry; but if you want to get a little more Matt Angiono about it you can use the different colour modes and the Vegas Pro time code facility to play with your images and make editing easier.

Software on the Side

There isn’t much point in taking photographs if you can’t view them at their best. Using the built in GPS facility, and the accompanying software, you can add details such as location and speeds to your videos; a fully inclusive video diary experience. The software also gives you the capability of spilt screen viewing from different cameras in an individual clip.

Hands Off Camera Control

Ideal for action photography, with the hdr-as100v you can control it without actually handling it, using the fully waterproof Live-View Remote (RM-LVR1) from Sony. From this tiny wireless piece of equipment, with a built in LCD screen, you can control up to five camera, setting up your shot, switching from camera to video and back, and switching recording on and off.

With its multi-functional ability, remote control facility, and improved image quality, the Sony hdr-as100v is a viable and efficient alternative to GoPro.

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Holidays in 4K with Tony Hawk wearing the Sony FDR-X1000R action camera!

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Sony HDR-AS15 Review

With the recent surge of interest in POV (point of view) cameras, it’s worth remembering that long before GoPro came onto the scene, the undisputed masters of video recording technology, Sony, were already dominating this market leaving any and all rivals in the dust.

And if you’re looking for a rugged, solid Action Cam at a very reasonable price, then you need look no further than the Sony HDR-AS15.

You name it and the Sony can take it. And at a price that comes in at almost half what you would pay for an average GoPro, this Action Cam is one you should seriously consider.

The question isn’t what can it do, but rather what can’t it do. Because once you’ve gone scuba diving, mountain bike riding, sky-diving, rally car racing and snowboarding, you really have to wonder if this little cam has any limitations.

And once you fully realize that the HDR-AS15 can take all your hard knocks, at the same time you’ll then begin to appreciate that its technology also matches its durability. With its built in WiFi, it seamlessly integrates both photo and video applications via its custom app with most devices. And the quality is nothing short of amazing.

Don’t make the mistake in thinking that with a lower price tag that Sony has scrimped on the quality. Packed into this fully 1080p HD unit is a Carl Zeiss lens with 170 degree view. Used by professionals around the world, this lens is the backbone of this camera and ensures consistent and exceptional quality shots every time.

With the introduction of its new Steadyshot image stabilization technology, blurry shots are now a thing of the past as the Sony HDR AS-15 gives you an awesomely crisp video experience time and again.

You might expect that with all the features packed into this tough unit, that it would be a handful to carry . Yet again, Sony have proven themselves to be truly innovative, because at only 90g in weight, the HDR AS-15 is one of the lightest Action Cams ever developed.

How about usability? In the heat of the moment when the adrenalin is racing and your heart is pounding, you may not have the time to find those hard to reach on/off buttons to start recording your amazing adventures. Sony have made the elegant choice of making the record button sit conveniently in the center of the back of the unit, and in the color red so it stands out. Small detail yes, but makes all the difference.

Also on the subject of finer details, Sony have given serious thought into how you will use and mount the HDR AS-15. From the standard waterproof housing and universal tripod mount, you have a wide array of options including helmet, bike, suction, adapters and much more.

If you are in the market for a reliable, tough and proven Action Cam then have a serious look at the Sony HDR AS-15. With all of its amazing features at a very reasonable price, you won’t be disappointed.

Product Description

The Sony HDR-AS15 is an all-terrain camcorder. This compact camera sports and weighs only 90 grams. Its cover, prepared for the end, ensures perfect operation to a depth of up to 60 metros.La HDR-AS15 records Full HD images on the memory card through its 16-megapixel CMOS sensor. Your lens offers a field of ultra-wide viewing angle coverage of 170 °. This WiFi camera can be controlled remotely from a smartphone. It also facilitates the exchange and transfer of your files.

Functions

Sal depth – Place the special water-resistant case that comes with the Action Cam and records videos as you immerse crystal up to 60 m

No cables, only Wi-Fi – Play action directly: share your videos with your smartphone using integrated Wi-Fi and our PlayMemories application

Forget about blurry footage – Record videos well defined but move everything around you with the unique feature SteadyShot

Pictures worth 10,000 words – Capture more detail when recording Full HD with a Carl Zeiss wide angle lens first class and the Exmor R CMOS sensor, even in low light

Your shots, your world – With five recording modes, including Full HD and HD creeper 120 frames per second, you have even more ways to get the recording

In the middle of the action but not restrict – The Action Cam is so small and light that just plug it in and forget about it until the fun is over

Free your hands – have better things to do with them to hold a camera: acóplala our hands-free accessories and move on

Plug it – Extract movie camera easily via the micro-USB port, HDMI D type terminal and SD memory cards M2/Micro

One Touch Recording – Touch the button and start recording: that simple, but bring gloves

Remote – Use your phone to start and stop recording, change mode, SteadyShot check settings, etc..

Enters the frame – Sets the Action Cam to take pictures at regular intervals during the action and get in the picture

Product Information

Color: Black Screen Size: 1.5 inch Weight: 90 grams Features: Autofocus, Wifi Maximum resolution: 1080p Components Included: SPK-AS1, VCT-AM1, instruction manual, rechargeable battery, micro-USB Cable Batteries included: Yes Brand: Sony

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Drift HD Ghost Review

Remember the older generation camcorder or POV? They were low resolution, chunky and really expensive. But with high resolution sensor and flash memory, the new generation of camcorders is tiny and extremely easy to handle. One of these names includes the Drift HD Ghost model. This model is bundled with features that will appeal to all videographers- be it sports videography or something else. Don’t get fooled by its size! Want to know more? The Drift HD Ghost review will help you know what’s hot about this product.

Design and features

This HD Ghost model records video with high definition and images with high resolution. If you want to capture videos, you have four settings to choose from- 960p, 1080p and 720p. At 1080p you will be able to shoot at least 30 frames every second? Isn’t that amazing? In case of 720p you can shoot 30, 60, 25, 50 frames per second. Coming to video recording, you can record video in two formats, the MP4 or Quick Time MOV. In case of images, you can capture these at 5, 11 or 8 mega pixels. You can view the videos and images in the high end LCD monitor with 2 inch display. The images are usually recorded in the microSDHC card included in this device.

The HD Ghost comes with three ways FOV. You have the option of selecting the menu for FOV. These include 127 degree wide angle, normal angle of 90 degree and extreme wide angle of 170 degree. What is interesting about this product is you can rotate the lens at about 300 degrees as per your need. This camcorder is waterproof allowing you to shoot in wet areas without difficult. It is waterproof up to 10 feet. All you need to remember is to close the back cover tightly that has access to the battery and the card slot. Due to its small size, you can easily attach it to your body or with fixtures and it won’t create any trouble. This camcorder comes with a Wi Fi built in it. This allows you to share videos and images through any iOS device. Also, this comes with a microphone that can be used for video recording.

Unlike other camcorders or POV, the Drift Ghost comes with a two way LED remote control. So, you can either choose to wear on the wrist like the watch or you can use the strap. You can also recharge it through the USB cable that is included with it. You see two- button on the side of the camcorder. While you are recording the green light is on showing the recording is all set to start recording. The red light shows that it is in progress. There are many things you will love about this product. One such thing is the built in Wi-Fi. With this you can check out the video and menu option on your iOS device.

The Pros

• It gives extremely good video quality • The two way remote control is a good inclusion • Built in Wi-Fi for off the camera viewing on your Smartphone, iPad or iPad

Video resolution: 1080p, 960p, 720p and WVGA File format: .Mp4 / .Mov (H.264 codec) Sensor type: CMOS Frame rate: 25 / 30 / 50 / 60 / 100 / 120 fps Field of view: 90° / 127° / 170° Lens focal range: 0.5m to infinity Lens rotation: 300° Zoom: x10 (digital) Photo mode: 5 / 8 / 11 megapixels Exposure: Auto / Manual LCD Screen: 2.0″ TFT Waterproof: 3m (9.84ft) Microphone: Built-in, noise reducing microphone Built-in memory: 256MB Memory capacity: Micro SD memory cards up to 32GB Inputs: 3.5mm external microphone (extension included) Outputs: HDMI connector type C (cable not included) Connectivity: USB Plug and Play, mini-B USB connector Compatibility: Windows XP and up / Mac OS 10.2 and up Remote range: 5m (32.81ft) Radio frequency: 2.4G Camera dimensions: 105 (L) x 52 (W) x 33 (D) mm Camera Weight: 167g Camera Power: 1700mAH rechargeable lithium-ion battery (included) (DC 3.7V)

Overall, this is an excellent high definition POV featuring a remote control. Not just this, it shoots great quality JPEG images and you also get a free iPhone app with it which is a bonus.

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GoPro Hero 5

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Contour+2 Review

Most of the people like recording activities as they happen. Some will even use their phones to capture each and every step they are undertaking or even the action itself. Most of these people use their smart phones to capture activities such as bike riding, hiking and many more which is not safe for them to do so. This may well explain the recent increase in sales of the action cameras which can be mounted in different position and places as per users’ choice and preference. Some are mounted on handlebars, surfboards and even on the helmets. After great research, the statistics show that the sales have grown by 37% from the previous years in 2013.

Due to the sudden increase in demand for the cameras, many firms have come up to produce these action cameras. They have a lot of added features which are being implemented by the manufacturers in order to increase the marketability of their products. These features include high definition images up to 1080p, Wi-Fi and even with some having an LCD screen. Their prices differ from one given camera to another which ranges from $300 to $400. The action cameras may look similar but they differ a lot. They include contour+2, GOPRO HERO3+ BLACK ($400), SONY HDR-AS30V ($250), ION AIR PRO 3 ($350), Drift HD Ghost and many more. Below I have provided contour+2 review and GOPRO HERO3+ review.

The contour+2 camera is a recent model which is more like the other previous generation of cameras but it has so much added into it. From outside its 4 inch cylindrical in shape and its diameter is an inch long. It has got a small Bluetooth button in front and raised rubber switch on top of the contour +2 camera. The Bluetooth can be used to pair with your iPhone wherever you need to do so. At the back of the camera is where the storage and connectivity ports are located. There you will also find the min HDMI and USB port, the micro SD memory chip slot and the battery. It has been made in such a way that it can accommodate bigger and bigger memory chips, this because the higher the quality you are filming the larger the space it consumes. For example when recording a video whose image is 1080p and 30 frames per seconds, the 2 GB memory chip only goes for 15 minutes. Fortunately, the contour+2 camera can hold up to 32 GB memory chip. The contour+2 have few limitations which include low photo resolution and short battery life. Due to its wearable nature and high-definition videos it is highly recommended for sporting activities.

GoPro Hero3+black is another action camera that is doing very well in the market today. It has become popular due to its high quality pictures and its ease in use. It has the capability to record ultra-high-definition videos. It can also be used for professional purposes since it has got pro Tunes. This is a professional mode which provides fine tuning which can be used before shooting and also touch-ups that greatly help editing after shooting. One can add an LCD screen which will cost you just $80. Just like all other cameras it has few limitations which include low battery life.

Contour+2 Features

Brand: Contour Model: 1709 Model name: CONTOUR +2 Year: 2012 Weight: 154 g Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 3.4 x 6 cm Batteries: 1 Lithium ion necessary (s), including (s) Maximum capacity RAM: 32 GB Digital Storage Capacity: 32 GB Devices Supported: microSD (TransFlash) Other Features: Full HD, GPS, Built-in microphone Components Included: USB Number of products: 25 It has Image Stabilization: No Optical Zoom: 1 X Maximum resolution: 5MP Horizontal Resolution: 1920 pixels Optical sensor resolution: 5MP Max Vertical Resolution: 1080 px Minimum Focal Length: 5 mm Audio: mic-jack Microphone Form Factor: Yes Video capture resolution: 1080p full hd Video input format: 1080p, 480p Video output interface: HDMI (1) Description Battery: Lithium Ion Average Battery Life 2.5 hours Batteries / Batteries Included: Yes Battery / batteries required: Yes Number of USB Ports: 1 Connector Type: bluetooth Type: JPEG Compatible with Bluetooth: Yes

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Beautiful Travel video captured with a GoPro!

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SJ1000 Review

SJ1000 camera is that action camera with the ability to record 1080P30FPS high definition audio and video. The camera can take 12MP still photos. On a full charge, the camera can take a battery life of approximately 80 minutes. SJ1000 camera is considered as a very cheap alternative compare to GoPro. This type of camera comes with a case that is waterproof and can record a video at 1080P. It also has multiple mounts for each occasion; this makes it a quality action camera with very many features. Even by using the waterproof case, the functions of the camera can still be accessed.

The video quality of the SJ1000 camera is very high. To realize the best quality video out of this camera, you have to play with exposure setting for various lighting environments, particularly when using it during the night time. The SJ1000 camera does not record large files that are more than 4GB and it will not record files once it reaches its target of 4GB. The recording size can however be increased by going to the settings and changing the options of cycle recording to obtain additional minutes, this will add additional recording minutes. In the event you have a full memory card for your camera, the recording will delete oldest files, so it is imperative to have sufficient space in your memory card. This camera comes with several options of recording videos. Recorded videos often come with time stamp by default and it can only be turned off in options provided by the menu.

SJ1000 camera has playback options and provides two ways of viewing or recording pictures. You can use a USB cable that you can connect to your personal computer; you can also view your files using a LCD screen. The camera comes with several mounts and accessories; this makes it possible to mount the camera virtually on everything. The camera also comes with waterproof shells for purposes of underwater recording. SJ1000 action camera changes everything and with less money, you can be guaranteed of a camera which is capable of recording videos that can rival other expensive cameras. The video and audio quality of the SJ1000 camera is excellent, though it has a video resolution and FPS that is less when it is compared with that of GoPro and other expensive companies.

There are many other functions of SJ1000 camera and these alternative uses are: Shooting still photos: SJ1000 camera can take up to 12MP photos and the photos are very good. This camera can also be used for home surveillance camera. This is due to its features of motion detection and owners of this type of camera can turn on the motion detection mode and use the camera for surveillance purposes. When using this feature is enabled, the camera can record a video for 10 seconds. This camera can also be used as a car recorder. It can be used as a car camera recorder when it is mounted in car charger or in the car suction cup.

SJ1000 Features

LCD display: 1.5 inch (4:3)

Lens: 140 ° A + HD Wide

Processor: Novatek NT96650

Optical Zoom: 4X

Support language: English / German / French / Spanish / Italian / Portuguese /

Chinese Traditional / Chinese Simplified / Japanese / Russian

Video resolution: 1920 * 1080/1080 * 720/848 * 480/640 * 480

Video Format: MOV

Video codec: H.264

Photo Resolution: 12M / 8M / 5M

Photo Mode: Single shot / Self-timer (2s/5s/10s) / long filming

USB port: USB 2.0

HDMI port

Power supply: 5V 1000MA

Battery capacity (Removable): 1100MAH

Support Micro SD card up to 32GB (not included)

Works great as a DVR.

Battery life: 2hrs 15mins. Overall, SJ1000 camera is very good, 1080p camera that is cheap and waterproof. It is considered the best nicely designed action camera.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of this camera are wearing different mounts. They are many and with many options but with issues. The most easily remedied by making a few arrangements.

No remote control

microSD card (not included)

Another disadvantage when mounted on top of the helmet is that, because of its shape, is too high and this favors the swinging movement causing an uncomfortable burning. Also the weight is around 100 grams, which is not a big help.