In recent years, action cameras, also known as action cams, have been on the rise, and for good reason! During various sports, adventurous experiences, and travels, there are often moments you’d like to capture on video. However, the situation doesn’t lend itself to taking your phone or camera along. This could be because they’re too large, awkward to hold, or at risk of damage. We never go on an adventure without our action camera. But, how do you choose the right action camera?
Brands and types
GoPro is the most well-known and best-selling action camera brand. There are various models available, with the GoPro Hero line offering fantastic action cameras for various budgets. The market also offers a wide range of accessories, from bags to LED lighting and special lenses. Other well-known brands include Sony, Salora, Nikkei, and DJI. After extensive research, we chose a Sony action camera.
We have the Sony HDR-AS200V. This one is now four years old and no longer available but still satisfies our wishes, so we have not yet purchased a new one. The cameras are hence very durable. A great investment for anyone who loves to seek out action and capture beautiful photos or videos! The new and improved version is the Sony FDRX-3000R.
Sony produced its first digital camera as early as 1988 and has since created many photo and video cameras for both consumers and professional users. This means that Sony has a lot of experience in designing the best hardware and software. It took a while for Sony to enter the action camera market, but since then, they have been offering fantastic products.
Image stabilization
A relatively unique feature of Sony’s action cameras is the built-in digital image stabilization, which is crucial for action cameras! The image stabilization ensures that shaky recordings are stabilized to produce a smooth result. There’s nothing more annoying than watching back your mountain bike ride and feeling seasick from the footage that’s shaking along with your bike’s handlebars.
An action camera is still a camera. Therefore, in our opinion, the eventual image quality is the most important factor. Image stabilization makes a world of difference, and the image quality in various modes and recording speeds exceeds our expectations.
Live View Remote
One of the biggest advantages of the Sony Action Camera is that many models come with a so-called live view remote. This is a remote control with an LCD screen that you can wear on your wrist, and with newer models, you can even attach it to the camera itself. This way, you not only see live what your camera is capturing, but you can also control the camera remotely when it’s attached to your body, bike, motorcycle, or surfboard. The big advantage compared to other brands, where the camera is often controlled only with a mobile phone, is that the live view remote is just as robust as the camera. For example, we use the remote when mountain biking or snorkeling.
One advantage and also a disadvantage of wireless connectivity is that it works via a Wi-Fi connection. This ensures good and reliable data transfer. However, when you control the camera with your phone, you won’t be able to use Wi-Fi with internet on your phone at the same time. Additionally, the live view remote disconnects when you go too far underwater. However, when you’re above water, you can immediately control the action camera again, allowing you to switch from photo to video mode without removing the camera from its housing. Underwater, you start and stop filming or take photos with the large button on the back of the underwater housing of the camera.
Design
De sony action camera’s zijn langwerpig gevormd waardoor ze met hoge snelheden minder weerstand ervaren en dus ook minder druk geven op je mount. Dit is niet alleen van belang wanneer je hem op bijvoorbeeld je motor bevestigd, maar juist ook wanneer je van de kant het water in duikt met je camera. Voor wij een Sony action camera kochten gebeurde het geregeld dat na een duik de camera, ondanks het zo vast mogelijk draaien, scheef op de mount stond of deze na verloop van tijd zelfs af brak!
Accessories
Like GoPro and other brands, Sony has various accessories available. In addition to their own mounts, you can attach the camera to the most common tripods with the generic ¼” English thread. Additionally, with an adapter costing a few euros, you can attach all GoPro accessories to the camera. Perfect if you’ve already invested in those! We usually use the included housing and a special underwater housing for underwater shots. The included housing is waterproof up to ten meters, but the image is blurred due to the curved lens in the protective housing. The underwater housing ensures that the light is not dispersed, resulting in much sharper and more realistic images!
We often use our Sony action camera for snorkeling to capture the beautiful underwater world. Read here everything about snorkeling and which snorkel mask you can attach this action cam to.
Other features
We are very satisfied with our Sony Action Camera and have been using it for years. In the meantime, various improvements have been made in the new models, which we have had the opportunity to test. Furthermore, Sony does not fall short in terms of functionalities; the camera records speed and location during recording using GPS. In addition, external devices such as power supply and microphone can be connected. Accessible free software is also available for quickly and easily editing your footage. In addition to many more options and aspects, it is even possible to control multiple cameras at the same time to capture your action from different angles.
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