To the delight of many, the spring weather has hit Canada. With the warmer weather and sun beaming through the skies, for tech enthusiasts, it signals more opportunity to take the gadgets outdoors.
At Sony Canada’s recent VIP product preview event held in Toronto, which included showcasing the new stunning Sony BRAVIA 4K TV lineup, the Japanese electronics manufacturer also showed the a popular selling category this time of year to take outside: cameras. One model I took great interest in is Sony’s super portable, mountable and wearable Action Cam.
Sony Action cam captures all the excitement
The Sony Action Cam lineup has now grown to offer Canadians four ultra-compact, ultra-fantastic models to cater to all user needs:
- FDR-X1000V for 4K enthusiasts, new for 2015
- HDR-AS200V, new for 2015
- HDR-AZ1, physically their smallest Action Cam, that’s awesome to record on its own, or with another model
- HDR-AS20, the original and a top-seller at places like Best Buy
Many of Sony’s celebrated and innovative features found in their existing cameras and camcorders come packed inside the lineup, such as:
- Renowned Carl Zeiss Tessar lenses: What’s cool about this lens is in addition to providing HD or 4K resolution, it has a multilayer coating to suppress ghost and flare caused by diffused reflection of light.
- Superb image sensor: Easily shoot scenes at night and in dark places, using incident light, including low-light. The Exmor R CMOS senor provides more pixels, better image clarity and drastically reduces noise when taking shots in low-light situations.
- Powerful image processing engine: The newest models, the FDR-X1000V (4K enabled) and HDR-AS200V, both feature a BIONZ X image processor which offers lightning-quick processing speed and quality.
Technology aside, if you’re in the market for a steady, clear, HD or 4K dynamic video or shot, the Sony Action Cam line-up is worth a serious look.
While watching a Sony HDR-AS20 attached to a drone flight up in the air, I was advised of some of the useful features for drone or outdoor enthusiasts. Three features really resonated with me as practical features for anyone looking to shoot action shots in the air, on the ground or under water:
- Live View Remote (LVR): You can fully control more than just one at the same time using LVR, a new high-tech wristband. Available presently on the FDR-X1000V and HDR-AS200V models, LVR is a perfect pairing to the Action Cam, allowing users to use on-site playback to check footage and delete unwanted footage while freeing up memory. It’s worth noting users can control up to five devices simultaneous, great for retaining different angles when shooting the same subject.
- SteadyShot stabilization: When capturing subjects like extreme sports with an action camera is mounted to your helmet, bike, skateboard, boat or drone, there’s nothing more annoying than discovering you’ve shot blurred video or images. Thanks to Sony’s SteadyShot technology, the Action Cam effectively suppress shaking and vibrating.
- Multi Camera Control by Handycam: Sony’s Handycam business is synonymous with the wonderful world of camcorders. I think it’s a smart move by Sony to allow Action Cam models to be simultaneously controlled by compatible Handycam camcorders. Dubbed Multi Camera Control by Handycam, this allows users to use Wi-Fi to shoot multiple-angle recordings.
As you’d expect, the accessories line-up supporting Sony’s Action Cam are endless. In addition to the most-commonly used mounts like a waterproof housing, also available are mounts for your dog, roll bar, chest and handle bar.
Here is a recent review of the Sony action cam that includes this great video that was done recorded on Whistler mountain using the action cam:
Check out the complete selection of Sony Action Cam and accessories available today a Best Buy store near you or online at BestBuy.ca.
