Sony Action Cam AS30V Review

Sony Action Cam AS30V Review

I got my hands on the latest Action Cam by Sony last week and I can’t help myself but write a review about it since it’s just super awesome. For those who didn’t know what an Action Cam is, it’s actually a camcorder targeted for those who indulge themselves with extreme sports (superbike racing, mountain climbing, surfing etc). Since nobody can see what the person is going through, a Point-of-View (POV) camera is suitable for such situation. It’s going to enable recording during such activities plus providing GPS data to keep track of your route. We’ll see what the Sony Action Cam has to offer.

Hardware and Design

Inside the small package lies the 1/2.3” type back-illuminated Exmor R^TM CMOS sensor with 12 effective megapixel for photos and videos. The lens is the ZEISS® Tessar® Lens if the highest quality and I have to admit, it gave such a nice and sharp shots of mostly everything that’s in focus. With the max aperture of f/2.8, it does provide a clear, sharp images and recordings. However, be aware that the minimum focusing distance for the Action Cam is 30cm and nearer than that would give you an OOF (Out-of-Focus) shots. Recording button on the back is quite flimsy but it does have a lock to prevent from accidental recording that would end up drying up your juice. Underneath the record button is the battery and memory card slot. The battery would last around 2 to 3 hours. Standy would last for a week I guess. The action cam can either too a microSD or Memorystick micro. I get a 64gb microSD since it gave much more recording time for me (around 5 hours of full HD recording or 10k plus shots). The two button on the side are for navigating the menus and a super-small LCD to show the menus. It was built with great aerodynamic since the wind resistance will be much less than the GoPro. The slot for microUSB, microHDMI and mic were placed on the bottom and covered with a flimsy hard plastic cover. Charging is definitely with the microUSB since it remove the hassle of taking the battery out and using the external charger.

Video

The Action Cam maxed out it’s recording at 1080p 60fps with 18mbps. Beside, it also has 1080p 30fps, 720p 120fps (SuperSlowMotion), 720p 60fps (SlowMotion), 720p 30fps and 480p. After using it on a few occasion (especially on my superbike), the Action Cam proved to be smoother though there’s few artefact which I believe came from the waterproof casing. Videos without stabilization will be at 170º and turning it on and you will get a little bit tight which is around 120º. That might be a lot but for me, it works best on some events. Most of the time I would turn off the stabilization just to get the extra view.

Photo

I would say it’s a mixed bag. This little cam is definitely not suited for photos but it does it’s job. Though it gave you 12mp of photos each time you’re on your own selfie, high noise is the drawback. I managed to get a great outdoor shot with great lighting but indoor is very much acceptable. Not very good but you can still see your own smile. Sometimes I would take clips from the video itself cos it looks much cleaner than taking a photo.

Accessories

Sony has thrown mostly everything you can think of. From the headmount to the chest harness, you name it. Mostly are upgrades from its little brother, the AS15V. What you will basically get right from the box are waterproof case, a curvy and a flat sticking mount. Others like the chest harness require you to blow some cash. The most significant of all the accessories is the LiveView Remote. It has a small LCD that act as a viewfinder and it would also act like a watch to show time. You can record from the watch which means you don’t have to go for the cam itself to push the record button. Changing the setting and view was made easy by the watch. It’s also waterproof. That’s why I get one.

Usage

It works great. Sometime, you can just hold it during your walk and you will still get great videos. The cam alone is not waterproof. It requires the waterproof case to make it waterproof and maybe a little shockproof. It will still break if you smash it on the floor though. I had great time using it in the pool with my friends and the SuperSlowMotion mode is very, very smooth. It’s just like peanut butter cream. The cam is built specifically for extreme sport users. However, if you’re a person who prefer travelling alone, this is also the one for you. You can take you own selfie or record whatever you’re going through your holiday. Since I travel alone with my bike, having this is a much better option.

Price

It’s a Sony. You can’t expect a low price. You think this is a junk? It was priced nearly the same with the GoPro3+. I got mine with the LiveView Remote watch and it costs RM1,499. The GoPro3+ was priced the same with a recording remote watch. I guess Sony’s watch is much better since it gave me a look at what I’m recording though it was like a bulk on my wrist. All the accessories were plastic and it’s gonna cost you premium price. Don’t tell people that I didn’t warn you for this.

Final Verdict

This is not a normal camcorder. If you think you’re getting this for your home video, you would better off using your smartphones for that. My Samsung S4 did better home video or even stupid video compared to the Action Cam. Get this cam if you are going jumping off the cliff, bungee jumping or even skydiving or even any other sports that is going to make recording impossible. Videos are smooth, shots are considerably acceptable and it is quite tough. Get this one if you’re going to do so extreme and crazy stuff.

Nikon 1

Salam.

Yes. Digital photography have entered a mirrorless era and Nikon have to accept that fact. So they come up with Nikon 1.

Let's not waste more time and get to the specs. Because that's the only thing running in your mind right now. Yeah.


- 10.1-megapixel CX format CMOS sensor (13.2mm x 8.88mm)
- All-new Nikon 1 lens mount system
- Dual-core Expeed 3 sensor, which is why it's all fast and able to do photo/video simultaneously
- A new 73-point hybrid autofocus system that combines contrast and phase-detection, switching between the two seamlessly;
- Video's 1080p/30fps; 1080i/60fps; 720p/60fps; output in h.264 format
- Slow motion video: 640 x 240/400fps; 320 x 120/1,200 fps
- ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 6400)
- 10fps bursts, but with AF locked, it can shoot at up to 60fps, which is the world's fastest continuous shooting speed, according to Nikon
- 12-bit RAW


(taken from Gizmodo)


Yeah they also chunked in 4 special lenses for it. A 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 10mm f/2.8 pancake, 30-100mm f/3.8-5.6 zoom and 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 powerzoom.


Hope it competes well with Sony' NEX and Olympus' PEN.


Source


Salam.

Which DSLR for you?

Salam.

You got the money. And you haven't got yourself a DSLR. Sure thing. DSLR will improve your photography skills in various aspects and also you will be able to identify which type of photography you would prefer. Either an all-rounder, macro, portrait and etc.

There are 4 levels of photography gears that are available in the market and each of it have different needs and requirements. To make it simple, the more money you have, the better your gears will be.

1. Entry / Consumer
The perfect gear for someone who just stepped into the world of professional photography. Its small, lightweight, have all the basic setting for you to learn and it cost less than others. Some of it provide guide mode with detail explanation of the settings. It has basic accessories for you to improve your skills.

Canon EOS 1000D, 1100D, 450D, 500D 550D, 600D.

Nikon D40x, D60, D3000, D3100.

Sony A200, A230, A290, A300, A330, A350, A380, A390.

2. Advanced amateur / Midrange
You've proven yourself to be a good photographer. And you want to climb a step further. But this time, each step costs money. Just kidding. Gears on this level are for those with experience using DSLR before and they want to move up the ladder. Most uses pentaprism rather than pentamirror for better view. It is also more rugged and better build than the entry gears.

Canon EOS 40D, 50D, 60D.

Nikon D5000, D5100.

Sony A450, A500, A550, A560, A580, A33, A55

3. Prosumer / High End
Yup. You got the money. Some would have a full-frame sensor while others are still stuck with APS-C or APS-H sensor. Gears on this level have better ISO, great settings, crisp image and able to burst-shot a lot better than others. At the moment, most professionals would prefer gears on this level as they have better weather seal and built. They also perform better in low-light condition. But beware. It will also punch a hole in your wallet.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 7D.

Nikon D70, D80, D90, D7000.

Sony A700.

4. Professional / Flagship
On this level, its either you have too much money or your camera is going to feed your family. Yes. This is the top. This is the cream of the crop. This is nearly god-like. The quality this camera produce is second to none. Even if a noob takes a picture with this camera, it will end up becoming an award winning picture in National Geographic's Hall of Fame! It is always full frame (most of it) and usually it came with a vertical grip. The sensor is amazing. Even holding this camera will give you the thrill. Each snap of this camera can give you ... I better not use the word here. Any how, this is not for normal photography. Unless you have too much money to waste.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1Ds Mark IV

Nikon D3X, D3S.

Sony A900, A850.

There you go. Guide that will allow you to choose you gears properly. But always check out quotations below.

'Its not the gears that took the pictures. Its you.' 

-National Geographic Society

Currently, these are my gears.
- Canon EOS 1000D
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
- Canon Speedlite 420EX
- Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD IF
- Sigma DC 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 OS HSM 

Hope this guide will help you. Thanks for reading.

Salam. 

DSLR or Camcorder?

Salam.

Would you prefer a DSLR or a camcorder? Nowadays, most DSLR are equipped with HD video recording that allows you to record videos up to 24Mbps (1 second = 24MB). Let me share it with you some issues regarding this matter.

1. Sensor Issue - Long Play
DSLR sensor are specifically made to take photos. The same goes for camcorders which are made to record videos. There's a very big difference between the two. The sensor on the camcorder are optimized to be able to suffer long recording, heat resistant and continuous light absorption. DSLR sensor in the other hand are more towards taking a lot of light in an instance. It is not recommended to record videos on DSLR for a long play. The sensor is not resistant towards heat and continuous light absorption. Long play can damage DSLR sensor and end up costing you more money than usual.

2. Creativity - Lenses
Normal camcorders might not have the interchangeable lenses compared to the DSLR. This means that DSLR user have more creativity on creating videos. But you must have lots of lens to play around with. However, camcorders nowadays can have a little creativity to it by applying wide angle or fisheye converter on the front lens.

3. Handling
Holding DSLR for video recording can be very tiring and not applicable for long play. Its like lifting a dumbell with your wrist. The weight of the body, the lens and sometimes the microphone and whatnot is applying a lot of burden on your hand. Camcorder on the other hand are suitable to be hold for a longer period of time. Sometimes you don't even need a tripod for it.

4. Sound sensor
Camcorder have better sound recording system compared to a DSLR. It is better in surround mode and with proper equipment, you can have shotgun mode on (it records sounds in front without any beside or behind noise). DSLR are more towards capturing unfocused sounds which will also includes the wind, your breaths, your friend talking and many more.

Those are some issues I'm highlighting for video recording using DSLR and camcorder. Hope that will help you on deciding which one is more suitable for you. If you like photos, DSLR is your choice then. For videos, go for camcorder.

Thanks for reading.

Salam.

Nikon D5100

Salam.

Its been a while since I've posted something about photography. This time is quite significant as the Nikon D5100 just came out.

It's the evolution of the ol-Nikon D5000. Well, its quite difficult to tell whether its an upgrade or downgrade version from the D5000. Here I will laid out some key features of the D5100.

NIKON D5100 - Key Features
- 16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
- Side-articulated 3.0" LCD monitor (920,000 dots)
- 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
- ISO 100-6400 range (Up to 25,600 equivalent when expanded)
- HD movies (1080p, 720p or WVGA)
- 4 fps continuous shooting
- In-camera effects filters in both stills and video modes

Here are some obvious differences between the D5100 and D5000
- Higher resolution sensor (16.2MP vs. 14MP)
- 1080p video mode
- Wider ISO range (100-25,600 equivalent)
- Full-time AF mode (AF-F in live view)
- Dual IR receivers (front and rear)
- Side-articulated LCD screen (as opposed to bottom-articulated)
- 921k dot LCD screen
- 14-bit NEF (Raw) mode
- Effects modes
- No wireless control mode over the D5000
- No magnesium alloy build
- 11-point AF system vs. 39-point AF system

I am more particular about the features it holds rather than the picture quality because they uses the same EXPEED 2 sensor which only differs in pixels it holds.

Nikon manage to keep a balance upgrade from on the D5100 however the missing magnesium alloy body is quite depressing. Guess Nikon are also using Canon's strategy of removing the magnesium alloy build in their later upgrade (e.g. Canon EOS 60D).

Hope they'll use their head next time before trying out new stuff.

For more in-depth review of the Nikon D5100, click here.

Source

Thanks for reading.

Salam.