Product review: Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30V

Sony Middle East has just launched the new Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30V in the UAE. It will be going against the mighty GoPro Hero3 Black Edition, the popular choice for consumers to film and record extreme action videos. We were invited to try out the new Sony Action Cam at the Dubai Kartdrome.

Straight to the point, the Sony Action Cam is better in some aspects than the GoPro. We were shown differences between the two, and we clearly saw that Sony shoots smoother video quality and captures better colours, at least in the demonstrations we saw.

The Sony Action Cam gets a new waterproof housing. The Full HD mode can capture videos at 50 to 60 frames per second with fast-moving and two slow-motion modes to chose from. Also new is the fact that it can now capture 11.9 megapixel still photos.

It also has GPS embedded inside. The Map View software in it allows you to track your movements as well as show this information while recording. It can also show the speed you are travelling on the screen in speedometer-style video overlay.

The PlayMemories mobile app on the Action Cam lets you instantly download your videos from the camera to your phone via WiFi. It is an easier process if you have a Sony Xperia phone, thanks to the one-touch NFC connection support.

A handy accessory which can be purchased separately is the Live-View Remote. This waterproofed, wristwatch-style controller connects wirelessly to the Action Cam, allowing ‘hands-off’ operation when the camera is mounted in hard-to-reach places like a helmet or more than an arm’s length inside or outside your car. Using the remote, you can check if shots are framed nicely on the remote’s colour LCD, and also control start/stop recording and select photo/movie modes.

There are loads of accessories available to mount the camera on different surfaces.

We had the Sony Action Cam mounted on our helmets and had a go at the Dubai Kartdrome track on go-karts. Looking at the footage later, it certainly didn’t disappoint.

A YouTube channel, BigZachsHouse, did a comparison of the Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30V and the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. Assuming it’s an unbiased test, it clearly shows the smoother video quality and better colours captured by the Sony Action Cam.

The Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30V is priced at Dhs 1599 and comes bundled free with a 16 GB memory card, underwater housing, a waterproof headband, tilt adapter and wrist mount. The Live-View Remote is an additional accessory which retails at Dhs 449.