Camcorders Reviews
SONY X1000VR 4K Action Cam Wi-Fi & GPS Review
by Priya Modi - December 23, 2015
Review
Finally—after a long, hectic work life, you decide to escape on an adventure. You never know when you’ll take the trip again, so every move you make counts. Make sure you take the Sony FDR X1000VR with you. Whether you’re a sports or an action-adventure enthusiast, this cam is going to make the quest worthwhile.
At a glance, the X1000VR has a shot-gun style design which makes it very travel-friendly. This camcorder serves multi-purposes so feel free to shoot during a beach volleyball game or stunts from a skiing quest. You can also catch the waves while you surf since it can resist the splashes of water. If you are a diver, the camcorder comes with a waterproof case so that you can submerge up to 33 feet underwater; Enjoy shooting sea creatures while scuba diving.
Being outdoors means being exposed to the noisy wind. The X1000V has a built-in mic to record clear sound while reducing wind noise. One thing to consider is that the camcorder is weather sealed—not weather proof, so be prepared for that. When compared to GoPro camera, the X1000VR nails its performance in terms of sharpness, image detail, and overall vibrancy throughout the picture. It is common for people to lean towards the GoPro camera due to brand loyalty, however, when images are compared side-by-side, you can tell that the X1000VR is a strong competitor. While the 4K image quality is not perfect, it certainly offers a lot more quality than a smartphone.
Having fun taking shots? It’s not the only thing you can do; you can stay connected to your smartphone by using Sony’s PlayMemories mobile app. While the camcorder is on, just open the app on your phone to shoot videos in real-time. You can also use the footage to create a masterpiece by using the Highlight Movie Maker feature. This feature allows you to automatically edit footage on your phone from your Action Cam into a video montage. Overall, whether you’re on an action adventure or a relaxing vacation, every move you make counts. Thanks to the Sony FDR-X1000VR camcorder, there is no reason for an exciting moment to be missed.
Highlights
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Shoot in low light with Exmor R® CMOS Sensor
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BIONZ X™ for superior detail and texture
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Sharp, ultra-wide 170° lens
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XAVC S for pro-level recording
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Image stabilization feature for bumpy situations
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Built-in stereo microphone
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Wind noise reduction
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Burst Shooting
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Loop Recording
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Live streaming
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Highlight Movie Maker for editing footage
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Manual control for pro-style movies
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Splash-proof design shrugs off water
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Wi-Fi for Remote Monitoring and Operation
Pros
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Top-notch image quality
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Various shooting modes
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Easy to use
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Travel-friendly
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User-friendly app
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Image stabilization feature (for bumpy situations)
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Wi-Fi for Remote Monitoring and Operation
Score
9.0
Cons
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Blurry video when underwater
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Some quality issues in bright light
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Not as compact in size as other action cams
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Display could be larger
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Highlight Movie Maker feature does not work with VGA, 24p, high speed or 4K clip
Drift Ghost-S Action Camera
Review
by Jeremy Bunet - February 2, 2015
Highlights
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Full HD 1080p Video at 60 fps
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12-Megapixel Photos
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Drift DataLink Wi-Fi Enabled & Drift App
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2" LCD Screen with Gorilla Glass
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300 degree Rotatable Lens
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Back cover difficult to remove
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Difficult menu system to navigate
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Low-light performance
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Waterproofed
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Built-in 2-inch LCD and Wi-Fi
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Bundle of accessories
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Long batery life
Pros
Cons
9.5
Score
The most powerful Drift yet. Capture more of the action with the Ghost-S and a 3.5 hour recording time. Featuring a 2“ LCD screen, rotatable lens, video resolution up to 1080p, up to 60 frames per second, new scene modes and much more.
Ideal for the casual user and prosumer alike, the Ghost-S is the most powerful Drift camera to date – twice as powerful as its predecessor. Boasting a leading-edge processor, Sony™ CMOS sensor, plus 7-element aspherical lens technology, the Ghost-S is capable of 1080p at 60fps, 12MP stills and unprecedented low-light performance. The result is extraordinarily smooth, rich video in any condition.
Best in class battery life (3.5 hours) means you can record more and worry less.
A vivid 2" Corning® Gorilla® Glass scratch-resistant LCD screen further distinguish the Ghost-S from it’s competitors. Simple and intuitive, yet packed with features, the easy-to-use interface provides access to a wide variety of user-adjustable settings including, bit rate, 10x digital zoom, resolution, frame rate, exposure, field of view and manual HDMI out. Paired with an updated rotatable lens, the Ghost-S places professional-caliber features at the fingertips of casual users.
The principle of the Drift 2-Way Remote is simple but effective: Use the two buttons (also easily operated with gloves) to start or stop recording, or control multiple cameras simultaneously via the "One-to-All "mode. Shoot photos even while recording a video, use video-tagging, or simply switch between all the different camera modes - the colour of the remote control’s LED indicator will show the current mode. By connecting the camera via radio frequency (instead of Wi-Fi), Drift does besides help you to save valuable battery-life.
A great advantage of the Ghost-S is its super easy assembling. The 300° continuously rotatable lens allows you to mount the camera in all conceivable positions, and yet still provides a straight image. So just plug the camera into the mount, set the lens and get started - no angles, no screws!
Score
8.0
Highlights
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Most advanced GoPro ever
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2x the performance
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4K30 - 4x the resolution of 1080p
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Fast, powerful photo capture
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New settings for after dark
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Control, view and share with built-in Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
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HiLight Tag your best moments
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World’s most immersive video
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Auto Low Light mode
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QuikCapture convenience
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Professional audio performance
Pros
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Low light performance
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Battery performance
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Easy to use manual controls
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Great image resolution, frame rate and camera features
Cons
Score
9.0
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Must Read Manual
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Difficult menu system to navigate
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Low-light performance
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Only 15fps on 4K video
GoPro HERO4 Black
Review
by Mark Landers - January 17, 2015
HERO4 Black is the most advanced GoPro ever. Featuring improved image quality and a 2x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates. HERO4 Black takes Emmy® Award-winning GoPro performance to a whole new level. Incredible high-resolution 4K30 and 2.7K50 video and high frame rate 1080p120 video enable stunning, immersive footage of you and your world. New Protune™ settings for both photos and video unlock manual control of Color, ISO Limit, Exposure and more. Waterproof to 131’ (40m) with 12MP photos at a blistering 30 frames per second and improved audio,1 HERO4 Black is the ultimate life-capture solution.
With a 2x more powerful processor, 2x faster video frame rates and even better image quality than its best-selling predecessor, HERO4 Black delivers footage that’s sharper, richer and more detailed. Combined with powerful new features and technologies—and improvements to audio, usability, wireless connectivity and more, HERO4 Black is the most advanced, highest-performing GoPro ever.
HERO4 Black is the first camera of its kind to feature ultra high-resolution, high frame rate video as powerful as this. Once the exclusive domain of large, costly cameras, HERO4 Black delivers truly professional video quality in a tiny package. Stunning clarity. Liquid-smooth slow-motion playback. Cinema-quality capture. HERO4 Black brings it all.
Capture single photos, or choose Time Lapse mode to shoot photos automatically at set time intervals from 0.5 to 60 seconds—great for gear-mounted shots when the shutter button is out of reach.
New Night Photo and Night Lapse modes offer customizable exposure settings of up to 30 seconds for single and Time Lapse photos. Whether you’re shooting the Milky Way or a campfire hangout, Night Photo and Night Lapse allow you to you capture ultra low-light scenes like never before.
HERO4 Black features built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®, allowing you to connect to the GoPro App, Smart Remote2 and more. The GoPro App transforms your phone or tablet into a live video remote for your camera, offering full control of all functions and settings, easy shot preview and playback, plus sharing via text, email, Facebook and more. The Smart Remote allows you to control multiple GoPro cameras from distances of up to 600’ (180m).
Featuring a powerful new audio system, HERO4 Black captures clean, high fidelity sound. Its cutting-edge microphone delivers nearly 2x the dynamic range, while a best-in-class audio algorithm ensures your recordings sound smoother and more natural than ever.
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