HdCam
Latest
Sony Action Cam review: a good rugged camera with a few software wrinkles
Until now, Sony's efforts in the element-stopping sports cam world had largely consisted of handhelds such as the Bloggie Sport HD and the waterproof Handycam. The $200 Action Cam, however, is an all-out hiking-boot-wearing adventurist, with a backpack full of tools and supplies by comparison, that frankly, makes the brand's previous attempts look like they're barely prepared for a school field trip. A lot of technology can be broken down into numbers. PetaFLOPS, gigahertz and megabytes -- the idea usually being, the more the better. And often that's true. Sometimes, though, what you really need are a couple breaths of fresh air and a healthy shot of adrenaline. And that's where something like Sony's new HDR-AS15 Action Cam shines. It's one of a growing breed of devices that allow us to get our fill of the great outdoors, while still satisfying our gadget fix. With plenty of other competitors lining up to be your sporting partner of choice, however, does the Action Cam have what it takes to keep up? Dive past the break to find out.
Ion launches Air Pro WiFi, helps you document your morning commute (video)
Ion's officially releasing its Air Pro camera that we put through its paces back in March. The sports shooter is designed to be strapped to a helmet or extreme-sports gear to document your extreme adventures in high definition. It'll also come with 8GB of free storage from MiMedia to share your death-risking achievements over the internet. Budget models are available starting at $230, but for the full package (with the WiFi module) it'll set you back $350 from today. Oh, and if you'd like to see what you're expected to do with the gear, you can head past the jump for test footage.
ION Air Pro POV camera: shoot on the piste, upload to the cloud, we go hands-on (video)
You might think the POV / action sports camera world has been a bit of a two horse race recently. That could all change, however, now ION has muscled into the scene with its Air Pro HD sports camera. The firm's dabbled with handy cameras before, but now it's dipping a well armored toe into the helmet-cam market. Needless to say, that means it's rugged, waterproof, and built to eat dirt -- or at least capture the moments when you do.Your action is scooped-up in full 1080p HD, and there's a 5-megapixel stills option for when you want to frame that killer jump for static posterity. The lens is a 170-degree wide-angle affair, you can change the FOV if you wish, but it's definitely enough to grab all the action. There's also no display on the device itself, but there's a reason for that: operating the Air Pro is a ridiculously straightforward task. With just one click you're recording, even if switched off. The two controls on top are all you need to get the essential jobs done with this device, a button for switching it on and off (and taking stills) and the sliding record switch -- this set-up also means you can physically feel if it's recording, even when you can't see it.
