Sony Action Cam - GoPro competitor (HDR-AS10 and HDR-AS15)

[soulbabel 0]

Were you able to get the WIFI feature working? I tried connecting to it using an iPad3(iOS5), Samsung Galaxy Nexus & Nexus 7 (both Jelly Bean) and they all fail. All my devices see the camera's WIFI network, but the Sony app keeps saying "connecting..." over and over on Android, and the iPad just says "Unable to join the network." I'm trying to figure out if I just have a defective camera. I believe I am using the correct password, because I found it printed on the user manual, as well as in the "WIFI_INF.TXT" file.

EDIT: I saw your article, I guess you got it working. Maybe I got a lemon.

[soulbabel 0]

I added my own little comparison footage of the HDR-AS15 and the Hero2. (Hopefully skydive comparison footage this weekend.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbZGbX27P_A

The smearing around the people walking was very prominent even in the source footage of the Sony camera. I used Avisynth to process the footage to keep it as close to the source as possible.

[DSE 5]

Quote

The smearing around the people walking was very prominent even in the source footage of the Sony camera. I used Avisynth to process the footage to keep it as close to the source as possible.

Therein lies the problem. You're messing with source, which destroys the integrity of the test.
I jumped with 7 cameras today, testing every setting possible given the 7 I had to work with.

WIFI works perfectly on my iPad, Galaxy III cell, Galaxy 2 tab.

No smearing, and in overall picture, the unanimous decision of all people involved (several) was that the AS15 was superior in picture. I'm not so convinced in the controls, housing, or menus, but in image... it's significantly better. I have both a PAL and NTSC model, two production and one pre-production.


Size comparison:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/133223_4177023057193_855070472_o.jpg

Screengrabs (jpg compression)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ETq_jRZV0LNgAfbVEhSJupq1ILEP7kc6GF7B1NAsXVc/edit

The images on the Gdoc are not modified, so they do go off the edge of the page, sorry about that; google limits page sizes.
It is by no means the review I'm writing; it's just some fast screengrabs from all the cameras (not even all synced up yet).

[soulbabel 0]

Quote

WIFI works perfectly on my iPad, Galaxy III cell, Galaxy 2 tab.

Are your Android devices still on Ice Cream Sandwich? My Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 are both running Jelly Bean and will connect then disconnect right after. Last night I tried my old T-mobile G2X running Gingerbread and that successfully worked with my camera. Perhaps it's a Jelly Bean issue?

Regarding the smearing, it's just what I saw in the source footage I took. Here are the links to the source footage:

Since the source files are pretty large, I also extracted the segments I used in my comparison clip. The clips were extracted with ffmpeg to avoid recompression (each command took less than a second to complete)

ffmpeg -ss 00:00:31 -t 00:00:14 -i GOPR0089.MP4 -acodec copy -vcodec copy GOPR0089_clip.mp4

ffmpeg -ss 00:01:12 -t 00:00:28 -i MAH00014.MP4 -acodec copy -vcodec copy MAH00014_clip.mp4

HDR-AS15 source footage (185MB, clip 22MB)
http://sux2b.me/dz/compare/MAH00014.mp4
http://sux2b.me/dz/compare/MAH00014_clip.mp4

GoPro source footage (141MB, clip 28MB)
http://sux2b.me/dz/compare/GOPR0089.mp4
http://sux2b.me/dz/compare/GOPR0089_clip.mp4

YouTube footage (184MB)
http://sux2b.me/dz/compare/youtube_source.mov

Avisynth command file
http://sux2b.me/dz/compare/comparison.avs

[DSE 5]

Both Android devices are JB. Google bricked my Nexus with the JB upgrade but it got me a free GIII.
I'm betting the smear/moire you are seeing is the result of the preview system. On a 32" screen, straight off the video card in VLC, Vegas, and WMP, not seeing any smear at all (your p120 footage). Downloading other footage now.

Finally ready for "real" tests.
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/77758_4188212696927_1550083202_o.jpg

[DSE 5]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4191149170337&set=a.4187614521973.164619.1032868837&type=1&theater

This album is public, so you should be able to see all the images.
The most interesting images are the multicam screengrabs where you can see 8 cameras. The Sony p60 and p120 images are out of sync because of the speed flags, but the rest is all the same frame, same everything.
There are inside and outside shots.
More to come...

[trunk 0]

I'm on the fence with this camera to be honest. The colors seemed really "blue" in the sky, almost too cold. There was some blockiness that I saw when the frame changed dramatically. The underwater housing is useless in the sky since I had wicked lens flare and fogging issues. Perhaps a make shift lens hood made out of gaffers tape will help. The GoPro seemed a lot more crisp in comparison but the steady shot worked well. I think my next test will be GoPro and Sony @ 720 since I was not too impressed with the 1080. Some Video Skydiving with the Sony AS15 and the GoPro 2

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[mccordia 74]

I think a lot of people are taking the auto brightness/contrast operation that the GoPro uses as a pro, over the more 'flat' colors on the Sony.

Note that you can actually do the same thing in post on the sony footage, but in case of a Gopro having blown out whites/over exposed footage with a lot of sunlite on clouds, your footage is basically lost.

From an editors pov. the Sony definately has a big advantage (codec aside).

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[DSE 5]

GoPro also is saturating the color, seeing this in the Drift (added today).
While some probably see this as a benefit, I see it as a losing proposition. All of the cams have their advantages, but the one thing I like is the more "true" color to the AS15.
GoPro has the best image at the smallest resolution in bright areas with low movement, but it also has bloom that none of the other cameras have.
Personally, I prefer being able to have more control in post vs losing some of my options due to camera settings.
10 cameras being jumped at once...learning a lot in this process.

[trunk 0]

Good call guys on what is truer footage vs. what appears better on the computer or TV for debriefing. On a side to side comparison most people were agreeing with the gopro at the DZ but perhaps my computer is a bit too cold and we are in a pretty brown region ;-).

Here is a screen grab of the Eloy White otter. Does it appear really blue to anyone else? I haven't color matched this laptop but this seems too much to me.

Straight from VLC Otter Blue

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[Squeak 17]

Quote

Good call guys on what is truer footage vs. what appears better on the computer or TV for debriefing. On a side to side comparison most people were agreeing with the gopro at the DZ but perhaps my computer is a bit too cold and we are in a pretty brown region ;-).

Here is a screen grab of the Eloy White otter. Does it appear really blue to anyone else? I haven't color matched this laptop but this seems too much to me.

Straight from VLC Otter Blue

definately blue to me Light duck egg blue

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[DSE 5]

http://youtu.be/dcA85PkMDjQ

[trunk 0]

Your otter looks a lot whiter than mine. Perhaps I got a dud or it white balanced improperly when I turned on some how.

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[DSE 5]

Quote

Your otter looks a lot whiter than mine. Perhaps I got a dud or it white balanced improperly when I turned on some how.

That's kinda my wonder, is WB on power-up. Played with it a bit today, pointing at a blue or green card to fool it. Fail.
Might be yours is bad? One of mine is a pre-production model, other two are production units, so hopefully mine is like everyone else'.

[skycat 0]

I do have to add something, if you heard about the water barrel tube jump in Moab. The camera survived going in with the barrel, unfortunately Craig had turned it off right before exit when check to make sure it was on. LOL So no video of the epic water splash.

This would also make it the only camera to have survived a HooknSwoop project.

Fly it like you stole it!

[degeneration 5]

DSE - in your comparison have you done the AEE SD20 action camera? I gather it has lots of different names depending on what part of the world you are in... Swann Freestyle 1080p HD (USA), Rollei Action Cam 200 (North Europe) ActionPro SD20 (Germany), Xtrax SD20 (South America), Yo! y20 HD Camera (Spain)

Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).

[DSE 5]

Quote

DSE - in your comparison have you done the AEE SD20 action camera? I gather it has lots of different names depending on what part of the world you are in... Swann Freestyle 1080p HD (USA), Rollei Action Cam 200 (North Europe) ActionPro SD20 (Germany), Xtrax SD20 (South America), Yo! y20 HD Camera (Spain)

I haven't seen/accessed this cam (never heard of it til this post), but it's probably time to stop. Jumping with 12 is fun, but also a pain in the neck (literally and figuratively) and 12 is enough. We've got all the "popular" cameras, and I've started comping the footage for the review already. Too much work to add another cam and do more jumps. :)

[martin245 0]

Oh, and the GoPro Hero 3 will probably join the game very soon...
http://photorumors.com/2012/10/06/rumor-gopro-hero-3-due-before-the-end-of-the-year/

[degeneration 5]

Fair enough! I'll just have to settle for some of the so-so comparisons on youtube then!

Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).

[vincemoore88 0]

DSE. When do you think we be able to get a peek at some new pics???

[DSE 5]

Friday evening, I'll have a few more examples up, from all 12 cams

[mccordia 74]

Last sunday we did a sunset jump that was very dark/gloomy where we had both a GoPro2 and a Sony AS15.
The GoPro2 on the jump had a noticable grainy/noisy video, where-as the sony video had an extremely noticable better picture quality with much, much less grain.

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[DSE 5]

I have some 4K files from highly contrasted, total dark with firedancers.
It'll be part of the almost-done DZ.com review
It's going to surprise people, but what you're saying is pretty much spot-on (no pun intended)

[mccordia 74]

Is the 4K option on the GP3 actual 4K chip, or is it done through uprezing?

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[degeneration 5]

Thought I'd ask this question here, although if it is more relevant for any other the other GoPro threads, any Mod please move the post there...

Are there any 3rd party or otherwise cases for the GoPro that have a standard tripod mount on the bottom?

Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).