Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam Review
This is a much different review than I generally do but I have been using POV (Point Of View) or Action Cameras for some time now that I sometimes mount on my guns or myself for that first person style video angle. In the past I have been using an Innovations Drift HD170 Action Camera and an Oregon Scientific ATC9K HD Action Camera. I still have the Drift HD170 but the ATC9K went back to Costco because some of the plastic was starting to crack on it.
Let's turn the focus back to the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam, so why the "upgrade"? Well for one I had some extra play money because Costco gave me back all the money I spent when I returned the ATC9K. Of course there are a lot of other great cameras to choose from out there and I was considering one of the Hero based systems but the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam kind of caught my eye for a number of reasons.
- Built in WiFi and with downloadable App for iOS and Android based Smartphones.
- Comes with waterproof case good down to 60M (about 200 feet).
- Has SteadyShot image stabilization that is very effective.
- Carl Zeiss Lens with 170-degree or 120-degree selectable viewing angles.
- Full 1080P 30fps resolution along with 720P 120 fps Super Slow-mo.
- Excellent video and audio quality.
One of the most intriguing features for me was the built in WiFi as it allows me to see what the camera sees by streaming the video to my iPhone in real time. Even with a built in video view finder on a camera, you still can not see the screen when the camera is mounted on your head, while a remote screen using WiFi to stream the video to another device like my iPhone lets me see exactly where the camera is pointed and also start and stop recording and even change some of the settings remotely.
After doing some online research and watching video samples of the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam in comparison with some other very good quality Action Cameras, it was clear to me that the sony had excellent video and audio recording capabilities and seemed to even beat the competition in low light situations.
Of course there where some Cons I had to consider but for me they where not a big deal:
- When in the water proof case you can only access the start and stop button.
- No audio in any of the 720p high frame rate modes (60-120 fps).
- It's a new product from Sony so there may be some bugs to work out and features that could be improved or added.
- A bit limited in what camera mounts come in the box.
Your best bet to really see what the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam can do is to watch my video review for it. I show you around the Sony HDR-AS15 and also sync it to my iPhone using the PlayMemories Mobile Smart Phone App so you can see how to pair it, start and stop recording all while viewing the streaming video on the iPhone's screen. I also show you how you can use the WiFi feature to copy pre-recorded video from the HDR-AS15 to a Smartphone using the PlayMemories Mobile Smart Phone App.
I end off my review by showing you some video samples I made in various shooting modes and situations playing around with my new Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam.
Checkout my Video Review of the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam: