# Sony releases GoPro competitor



## Nick (Aug 30, 2012)

http://www.alpinezone.com/news-and-...s-action-sports-hd-cam-to-compete-with-gopro/



Looks pretty sweet, and the price is about right. I love my GoPro but I do feel like the design is kind of ugly. I'm also dissapointed in their lack of a release of a usable Android / iPhone app for controlling it, like they said they would with the WiFi Bacpac


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## o3jeff (Aug 30, 2012)

Thats a great item for the contests here!


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## Nick (Aug 30, 2012)

It's pretty expensive at 2 bones. Maybe I might dig ONE up .... if I can find it on sale.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 1, 2012)

Nick said:


> It's pretty expensive at 2 bones. Maybe I might dig ONE up .... if I can find it on sale.



Contact their marketing dept. Tell them what an awesome forum you run and how a give-away would really be great marking for them, blah, blah, blah ... and get them to give you one to give away.


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## gmcunni (Sep 1, 2012)

i am hopeful this will cause the GoPro Hero prices to drop.


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## gmcunni (Sep 1, 2012)

looks too bulky to be used effectively on an elastic goggle strap


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## fbrissette (Sep 14, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> looks too bulky to be used effectively on an elastic goggle strap


I agree although it is lighter than the gopro and contour.  I have to figure out if I can engineer a sidemount before I get one.  I do not like a 'top of the head' mount.


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## gmcunni (Sep 15, 2012)

it will be interesting to see what type of mounts become available. i've liked the chest mount view from gopro skiers, not sure how well that would work with a camera this style.


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## fbrissette (Sep 16, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> it will be interesting to see what type of mounts become available. i've liked the chest mount view from gopro skiers, not sure how well that would work with a camera this style.



Mounts are definitely an issue with the sony.  It's either top of the head or the ski-goggles side mount.  It has a standard tripod adaptor but that's of little use for skiing.   If you want a chest mount, gopro is the way to go.  IT has the best form factor for that.  For helmet mounting, Gopro also has the mounts with the highest degree of freedom (any orientation) at the expense of having the camera further away from the head (you feel the inertia, and it will catch obstacles (lift, branches) quite easily.   Sony and contour have a much lower profile but this also creates problems (have no experience with the sony yet, but is similar to the contour): positioning the fixed mounts is tricky since you have little camera adjustment afterward - contour has a rotating mount and rotating lens to alleviate this problem but the Sony mounts have nothing. There is no way to have a side-mounting fixed mount for the Sony, and strap-mount definitely shakes more than a fixed mount (tested with the contour) although the Sony is lighter and has image stabilization so this could be less of a problem.

An additional issue with the lower profile of the contour (and Sony) is that although having the camera close to your head is good (low inertia, will not hit things) you may end up having part of your helmet on the image.  To me, mounting the sony on top of your head defeats the purpose of its lower profile.  You can mount the contour sideways and rotate its lens, but that is not possible with the Sony.

It all boils down to image quality.  Right now, Gopro 2 is ahead of everyone (likely ahead of the new contour 2 that still uses the same hardware as the model it replaces - the additional post-processing tweaks might help but I doubt it will be enough to bring it to the gopro 2 level).  But on paper, the Sony has all it needs to be the top of the class.  It's low light performance could be the clincher for me as both e the gopro and contour are not really good late in the day, especially in the glades on cloudy days (they both suck pretty bad under these conditions).

If the Sony image quality lives-up to it's hype, I will definitely get it.  I'll buy replacement contour T-rails (4.99$ on contour's website), and glue the rails onto the side of the Sony's waterproof case.  I'll then be able to use Contour mounts for side mounting.


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## gmcunni (Jan 23, 2013)

noticed the "new" sony on overstock.com. i've had good luck on overstock in the past for items that were past their prime, odd to see a new sony model there.


http://www.overstock.com/Electronic...tion-Camcorder-with-WiFi/7505288/product.html


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## gmcunni (Aug 12, 2014)

now Polaroid is jumping in






http://www.polaroid.com/cube


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## dlague (Aug 13, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> now Polaroid is jumping in
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> 
> 
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That thing is small!


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## Nick (Aug 13, 2014)

Also hideous. Also, it doesn't really look all that durable?


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## Puck it (Aug 13, 2014)

This is what I have and it was less than <$100 for the std def. I think they only sel a HD version 1080p now.


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## fbrissette (Aug 14, 2014)

At this point it looks a bit like a toy camera.

Leading cameras have high quality sony exmor sensors (gopro and sony action cam) GPS and image stabilization (Sony, with rumours about gopro4 having this.

The good thing it has is a 2-m underwater ability so it would be weather proof for skiing with no fogging problems common to cases.


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## BenedictGomez (Aug 26, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> now Polaroid is jumping in
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> 
> 
> ...



That will sell well in San Francisco.


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