Outdoor adventurers are crazy about compact action cameras, but hunters and anglers are catching onto the craze, too.
Compact action cameras are miniature video cameras featuring a fixed, wide-angle lens that shoot high-definition video, as well as single-frame photos. They are designed to attach to helmets, surfboards, handlebars and kayaks, but you can also attach them to fishing rods and firearms. They are tough, and many come with waterproof housings that enable you to shoot underwater. You can even mount them on small drones and shoot aerial photography.
As Coke is to soda, GoPro is the eponymous brand associated with compact action cams, but there are many quality options, including Sony, iON, Garmin, Drift, Panasonic and iVue.
The problem with compact action cams is similar to that of smartphones. The technology evolves faster than consumers can keep pace. Remember that it's only a camera and next year's models won't shoot video any better than current models.
I began coveting one two years ago after Dennis Campbell, a noted duck hunting guide from Little Rock, showed me a video taken over a season of duck hunting in Saskatchewan. He mounted a GoPro on a tripod behind a blind and put together an exciting montage of hunting footage accompanied by a headbanger soundtrack.
After hours talking to GoPro representatives at the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, I had to have one. It has been a gale of artistic freedom.
GOPRO
Many action camera brands offer multiple models that feature ascending feature and accessory packages. However, they all have the same lenses and similar video resolution.
Our first choice was the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition, which was the top of the line in 2014. The Hero4 arrived this year. It shoots 4k and 2.7k video faster than the Hero3, but non-commercial videographers won't notice the difference.
You will notice is the Hero4's heavier weight. With its waterproof housing, the Hero4 weighs 4.6 ounces, while the Hero3 weighs 3.8 ounces. After a day perched on the bill of a ballcap, either is uncomfortable.
You can also get the basic White edition and the mid-range Silver. The Black costs about $400, the Silver costs about $300, and the White costs about $200. The Silver and White models are essentially the same as the original Hero and the GoPro2. They shoot 1080p, high-definition video, and they are fine for non-broadcast purposes.
The Hero4 Black is more sophisticated and comes with a wi-fi remote . This is essential if the camera is mounted to the bow of a boat or in other inaccessible spots. When you're ready to record, a touch of a button on the remote activates the camera.
When fishing, I wear the GoPro on a head mount that positions the camera on the bill of my cap. This is ideal for filming fighting fish. If you activate the camera by hand, a video shows your hand moving away from the camera, and your hand moving back into the frame to stop recording. You can edit out those frames and the wireless remote eliminates them.
A GoPro app also enables a user to operate the camera with a smartphone, but users report the app is inconsistent, especially with iPhones.
The GoPro interface is primitive, but that's an asset because primitive is easy and simple.
GoPro's proprietary editing software is easy to use. You can combine as many rolls as you want into a single file, and an effects package allows you to add music and other trim. We've shot a number of GoPro videos recently covering various subjects that can be viewed on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Web site arkansasonline.com.
SONY
As much as we like GoPro, we are enamored with Sony's action cams.
I was actually looking to buy another GoPro when I chanced upon a basic Sony HDR-AS20 on sale as an "open box special." We liked it so much that we sprung for top-notch HDR-AZ1VR.
Unlike the GoPro, which is bulky and square, the various Sony cams are slim and tubular. The AZ1VR is one of the smallest, lightest cameras in this class, and it weighs 30 percent less than the AS20. Even with the waterproof housing that comes with the Sony cams, it is noticeably lighter than a GoPro. Sony doesn't list the the total weight of a housed unit.
This is a major departure from a GoPro, which cannot be mounted without a housing. The Sony cams are all equipped with standard tripod mounts so you can mount them to any Sony mounting accessory with or without the housing.
Attached to a Sony side clip mount, which clamps to the side of a ballcap, it does not cause discomfort to the head or neck, even with the housing. Nor does not constantly pull the bill over your eyes the way the GoPro head strap mount does.
Water resistance is another major difference between Sony and GoPro. Water will ruin an unprotected GoPro, but the Sony cameras are splashproof.
On the other hand, the GoPro housing is waterproof to 40 feet but Sony's is waterproof only to 16 feet, and it is not rated for continuous immersion.
All of the Sony cams have Zeiss Tessar lenses with a 170-degree angle of view and a f-2.8 aperture that provides good low-light gathering ability.
Sony also has live-streaming ability, as well as motion- and burst-shooting ability. A built-in GPS allows you to tag your photos and videos with GPS coordinates. The image stabilization feature is also very nice.
The AZ1VR also comes with a live-view remote, which is a major selling point and a significant upgrade over GoPro's wi-fi remote. It shows your camera's view, which aids in properly positioning the camera. It can operate as many as five cameras and you wear it like a watch, which keeps it in easy view and easy reach. GoPro's remote is a fob that I wear on a necklace. It also can operate multiple cameras.
All action cams are energy hogs so battery life is short. It is wise to take at least two batteries on a long day afield.
I use all three of my cameras at the same time to shoot the same scenes from different heights, angles and perspectives. A camera on the head is ideal for catching the excitement of fighting fish. The short focal length limits an action cam's perspective, but if you combine it with a standard camera equipped with a zoom lens, the possibilities are as limitless.
Sports on 07/19/2015