GoPro enjoys a dominant position in the action camera market. Panasonic, HTC, Garmin and a few other players have tried to make inroads into the action camera segment, but with little success. Now Sony takes on GoPro with its new models for 4K and regular high-definition videos. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Japanese electronics giant unveiled a 4K action cam FDR-X1000V and a new HD cam AS200V.
GoPro has some tough competition ahead
Both products are aimed squarely at GoPro. Skateboard legend Tony Hawk demonstrated the new 4K action camera. He tested them on the ski slopes. The action camera was also mounted underneath his skate park, something that couldn’t be done with other products. “I’ve never been able to get shots like that before,” Hawk said at the Sony event. According to market research firm TechNavio, the action camera market is expected to grow at 23.8% annual rate from 2014 to 2018.
The new splash-proof FDR-X1000V point-of-view camera takes images at a speed of 30fps and a resolution of 3840 x 2160. Users can play back the 4K video directly on a 4K TV via an HDMI cable. It sports a Zeiss Tessar lens with 170 degrees ultrawide angle. It has a Bionz X processor and Sony Exmor CMOS for video processing. The camera can also capture enhanced HD video footage at high frame-rates of 120fps in full HD and 240fps in standard HD for impressive slow-motion footage.
Sony’s 4K action cam costs $499
Sony’s new HD action camera, named the AS200V, is similar in design and shape to X1000V. It captures footage in lower resolutions such as WVGA video at 240p, 720p HD video at 120p, and full HD 1080p video at 60p. Both cameras have built-in GPS location technology and Action Cam Movie Creator software. What’s more, Sony has included a new function called Highlight Movie Maker in both the new cameras. The feature makes it easier to automatically produce an edited, short MP4 highlight video for instant sharing.
The new FDR-X1000V will be sold at $499. It is packaged with the SPK-X1 waterproof case. The HD action cam HDR-AS200V has been priced at $299. It is packaged with the SPK-AS2 waterproof case and a standard tripod mount.