Sony HDRAS20/B Action Video Camera

I recently purchased the Sony HDRAS20/B Action Camera, and I am very impressed with it. One question a lot of people have is: how does this compare with GoPro? Well, I own two GoPros and I absolutely love them. But honestly, this Sony camera does a lot of the same things at similar quality. In fact, this camera and the GoPro Hero 3 both use a Sony 1/2.3" image sensor. This camera does 1080p HD video up to 60 frames per second, just like the Hero 3. And both cameras record at about 11-12 megapixels.One thing I enjoy is getting extreme shots; this involves placing these cameras in places/scenarios where they risk being damaged. For those shots where the camera is in harm's way, I'd much rather use a Sony camera than a GoPro which costs about 2x the price. Also, i like the fact that the Sony action cam allows the easy option of recording slow-motion in camera, whereas the GoPro does not record in slow motion and has to be modified in post to achieve this effect.The Sony action cam is longer than a GoPro but slightly more streamlined as well. The Sony cam is also a bit lighter (but not by much). The one big downside to GoPro was always battery life (especially when running its WiFi), only lasting about an hour or so. The Sony camera is much better in this regard, although in my early tests of the camera I would say Sony's spec sheets claiming it is 150 minutes is a bit of an overstatement. I have not timed it exactly, but 90-120 min is more reasonable expectation for one battery cycle.I would say GoPro is still the superior camera of this type and remains the gold standard for ultra-portable action filmmaking. In particular, the GoPro's audio quality, ease of operation, and abundance of unique mounts set it apart from the competition. But Sony has made a very nice product that will satisfy the everyday needs of most customers, and it does so at a more reasonable cost. It would be great for dash cams, vacations, action sports, etc.Whats in the box: camera, protective waterproof case, NP-BX1 battery, USB cable (for charging and transfer of data), basic mounts, product manual.

Bought this for $99.It's a Sony, it's got a Carl Zeiss Tessar Lens, it is 11.9 MP sensor, is small and water resistant to 5m.Took it on holiday with the kids and got pictures of them in the pool and at the water park, and they're quite tickled to see them. Generally pleased with the purchase.The camera itself is a rounded body with buttons on the rear and on one side. The base has a cover which extends from the front to the rear of the camera and houses the various connectors. The rear opens to expose the memory card and battery compartment.The memory card gave me some problems initially with the screen flashing on insertion of the card. This is caused either by the card being inserted in the wrong direction (there are small markings on the cover - one direction for Micro SD and another for Memory Stick), or the formatting of the card. A brand new card would not work for me until I removed all the partitions - I did this using my Linux PC and running gparted.Once the memory card was recognised, the camera worked flawlessly. It can take photos, videos and interval shots.Some points to note:+ Without the plastic waterproof case, the camera has no thread mount for a tripod. Due to its rounded base, it also cannot stand upright without this case. So the plastic water resistant case is quite necessary. The front of the case holds the camera in position.+ If you bring the camera enclosed in the case from an air-conditioned room to the beach or pool, you may get condensation forming on the inside of the case as the camera gets warm during operation.+ When connected to Sony's "Play Memories Mobile", your smartphone can act as viewfinder allowing you remote control of the camera. You can view pictures but not playback video.

All around great action cam. It gets 1080p at 60fps, and 720 at 120fps, for ~$100 if you get it on sale or a refurbished. Considering GoPro specs are not comparable until the Hero 3+ silver or later, which is, at the time of writing this review, a $250 camera, I would suggest that those on a budget seriously consider this action cam. Its shape makes it helmet friendly. The colors are awesome. Night shots are even pretty decent compared to GoPro or SJCAM. It takes great shots, and unlike much of the competition, it has integrated image stabilization. I would suggest that you form your own opinion by checking out some of the footage comparison videos on youtube.Other reviewers are downing this camera for its lack of GoPro like accessories, which isn't fair at all. This camera can attach to almost any GoPro mount/accessory, provided you're willing to spend less than $10 on an adaptor. Problem solved.People are saying the walleye lens on the waterproof case causes visual distortion or fogginess when filming underwater. That can most likely be attributed to the fact they haven't inserted Sony's anti-fog sheet into the bottom of the housing. In any case, if the shape of the lens is affecting your experience (I've seen lots of great underwater footage on youtube in the stock housing, mind you), then purchase Sony's flat lens underwater case. It's $40 new. Problem solved.If you find that your audio quality is unacceptable in the waterproof case, then buy the $30 skeleton frame. Problem solved.If you struggle with lining up the shot or need a viewfinder, connect your smartphone via wifi, or purchase the nifty viewfinder case with the built in fold out handycam style lcd screen. Problem solved.As you can see, with the right accessory, there are solutions to most any of the concerns of negative reviewers. If you end up buying the accessories you need to resolve your specific issues, you're still saving a ton of money over the competitors' products, guaranteed.

Good product for daily use. The software and accessories provided are easy to use and I have not encountered any major defects with the product. However, I took a star off mainly because sometimes the camera will have a hard time with glare. Also, the only way to mount the camera on any type of tripod is by using the case which covers all entry ports (hdmi out, mic plug, external charge, etc.). I mainly use the camera for my bike commutes and it does the job quite well for that purpose.

After 6 months it now only films for about 30 seconds, if at all. I got 3 hours of black screen. Terrible product, cant belive its a SONY! Shame Sony, shame.

FADE/DULL COLOURING INDOOR, ONLY GOOD AS DASH CAM IN DAY LIGHT USE.

Good products

great action cam even with some negative comments. came out as a great cam