How to choose an Action Camera

Form factor

The ease of use of an action camera in a given situation is directly affected by the shape of its body. Initially, cameras for active shooting were produced in a rectangular form factor with a convex lens on the front edge. This tradition is still followed by the trendsetter company GoPro, as well as less famous brands ( SJCAM, Xiaomi, Garmin, etc.).

There is another popular design option - a longitudinal body (for example, Sony products). The lens on such devices is located on the front edge. Such camcorders fit comfortably in the hand, which is explained by the similarity of their shape with classic hand-held video cameras. That is why shooting video blogs for YouTube often appears among the scenarios for using Sony action cameras.

Other form factors are not widely used. Although among them sometimes there are quite interesting specimens. We suggest taking a look at some of them:

Flashlight Camera Panasonic HX-A1 .
Mask with a camera Liquid Image LIC368 .
Periscope HTC E610 .

Camera

Perhaps the main component of an action camera is its sensor. It depends on him the quality and detail of the recorded videos, as well as the ability to obtain the desired result when shooting in low light conditions.

Popular GoPro Action Cameras

Video recording quality

The vast majority of action cameras record video in the most popular FullHD format today (at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels). The most progressive models of portable camcorders have learned to shoot videos in ultra-high resolution - up to 4K. These include, for example, GoPro HERO4 Black Edition and Sony FDR-X1000V . The advantages of such a high resolution lie in the high detail of the videos and the ability to crop the image with virtually no loss in quality (especially if the final result is planned to be viewed on a TV with FullHD resolution).

Below are all the main types of formats in which you can shoot with action cameras:

full-frame 4K - 4096x2160 pixels (rare);
UltraHD (4K) - 3840x2160 pixels;
QuadHD (2K) - 2560x1440 pixels;
FullHD - 1920x1080 pixels;
HD - 1280x720 pixels;
VGA - 640x480 pixels.

There are other formats with more atypical frame resolution. For example, the GoPro HERO 4 camera line shoots videos in these resolutions:

It should be borne in mind that the specified support for recording video in 4K does not always allow you to get a high-quality result. For example, the camera SJCAM SJ5000X Elite Price from 4 799 up to 8 132 ₴ captures in interpolated resolution, i.e. programmatically increases the frame resolution by collecting image data from neighboring pixels. BUT GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition writes 4K videos at a speed of only 15 fps, which affects the smoothness of the video sequence: in highly dynamic scenes, the picture is twitchy, and the movements on it are jerky. Nevertheless, in a calm environment (when shooting landscapes or the unhurried life of the underwater depths) and at 15 fps, you won’t have to complain about the quality of the final videos.

The pursuit of 4K only makes sense if you're planning on resizing your video in post-production, or if you're looking to view your footage on UltraHD TVs. In all other cases, the ability to record videos in FullHD format is more than enough.

Frame rate is just as important when recording video as the maximum video resolution. Models with support for recording in 2K and 4K formats often shoot video at up to 30 fps. At lower resolutions, the recording speed increases significantly - in FullHD up to 60-120 fps, and in HD up to 120-240 fps.

Values above 100 fps allow you to get the SlowMotion effect. It consists in the possibility of slowing down the final video several times and freezing the movement in it (a spectacular trick on a skateboard, jumping from a springboard on a bicycle, taking a wave on a surf).

Videos are usually recorded in MP4, AVI or MOV formats, which are easily recognized by playback devices. Against this background, Sony action cameras stand out - they open up more opportunities in the post-processing of footage, because. can record video in the XAVC S codec, which is the consumer version of the professional XAVC codec.

Finally, you should pay attention to the bitrate of the recorded video. The class of the memory card that should be used for recording and storing footage directly depends on its value. So, for an action camera Sony FDR-X1000V with a data processing speed of 100 Mbps, UHS-I Class 3 microSD drives are suitable, and for a miniature GoPro HERO4 Session with a bitrate of 60 Mbps - slower flash drives. It is recommended to look towards drives of at least class 10 with a storage capacity of at least 32 GB, and preferably 64 GB. You can read about all the nuances of choosing SD and microSD memory cards in a separate article.

Optics characteristics

The main characteristic of a complete lens is its angle of view. In most models of action cameras, it reaches 170 °, which allows you not to lose sight of a fast-moving object and capture as much space around you as possible in the frame. If the task is to focus in more detail on the shooting object, the field of view angle can be reduced by 1.5-2 times by software. For example, in the camera settings SJCAM SJ5000X Elite Price from 4 799 up to 8 132 ₴ you can choose viewing angles from 170°, 140°, 110° or 70°.

The second important parameter of optics is the maximum aperture of the lens. However, here the manufacturers leave practically no choice, providing the consumer with the maximum aperture value at f / 2.8. Theoretically, this figure should be enough to get a high-quality picture in conditions of low lighting, but in practice everything depends on the capabilities of the matrix of a particular camera. Differences in noise levels and picture detail are found even in different generations of camcorders from the same manufacturer. The quality of the picture in this case depends on the capabilities of the image processor.

Image stabilization

The presence of the stabilization function when shooting video has a significant impact on the final result - the stabilizer compensates for camera shakes during shooting, thereby helping to get a smoother picture. The presence of a stub is of particular relevance when cycling off-road or when running. Action cameras use an electronic stabilization system, the essence of which is to use not the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe matrix when shooting. Those. when the camera is shaken, the image is not distributed over the entire area of the sensor - the edges of the image that are most sensitive to shaking and jerking are cut off by software, which in turn affects the decrease in the angle of the camcorder's field of view. An example is the line of Sony action cameras - in normal shooting mode, the angle of view of their lens is 170 °, and when the SteadyShot stabilizer is activated, it decreases to 120 °.

The smartest stabilizers additionally perform the function of suppressing high-frequency vibrations from the motors of radio-controlled devices, which makes it possible to get a clear picture when attaching an action camera to a drone, helicopter or remote-controlled car.

The stabilization system requires additional power, which is why the battery charge will be used up faster when it is activated. Also, it does not always work in 4K resolution, which is associated with a significant increase in the load on the action camera processor.

Good to know. In the arsenal of GoPro action cameras, the image stabilization system is absent as a class. Instead, the manufacturer suggests using physical devices to stabilize the picture (monopods, tripods, steadicams, etc.).

Photo opportunities

Despite the fact that action cameras are focused on shooting video, photos are also completely alien to them. And although the level of detail and the breadth of the dynamic range of the photos do not reach the results of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, but in terms of quality they turn out to be very suitable.

In addition, cameras for active shooting can take fast and long bursts of photos, for example, the top members of the GoPro family can “click” the shutter at up to 30 fps. Also, most of the action camera models have a preset time-lapse shooting mode with a step between photos from 0.5 s to 1 min.

Interesting fact. The maximum video recording resolution of the Sony HDR-AS50 camera is 1920x1080 pixels (typical FullHD). But thanks to the function of gluing the taken photos into a single time-lapse video, you can get a video in a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels (4K) from them.

Accessories and mounts

The number of additional accessories and mounts determines the versatility of the action camera. Moreover, in this regard, there is a direct proportional relationship - the more different devices the manufacturer offers, the more scenarios for using the camera for outdoor activities can be tested by its owner.

GoPro and Sony action cameras are the most fortunate - the vast majority of accessories on the market are tailored for camcorders of these brands. The production of accessories is established both in-house and with the help of third-party manufacturers. Owners of action cameras from other brands should not be upset by the small choice - for example, a nice feature of the creations of the Chinese company SJCAM is compatibility with the GoPro accessory park.

A wide variety of mount kits limit how you can mount your action camera to your imagination. The most popular are helmet mounts and bicycle handlebar mounts. But nothing prevents you from buying a holder on your hand, on the hood of a car, or even on a pet. Some craftsmen managed to install the camcorder in very atypical places, for example, on the back of an eagle.

Security

From a wide variety of various accessories and mounts, it becomes clear that action cameras are capable of being in the most extreme troubles. In order for them to come out dry from the water and not lose consciousness when they hit stones, manufacturers are trying to provide their offspring with water resistance and shock protection. These characteristics should be given special attention, because. many models receive reliable protection against water ingress and impacts only when using special protective boxes (often provided in the package).

Screen and wireless modules

The presence in the arsenal of cameras for active screen recording and wireless data transmission modules adds comfort when using the device. Both points are closely related, because. the vast majority of modern cameras are deprived of their own display, which is why you have to sight in the process of shooting and change the main recording parameters using a smartphone connected wirelessly. But let's talk about everything in order.

Display

As mentioned above, a full-fledged display in action cameras is quite difficult to meet. The presence of a screen obliges to take additional measures to protect it, and also affects the battery life of the camera, which is why manufacturers are in no hurry to massively install a display in their offspring. This statement does not apply to the presence of small additional screens for displaying service information (basic shooting parameters, remaining battery charge, etc.), which are found, for example, in GoPro action cameras.

But if there is a screen, then usually it occupies the entire back of the camera, giving its owner the opportunity to look at the subject and view the footage. Otherwise, for the same purposes, he would have to use a smartphone, tablet or remote control connected to the action camera via a wireless connection.

Wireless modules

There are three main types of wireless modules that are installed on board cameras for active filming:

Wi-Fi - designed for remote control of the shooting process, detailed settings changes, transfer of footage to a compatible gadget; under perfect conditions (in the line-of-sight zone without obstacles in the signal path), the Wi-Fi range reaches 100-150 m;
Bluetooth - almost everything is the same, but with a smaller network range;
GPS - is responsible for determining and storing the location of the camera (geopositioning) and allows you to link footage to it.

Food

If your priority is a fad about the autonomy of the camcorder, pay attention to the time of its operation on a single battery charge. The latter should provide at least one and a half hours of video recording in FullHD format. And remember that shooting at a higher resolution, as well as activating additional functions (remote control via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules, electronic video stabilization, GPS geolocation, etc.) can reduce the final battery life by another 1.5-2 times.

It is also desirable that the action camera battery be removable. This will allow you to stock up on additional copies for quick replacement of a dead battery during operation. Well, in extreme cases, you can always use the services of an external battery, however, to the detriment of compactness and practicality.

Additional features

A number of action camera models are capable of taking photos while recording video. The shooting process in this case is not interrupted, and the user gets a better result than when trying to extract a still frame from an already captured video sequence. The thing is that the camera takes a photograph in a higher resolution and uses other tools for processing it than when recording video.

Another interesting "trick" of a certain number of camera models for active shooting is the ability to mark key moments. A special tag is assigned to a recorded video with a single press of a button on the case of such camcorders, making it easy to find the specified recording among many others.

And if the action camera supports loop recording and is equipped with a motion sensor, a DVR function is added to its use case. Similar functionality is found, for example, in the range of SJCAM or Xiaomi cameras - they write short videos lasting 3, 5 or 10 minutes. and are attached to the windscreen of the car with a special suction cup.

Good luck with your shooting!

Most Popular Action Cameras on the Market