Sneak Peek at Sony POV

[Lynne Whelden]

Originally Posted by Don Litten

I tried out the headband this weekend while Deer hunting. It hugs my head better than the GoPro and the stabilization in the camera works like a charm.

I'm starting to like this better all the time but the blue channel still sucks with a big S. Hopefully they can and will fix that in a firmware upgrade.

Don, what do you mean by the blue channel? Is it a color balance issue that's the problem?

[Duane Steiner]

Did some more testing. Using 720 120fps in the case camera shut down even with the door open (was on tripod in sun 80 degree day).

1080 30fps mode with IS on in car camera did fine. I wish Sony would add a flip feature to it like the GoPro. Attached is a photo of how I have to mount it in the car.

IS video test

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 in car test - YouTube

[Lynne Whelden]

Originally Posted by Patrick R. Grier

I just bought the HDR-AS15 - Sony Action Camera
Put it on my helmet and went down a woodlands trail.
Edited the file with Adobe Premiere Elements 10 onto an AVCHD DVD
I was horrified by the artifacts, huge blotches popping into view down the trail ahead of me.
The footage was pleasant if I did not move down the trail.
To much detail for a little camera too handle?
Looking at the footage off the camera, (hdmi to TV) what I call artifacts is also present, in lesser degree.
I of course cannot find any 'salesmen' that have the slightest clue.
Is there any POV camera that does well on a helmet going down a single track bicycle trail?
I want to see leaves, not crawling porridge.
also use the POV.HD it has less artifacts, but enough to keep me looking
I guess I will try the Go Pro Hero 2 again, perhaps the protune will help?

Patrick...do you think the Sony's bit rate can handle "bland" or "plain" backgrounds like streets and ocean waves but when it comes to finely detailed BGs like fallen leaves and ferns and sticks, that's when the pixelation begins? Too much detail equals blotchy???
That would not be good.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

If the video posted above (Sony Action Cam in-car test) is a fair representation of what the camera produces, and was not recompressed twice or something, the resolution is abysmal: everything is blotchy (watching at 720p).

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 in car test - YouTube

This is horrible.

However, I have seen videos from the same camera on Youtube that were much crisper.

Like this one (also 120fps, including riding on a motorcycle not just viewing them):

http://youtu.be/sAQDVAtAiik?hd=1

I wonder if it is the digital stabilization *and* the sensor cropping (120 versus 170) that is making the videos look particularly bad, while 108030p without stabilization at 170 (16Mbps) is relatively ok. Or maybe the poor-resolution video video was processed to death out of the camera.

[Duane Steiner]

Ok, what is the best way to test the Sony POV. I have 3 other POV's to compare to: ContourHD, GoProHD, SwannHD. Also could compare to my other cameras but he angle of view would not be close. Suggestions?

[Paul Cronin]

Duane,

Set up all three on the same mounted surface that you can move around.
Do fast action by the camera.
Camera on the fast action.
Timelaps
Move from dark to light and back to dark.
Put under water in tough conditions.

That should be a good start.

Then show on a split screen and individual screened shots.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Originally Posted by Paul Cronin

Duane,

Set up all three on the same mounted surface that you can move around.
Do fast action by the camera.
Camera on the fast action.
Timelaps
Move from dark to light and back to dark.
Put under water in tough conditions.

That should be a good start.

Then show on a split screen and individual screened shots.

You also need to specify the settings: stabilization on or off? view is 170 or 120? resolution is 1080 or 720? slo mo or not?

[Woody Sanford]

Originally Posted by Mark Rosenzweig

If the video posted above (Sony Action Cam in-car test) is a fair representation of what the camera produces, and was not recompressed twice or something, the resolution is abysmal: everything is blotchy (watching at 720p).

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 in car test - YouTube

This is horrible.

However, I have seen videos from the same camera on Youtube that were much crisper.

Like this one (also 120fps, including riding on a motorcycle not just viewing them):

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 120fps - YouTube

I wonder if it is the digital stabilization *and* the sensor cropping (120 versus 170) that is making the videos look particularly bad, while 108030p without stabilization at 170 (16Mbps) is relatively ok. Or maybe the poor-resolution video video was processed to death out of the camera.

Mark, down res'ing from 1080 to 720 does not cause video to be "blotchy". Resolution size is not the only factor in determining quality for upload to youtube. It doesn't matter if you export 1080 or 720 from a timeline, you are still processing it, you will see much more effect from bitrates and other compression settings. No matter how you export for youtube, you are going to be dealing with compression, making it 1080 isn't a cure all.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

"Mark, down res'ing from 1080 to 720 does not cause video to be "blotchy". Resolution size is not the only factor in determining quality for upload to youtube. It doesn't matter if you export 1080 or 720 from a timeline, you are still processing it, you will see much more effect from bitrates and other compression settings. No matter how you export for youtube, you are going to be dealing with compression, making it 1080 isn't a cure all."

You are confusing what I said to you (when you downrezzed from *in-camera* 1080 to 720 to upload) with what I said here, which is about the camera. In the camera (as you know) there is a fixed relationship between bitrate and resolution. 720 30 fps is 6Mbps; 1080 30fps is 16Mbps so increasing to 1080 also increases the bitrate in this case. In addition, the *digital* (not optical) stabilization reduces resolution *and* crops the sensor (170 to 120). I suspect (given my experience with the camera and what I know about the physics here) that both of these digital tricks are what is reducing resolution for given bitrate and pixels.

Also, people seem to recompress their videos from the camera at low bitrates before uploading - that in itself lowers resolution. That awful blotchy video I referred to could be caused by any of these factors; the in-camera 720 choice is not one I mentioned as it is required for slo-mo anyway and I cited a good-looking 720-origin slo-mo video.

[Don Litten]

Originally Posted by Lynne Whelden

Don, what do you mean by the blue channel? Is it a color balance issue that's the problem?

The blues are way over saturated Lynn. Looking at the light flares in my last ride through the woods, some are actually purple.

I haven't tried to fix it in post yet but it will be difficult to completely get rid of it.

[Woody Sanford]

My mistake then but I would consider the source of the "Blotchyness" in that video to be more so related to the effects of the sun and the windshield.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Yes, I agree, the windshield also may be doing it.

[Duane Steiner]

Originally Posted by Woody Sanford

My mistake then but I would consider the source of the "Blotchyness" in that video to be more so related to the effects of the sun and the windshield.

It was a bad time of day on that road with the sun where it was. When I have time I'll be doing more testing in better conditions.

[Woody Sanford]

Originally Posted by Duane Steiner

It was a bad time of day on that road with the sun where it was. When I have time I'll be doing more testing in better conditions.

Filming yourself driving down the road I wouldn't expect you to have much control over the sun. I just got my suction cup mount this weekend and will be driving around with it tomorrow. It sure seems pretty stoutly built. It might be more of a help to you cause I'll guarantee you drive faster than I do in my 2010 Tacoma but I'll top out 3rd gear for you tomorrow so it at least sounds cool for ya. :-)

[Duane Steiner]

My friend just posted this.

CBR600 Snake Run - YouTube

Sony Action Cam mounted on a Honda CBR600. The audio is from a Sony pcm-m10 digital recorder mounted on the handlebars. The POV cam audio wasn't too bad but there was buzzing I think from loose fit case. Put some felt in for future tests. The majority is 1080p 30fps with stabilizer on, near the end a car blocked the road so I spliced in unstabilized 720p 120fps 4x for normal speed w audio from the mounted Sony pcm-m10.