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| Flugverhalten | |
| Materialqualität | |
| Aufnahmequalität | |
| Preis-Leistung | |
| Average 0/5 |
its paces.
The Sony HDR-AS200VR Full HD does not have the typical shape of an action cam, but that of a normal video camera. Nevertheless, it has a lot to offer and has a very good price-performance ratio!
Especially positive is the high recording quality. The camera has an 8.8 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, which delivers razor-sharp images and video material.
The ActionCam is popular among snorkelers, as it comes with an underwater housing. With the 170 degree wide angle view, wonderful underwater shots can be produced.
The recording quality does not suffer at all during sports activities where the camera is exposed to vibrations, as it has a built-in image stabilizer.
Scope of delivery
With the Sony HDR-AS200VR Full HD you can choose between the camera with live kit or without live kit. If you order the former, the following parts are included:
– ActionCam with 8.8 Megapixel Exmor R CMOS Sensor and 170 degree wide angle-
Tripod adapter-
Underwaterhouse-
Battery NP-BX1 (1240 mAh
)- USB cable (micro-USB to normal USB
)- 2 adhesive brackets-
Live View remote control (only included with Live Kit)
Normally the Live-Kit package is about 100 € more expensive, but this is currently reduced at Amazon, so the price difference is only a little over 10 €.
Unfortunately, the tripod adapter does not include any joints or angle pieces. We should also mention that the Live View remote control is only waterproof to 3 meters. The underwater housing is waterproof up to a depth of 5 meters.
Unfortunately, this action cam is therefore not suitable for real diving. If you want to use the camera in deeper waters, we recommend the Sony MPKAS3.SYH underwater housing* for ActionCams, which is waterproof to a depth of 60 metres.
The standard waterproof housing is also perfect for surfing, swimming or snorkeling up to a depth of 5 meters.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Sony ActionCam
The camera is more than sufficient for hobby use. For the price you get here in our opinion a very good action camera. In the following we have summarized the most important advantages and disadvantages for you:
Advantages:
– Very high video recording quality-
For an ActionCam correspondingly good sound quality-
Suitable for beginners and advanced users alike
–
Typical video camera design and still beautifully compact-
Very good camera image thanks to 8.8 megapixel sensor-
Live View controls-
Menu is not unreasonably overloaded-
Upper mid-range camera with good price/performance ratio
Cons:
– Supplied housing only waterproof to 5 meters –
Live View control only waterproof to 3 meters → not suitable for diving –
Less accessories available than with other cameras in this price range
Operating the Sony HDR-AS200VR Full HD
The camera is easily operated via the back of the camera. There are several buttons above the battery cover.
As the battery compartment could be opened by mistake during operation, it is possible to lock the compartment. There’s also a black and white display where you can read information about the current status of the camera, which is typical for Sony.
Menu navigation
Fortunately there isn’t another menu that’s too cluttered. (A real problem with some models…) So that everything is actually very clearly arranged. Even a beginner should have no problems with this operation. However, it is nerve-racking that the camera jumps out of the menu as soon as you change a setting. Exactly then you have to work your way through the whole menu again.
Roughly we would classify the quality and complexity of the menu as average. Other manufacturers can do this better than Sony. But there are also some that implement a menu much worse and confuse the user, which is not the case here. Those who have already had to deal with several cameras from the manufacturer of this camera will be able to recognize Sony’s handwriting in the menu.
Live image remote control
The remote control has 6 buttons to control the camera. Above the remote control there is a small display on which the live image of the camera can be observed in pin sharp quality. The remote control may only be placed at a maximum distance of about 10 meters from the camera, otherwise the connection will be lost. In the range of up to 5 meters, the image on the small monitor is most stable.
As far as the menu is concerned, it is knitted quite simply. The menu is mainly used to set the remote control. Here it is also possible to control the remote control with several cameras at the same time. This function is called “multi-camera operation”.
Up to 5 cameras can be connected with the RM-LVR2 Remote Control Unit. For the exact settings, please refer to the operating instructions. The explanation would get out of hand here. Pairing with several devices is not that easy, but if you follow the instructions provided for the remote control, you will get the hang of it.
Convenient operation via app
If you don’t want to use the remote control to operate the camera, you can simply use the app provided by Sony.
This app is not specifically designed for the Sony HDR-AS200VR Full HD camera, but is a universal app for all Sony cameras.
Establishing a connection between camera and smartphone is quite simple. You just have to hold your smartphone to the camera and the app will start automatically. Again, the same applies as for remote control: If you move your smartphone further than 5 meters away from the camera, the picture will start to jerk, or there will be dropouts in the image transmission.
Photo, video and image quality
The pin sharp recording quality is probably the main reason why you should take a closer look at this camera. It is one of the best ActionCams on the market today.
Videos can be recorded at 1080p with 30 (17 Mbit/s) as well as 60 pictures (25 Mbit/s) per second. The following video shows a short ride with my Hoverboard, that I filmed with the Sony Actioncam, convince yourself.
The images are very well balanced by the image stabilizer. The photo and video quality is impressive. The pictures are rich in contrast and have a high depth of focus. However, when the image stabiliser is switched on, the maximum wide angle is limited to 120 degrees.
Without this mode, you can also create images up to 170 degrees wide angle, which are pin sharp in the middle. The sharpness decreases slightly towards the outside, but there is no unpleasant blurring or exaggerated sharpness at the edges.
If you take a photo in 120 degree mode, it will be saved with a resolution of 5.4 megapixels. At 170 degrees, the full 8.8 MP of the sensor of the HDR-AS200 are used. These images are test shots and completely unprocessed:
Excellent sound quality
Before we forget: The sound quality of the HDR-AS200VR is surprisingly good compared to competing products.
With other action cameras, background noise is often in the foreground and voices are either difficult or impossible to detect. But this is not the case with this camera. The sound is almost noiseless and makes a high quality impression. The following short video shows a microphone test.
Conclusion: Buy Sony HDR-AS200VR Full HD
You can get a really hot piece here for a great price. Because this camera is reduced to Amazon, you save about one third as long as the offer for the Sony HDR-AS200VR Full HD including remote control is still valid.
You might be able to add a few more features to the ActionCam and a larger package. Also you need a different housing for the camera if you want to go diving with the device.
The underwater housing which is waterproof to a depth of 60 meters you can find here*. The CMOS sensor of the camera is very high quality and the pictures show quality. Therefore we can recommend the ActionCam to you even if you are a beginner. It is currently available for just under 200€ at Amazon.*
More action office tests:
