Photography

Sony unveils its Action Cam Mini

Sony unveils its Action Cam Mini
Using the RM-LVR2V Live-View Remote, users can remotely preview, play back and delete shots; control and adjust settings; and control up to five Action Cam Minis at once (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
Using the RM-LVR2V Live-View Remote, users can remotely preview, play back and delete shots; control and adjust settings; and control up to five Action Cam Minis at once (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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The Action Cam Mini (left) alongside the existing AS100 model Action Cam
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The Action Cam Mini (left) alongside the existing AS100 model Action Cam
The Action Cam Mini weighs in at 63 grams (2.2 oz) with battery included
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The Action Cam Mini weighs in at 63 grams (2.2 oz) with battery included
The Action Cam Mini captures 1080p HD video at either 60 or 30 fps, along with slow-motion 120 fps video at 720p (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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The Action Cam Mini captures 1080p HD video at either 60 or 30 fps, along with slow-motion 120 fps video at 720p (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
The Action Cam Mini has a 170-degree ZEISS Tessar F2.8 lens, a 1/2.3-type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor with 11.9 megapixels (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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The Action Cam Mini has a 170-degree ZEISS Tessar F2.8 lens, a 1/2.3-type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor with 11.9 megapixels (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
Using the RM-LVR2V Live-View Remote, users can remotely preview, play back and delete shots; control and adjust settings; and control up to five Action Cam Minis at once (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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Using the RM-LVR2V Live-View Remote, users can remotely preview, play back and delete shots; control and adjust settings; and control up to five Action Cam Minis at once (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
Should users want to "go live," they can additionally stream video and audio live from the camera to the internet, using its built-in Wi-Fi functionality (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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Should users want to "go live," they can additionally stream video and audio live from the camera to the internet, using its built-in Wi-Fi functionality (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
The Action Cam Mini weighs in at 63 grams (2.2 oz) with battery included (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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The Action Cam Mini weighs in at 63 grams (2.2 oz) with battery included (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
Action Cam Minis mounted to a mountain bike and trails bike (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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Action Cam Minis mounted to a mountain bike and trails bike (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
An Action Cam Mini gets a bird's eye view on top of a rider's helmet (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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An Action Cam Mini gets a bird's eye view on top of a rider's helmet (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
An Action Cam Mini mounted to a motorbike's hamdlebars (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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An Action Cam Mini mounted to a motorbike's hamdlebars (Photo: Paul Ridden/Gizmag)
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And you thought Sony’s existing Action Cam was small ... Today at the IFA 2014 electronics trade show in Germany, Sony introduced its Action Cam Mini. By moving the GPS function out of the camera and into an accompanying wrist-mounted remote, the company has shrunk the camera to two-thirds the size of its predecessor.

The Action Cam Mini (aka the HDR-AZ1VR) weighs in at 63 grams (2.2 oz) with battery included. It captures 1080p HD video at either 60 or 30 fps, along with slow-motion 120 fps video at 720p. It also has a 170-degree ZEISS Tessar F2.8 lens, a 1/2.3-type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor with 11.9 megapixels, a stereo mic, and uses the usual Micro SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card.

The camera itself is considered splashproof, although it comes packaged with a waterproof housing that allows it to be submerged to a depth of 3 meters (9.8 ft).

Using the earlier-mentioned RM-LVR2V Live-View Remote, users can remotely preview, play back and delete shots; control and adjust settings; and control up to five Action Cam Minis at once. The remote also wirelessly supplies GPS data to the camera, where it’s recorded onto the footage.

Should users want to "go live," they can additionally stream video and audio live from the camera to the internet, using its built-in Wi-Fi functionality.

The Action Cam Mini should be available in Europe as of next month, with pricing yet to be announced.

Source: Sony

View gallery - 10 images
1 comment
1 comment
EddieG
I finally found documentation on the "Network Setting Tool" software. This software is what determines what you can and cannot do with this camera.
This software is purpose-built for young boys who want to ride their bicycle down a big hill, while streaming it to all their internet friends. It's useless for any other thing, and so limits the value of the product.
Telepresence is the killer app waiting for marketing product managers to wake from their slumber. Here's one example of many.
A real estate agent wants to show off a property to a prospective buyer. But the buyer is two hours away, and too busy to travel to the property. So. The enterprising realtor dons a wireless headset, straps on the streaming action cam, and connects to Skype [or whatever] via his laptop, located nearby. The buyer gets to direct the camera by saying, "Take a closer look at that [anything] over there." You get the idea. The possibilities are numerous.
As it is, we have an excellent piece of hardware whose market and uses have been constrained by typical marketing tunnel vision. How disappointing.