Sony has one of the best shots at making a real dent, thanks to its brand recognition, distribution, and frankly excellent design and performance. The new Action Cam Mini HDR-AZ1 (MSRP $249.99, or $349.99 w/ live view remote) is its fourth or fifth revision of the Action Cam concept, and the sleekest so far.
We headed over to Sony's massive presence at Photokina 2014 to try it out on some mannequins, a few unsuspecting booth attendants, and ourselves.
Does this camera make me look fat?
Design & Usability
An action cam on a diet
What Sony has done with the Action Cam Mini is cram (most of) the guts of this year's Action Cam HDR-AS100V into a body that's just two-thirds the size. The key to accomplishing this magic trick was moving the embedded GPS unit to the accompanying live view remote—a watch-like accessory that connects via Bluetooth and costs and extra $100.
We're not sure that makes much sense. The Action Cam AS100V wasn't exactly huge, and we're not sure what practical difference a 30 percent size reduction and 0.7 oz weight loss will make. Losing GPS probably isn't a huge deal for most users (and frankly it usually doesn't work that well, anyway), but taking it away and then demanding you pony up for the monitor to get it back is a questionable move.
The live view remote is one major advantage Sony has over GoPro.
Of course, the Action Cam Mini isn't replacing the older Action Cam—it's just another option. And for the kind of users Sony is targeting, the live view remote (RM-LVR2V) is a must-have. If your camera is mounted somewhere out of reach (like your helmet, the back of a motorcycle, or the lip of a skateboard), you can use the remote to start and stop recording, watch clips you've recorded, and delete your sub-par efforts.
The tiny little camera itself is peppered with buttons and switches. The video recording start/stop button (large and bright red) is up top, along with a hold switch that can prevent accidental button presses and indicator LEDs for recording and power. On the right side you'll find the NFC point, power and WiFi switches, and the monochrome status LCD, which has been drastically reduced in size from the AS100V.
On the bottom there's a metal universal tripod socket, which is great news for anyone who plans to do more than hand-hold this thing. (In other words, everyone.) In retrospect, it's a little mind-blowing that some earlier Action Cams relegated the tripod mount to the waterproof case, but progress has been made.
The left side of the camera is completely devoid of controls. Here you can see just how small it is.
The live view remote is essentially unchanged from the previous version, despite the addition of onboard GPS. It's still chunky and plasticky, and the screen is still small and low-res, but it certainly gets the job done.
Alongside the screen is a big red recording button, as well as up and down arrows for menu navigation. Menu and display buttons are placed along the top edge, while the power button is on the bottom. I accidentally hit it more than once while trying to open the menu, which led to a confusing, frustrating quest to get the thing to turn back on again.
The strap is wide and rubberized, with heavy-duty velcro wrapping around the outside. When it's on your wrist it feels reassuringly secure, like it could take some serious abuse.
Features
It's all about the remote.
Front and center on the Action Cam Mini is the slightly bulbous Zeiss lens, identical to the one on the AS100V. Its f/2.8 aperture and 170-degree field of view are more or less par for the course in this genre. Inside, the Exmor-R sensor is a bit lower-res than the AS100V's—11.9 megapixels rather than 13.5—but few are likely to notice the difference.
The Action Cam Mini and live view remote make a powerful pair.
The Action Cam Mini can record 50Mbps 1080/60p footage using MP4 or Sony's proprietary XAVC S codec, both with h.264 compression. The former can be recorded to microSD/SDHC/SDXC cards or Memory Stick Micro media, while the latter only works with Class 10 microSDXC. The camera can also pull off slow-motion and high-speed footage at 720/120p, though it can't manage 480/240p high-speed like the AS100V could.
WiFi and NFC are built in, allowing you to wirelessly pair the camera with your smartphone or tablet. Using the free Sony PlayMemories Mobile app (iOS and Android) you can control the Action Cam Mini remotely, browse files, and transfer them to your device. From there, it's easy to share content to YouTube and other platforms.
The power and WiFi buttons, status LCD, infrared receiver, and NFC pairing point are on the right side.
Unlike the AS100V, the Action Cam Mini doesn't have a micro HDMI port for file transfer; you'll have to either go wireless, pop your storage media out, or connect it to your computer via micro USB. That same micro USB port is also used for charging the new 640mAh NP-BY1 battery pack. Sony says it'll take about 2.5 hours to charge, but doesn't offer any info on how long the battery might last in actual shooting.
The Action Cam Mini is splashproof and freezeproof even without the included waterproof case, but when you put it on, the camera can withstand dust, water submersion up to 5 meters, and drops of up to 1.5 meters. Along with the case, you get an adhesive mount and tripod adapter.
When paired with the live view remote, you get a constant stream of what's being recorded right on your wrist. It's a very cool addition, and a legitimately useful tool for those looking to do more serious filmmaking. On the busy Photokina show floor, the WiFi had some issues keeping up with the stream, but out in nature you probably won't have any such problems.
Since the Action Cam Mini is short on physical controls, you'll need to change most settings through the menu on the wrist-worn remote.
Since many controls have been moved from the camera itself to the remote, you need to use the wrist-worn device to change things like file format, quality levels, stabilization, and so on. If you choose to buy the camera without the remote, we're not totally clear on how you'd set it up. Presumably the PlayMemories mobile app could handle these things, but we didn't get a chance to try it out for ourselves.
Conclusion
Smaller, but not better
The Action Cam Mini is smaller and lighter than its primary competitor, the GoPro Hero3+, but we're not sure that's really going to win it many converts. GoPro cameras are plenty small and light already, and have a nigh-unbeatable head start in consumer awareness. They're also really, really good.
This is how you take (record?) a selfie with the Action Cam Mini.
Still, the Action Cam Mini seems plenty powerful itself, and the wrist-worn live view remote is a genuine winner that GoPro can't match. Priced at $250 without the remote and $350 with it, Sony's offering is priced competitively, as well. The cheapest GoPro Hero 3+ White Edition goes for $200, and the most expensive Black Edition is $400.
Sony still doesn't offer 4K recording, while GoPro does. But at its best, the Hero3+ Black Edition can only manage 15fps when shooting UHD—not terribly useful for anything but time-lapse footage. GoPro also offers a lot more shooting control than Sony, which will matter to serious videographers; for amateurs and those just looking to record clips of their latest sick BMX run, not so much.
All in all, the Action Cam Mini is an intriguing addition to the best also-ran action cam system, but it's hard to get too excited about it when it brings so little that's actually new to the table.
Meet the tester
Ben is an experienced industry journalist who formerly served as Senior Editor of News and Features at Reviewed. He now contributes as a freelance writer and editor. Most recently hailing from the vast wilds of the American southwest, he is an avid photographer who is deeply disturbed by the lack of wide open landscapes in Boston.
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