Sony announces new flagship 4K and HD Action Cams

Sony Electronics announced three brand new products that push their imaging capabilities to the next level.

The FDR-X3000R 4K and HDR-AS300R Full HD Action Cams are Sony’s first-ever POV cameras to feature the innovative Balanced Optical SteadyShot (B.O.SS) image stabilization technology. Being the flagship feature of both devices, B.O.SS is an advanced form of image stabilization. Internally, the lens and sensor work together to compensate for shaking, which allows the footage captured to be smooth and stable, even in 4K. To learn more about these Action Cams read the full release here.

Along with the new POV Action Cams, Sony added a new lens to the family, with the 18-110mm Super 35mm / APS-C lens with power zoom capability (model: SELP18110G). This lens uses Smooth Motion Optics (SMO) allowing users to minimize unwanted focus and image shifts while focusing or zooming. To learn more about the lens read the full release here.

GoPro to lay off 7% of its workforce

GoPro didn’t have a good end to 2015 and the start of 2016 isn’t shaping up to be any better for the brand. The action camera maker recently revealed that sales during the holiday quarter were “lower than anticipated” and they will be laying off seven percent of their workforce. "Over the past two years, GoPro's headcount has grown by more than 50% annually, to more than 1,500 employees at the end of 2015," the company said in a release. "To better align resources to key growth initiatives, GoPro has implemented a reduction in its workforce of approximately 7 percent."

Shares of the company have dropped from US$65 back in August to just $14 per share this week, which is $10 less of its $24 price during its public offering. And when GoPro made the announcement on Wednesday, the stock fell further to $11 per share. The company said they generated about $435 million in the fourth quarter, which was less than they expected in part because of the multiple price cuts the new Hero4 camera took (which also cost the company some $21 million). They are also expected to incur around $30 million to $35 million for excess inventory and order commitments.

Source: Mashable

Review: 360Fly Action Camera

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The emergence of VR and the sudden desire to create immersive action cam videos has hit another level with the 360Fly action camera which captures 360' video that can be shared online.

Action cameras have been all the rage for a number of years now and while they offer the ability to recird HD video in various conditions including underwater and while partaking in extreme sports, the next level is ultra-immersive 360' video which can be viewed on VR headsets or a Google Cardboard-compatible headser that uses a smartphone's high resolution display.

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GoPro introduces wireless capabilities to latest affordable action cam

You’d have to shell out a lot more than US$300 to get wireless capability on your GoPro action camera. This time though, GoPro’s introducing the new Hero+ the $200 option with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It can take videos with up to 1080p/60fps video resolution, 8-megapixel stills in time-lapse or five photos per second burst modes. It integrates other features like QuikCapture one-button control for speedier recording; HiLight Tag; and Low Light mode.

The Hero+ comes with a watertight case you can take up to a depth of 131 ft. If you record at the maximum resolution, you should last for about an hour and 45 minutes with Wi-Fi on or around two hours with Wi-Fi off. It doesn’t have its own LCD viewfinder though. The new Hero+ will be available next month starting October 4^th in stores and online.

Source: GoPro | Via: Gizmag