Saturday, January 10, 2015

Sony HDR AS-20 - Looking Like the Winner

One owner said he had this camera plus two GoPro cameras and loved all of them.  His preference was for the GoPro, even at twice the price, but I don't see the logic to that particularly given the better low light performance of the Sony action cam series.  (A subsequent article, Sony HDR AS-15 Action Cam, shows a side-by-side low light comparison between Sony and GoPro)

The price on the Sony HDR AS-20 at Wal-Mart is $168 but, get this, that's exactly the same price as Amazon.  Maybe that means to you, cool, now I don't have to pay Amazon shipping.  What it says to me is that bananas and bread are cheap at Wal-Mart but the other stuff is about the same as anywhere else ... assuming you can find an anywhere else these days.

(Ed: arguing whether Wal-Mart is good or bad for America is long and tedious and I think my toes are starting to itch)

Right you are, laddie, although I have no answer regarding your toes.

The name of the game is Photography on the Cheap as there is good stuff out there but you have to do the research ... or watch me do it, whatever sets yer boat a'floatin'.

Canon doesn't offer anything in the action cam line although they will certainly play at some time or other.  That won't be soon enough, tho.  This game is now.

This Sony HDR AS-20 is the latest leader and I doubt this will drift again as there are no other contenders beyond GoPro, Sony and iON.  In reviewing each, the AS-20 comes out in front and this in large part because of low-light color accuracy which I felt GoPro muffed altogether.  They are said to use the same sensor so performance for both cameras should be about the same for general photography but Sony has additional electronics for low light and that's what makes the difference for me.

The review is not over as I don't have the money to do it anyway but this is when one of my favorites applies:  I know there's a solution, I just don't know what it is yet.

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