Sony HDR-AS50
THE PROTOTYPICAL MID-RANGE PERFORMER.
IF YOU’VE SEEN one Sony action camera, you could be fooled into thinking you’ve seen them all. The shape and button placement of each model in the range is nearly identical, though the AS50 has an improved O/S — navigating the menus is far simpler and much more intuitive. On the bottom of the camera, you’ll also find a standard quarter-inch thread. This connects to the base mounting plate, which traditionally would only work with the waterproof housing. You can still do that, though this configuration offers a less bulky and lighter option.
Video and image quality is close to being on par with the more feature-packed XV1000, with bright colour reproduction and image stabilisation that’s well and truly amongst the best in its class, and a wide angled lens that captures the world in good detail. While the microphone is small, it’s good enough, and roaring wind noise is kept to a minimum.
Taking an idea from the school of GoPro, the AS50 does one-button power on, and it takes just under four seconds to go from off to capture, which is about average here.
Sony’s mounts are proprietary, and while third-party options exist to get it to play nicely with the ubiquitous GoPro ecosystem, it’s an annoyance. Plus, like other Sony cams, the size, weight and shape of it can be a little weird if you’re wearing it on your helmet. We also had to fight with the PlayMemories app, and while it was okay for reviewing footage, we can’t recommend it for editing your footage — you’ll have to turn to your laptop for that.