Yachting World – 01.04.2018

Gear tested

With toby hodges

£500

Sony’s FDR-X3000R Action Cam is one

of the priciest action cameras on the

market, but if you have deep pockets it’s

also one of the best you can buy. What

goes some way to justifying its hefty

price tag is its optical image stabilisation

(OIS) – proper optical image stabilisation

here, not digital trickery as is the case

with electronic image stabilisation. This

means there’s a floating lens system that

Sony FDR-X3000R

Action Cam Key features:
 Up to 4K/30fps
 Live-view remote control
 Balanced optical image stabilisation
 Innovative range of accessories

counters your hand movement. The big

draw is the OIS still works even when

you’re shooting at glorious 4K resolution.

You also get a separate live-view

remote control that can be worn on the

wrist or attached to other accessories

such as the Shooting Grip or Finger Grip.

The latter is a tiny holster that’s perfect

if you’re using the FDR-X3000R as a

travel camera.

Both video and still image quality are

excellent, with

all the resolution

and frame rate

options you’d

expect from a

high-end action

camera.

£500

Key features:

 Up to 4K/30fps

 Electronic image stabilisation

 2.19-inch touchscreen display

 Bluetooth and WiFi

When the Yi 4K Action Camera first

came out, it was touted as a much

cheaper alternative to the GoPro Hero

4 Black. In many aspects it fulfilled a lot

of that potential. Things have changed

a little since the release of the excellent

Hero 5 Black, but the Yi 4K Action Cam

still makes for an excellent action camera

for the money.

Yi 4K Action Camera

Its touchscreen display is great for

changing settings and is a lot more

responsive than the Hero 5 Black. Its WiFi

pairing to its smartphone app is also one

of the most reliable we’ve ever tested.

Video quality is fantastic, as is its still

image capture, too.

It’s a fantastically well-built camera

for the money, although there are

some hidden costs to keep in mind. No

waterproof case or mount are included

in the basic

package for

starters. Keep

that in mind

before you take

it afloat.

£370

If you’re looking for an action camera

specifically for sports, the VIRB Ultra

30 might be the choice for you. Not only

does it have 4K resolution at 30fps, it

also has a GPS sensor inside to capture

telemetry data.

This means while you’re punching the

waves you can capture route, speed and

Garmin VIRB Ultra 30

Key features:

 Up to 4K/30fps

 Voice controls

 Electronic image stabilisation

 GPS telemetry and external

sensor support

distance data to bring an added layer

of information to your videos. The VIRB

Ultra 30 also supports external sensors

through ANT+ and Bluetooth, including

heart rate monitors and bike sensors.

Image quality is also up there with the

best. You get plenty of resolution and

frame rate options, including 1080p at

120fps or 720p at 240fps – perfect for

impressive slow-

motion footage.

There’s a display

on the back for

framing your shots

and changing

settings, otherwise

you can pair with the

companion apps.

The cameras were tested by trustedreviews.com April 2018^79