It’s a category dominated by one player, but the rivals are lining up for a piece of the action…
The new GoPro Hero LCD+ (RRP $429) is positioned above the entry level GoPro Hero (RRP $129), but beneath the high-end Hero4 Black and Hero4 Silver cameras. It is built directly into the waterproof housing and is waterproof to 40 metres, has a touch display and new in-camera video trimming feature.
ShotBox S71 (RRP $439) shoots video in 4K, has a 16 megapixel stills camera, 10x digital zoom and Wi-Fi connectivity. The G-Sensor begins recording automatically when it senses motion and it comes with a removable touchscreen and is waterproof up to 100 metres.
Available in orange or black, the Panasonic HX-A1 (RRP $299) weighs just 45 grams and is waterproof to 1.5 metres without needing an external casing. It has a unique Night Vision Mode which requires the infrared lens to be attached and an infrared light source to record clearly in the dark.
Toshiba’s Camileo X-Sports Action Camera (RRP $399) has Full HD recording, 12-megapixel stills and Wi-Fi connectivity. It is waterproof up to 60 metres, has an ultra-wide angle lens with 10x Digital zoom and a 2-inch LCD display.
Sony’s 4K Action Cam FDR-X1000V (RRP $549) comes with an endorsement from professional skateboarder Tony Hawk: “The camera excelled in every shooting environment, producing stunning 4K footage unlike anything I’ve ever seen before out of a POV camera.”
The Contour+2 (RRP $499) records HD in four different modes, including 1080p and 120 frames per second in 480p with GPS overlays for speed, elevation and distance. With the HDMI out port footage can be live streamed.