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Underwater in the Maldives with the Sony HDR AS30V

April 22, 2014 by Jean Holy Smithereens 6 Comments

Going to the Maldives without an underwater video camera  would be akin to  seeing a long-awaited 3D movie blockbuster…without the 3D glasses.

Thanks to impressive technology in the recent decade, underwater video cameras are now palm sized, handy and created for active people. The challenge these days is in choosing which video camera to go with as there are several brands out in the market, in varying budget.

For our recent Maldives trip, we took with us the Sony HDR-AS30V Action Cam

cam

 

This is the video camera with the standard case that it comes with:

pSNYNA-HDRAS30V~B_main_v786
photo from Sony website

 

On its own, the camera isn’t waterproof, so the standard given case is required if using this underwater.

And because we mainly used this underwater, these accessories were a must for us:

underwater casing and
underwater casing with dive door and floatation device
pSNYNA-MPKAS3_main_v500
underwater casing- lets you shoot at depths of 60 metres deep. photo from Sony Website

The squarish frame in front is one of the most important features of this case, and a must if documenting whilst scuba diving (or even snorkelling).

20140321_102900
pre-dive accessories. Sony AS30V Action Cam

If you use the camera with the standard case, the dome shaped lens cover will sort of distort underwater images and you won’t get a very focused footage.

We used a handheld monopod to use this underwater, and the slim  design and structure of the camera is excellent, especially if you wish to cover some marine life in almost macro- closeness.

Ease of use underwater
Using the Sony HDR-AS30V underwater

Now one of the biggest things we like about the Sony HDR-AS30V is the huge power button:

comfortable and big enough power button. Sony AS30V Action Cam
comfortable and big enough power button. Sony AS30V Action Cam

It’s quite easy to press , and I love that the design was built with the forethought  that should the user be wearing gloves (be it for snowsport, cycling, or, in our case, dry-suit diving in Iceland), then they would still have ease of use controlling the camera.

1619111_480913995368355_541652352_n
Zombie at home using the Sony AS30V Action cam underwater

And here are our underwater footage using the Sony AS30V in the Maldives:

This camera being 1080P in HD has really captured all the elements underwater. The Sony Action cam’s slogan is “Prove Yourself”, and it’s definitely helped us prove how much fun we had, and relay to you the wonders we have seen underwater.

Steadyshot Image Stabilisation

My personal favourite feature of the Sony AS30V Action Cam is the Steadyshot Image Stabilisation. This proved very helpful when shooting overland.

A perfect proof of the wonders of this feature is this:

You will see that this entire video was shot in just ONE clip. No cuts or edits were done, just the additional text.

This, along with Zombie’s steady hand is just marvellous.

Here’s another video utilising the Steadyshot Image Stabilisation (with cuts)

On both videos above, no ‘anti-shake’ any extra stabilisation effect were added at all.

The Handheld Viewfinder

This is another cool accessory that we found very helpful in shooting overland.

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a cool accessory : handheld viewfinder
20140421_170015
the AS30V handheld viewfinder

Sure the other action cam brands also have a viewfinder accessory, but in our opinion, the design of this viewfinder is the best as it resembles the shape of the traditional handheld video camera. So using it feels very familiar and comfortable.

It’s also worth noting that the Sony AS30V Action cam comes with Wi-FI and GPS. The Wi-Fi comes in handy to upload footages without wiring, and most of all with a Sony App, you can use your mobile phone as a remote viewfinder.

Conclusion:

20140321_103426
Diving essentials! The Sony AS30V Action Cam

This action cam is terrific in the following aspects :

– Great video quality with 1080P HD

– slim and compact built, not bulky at all

– awesome additional accessories

– The Steadyshot Image Stabilisation feature

They say there always room for improvement, and for us, that would be:

– if the actual camera itself (without the standard case) would be waterproof on its own that would be great

– if the underwater casing (the one that you could take diving) has control buttons on the side, it would greatly help as this means we can change the mode while underwater (eg from video to still shots and vice versa)

*Post note: Sony has just recently launched the newer version of this Camera, the Sony AS100V, and they seem to have read our sentiments, the actual body is now waterproof*

*Sony Australia has supplied us with the gear and accessories.There is no obligation to write favourably, and all opinions of this post are ours*

 

 

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Filed Under: Adventure Travel, Maldives, Outdoors, Travel Gear or Wear, Travel Reviews

About Jean Holy Smithereens

Jean is a lover of luxury travel and adventure, always looking for that "Holy Smithereens"-inducing moment on her travels. Follow the blog and other social media pages of Holy Smithereens to get the ultimate travel ideas for the luxurious adventurer!

Comments

  1. Kyle says

    April 24, 2014 at 8:25 pm

    Hi Jean-

    Great review and nice videos. I came across your blog while googling “Sony AS100V snorkeling”. Glad to see that your Sony video cam worked great underwater during your trip.

    I just ordered an AS100v but one question remains: Which monopod to use?
    Which monopod did you use for your AS30? Would you recommend?

    Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • Jean Holy Smithereens says

      April 25, 2014 at 3:20 am

      Hi Kyle! Thank you the camera was really a great trip companion during the trip. The monopod we used was from Go Drift. I know sony offers a lot of monopods as well. Things we looked out for in getting a monopod – lightweight, telescopic, and has minimal metal parts as seawater salt can be corrosive. Zombie shares more underwater coverage tips here http://photosnail.blogspot.com.au/ Where are you taking your Sony AS100V? – great product btw, we have seen it at the launch and you will not be disappointed 🙂

      Reply
  2. Tony Louis says

    May 23, 2014 at 3:30 am

    This is a great review and gives a great detailed insight into this accommodation. I really do appreciate this and the awesome camera tips. I was going to purchase a Go Pro Hero 3 but now after seeing you review I am now undecided which camera to buy. I like the fact that the Sony shoots in 1080P (Progressive). This resort, you and the HAPPY SNAPPER are pure class, what a great review thank you very much….

    Reply
    • Jean Holy Smithereens says

      May 24, 2014 at 2:53 am

      Thanks Tony! So glad you found the review helpful. What we really loved about it is the steadyshot feature – something you will find on normal camcorders but not on sports action cam. So it makes it so versatile to use for both land and water. Looking forward to seeing your videos with the new cam 🙂

      Reply
  3. fishy says

    January 7, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    Hi Jean, I’m interested with the handheld monopod you used. Do you have a name/link for that? I already have the cam and the housing, just need a handheld monopod, also I’m not sure if random ones on Amazon are capable for scuba diving.

    Reply
    • Jean Holy Smithereens says

      January 9, 2015 at 12:07 pm

      Hello! We used a brand called “Drift” we got this monopod at a shop in Martin Place in Sydney. It’s really been serving us well, and as I type this we are in Labuan Bajo (indonesia) and we just took it snorkelling 🙂

      Reply

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