In releasing their first action cam, Sony build on their strong background and their ability to innovate. Shortly after their new Action Cam was launched in Australia, I was able to secure a unit for reviewing on Bicycles Network Australia. As you read this review, you shouldn’t be surprised that GoPro are referred to frequently. They essentially created the market of relatively affordable cameras that are compact, simple to use and extremely durable – they’re the benchmark. With that in mind, let’s have a good look at this new contender.

The Sony Action Cam as a Bike Camera
BNA is a bike site, so we are looking at this camera specifically for cycling. To me, cycling means both on road and off-road, vibrations and bumps, camera mounted on the head, the forks, the stem and the handlebars – everywhere you are most likely to use and mount the camera. It comes with a durable waterproof case, so I was encouraged to get it wet as well. Slow moving footage and fluid video? No way! -  fast moving footage with bumps and shakes; I wanted to put the camera to the test.

The Action Cam Close Up
The Sony Action Cam, without the case, is light and compact. Unfortunately, the camera doesn’t stand up on its base; when it’s on your desk, it lies on its side. Since the lens can’t be rotated like a Contour camera, it means that the Sony camera is really only practical for filming while mounted or in the waterproof case.

Lying on its side, the base of the camera is accessible and has a door which conceals a USB port, microphone port, HDMI jack, an ‘expansion connector’ and a light to show charging. I only used the USB port which let me charge the camera and mount the camera onto my computer to transfer files, though there was no simultaneous charging and mounting.

The battery and memory card are accessed from the rear of the unit and are quite straight forward. Out of the box, the camera comes with two batteries, a 4GB SD Memory card, desktop charger and universal mount adapter. The camera I reviewed (the HDR-AS15K) had an microSD 8GB memory card which extended my recording time, at the highest resolution, from 30 minutes to just over 60 minutes.

Camera Navigation and Control
The Action Cam presents the budding film maker with three buttons: next and prev are on the side, situated close to an LED screen; and the record button is on the rear. The tactile feedback of the buttons and knowing that a button has been pressed is reassuring. The three buttons offer a slight edge in navigation over two button cameras, but still require a bit of learning to navigate into menus, change settings and navigate back. The LED on screen info was quite intuitive for the main settings and functions.

The manual for the camera comes as a large sheet of paper with a schematic diagram of the menu and function structure. Truth be told, it’s pretty scary. While you can still try to learn intuitively, to get the most out of the camera and all of its settings, it is worth reviewing.

Waterproof Case and Mounting
Sports action cameras owe a lot of their appeal to their durable waterproof cases. On a bike you can’t always guarantee dry weather, so waterproofing makes sense and further, it protects the camera from dust and knocks. The Sony waterproof case feels tough and durable. It has a rather clever latch for the front door (and lens cover) that opens and closes easily and provides a good seal. The front cover isn’t hinged, rather it’s connected to the main housing with a thin plastic strip which I found detached itself at times. It was a shock the first time it happened as I am particularly careful in protecting the lenses from scratches and dust. When the camera is inside the waterproof case, you are limited to only the record button to control the camera, so you have to remove it if you want to change settings ,or use a smart phone to connect wirelessly.

The waterproof case accommodates a screw in clip that can be clipped onto adhesive mounts. For biking, I completely avoid this type of mount and relied instead on the Sony handlebar mount which can be purchased separately. This mount comes with different sized rubber inserts to accommodate different handlebar diameters and screws tightly with an allen key. The camera can then be attached and screwed on with the integrated ‘screw wheel’ which is reliable and tight.

Once in place, the Sony handlebar mount can be tilted or, by loosening the screw wheel, the camera can be reversed and easily tightened by hand. The handlebar mount has the camera on top of the handlebars, which this is fine for commuting or road cycling, but on the mountain bike I like to keep the top of the handlebars free of any electronic equipment that can be damaged if I take a tumble. As such I mounted the handlebar mount (and therefore the camera) up-side-down, though the allen key screw is tougher to reach from underneath between the gear and brake cables. If there is a tumble, however, the camera is better protected, plus it’s ‘out of the way’ for normal riding.

It is worth noting that the Bike handlebar mount works exceptionally well, it is sturdy and doesn’t seem to suffer from flex and vibration that other brand mounts tend to exhibit. It would be possible to use this as a generic mount for any camera’s that have camera screw on the base, though worth testing to ensure it fastens securely.

An alternative mount is the head mount accessory which is purchased separately. For this mount the waterproof case is not used, which makes it a conveniently light camera, lighter than many other action cameras. It doesn’t, however, work with a normal bike helmet, so on the bike the head mount is only practical with a full face helmet or a skater type helmet.

Because the waterproof camera case accepts a camera screw for mounting, it opens up creative possibilities for DIY mounts and 3rd party mounts to get different angles. That said, the camera prefers to film upright as the lens can’t be rotated, although most video editing software can rotate the footage to compensate. While the shape of Sony Action Cam means that it mounts well with the handlebar and head mount, it isn’t well suited to a chest mount.

Wifi Connection
Connecting wirelessly to a camera via a smart phone is a must these days, and the Sony Action Cam can be used with Sony’s PlayMemories app, which is available for iPhone, iPad and Android. The setup, however, is difficult and after following the instructions that were provided to my by Sony, I headed online and with the help of Google found instructions that guided me through the Wifi setup.

The app is wonderful when it works. I set it up on my iPhone and after pairing my phone and the camera, and connecting to the wireless network of the Sony camera, I could see live video from the viewfinder. The interface allows you to switch between video and photo mode and record directly. Setting the shot via the smart phone is incredibly handy as is the ability to start and stop recording.

From within the app the field of vision can be changed between 120° and 170°, the resolution/frame rate changed, and steady shot video stabilisation toggled on or off. Because the smart phone interface is so much bigger it would be a real advantage to able to adjust all of the camera settings from the app. In using the app, however, I had frequent problems; often the camera wouldn’t appear or would drop out so I couldn’t connect. Even with my phone next to the camera there were frequent connection stability problems to the point of having a serious lag when pressing record; at times the camera never got the message.

When I asked Sony about this they informed me that the PlayMemories App has been updated and this has been resolved. By this time, however, I no longer had the camera to be able to test and confirm.

Sound, Camera and Action
Many of the camera tests comparing the Sony Action Cam with other brands, such as the GoPro Hero and Contour, compare stationary or slow, hand held footage. Cycling is tougher on the cameras; not only is there faster movement, there are also bumps and vibration that make it challenging for any camera to record clean footage. For testing, I was joined by John Hawkins to mountain bike on sandy and rocky Sydney trails. We choose a bright sunny day to test the Sony. Filming at 1920×1080 resolution, the quality of the footage was influenced by the amount of sudden movements, speed and detail of the surroundings. The higher the speed, the more bumps and movement, and the more detailed the surroundings, the less detailed the footage was. All action cameras in this market segment have the same limitations.

Watch the Sony Action Cam Cross Country MTB video in full resolution

The Sony Action Cam, with Sony’s “Steady Shot” technology, has noticeably improved stability, creating a much smoother video. In comparing this directly with the GoPro Hero2, the Sony footage also showed more detail. While both cameras operated well with sun and shadow contrasts, the Sony footage was noticeably paler in colour than the Hero2.

In the moving footage, the Sony was more detailed and had a higher contrast, while the freeze framed footage was softer and more attractive on the GoPro. The Sony didn’t deal with direct sunlight as well as the GoPro, being more susceptible to lens flare and less accurate light balance.

Watch the Sony Action Cam and GoPro Hero2 comparison in full resolution

The ability to change the field of vision to from 120° to 170° is nice and when mounted on the handlebars, I preferred the wider angle. The Sony footage has less fish eye lens distortion compared with the GoPro Hero2 (though the Hero3 probably reduces this).

During filming, the GoPro Hero2 camera heated up and the inside of the casing started to fog relatively quickly while the Sony resisted this, even though the Action Cam recorded for longer during our testing. The GoPro importer suggest that their recently released GoPro Hero3 (Silver) would provide a better comparison, however they were not available for testing.

The Sony was a little “louder” during our filming; though it fits snugly in the waterproof case, it seems seems to have some room to play, so some padding inside the case would probably eliminate movement and noise.

The handlebar mount from Sony was the best branded handlebar mount I have tested. It was constructed to be solid and stable and reduces micro-vibration that could cause rolling shutter. The chest mounted position for action cams is quite popular as it eliminates the vibration of the bike and movement of the head to provide relatively consistent footage. The shape of the Sony, however, rules out this option, but the camera screw mount makes it more easily adaptable.

Recording Modes and Runtime
Filming at the highest resolution (HQ 1920×1080 at 30fps) gave about 65 minutes recording time which filled the 8GB SD card and also coincided with the battery run time. For 1280×720 at 30fps (STD, standard resolution), I got 140 minutes recording time (6.8 GB) before the battery was empty. The Super Slow (SSLOW) mode records at 1280×720 with 120fps and recorded for about 43 minutes, which gives a playback time at 30fps of about 170 minutes of slow motion footage (albeit with no audio in slow recording modes).

The SLOW mode records at 1280×720 (60fps) and the VGA mode an old fashioned 640×480. This will obviously deliver a much longer runtime (pending battery charge) however, if recording time was an issue, it would be easier to use a second battery and a larger memory card. The battery recharges in about four hours.

It’s a Wrap
Practice makes perfect and it’s a matter of taking the time and testing to see which recording modes and settings work best for your purposes. As its first Action Cam, Sony has done its homework and holds its ground. You will be able to generate quality footage and, while the Sony is not miles ahead of the competition, it doesn’t lag behind.

The general operation of the Sony is good and, if the WiFi issues are resolved as reported in the latest PhotoMemories App update, it then really comes down to personal preference in choosing a sports action camera for biking. With the inbuilt WiFi, the Sony Action Cam beats the GoPro Hero2 on hands down price; the Hero2 requires the additional WifiBack pack (~ $99). On price and specifications the Sony Action Cam competes with the GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition.

The Sony Action Cam is available in most electronics stores and retails for $369. Make sure you’re getting the HDR-AS15K version with WiFi, as there is also a version without WiFi (HDR-AS10) and version without the accessories (HDR-AS15). The Sony camera is being promoted with the Weekend Lives On (WLO) campaign which is a community website where you can upload your awesome footage and photos.

More details and specs for the Sony Action Cam.

The road surface around the lake is good and although they are open roads on race day, there is plenty of signage warning other road users of the event; even the logging companies get a call are are ask to keep away from the course. In the video, the seven water point locations are marked as are the three transition areas for relay riders.

The altitude profile in the video provides a idea of the current location on the course.

Course Directions: 160km Solo and Relay
Starting from Taupo on Tongariro street, road cyclists head north along the State Highway (5) and turn left onto Poihipi Road. Elite cyclists and solo cyclists turn left onto Whangamata Road while relay cyclists continue on Poihipi Road and then left onto Marotiri Road (32) which becomes Tihoi Road. The first relay intersection is at the junction of Whangamata Road and Tihoi Road – the solo and relay riders then continue South South West along Tihoi Road which becomes the Western Bay Road (32).

Just after the 70 km mark there is the half-way relay transition point on Kuratau Hill for relay riders. Ten kilometres further on there is a left turn on State Highway 41 and another 15 kilometres of undulating terrain down to Waihi Bay. Turangi is on the 100km mark and the course profile remains relatively flat as it turns to follow the shoreline of Lake Taupo. From Turangi there is another left onto State Highway 1 and onto Motuoapa at about 115 km, the third and final relay transition.

With only 30 km to go from the 160km cycle challenge there is a rude shock as you leave the lake shore and Hatepe Hill makes you get out of your saddle for a grinding 150m ascent. With your destination, Taupo well in sight, Airport hill is but a bump, though after 145km it is a nasty little hill. Once you’ve conquered this and take the left turn at the Airport Hill roundabout continuing along the State Highway 1, it is plain sailing as the road becomes Lake Terrace / Thermal Explorer Hwy(5) and gives you a stunning entrance into town along the water front before a right turn onto the finish line.

Google Map:View on Google in Large

Altitude Profile
Though the cross section of the altitude profile looks scary, a glance at the actual altitude gained and lost reveals that it is actually an undulating course. Hatepe Hill has a reputation for being a tough hill; after a relatively flat section of about 30km and with 130 kilometres on the tachometer, it will make you work, though it also rewards you with a lovely downhill.

You should be able to remain in the saddle during the first 100 kilometres, with the exception of a few short sharp climbs. Most of the route is made up of long straight sections broken by slow meandering curves, though in the second half, as the road comes closer to the lake, there are some wonderful tight curving roads that follow the shore and present fantastic views across the lake.

Video Technology
The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Course Profile was filmed on a GoPro Hero (original) mounted to a car. The original footage length is 2 hours.

Boca Bearing are a US company who specialise in ceramic bearings for industrial, mechanical and sporting applications. You would probably only consider purchasing bearings for your bike if you had a wheelset that was a little old and needed an overhaul, or if you are a high performance cyclist and want more (or really less) than a standard wheelset will offer in terms of rolling resistance.

Bearing replacement is usually the domain of professional bike mechanics and while it is still possible to do it yourself, you need to be confident in your understanding of hubs, as it is fairly easy to make a mistake. For this review, Aaron Dunford of Fusion Peak was bought in to be ‘the expert’; he brings years of experience as a bicycle mechanic and wheel builder to this investigation. On top of this, Aaron is also test riding the bearings which are going into his Bontrager MTB wheelset.

Why use a ceramic bearing?
Picture a bearing with balls between the inner and outer surfaces (called races). Traditional bearings use steel balls, either loose between the surfaces or sealed within some sort of container. Modern hybrid ceramic sealed bearings have ceramic balls inside steel races. Full ceramic bearings have the inner and outer races also in ceramic. The more ceramic components in a bearing, the greater the cost, but there are some advantages.

Ceramic balls are lighter than steel balls and roll faster. This means there will be less friction in the bearing, resulting in lower generated heat and a lower rolling resistance. It also means a longer life span.

The advantages of ceramic bearings are often viewed as a myth and, the fact is, even an experienced cyclist will find it hard to physically sense a difference between different bearings on their bike, all other things being equal.

Getting the right size
We faced our first challenge early on in simply getting the right bearings from Boca. An average rear wheel hub has three bearings and the front has two bearings; the tricky thing is that these bearings can be of different sizes and each bearing brand does sizing differently. To make it even harder, each wheelset model from a brand can use different sized bearing and even a new year’s model (from 2011 to 2012, for example) can mean different sizes.

To help with this complexity, the Boca Bearings website allows you to select a wheel brand and exact model in order to get the right sized bearings. For each bearing size you will find the different types of bearings available: chrome, steel, hybrid ceramic, and complete ceramic. For bearing selection, the important dimensions are the inside diameter, outside diameter and the width, so vernier calipers are particularly useful in measuring your current bearings first.

For the Mavic Ksyrium road wheels we were initially going to use in this review, we had the bearing dimensions but couldn’t match the model nor find all of the bearing sizes on the Boca site. We then tried to find bearings for some Bontrager mountain bike wheels and, though these wheels were not listed, we found matches for four of the five bearings, so we ordered them.

The ceramic hybrid bearings we received were three yellow sealed SMR6000C-2YS/C3 (ID 10mm OD 26m Width 8mm) bearings at US $17.95 each, and another yellow sealed SMR6900C-2YS/C3 (ID 10mm OD 22m Width 6mm) bearing at the same price. For the fifth bearing, the size was not a common one and only a chrome bearing was available, a little cheaper at US $11.95. This will be a good control bearing that we can later use for comparison.

Preparation before bearing installation
After a lot of planning it was time to get our hands dirty. We pick up the action with the old bearings already removed. Before considering getting the new bearings in, the hubs first need to be prepared, particularly if the wheels have already seen a bit of action. A good clean with a rag will get any grit out and a blade can be used to remove any burrs inside the hub and at the hub ends, so that metal shavings aren’t pressed inside when the bearings are fitted. After a coating of light oil (as opposed to grease) the hub is ready. The key to pressing in the bearings is to press them in perfectly straight, so don’t even think about using a hammer.

Bearing installation
Removing the old bearings and fitting the new ones requires specialist tools and, since all hubs are different, there is no single tool that will do it all. Aaron Dunford is mechanically adept and he had built some of the tools we needed for this job. Some tools were as simple as nuts and washers on a quick release skewer combined with the old bearings to safely press the new ones in; the quick release is used to slowly leverage them into place. Where the skewer doesn’t work, a long threaded bolt with properly placed washers and nuts becomes a tool that can hold the new bearing properly in place as a spanner slowly tightens to press the bearing in. Does it sound like DIY? Well it is, but in the hands of an experienced mechanic.

Fitting the bearings in the rear hub also means rebuilding the freewheel, and putting everything together the right way and in the right order. Having a professional rebuild the freehub and fit the bearings will give you peace of mind, given that a mis-pressed bearing could damage the hub and ruin the wheel.

The result
When we tested the Bontragers with the new bearings, the difference in rolling resistance was profound. It is a great sign when you can softly spin a wheel and watch it rotate for ages. The original bearings had already suffered years of abuse on sandy trails; for a brand new wheelset you may however find that the noticeable difference is marginal.

So how do these bearings ride? Let’s check with Aaron after he completed 500km with his Bontrager wheels and new Boca Bearings:
“Since the first ride I did notice a big difference in control and speed. I quickly accepted this as the new norm. From the first rides I felt that I could let the bike roll off drops with less pulling up, I could pump the wheel in the front end to pre load it and with the new bearings the wheel went forward instead of slowing due to the increase in friction. Also, at very slow speeds, my balance was notably better due to the ease at which the bike rolls. When doing a track stand, the response in the wheels to rocking gently is very precise and light feeling. So far I can feel no wear or hear any crunching.”

The yellow seal hybrid ceramic bearings are at the affordable end of the scale when compared with full ceramic bearings that will set you back US $60 – $80 a piece.

The real test of these bearings is the test of time, and these wheels are due to see some good action both for training and competitive events on local and Canadian soils. Stay tuned, as we will return to these wheels in about six months and take them apart. In the meantime, you can take a closer look at the Boca Bearings for Cycling on their website.

Video of the bearing installation
During the bearing installation we ran a video camera and have packed it together in a super fast video.

Rather than share ‘yet another BNA review’, we’ve decided that we would do something different, we would give you something new…

Watch Red in Motion in large size >

We hope you like this and would love to know what you think. Post in Facebook or make a comment below.

The 2012 SRAM RED groupset is also being listed by some retailers as the 2013 SRAM RED.

Photos © Christophe Spiesser

As part of the Bicycles Network Australia (BNA) coverage, you can follow some of the action I capture from my bike mounted camera in the short video as the cycling tour travelled through some of most beautiful parts of New Zealand. This event catered to road racers as well as long distance touring riders including corporate and family teams who were in for the challenge and the experience.

If the video makes you curious, you can read more about the tour and see some beautiful photos:
The 2012 Tour of New Zealand: South to North

Watch the full-screen HD version here

You can also find out more about the Tour of New Zealand which returns on 2013 on April 20 – 28 online: www.tourofnewzealand.co.nz