GoPro Hero5 vs Sony FDR-X3000

[dcvf2]

Hi everyone,

I know it's an old thread

Concerning the comparison, for me to, the Sony FDX-3000R gives better results as Gopro ( like those analyzes => Sony FDR-X3000R : l'action-cam 4K stabilisée comme un boss).

But except in "W angle" ... distortions in the corners , because of the too narrow facade

@stuartv

I would like to film sand tiger shark to ( in french..i’ts « requin taureau » and surely not requin tigre des sables )

A video must be stable to watch it comfortably …To look at her pleasantly
I don't like shaken pictures at all
A small video camera held in hand doesn't produce stable Images

Look eg =>
I have developed (I only dive in free diving )

First solution for Sony DCR-HC96E in Ikelite in 2007
Second solution for my son’s Sony HDR-AS15 in 2014
Third solution for my Sony HDR-AS50 in 2017
And the results are there => Video in free diving
Sorry I don't the way to show you my 3 "home made" wings

Regards
dcvf2

 

[ReefHound]

I have to make a decision within a few weeks and still torn between Hero 6 and FDR-X3000.

Screen. A viewing screen may not be important when filming wide angle shots of sharks and rays 20' away but I like the closer stuff and have it centered. Even with the Hero4 screen I often wish I'd pointed it a bit higher or lower.

Filters. Plenty available for the Gopro. How many "underwater" modes does the Sony have? I'm sorry, no one white balance adjustment is going to work at all depths in all water types. There's a reason Backscatter makes at least 3 different shades of red filter and a magenta filter.

Anything under 18" is blurry in a Gopro but I can easily add a macro lens. The Sony website gives the min focus distance at 19.75" so similar. There are options for the Sony as Inon makes an adapter bracket for their lenses but it would cost me $300 to add the bracket and their macro lens. Suddenly, we are in completely different price levels. I wish there was an inexpensive adapter to standard 55mm lenses.

Can any owners tell me the outer dimensions of the lens on the waterproof case? Maybe I'll make my own lens adapter.

 

[Ioncloud9]

I have to make a decision within a few weeks and still torn between Hero 6 and FDR-X3000.

Screen. A viewing screen may not be important when filming wide angle shots of sharks and rays 20' away but I like the closer stuff and have it centered. Even with the Hero4 screen I often wish I'd pointed it a bit higher or lower.

Filters. Plenty available for the Gopro. How many "underwater" modes does the Sony have? I'm sorry, no one white balance adjustment is going to work at all depths in all water types. There's a reason Backscatter makes at least 3 different shades of red filter and a magenta filter.

Anything under 18" is blurry in a Gopro but I can easily add a macro lens. The Sony website gives the min focus distance at 19.75" so similar. There are options for the Sony as Inon makes an adapter bracket for their lenses but it would cost me $300 to add the bracket and their macro lens. Suddenly, we are in completely different price levels. I wish there was an inexpensive adapter to standard 55mm lenses.

Can any owners tell me the outer dimensions of the lens on the waterproof case? Maybe I'll make my own lens adapter.

I bought this camera a couple of weeks ago and I've yet to take it diving. But from an operational standpoint, it has white balance adjustment and even a way for it to manually set it based on the light. It also has an underwater mode. Enabling the underwater mode disables the white balance adjustment though. I will have to experiment with these different settings in real environments. You could also fit a red filter inside the underwater housing if you felt that was necessary.

I bought it because it was about as compact as the Gopro, has a very visual and easy to tell that its working Record button, and most importantly it has optical image stabilization. I'll probably record in 1080p 30fps or 60fps over 4k.

 

[OC]

I have to make a decision within a few weeks and still torn between Hero 6 and FDR-X3000.

The Sony has one under water mode.
As for the minimum focus distance, I'm pretty sure I shut closer than 19.75" with good focus, (I remember at least one clip above water). The 19.75'' might be for still, but I'm not absolutely sure.

The dimensions for the underwater case's lens is approximately 1"13/16 x 1''5/16 if it helps.
I'm saying approximately because I don't have a working caliper right now, to be super accurate, so I measured with a tape measure with the smallest markings of 1/16''. Also, take into consideration that the corners are rounded, not squares...

As much as I like my Sony FDR-X3000, I've never had a GoPro of any kind, so I can't compare. And above all, most important is to enjoy your diving with whatever camera you get...

 

[Macan]

The GoPro Hero 5 is still a great action cam. Check out this video. It was shot on a "hand mounted" GoPro Hero 5 without filter or camera light.

 

[ReefHound]

I'm just referring to the Sony spec sheet for focus distance. Much thanks for the lens info.

 

[OC]

The GoPro Hero 5 is still a great action cam. Check out this video. It was shot on a "hand mounted" GoPro Hero 5 without filter or camera light.

Nice video Macan. I have no doubt, the Hero 5 or other GoPro are great action cam and I have no personal stocks in Sony or GoPro... I think we can't really compare picture quality with the videos we post here, with different lighting conditions, different water clarity, different depth and pretty much different everything, but I think I can see a big difference in picture stability between the video you shot and the video I shot above (pg.2) with the Sony in lens image stabilizer. And I don't think I did anything better than you, as I had no previous experience with any action cam prior to shooting these videos. I just think it's the camera itself... Just my personal opinion...

 

[Lucifer911]

I have a great youtube review on GoPro Hero 5 vs Sony FDR X3000R
hope this helps...

I have the GoPro Hero4 silver and honestly when the camera is attached to my dive mask the LCD display does not help me one bit.
I'm not even convinced the floatie grip will result in me having my eyes focussed on the LCD because the screen itself is small.
The LCD screen does come in handy after the dive and I can look at the footage before I arrive back home.

I intend on buying Sony FDR and keeping my GoPro Hero4 sitting on my dive mask so I get 2 sets of video footage.

GoPro Hero 5 is 60mbps while Sony is 100mbps... Hero 5 is too gimmicky for my liking. Who really needs audio commands anyway?

 

[ReefHound]

I didn't see any underwater video in that review and that is all I am concerned about, this being a Scuba forum. And I don't think I have ever seen what I would consider "quality video" from a mask mount.

I recently bought the Sony. I just returned from the Philippines where I used the Sony and my Hero4 side by side. I don't have time yet for a detailed review but my feeling at the moment is that I will sell the Sony and get a Hero6.

I do like the optical image stabilization but from comparisons I've seen it is only marginally better than Hero6. Besides, I shoot a lot from a tripod which beats anyone's stabilization.

The Sony underwater mode is better than a Hero without a filter but I am liking the color of my footage with the Hero4 and red filter over the Sony with UW scene mode. And I could only use the Hero with my macro-mate lens.

It seemed to me at every turn, the Hero was easy to use and the Sony was a pita.

The lack of lcd screen was a constant shortcoming. The side screen is hard to read above water in good light. Mounted on a tray, it's barely visible. Changing modes underwater is challenging. With my Hero, I will often shoot something in various modes.

The Sony battery died sooner and I was unable to see battery level. I knew it was dead when it shut off while recording. With the Hero, when battery level is low I could become more selective in my shots and save some juice for something special.

Changing the battery means removing the Sony from the tray since I can't get the case open. You have to push and lift up on a lever that is right next to the 1/4-20 mounting screw. The Hero I can pop open the case and switch the battery in 15 seconds without removing from the tray.

The lcd screen may not be important to framing the shot when shooting wide angle of something distant, but it's crucial when shooting a fish from 2 feet away trying to fill the entire screen.

The poor frame rate of the Sony does not work well with the rapid movement of many fishes. 4K is great except 30fps max really sucks. The max is 60fps at 1080 MP4. The Sony lacks a 2.7K mode which I use a lot on the Hero4. Most people couldn't tell the difference between 4K and 2.7K.

The buttons (except for the red Record button) are smaller and harder to operate. Not physically harder to depress but require you to center your finger on the small button and press firmly. Too many times I would think I pushed a button and it wasn't enough.

And who knows what hassles I'll encounter trying to edit Sony's proprietary file format?

 

[stuartv]

Have any of y'all tried the Paralenz?