Sony Action Cam Mini HDR-AZ1
THE GOOD The Sony Action Cam Mini HDR-AZ1 is smaller and lighter than many competitors; it has excellent video quality with solid electronic image stabilization; the live-view remote lets you wirelessly preview, review and change settings, and has GPS; it has a splashproof body and a removable, rechargeable battery; the included tripod mount gives you plenty of accessory choice.
THE BAD Recording at its highest bitrate requires a microSDXC card; changing settings requires a wireless connection to a mobile device or the remote; battery life can be brief; its curved lens isn't great for underwater use; Wi-Fi connection to the live-view remote is temperamental; using image stabilization reduces its angle of view; the dual-format card slot can be a pain.
THE BOTTOM LINE A leaner, lighter version of its top POV camera, the Sony Action Cam Mini HDR-AZ1 puts big performance in a little package.
Consider Sony's Action Cam Mini HDR-AZ1 to be a streamlined version of the Action Cam HDR-AS100V , its top-of-the-line POV camera.
Basically, Sony shed much of that higher-end models extra features like its video and audio jacks, but kept its excellent high-bitrate XAVC-S-format video, Zeiss Tessar f2.8 lens with a 170-degree field of view, electronic image stabilization and wireless features. It even updated its Live-View Remote that puts a color LCD on your wrist to control the camera and preview and review shots.
Getting rid of those extra features allowed Sony to make the camera very compact. Though with small bodies come small batteries and other compromises that may put you off.