Camera Notes: Drift HD Ghost

Also neglected to mention this one...  The successor to my favorite Drift HD is now out.

It looks like it's pretty much the same as the Drift HD, with a few deltas:

• Higher video quality is claimed, dunno what they mean by this
• Two-way remote for positive confirmation of status
• Remote is still flat, which is kind of fucked up IMO
• Continuous/tag mode; probably good for a car camera actually; not sure how useful it will be for paintball
• Wifi -- they're a little vague about what can be done with the Wifi, just like every other fucking manufacturer is vague about this shit.  I got three letters for you assholes:  API.
• Still photos during video recording -- not sure how useful will be for paintball
• Buttons are on top; slight improvement, makes them easier to find.
• Screen and housing it are slightly different; slight improvement, might be easier to clean
• Status LED on front; meh.  Technically a disadvantage for paintball.  Electrical tape that bitch up.
• 60/100/120fps modes
• Selectable CODEC
• More than an ounce heavier -- BAD

So it has some neato features, but I'm not sure if the majority of them are a benefit for paintball.  The features they added seem to make it more suited to a car cam or pet cam or something.

Camera Notes: Sony HDR-AS15

Neglected to post anything about this camera, but the competition seems to be heating up for the action cams.

Sony announced this one a while back, and from inspection:

• Smaller than a Contour...  but requires the exo-suit, which bulks it up again
• Only mounting method apparently through the bottom, unless you do something really custom with the exo-suit.
• Uh...  accessory door blocks the mount?  So no external accessories can be used with the mount, or the exo-suit for that matter.
• Apparently there's an accessory that will plug in through the bottom that will turn the thing into more of a traditional camcorder, which is kind of neat, but not worth the cost of inflicting the above problem.
• Removable battery
• 120fps mode
• Wifi transfers enabled (possibly alleviates lack-of-display issue)
• Appears to have Steadyshot; probably digital
• One review shows the thing has focus issues; looks like someone farted on the right side.  Not sure if it was a bum unit, but it's always a fucking pain in the ass getting this stuff resolved with manufacturers.

But here's the killer...  the lens is not rotatable.

I know this sounds like a minor thing, but considering that the mounting is so limited, then sometimes you might need to orient the camera in an unusual fashion, which is OK as long as you can...  rotate the lens to compensate.

I think I'm going to have to set the Drift HD as the gold standard for this category, because it has a standard 1/4"-20 thread, and while mounted, can be adjusted along the vertical (or whatever axis is perpendicular to your mount surface) AND has a rotating lens.

If you're going to go after the GoPro, you can't replicate its flaws.

Otherwise, it seems like a decent action cam.  But again, the market is heating up...

For the weight (90g) and the Steadyshot capability, this might be an interesting cam for RC use...

Where the fuck are the Tippmann videos?

LULZ.  I'll have more to say on this later.  Going to count off the number of ways these guys suck dick.