GoPro has been the king of action cameras for a very long time but there’s a new king in town: the Sony FDR X3000. To tell you the truth, the name sucks. It’s a name you easily forget but make no mistake, the FDR X3000R is one hell of an action camera.
The Sony FDR X3000R doesn’t have sound issues of the GoPro Hero5 Black. Its built-in stereo microphone is surprisingly good when not in its waterproof casing.
Also, instead of software stabilization, which is not very effective, the FDR X3000R has optical stabilization that makes your videos a lot smoother. It’s not as smooth as a camera on a gimbal but it’s still pretty smooth.
There’s also less distortion on wide shots thanks to the ZEISS Tessar lens on the Sony. You don’t get much of the Fish Eye effect like most action cameras do. The Sony also produces sharper video and does better in low light.
However, unlike the GoPro Hero 5 (Session and Black), the Sony FDR X3000 is not waterproof without a casing though it is water resistant to a certain extent with IPX4 rating. This means it can handle water splashes with damage to the electronics.
The Sony FDR X3000R does not have a built-in viewing screen like the GoPro Hero5 Black but you can still view your shots with the optional remote viewfinder on your wrist on mounted on the camera.
Note that the GoPro Hero5 Black is cheaper.
This camera is old and there are other better cameras out there. If you still want one, you can check if it's available.
