SiOnyx Aurora is an Action Camera that ‘Turns Night Into Full-Color Daylight’
SiOnyx Aurora is a new action camera that claims to be the world’s first day/night camera for consumers. It’s ultra-light sensitive, allowing you to shoot full-color images in low-light conditions.
“SiOnyx has developed a new semiconductor process that dramatically enhances the infrared sensitivity of silicon-based imaging,” the company says. “Its ultra low-light technology enables richly-defined color images and video during the day and twilight, combined with unmatched high-resolution viewing in near total darkness.”
Although its low-light capabilities have been available in other cameras for years now, they generally cost an arm and a leg (some priced at tens of thousands). Aurora is designed to be affordable to ordinary consumers — its price is about double what GoPro’s flagship camera costs ($800 vs $400).
The camera weighs just 8 ounces (0.23kg) and can easily be held in one hand while shooting. In addition to using the built-in OLED display, you can also pair the camera with an iOS and Android device to control the camera on a larger screen.
The CMOS sensor in the camera can capture 0.9-megapixel photos and 720p video at 8/15/24/30/60fps. A time-lapse feature lets you shoot photos at 1, 1/5, 1/10, 1/15, 1/30, and 1/60 second intervals. On the front of the camera is a 16mm lens with f/1.4, f/2, and f/5.6 aperture settings.
Other specs and features include an IP67 waterproof rating, a removable neck strap, a GPS, an accelerator, a compass, built-in Wi-Fi, a 32GB-max MicroSD card slot, and a rechargeable battery that allows for 2 hours of continuous operation.
Here are a couple of videos that offer side-by-side comparisons between what a GoPro HERO5 action camera shooting in 720p Night Mode can capture versus what the SiOnyx Aurora can capture:
In addition to its low-light abilities, the Aurora is also fully capable of shooting ordinary daylight action camera footage:
The SiOnyx Aurora is available for pre-order through the company’s website with a retail price of $799 (discounted to $719 for pre-orders). The camera is set to ship later this month.