New videocam from DealExtreme
Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)
Posts: 23,514
Today I received one of these from DealExtreme. Like all things from China, it's a mix of good and and not-so-good.
The Good:
The no-so Good:
All-in-all and for $73 including registered mail from Hong Kong, it promises to be fun toy, but it's no GoPro.
From the still image, it looks like I need to set the date and time. That's done by uploading a particularly-formatted .txt file to the micro-SD card.
-Phil
Edit: I see the forum software reduced the size of the still image, so I uploaded another in a zip file.
The Good:
It's small, easy to operate, takes "okay" photos (JPG) and videos (AVI), comes with a handlebar mount and helmet strap, has a built-in USB-based charger, includes an 8 GB "Samsung" [wink, wink] micro SD card.
The no-so Good:
Takes just "okay" photos and videos with a very wide-angle lens (full-resolution still image attached below -- zipped). Things out to about 10 feet are in focus. Distant subjects start to blur.
The manual claims 5M pixels, which would yield honest 1080p video and 2560x1920 still images. The website says 1.3M actual pixels. I believe the website.
It comes with a wall-wart USB charger -- with a Euro-style plug.
Whoever assembled it left a big ol' greasy fingerprint inside the window that protects the lens. I tried disassembling it to clean it, but I couldn't get far enough to expose the window.
It records sound -- sort of. The microphone is inside the sealed ("waterproof to 20m for 3 hrs.") unit (photo below) and picks up knocks and vibration, but nothing else. Even with the cover off, the sound recording is very muffled.
The manual claims 5M pixels, which would yield honest 1080p video and 2560x1920 still images. The website says 1.3M actual pixels. I believe the website.
It comes with a wall-wart USB charger -- with a Euro-style plug.
Whoever assembled it left a big ol' greasy fingerprint inside the window that protects the lens. I tried disassembling it to clean it, but I couldn't get far enough to expose the window.
It records sound -- sort of. The microphone is inside the sealed ("waterproof to 20m for 3 hrs.") unit (photo below) and picks up knocks and vibration, but nothing else. Even with the cover off, the sound recording is very muffled.
All-in-all and for $73 including registered mail from Hong Kong, it promises to be fun toy, but it's no GoPro.
From the still image, it looks like I need to set the date and time. That's done by uploading a particularly-formatted .txt file to the micro-SD card.
-Phil
Edit: I see the forum software reduced the size of the still image, so I uploaded another in a zip file.
555 x 446 - 50K
1024 x 768 - 95K
Comments
Only now that our twins just had their third birthday yesterday (thus proving ourselves responsible parents), I can reveal the truth about this reckless-seeming video taken with one of those keychain cams: this is our tandem road bike with my 7-1/2 month pregnant wife on the back. Our girls were fearless even before they were born!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zde3DduyEWw
I'm not sure if you saw the ELEV-8 camera thread or not. There are some other inexpensive cameras listed there.
Have you tested the video out from the camera? Can you use a TV as a remote viewfinder for both still and video?
I have several different cameras from HobbyKing. You remind me of my intent to post some test images and recordings using the new cameras.
I just got back from a bike ride with the camera. I'll see if I can upload an excerpt. (AVI files get huge pretty fast.)
-Phil
That can't be a shot from your back yard. That's blue sky with no clouds! Watz up?
Jim
-Phil
Also, if the unit is powered up with the USB cable plugged in, it acts as a USB webcam.
One thing I've noticed is that, although it claims to be an HD cam, the aspect ratio is 4:3, not 16:9.
Finally, here's the video I made yesterday (vastly sample down for Vimeo):
[video=vimeo;50810669]
The camera was mounted on the handlebar. I tried a helmet-mount but, surprisingly, the result was a lot jerkier. It might be because I have front shocks on the bike but none on the rear.
-Phil