What is it?
If you've ever tried using your regular camcorder to go off-roading, racing, biking or, uh, skydiving, you'll probably run into its limitations really soon. They're not designed for extreme activities, whether it be fragility or functionality. Thankfully, there are companies like Drift Innovation, making cameras and accessories for those not-so-normal family videos. One of these extreme cameras is its HD170 - a high-definition model with some really attractive features.
Does it work?
I hooked the HD170 up in a car, using the supplied handlebar mount (actually designed for motorcycles or mountain bikes) to attach it to a headrest peg. Result? Some pretty boring footage of me getting stuck in traffic.
The footage was very clear though, despite the wide-angle lens having no adjustable focus. It can also rotate through 300 degrees, so whether the camera needs to be mounted upside down or at an angle, the footage will always be “right side up”. Helping with this is something few other competing cameras have: an LCD screen. Sure it's just a 1.5-inch colour display, but that's more than enough for mounting it and making sure the lens is pointing at the right stuff. Any more and it'll bloat the HD170's compact dimensions and add to the price - and it's already a touch expensive.
For your money, you do get a variety of mounts and accessories. The box contains velcro mounts, the aforementioned handlebar mount, goggle mounts and a helmet mount, the latter being the most usable of all. I would've liked a windscreen suction mount in the box, but one of those can be purchased separately and screwed into the tripod adapter thread on the bottom of the camera.
Arguably, the best accessory in the box is the remote control. It's RF-based, so doesn't need line of sight to operate, and can be mounted on a wrist strap. Two buttons control recording, and more than one camera can be synchronised to a single remote: you'll end up with footage from multiple angles, which is awesome, but it'll take ages to edit, which is pretty much anti-awesome. Good luck.
Should I buy it?
In summary
Good: Great wide-angle lens; excellent footage; remote control
Bad: Pricey; limited applications; no suction mount
Rating: 8/10
Price: R3 799
Contact: http://www.actioncameras.co.za
Storage: 32MB onboard, SDHC cards up to 32GB
Battery: Rechargeable, included
Lens: Fixed focus and zoom, rotating
Field of view: 127 degrees at 1080P, 170 degrees at 720P
Accessories: Remote control, goggle mount, helmet mount, handlebar mount, AV cables
Share