REVIEW – Ever since the famous GoPro Action Camera was launched, many companies have tried to follow that model by creating a similar product with similar features, but for a lower cost. I recently got the opportunity to test and review just such a product. Here are the results:
What is it?
The Apeman Trawo Action Camera is a GoPro style action camera, with 4K capability and a host of similar GoPro features for capturing action and movement footage in all types of environments and scenarios.
What’s in the box
1 x Apeman Trawo Action Camera
1 x Waterproof Case
1 x Additional Rear case Cover
1 x Micro USB Cable
7 x Various Case Mounts
1 x Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth
1 x Pack of Velcro Straps (Assorted Sizes)
4 x Plastic Ties
1 x Wire Strap with Double-Sided Tape
3 x Base Mounts (@ with ¼-20mm female mounts)
(I received a pre-release version of this camera, so no instruction booklet was included in the box)
Design and features
Much like other Action cameras available today, the Apeman Trawo Action Camera is a small compact action camera that without the waterproof case measures approximately 2 1/4″ x 1 3/4″ x 1″. When in the waterproof case, it measures approximately 3″ x 2 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ at the widest and longest sides. The LCD screen is approximately 1 1/2″ x 1 1/4″. It is well built and in my opinion, it does not feel cheap in any way.
The controls for the camera are on the sides. On the top of the camera, there are 2 buttons. With the camera facing forward, the top left button has 2 main functions on the button. The front of the button powers the camera on and off and the back of the button switches the camera mode between video, camera, viewing, settings modes. The button on the top right turns the record function on and off, works as the shutter button for taking pictures and also works as the selection button when in settings mode.
On the left side of the camera, there are 3 ports with a removable cover. These ports are the micro SD card slot, the micro USB port, and the micro HDMI port.
On the right side of the camera, are the up and down buttons for navigating.
At the bottom of the camera, there is the battery port and cover.
The waterproof case that comes with the camera has water-sealed buttons that mirror the buttons on the camera, but the sides with the ports and battery are sealed.
Settings
The Apeman Trawo has a large selection of settings that offer great customization. Navigating through the settings is very easy and every choice is very clear. The following is the list of settings located on the “settings” screen. I have provided details on the first 2 since many folks would want that preliminary information:
Video resolution – 720P@60fps 1280* 720 ~ 4K@30fps 3840*2160
Image size from – 3MP 2048*1536 ~ 20MP 5120*3840
Time-lapse, Loop Recording, Anti-Shake, Lens Angle, Shooting Timer, Burst, Mic, Exposure Compensation, ISO, AWB, Scene, Rotate, Light Frequency, Language, Date/Time, Date Stamp, Wi-Fi SSID, Screen Saver, Auto Shut Off, Delete, Format, Default Setting, Version. (See Settings Screens Below)
Performance
I used the action camera for daily activities to see how it would stand up to things I normally do. For the first test, I bought a windshield mount, and I tried it out as a dashcam.
The footage I got was very good and the stabilization worked well. However, the camera seemed to have some negative effects from the heat of the sun through the windshield. Let me first say that before each test, I charged the battery overnight to ensure that it was fully charged. Each time I used it, it either shut down at around an hour or so of use, or when it didn’t, the battery drained very quickly, or the sensors told the camera that it was drained. Each time the battery indicator was red, and when I removed the camera from the windshield mount and powered it off, waited a bit and powered it back on, the battery showed back in the white, but also on the low side. My conclusion is that there must be some effect from the heat.
Here is some footage from the dashcam: (Notice near the end of the video when I am driving on really rough roads, how well the Anti-shake works).
My next test was to see if the waterproof case was, in fact, waterproof and to see what kind of underwater footage I could get with the water thrashing up against the camera. For this test, I purchased a waterproof monopod with a 1/4″-20mm stud.
I then submerged the camera into the waves of the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. I am not a diver so I am not sure what the depth threshold is, but the case is definitely waterproof. Here is some of the footage:
The Action Camera also takes wide and clear pictures. (You can choose the lens angle in the settings)
Hisi 4K CAM
What I like
I like the small form factor of the camera that mirrors that of the GoPro. I like that is records in 4K, and that the waterproof case really is waterproof. The footage is great.
What can be improved
Battery response to heat
Better battery life
Addition of a detailed instruction booklet
Final thoughts
When I first received the Apeman Trawo Action Camera for review, I was expecting a less than capable GoPro knockoff that like many similar products, would not do any one thing very well. I must say that I am quite surprised by the performance and capabilities of this action camera. It performs very well, albeit with a few issues that I am sure can be overcome. It offers great footage and great resolutions, and the stabilization actually works. When comparing the price to other action cameras that offer the same quality and features, in my opinion, this is a great choice.
Price: $139 Where to buy: Amazon Source: The sample for this review was provided by Apeman.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
OMICAM is a versatile wearable VR action camera with built-in auto horizon and image stabilization, along with supporting features that include editing and streaming.
What’s in the box
Package contents:
1x OMI Camera
1x OMI Stand with Quick Release
1x 360 degree Quick Release Clip
1x Quick Release Set (Flat Mount, Screw Mount, 3x Tape)
1x Carrying Bag
1x Micro USC Charging Cable
1x Screw Driver
1 x Instruction booklet
Design and features
The OMICAM VR action camera is a small, compact, water resistant action camera that records video in 4K, and has the ability to provide stabilization on both horizontal and vertical planes even with rigorous movement. At the top of the camera, there is the lens in a circular encasement, and on the front, there is a shutter button.
On the bottom there is a ¼”-20 female threaded mount.
On the left is the power button and Wi-Fi button as one button, the micro SD card port, and the USB port.
On the top at the back there is the Lifelog button which allows you to switch the selection between photo and video. The camera and video icons light green when the camera is on and in ready mode, and the video icon lights red when recording video. The camera icon flashes blue when the shutter button is depressed to take a picture.
The rest of the back has the mounting holes for the various mounts.
This action camera has a lens that is able to capture footage at a 240 degree angle, which provides a nice perspective when moving up or down or side to side. When I viewed the video, looking at the footage from that VR 240 degree perspective was strange. The camera recorded both video and audio, and for every one minute, it took up 108MB of space on my micro SD card. It has a 12 Megapixel Sensor for capturing great images, records up to 80 minutes in continuous video mode, 2 1/2 hours of video in lifelog mode, and 15 hours of video when filming in long period Lifelog mode. It records 4K video at 30 frames per second. In Lifelog mode, the OMI Camera uses a smart algorithm to record up to 15 hours of film. It does this by turning off for 3 minutes and then waking up for 5 seconds to record video. It continuously repeats the cycle. It can also take snapshots/photos at intervals.
Once you download the app, it connects to the OMI Camera via the Wi-Fi built in to the camera. When you open the app you see the main screen.
From the app you can go into the recording screen and choose photo mode or video mode, and either take a picture or start and stop the video recording. The camera records in one minute files that are 108MB in size. When you are done with your recordings, they can be viewed and edited by going to the edit tab.
Once you select a video to edit, you can play it, choose to add or remove stabilization, and/or make a square video for mobile upload or sharing. You can also save it to an album. You can also take snapshots with this camera and process them via the mobile or desktop app.
On the top right hand corner, there is an icon to download the video. When that icon is selected, the next screen gives you the option to download as a VR story in different resolutions, or save as the original video.
There is also a settings screen that allows you to set up the operational basics of the camera. This screen also has a link to FAQs, the Privacy Policy, the Terms of Service, and the usual “About” information.
There is also a desktop version of the software for both PC and MAC. Once downloaded and installed, you can create a VR Story, or process a single video, or batch them together.
The following are links to 2 videos that I recorded with the OMICAM during my daily commute:
Here is a snapshot that I took from above in my truck:
What I like
I like that this action camera can capture clean video footage in 4K and that it has versatile mounting capabilities. It also includes the ability to mount a tripod plate, or the numerous other ¼”-20 available rig options. The audio is also quite clear for anything audible in relatively close proximity.
What can be improved
The two major aspects that can be improved are the access to the micro SD card slot, and the cover that slides on to protect the ports and the front bottom half of the camera. The micro SD slot is indented and I guess because of my “big” fingers, I had to use a paper clip to fully insert the card. To remove the card, I once again had to use a paper clip to press it in to engage the spring loaded mechanism, and once it popped out, I was still unable to pull it out by hand. I had to use tweezers squeezed tightly to get the card out the rest of the way.
When I first examined the front cover that protects the ports, I felt that it did not click into place securely, and that it could be easily lost. Sometime during my third recording outing and just as I suspected, it fell off and was lost.
Final Thoughts
The Omicam 4k VR action camera is a nice action camera for someone that enjoys capturing and watching footage from that 240 degree perspective. It is quite different from a conventional video camera, and even different from the famous GoPro action camera. Whatever footage that you capture with this camera will be very good. I do believe that in scenes such as kayaking through waves that pass over you, or in adventurous places like caves in mountains, etc, it would provide amazing footage. In my opinion, while it is unlikely to be an everyday mainstream action camera for many, it will be very popular for people seeking the specific perspective that it offers. On the other hand, the very effective built-in horizontal and vertical stabilization may very well make it a major contender against some of the more popular action cameras on the market today, as long as the front cover issue is resolved.
Price: $249.99 Where to buy: Omicam and Amazon Source: The sample for this review was provided by Omicam.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
Creating great video often involves a lot of planning, a production crew, and even more post-production editing. Former Instagram and Apple employees have teamed up to create Rylo, a new 360° camera that uses advanced software to create awesome cinematic videos.
Rylo’s dynamic dual lenses capture everything around you in 360° in 4K resolution. Unlike many other 360 cameras, Rylo’s innovative app not only includes incredible horizon-leveling and stabilization technology but also allows you to produce traditional HD video from any camera angle you choose. Choosing a camera angle ahead of time is no longer needed, you simply record everything and then choose the camera angle when editing the video.
The smartphone app connects to the camera via a cable, so there’s no waiting for the video to transfer. You can edit and share videos from wherever you are. Powerful features such as front and back view, smooth panning movements, speed control, and object tracking make this app able to produce videos on par with many high-end post-production suites.
Not only does it make editing easier, but it allows for the creation of multiple camera angle video clips from a single 360° capture, eliminating the need to use multiple cameras to capture the same event.
The price of $499 does seem a little steep at first, but it includes a selfie-like stick they call a case, a 16GB microSD card, battery, charge cable, sync cable, and protective pouch.
Want to be impressed? Head on over to the Rylo website to view their sample videos.
GoPro is just about single-handedly responsible for bringing wide-angle action video to the masses. But GoPro is also an adaptive company and not complacent to rest on its past successes. In response to the growing trend of VR and 360-degree spherical content, GoPro has developed Fusion with the ability to capture immersive 5.2K 360-degree movies.
The camera features:
5.2K30 and 3K60 Spherical Video
18MP Spherical Photo
OverCapture Allows for Traditional Video Creation from 360 Footage
Advanced Stabilization
360 Audio
Waterproof to 16ft (5m)
Time Lapse Video + Photo, Night Lapse and Burst Modes
GoPro has a reputation for great design, and this camera is already receiving praise for its outstanding design and engineering, earning a CES 2018 Innovation Award in the digital imaging category. Users can control the camera, live preview their shots, and stitch, trim and share content with the iOS GoPro app (Android coming soon). Desktop editing software supports a GoPro feature called OverCapture, which lets you re-frame and save traditional fixed perspective videos from the captured 360-degree video. Yes, we’re much closer to being able to manipulate photos like Deckard. GoPro says a mobile OverCapture experience and new visual presets including Tiny Planet and PanoFlow will be released in early 2018.
Fusion is available today on GoPro.com and shipping 11/14/17 to USA, Canada, United Kingdom and the European Union for $699.99 (US); €749.99 EUR.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
GoPro has forever changed the approach to action video with their line of HERO cameras. While the price range of $150-$400 for their latest models is a lot less than comparable professional video equipment, it can still be more than some would like to spend on this type of gadget. Other manufacturers have broken into this market to lure consumers with lower prices and various other features and functions. One such company is TaoTronics. This camera is made in China and has up to 4K30FPS recording. Keep reading to see what I think!
The TaoTronics 4K Action Camera is a GoPro “Clone” that specification-wise sits somewhere between the GoPro HERO Session and HERO4 Black. The comparative Features are summarized in the table below:
HERO4 Silver
TaoTronics
HERO4 Black
Video Modes*
4K
15
30
30
2.7K
30
30
60
1440
0
0
80
1080
60
60
120
720
120
90
240
480
240
0
240
photo resolution
12
16
12
photo shots/sec
10
10
30
connectivity
WiFi, Bluetooth
WiFi
WiFi, Bluetooth
Water depth
40
30
40
Size (mm)
30
30
30
59
59
59
41
41
41
* Video Mode is the maximum framerate supported in each resolution
The camera comes in a rather ordinary cardboard box.
The camera is about the same size and shape as the HERO4 and comes with a waterproof housing that has a similar hinged attachment point as the GoPro line of cameras. It is therefore compatible with a whole ecosystem of GoPro style attachments.
The camera also comes with a protective mount backing (that fits onto the hinge of the waterproof front and has slots for a nylon belt), a tubeframe mount, several adhesive and hinged mounts for surface mounting.
The system also comes with a snap on case with 1/4-20 mounts on the top and bottom and a spring clip mount for attaching to a belt or similar. Hinged mounts that are orthogonal allow the camera to be tilted in 2 dimensions and a male 1/4-20 mount (which allows any camera with a tripod mount to interface with GoPro fittings) and a female 1/4-20 mount are also included to permit the camera to be swiveled in each direction. Specific mounts, for mounting to the chest or helmet, pontoon and selfie sticks, and suction mounts are not included.
Inside the packaging provides some illustrations of how the included accessories can be used to mount the camera to a helmet or bicycle handlebar.
The buttons on the waterproof case are spring loaded pins that penetrate a gasket. There isn’t an impermeable diaphragm on the inside of the case so water penetration is a definite possibility.
The camera layout is similar to the HERO4 as well, with a power/mode button on the front, an OK/Start/Stop button on the top, an up/down button on the side and a screen on the back.
One noticeable difference is that this camera doesn’t have a LCD status window or LED indicators on the front of the camera. Actually, it is difficult to determine that the camera is recording from the front, so in a situation where you’re recording a selfie, you will have to look at the back or a smartphone with XDV running to make sure the recording has started or is in progress. Another difference is that this camera doesn’t have any feature similar to a highlight button, which is located on the side of the HERO4 and can be used to bookmark significant sections of the video. The screen is not touch sensitive like it is on the HERO4 but since the screen is most often in the housing, and since this doesn’t have the video editing features of the HERO4, a touchscreen isn’t really needed. The screen comes with a matte screen protection on top of a clear glossy screen protector on top of the plastic glossy screen cover that is part of the case. I prefer to leave the matte cover on to reduce glare from the sun. The camera also has a blue LED on the back that is lit while powered and blinking while recording and a red LED that is lit while externally powered and blinking while charging. The LEDs can be disabled if the camera is used as a dashcam.
The camera is powered by the battery below. It appears to be a typical HERO type battery.
The battery door is held in place by a springy piece of plastic and is completely removable. A plastic tab on the battery help to pull it out.
The standard operation is menu driven and circulates through video recording, camera recording, slow-mo recording, playback and settings screen. To change the mode press the mode button and to start or stop operation in the desired mode press the OK button.
The video recording screen shows set resolution, memory remaining, WiFi signal, and battery strength. The bottom of the screen shows if the sound is recorded, if the image is rotated, loop recorded, time lapse recorded, and the elapsed time of the recording.
The still shot screen shows set resolution, memory remaining, WiFi signal, and battery strength. The bottom of the screen shows if dramashot is enabled, what the delay timer or the auto timer is set to, and the current time.
The slow-mo mode is very similar to the video mode
The playback mode displays a preview of the recorded image and what order it is in the camera. The date and time the recording was made, while useful, is not displayed. Once the playback is started the up and down buttons on the side can be used to adjust the speed of the playback from 2x, 4x or 8x speed in either forward or reverse. A long press on OK will bring up a erase menu for the item on the screen.
There are a number of settings on the camera to tailor it to your shooting environment and preferences.
The video resolution setting allows the user to select any of the supported resolutions (even the high frame rate options). Recording sound allows you to select recording a video with or without sound. The TaoTronics has a time lapse mode and can be set up for 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, and 60 seconds intervals for video. Loop intervals are limited to 2, 3, and 5 minute segments. These segments seem short compared to the 5, 20, 60 and 120 minute intervals of the HERO4, however, if this is being used as a dashcam, 5 minutes is usually sufficient to capture the good (awesome car on the road), the bad (awesome car hits car in front of you) and the ugly (you hit car in front of you). The drivemode on the TaoTronics is similar to the QuikCapture mode on the HERO4. Not only will the TaoTroincs begin recording as soon as the camera is powered from the MicroUSB port, the camera will begin recording as soon as the power button is pressed. note that loop recording isn’t available if time lapse recording and vice versa.
The TaoTronics time lapse mode can only be set to 3, 10, 15, 20 and 30 second intervals for photo. The TaoTronics will capture a burst of photos by setting up the feature called DramaShot; the camera can be programmed to capture either 3, 5 or 10 photos each time the OK button is pressed. However, there is no way to record continuous burst photos and there is no way to capture a photo while recording a video. The camera has a 3, 5, 10 or 20 second timer. A timer cannot be set to start a time lapse or DramaShot.
The photos and videos share common exposure settings for white balance (auto, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, and fluorescent) and exposure (-3 to 3 by integer steps) There is no shutter setting for the camera. The camera also has a setting to limit interference by fluorescent light by indicating if the electrical frequency is 50 or 60 Hz.
When mounting the camera upside down there is a setting to rotate the image, but there is no accelerometer in the camera, meaning that the camera is unable to determine the correct orientation automatically.
The settings are available in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Dutch, Hindi, and Turkish.
This review is with the firmware version 20170605V23. The camera is compatible with micro SD cards up to 64 gb. I put a 128 gb card in it and the camera ruined it; I needed to reformat the card afterwards. I made the performance tests with a 16gb Class 2 card, which seemed to work OK even though the data rate on some videos is 5.5 MB/s – about 2.5x the minimum guaranteed capability of the card.
I wanted to demonstrate the camera recording features on their own, but also demonstrate some reference of what is being recorded. using the 1/4-20 mounts from the TaoTronics package and a clamp mount from a GoPro-compatible package I rigged a Canon SX720 HS, LeEco Le Pro3 Smartphone, and the TaoTronics together.
I shot the same scene on all three devices so an unbiased comparison of the recordings can be made. Note that the Canon top resolution is full HD 1920×1080, not 4K. The recording of me walking is at 4K resolution on the LeEco and TaoTronics. The recording of the 9/11 memorial is in FHD on all three devices. I’m making the videos available on a mega.nz site so that you can see them without re-encoding but downloading from here is slow, so please be patient.
Note that I trimmed the length of the video with software that doesn’t re-encode the video so no modification of the recorded image occurs during the process. The wide field of view of the TaoTronics means that each item recorded has less resolution. I’m not sure if this is the reason why the shots from the Canon and LeEco look clearer. Also the lens flare and glare off of the TaoTronics lens is significantly more noticeable than on the other two shots. Unless you’re JJ Abrams this isn’t a good thing.
I made some recordings of the camera near a pool. The reflection of the sun off the water is a good test to see if the camera can effectively record very bright scenes. At the same time the shadow of the shrubs is recorded.
The camera does a good job at recording the pale blue of the water under the surface; the block artifacts of the compression process are visible, but small. Key-frames of the shadow of the waves are visible on the pool bottom but I’m not sure the other cameras would not have captured similar artifacts.
I literally threw the camera up into the air and had it land in the water. I didn’t notice any water intruding into the case after this test.
To test the action recording I took the camera out for brief run, just holding on to the case so that the picture shook about a lot. I wanted to see how well the camera can record a rapidly changing scene. The results show that the camera recorded the scene without generation of large blocks or skips in the recording. I did have the camera drop audio a couple of times in this situation. I’m not sure why this happened – it may be the sub-optimal MicroSD card I was using. Also, its pretty evident that there is no image stabilization.
I shot a scene at dusk and the shot looked very similar to what was actually there. I noticed there was a lot of noise in the dimly lit night sky, but some elevated noise at this low lighting is to be expected. I didn’t change the exposure setting but this would have improved the captured image even more.
The companion app for this camera is called XDV and is available from Shenzhen Sunchip Technology on the iPhone and XDV by wisdomplus of the Android play store. The app allows you to set the recording mode of the camera, to view a live stream of the recording, to review recorded images on the camera and to access other settings on the camera. The connection to a camera can only be made by using the WiFi of the camera generated access point, so you’re limited to the range of the camera. It would be great if the camera and smartphone could connect as clients to the same WiFi system, then the range could be arbitrarily large through bridging of multiple antennas.
In the end I think that the recorded video was slightly better on the other two cameras and footage from YouTube (even though this may post processed) looked a bit more polished that what I recorded. If you want to get that last bit of video quality out of your shots or more special features you will probably need to spend a bit more. However, the TaoTronics camera is a very close second. I see myself taking a lot more action shots with this in the future and I think its a good gadget for anyone to have in their arsenal.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by TaoTronics. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to check prices / order.
Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.
