ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam
by Oregon Scientific
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Our Price: $69.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $65.95 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam
Customer Review: Kewl little cam - rugged and reliable
Summary: 4 Stars
The video quality is good for a VGA resolution camera. Like others, I removed the pad from the mic compartment to improve audio quality (not planning on using it underwater). Overall build quality is good, and it feels solid.
The time remaining display is easy to read with large characters, and the start/stop button works reliably. Setting options is a little awkward, and the icons on the LCD display are really tiny, but most are set once and forget types of adjustments.
I have used it both mounted to my helmet and on my mountain bike handlebars. Some have complained about the mount being easy to break. The mount itself is solid, but the possibility of failure exists when attaching/detaching. It comes with a small cup of silicone grease to make the o-rings on the back cover waterproof - I put a tiny amount of the silicone on the inside of the mounting rails and it makes sliding it on and off smooth and easy.
I bought a couple of extra 2g cards (1 hour recording time each) which gets me through a busy day. I use rechargeable AA's and they generally last a couple of hours of recording time. When you plug it into your USB, it shows up as a removable drive and you can drag and drop the created .avi video files to your PC.
I'm looking forward to using it on the slopes and camping this winter, so, based on some others' feedback, and cautions about cold weather operation in the instructions, I purchased the custom thermal jacket from the Oregon Scientific web site. They also have additional mounting kits there.
I have used it a lot for climbing and biking and, so far, it has proven to be a rugged and reliable cam that performs as promised. A good value for the $50 price.
Customer Review: Great SECONDARY Cam
Summary: 4 Stars
Alright this camera is not your HD super resolution camera that you will want to use as a stand alone unit for any event. What it is however is for a low price you are getting a WATERPROOF to ten feet dust resistant durable camera that can go places that few would even dream of taking much more expensive fragile units.
for example I take mine and put it inside a plastic bag and jump off a cliff with it a little work and you can get some sweet shots as the water comes at ya and next thing you know your underwater. Try that with a handycam. Im excited for this summer because i want to try attaching it to the rope of our tow boat when wake boarding for a sweet up close and personal view complete with wipe outs.
when mud digging in my four by four I Velcro it right up on the front bumper for a extreme rarely seen angle. You could mount it underneath near the axles while flexing for a cool shot also.
You tube has some awesome videos of them being mounted onto the back of rockets and blasted into the sky. Be creative with the thing!
Your getting what you pay for here, a low resolution cheap camera that is waterproof and inexpensive enough to be somewhat disposable to get shots for action videos that would otherwise be very hard or impossible with equipment ten times as expensive. So long as you don't have to watch hours of this cameras video at a time the resolution is fine, set this camera up in a creative way than mix it in with higher quality video from another camera in a more conventional location on the scene and you'll have a great video to showcase.
This thing stays in the bag with my DV camera when I go out in the outdoors.
Customer Review: Camera works, but video is terrible
Summary: 2 Stars
I recently purchased this camera on a whim (called a 1 day sale at Amazon for $50), not with super high expectations, given the price; however, it's going back to Amazon.
I went to the beach yesterday with it. The day was a nice and bright sunny day in Galveston, TX. I set the video to the highest quality: 640 x 480 at 30 fps, which gave me 30 minutes of video time on my 1 GB card. When it played back on my computer, it only captured 24 fps, not 30. When I played it back, the video played as it were running at 125% of the actual speed (sort of like fast forward) and VERY VERY shakey. (No, the camera does not have image stabilization, but this was terrible.) Also, the videos it captured were DARK DARK DARK. I wore a baseball cap at the beach, and my face was a completely dark blur unless I was about 12 inches away from the camera. (I am very light complected.) Also, there is no viewfinder, so you have no idea what you are shooting. The camera itself seems to take video at a slightly higher angle than what you are pointing it toward. Thus my videos of people had their heads in the video and 85% sky. Awful! Now the sound: clearly in order to make it waterproof, they had to seal up the mic. The audio of the camera person was almost inaudible, and the audio of anything else was not captured at all.
I give the product 2 stars because it IS waterproof as advertised, the product did actually WORK well with the included "action cam" straps, etc., but the video quality was so terrible, that I wouldn't even bother trying to use it again.
I've actually seen cell phones take better quality videos than this camera.
My overall opinion: DO NOT BUY.
Customer Review: Good device, good video, good price
Summary: 3 Stars
I used the camera exclusively for snowboarding (attached to helmet).
The best part - I have great video of two days at Vail on the mountain and in the park.
The worst parts - when traditional AA batteries get cold they don't work AT ALL.
Pros
- It did a good job of dampening the vibration so the video wasn't too bouncy
- Good job of balancing light as we went in and out of the trees/sunlight
- Simple controls make starting and stopping video easy.
Cons
- With no display its hard to get the camera angle on a helmet to match what you see. Expect the first day of use to be an absolute waste until you get home, watch the video and realize the angle was off by a few degrees.
- The controls are nearly impossible to use without taking a glove off.
- No SDHC support so the best you can do is a 2GB card (approx 2 hours of video) which isn't great if you snowboard for 8 hours a day like we do.
- Helmet mount strap won't make it through more than one season.
If you buy one of these to use for any winter activity, to mitigate that battery problem, make sure you buy three sets of batteries. Put one in the cam and put the other two sets in your pocket, then as the batteries will no longer provide power, switch them out with one of the sets in your pocket.
All in all its the best helmet cam I've seen because its easy to mount, is a single-contained unit, and doesn't add too much weight to your helmet.
I'll post another review when Colorado thaws out and I put it on my mountain bike.
Customer Review: Fire Department Use
Summary: 4 Stars
I have seen this product in use yet am waiting for the extra cash to purchase this item. People in the fire service have mounted this camera to the helmet and have recorded fire scenes. It is a great training tool as well as streaming image of what happens during a call. It can also aid as training, as long as the person knows how to use it. Especially if they don't make so many dramatic movements.
One fireman has run several calls and recorded a few hours of video. Over the time frame of use he has learned how to operate and states he tries to remember that it is mounted on his helmet and looks around to capture certain video and keep a steady head. His technique with the camera is getting better and holds up against most heat as well it can be used in our swift water training (due to the fact it is water proof to a certain Meter) and rope rescue operations (to show how to rescue a victim/patient, as well as other operations).
I agree with the other reviews stating that the resolution is not all that great and sound can sometimes not be very clear. If you are looking for something to record on scene in the fire service, I consider this a great tool. It might also keep someone from getting in to trouble because it will record what you LT or Captain might say to you and prove that you are not the one at fault. "Hint".
I give 4 stars because it is not perfect but definately serves a purpose. And I am sure by the other reviews you have read, you have found out how this product will assist you in your needs.