Oregon Scientific ATC9K HD Action Camera does 1080p underwater (video)
By Tim Stevens 
posted July 6th 2010 10:43AM
posted July 6th 2010 10:43AM
posted July 6th 2010 10:43AM
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If it does 480p and 720p @ 60fps I'm sold
If it has an anti-shake feat I'm sold.
How about a video that actually shows the underwater feat
Mom! It's not the nozzle for the hose! Give it back!
20 metres? That's not very deep for SCUBA. Needs to be 40 metres.
Might be fun to strap on your crotch at the swimming pool.
Sound must be horrible, considering they've placed an awful looped track instead of camera's audio.
So is this an underwater cam? or a 'skim across the water and hold the camera close to the water' cam?
20 meters is probably dymanic not actual 20 meters so really 5meters.
@MikeGSY you mean static, right?
I'd like it in purple instead of yellow so I can mount it on my pimp-submarine...
right on !
Lame video, was not even under water. What a terrible way to show it off.
Have one of the 5k ones at home, sound it just a steam of squeeking, you have to overlay an audio track on it or mute the sound.
for a better HD head cam
http://www.contour-hd.co.uk/contourhd-1080p.html
Even at 720P the quality of the video is shit.
@KGB that's not a fair statement. It's youtube - highly compressed.
It's pretty difficult to record underwater, and 90% of what any submersible microphone might pick up would be the diver's bubbles. There's not much more than that and the usual gurgling sounds. It's not like there are a lot of sounds underwater. Fish don't sing like birds!
@PBR
But whales do!
@El Guano you must have some funny fuckin birds
doesn't the kodak zx3 already do this for 150 bucks ? ok, it only goes 3 meters, but who goes any deeper anyways ?
@phearme it isn't necessarily a matter of depth underwater, it's about pressure "equal" to that depth underwater. So if you are using the camera on the surface to record an action sport, wakeboarding, waterskiing or in my case kitesurfing, the pressure of the water hitting the casing as spray or impact with the water in a fall, is considerably higher than surface pressure.
The greater the depth rating, the more waterproof the thing is to moving water at the surface. For the same reason a wristwatch rated water resistant, should never be worn in the shower. The pressure of the water will penetrate the watch and destroy it. Even watches rated to 10 m can be killed in a power shower!
Why not just get a gopro?
It comes with a waterproof housing rated at 60 meters, instead of 20.
the only real difference I see is gps...
video demostration FAIL.
The VholdR does 60FPS at 720p
http://www.needfultoyz.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VCAM0000&Show=TechSpecs
Or if you want 1080p at 30FPS you can do this one (also dos 720P 60fps too)(
http://www.needfultoyz.com/Contour_HD_1080p_p/vcam0005.htm
I owned an Oregon Scientific Psion handheld knockoff many moons ago and if the build quality on that was any indication, I would pass on this.
Why would anyone buy this thing over a GoPro HD? Really now.
@FryingPan I have a GoPro Hero HD. I would be tempted to get this over the GoPro for several reasons.
1) The ATC9K has an LCD screen showing what you are looking at.
2) Navigating the menu system with just a power button and shutter button sucks. If the more buttons of the ATC9K make it easier to get into the mode you want then great.
3) Waterproof without the case. The GoPro needs to be put in the case.
4) Mounting options are a little more simple with the ATC9K. Let's say you want to mount your GoPro on a set of handles bars that are angles (not perpendicular with looking forward). You will need to attach several arms so you have enough control to point the GoPro where you want. It looks like the ability to point the ATC9K in whatever direction you need is built into it.
Here's a couple of videos I took with the GoPro. it took several trial and error sessions to get it pointed and level. I had to ride my bike around the block, take the camera off the bike and check out the video on my laptop. Adjust if needed and repeat until it was right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HalxlQ7kU7s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9zqy4VpmtQ
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7244/s1051272.jpg
There's how my GoPro is mounted, notice I have two arms so I can point it where I need to point it.
One more issue I forgot to mention with the GoPro - because you have to put it in the case it is a problem with the weather we have been having lately. Since it has been warm and humid condensation forms inside. The last video I tried to make this last weekend was ruined 5 minutes in when condensation formed on the inside of the case in front of the lens.
However, if the video quality of ATC9K sucks then it isn't worth the purchase. It is a video camera and video quality should be the priority.
That action camera video made me sick. Hold it up-right please.
They have count down page. It said it is going online in one day! Let's see.
http://atc.oregonscientific.com/prelaunch/prelaunch.html