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Action cameras: an extreme point of view
Not everyone wants to be in the driver's seat when it comes to experiencing extreme action -- in fact, most people prefer to do it remotely. But with today's ultra-small wearable cameras and high-def resolutions, the less outdoorsy among us can experience a bit of the rush without any of the broken limbs. The action camera tech we now use is the product of decades of experimentation by fearless filmmakers and adrenaline junkies alike. Join us in the gallery below as we explore the emergence of the action camera from its clunky early days to today's go-anywhere POV devices.
Drift's new Ghost S action camera is tough, feature-rich and ready to take on the competition (hands-on)
Drift Innovation has been making action cameras for some time now. Today sees its latest offering -- the Ghost S -- hit stores globally. What's new this time? Well there's the usual assortment of video improvements: 1080p at 60fps, new "scene" modes and better low-light recording. There's also a dramatically improved battery, that now offers 3.5 hours of recording at standard 1080p/30fps. Impressive. But, perhaps more significant that that, Drift is stepping forward as a brand. It's no secret this market is dominated by one major player, a situation only accentuated by the recent demise of its next best known competitor. But, while all this was going on, Drift has kept its head down and concentrated hard on continually revising its products. As the marketing parlance goes, the Drift Ghost S is its best camera yet, but also a metaphorical stone from David's sling. Are we about to see the action camera market get the all important "other option" it desperately needs? We spent some time with the Ghost S -- one of the most promising candidates yet -- to find out.
Drift HD helmet cam review
What a difference a year makes, yeah? 13 months ago, we were giving Drift Innovation's latest helmet cam (the HD170) a run through the gauntlet, and now, we're giving that unit's proper successor the same treatment. The simply-named Drift HD action camera is largely the same type of device, albeit one that's 25 percent shorter (this one's just four inches long) and offers a replaceable lens. Moreover, there's a waterproof casing that's on the way, though said shell wasn't ready during our testing phase. The company managed to include a 300-degree rotating lens (complete with a 170-degree field of view) and a couple of capture options: 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps. The concept should be well-ingrained into the head of technophiles by this point: if you're looking for a camera to mount upside your noggin' (or on your vehicle of choice), this is what you're after. But is the new and improved Drift HD capable of taking on the GoPros of the world while justifying its $369 asking price? Read on. %Gallery-130072%
Drift Innovation unveils compact Drift HD, still up for your extreme antics (video)
Fan of recording extreme death-defying stunts, yet find your current helmet cam just too darn unwieldy? Drift's creatively named Drift HD might fit the bill, as the firm's managed to cram the 170-degree field of view rotatable lens / LCD combo from the HD170, into a 25 percent smaller package. The nine megapixel 1080p shooter also features a bevy of redesigned mounts, a replaceable lens and support for 32GB microSD cards, allowing it to keep chuggin' where lesser cameras would have otherwise called it quits. Connectivity junkies will also swoon at the inclusion of micro-HDMI and a 2.5mm microphone input. We weren't exactly smitten with the HD170, but this $369 makeover might be enough to change our minds. If you're dying to find out for yourself, the Drift HD will be available August 31st, but do us a favor and keep your eyes on the snow -- we wouldn't want you to end up like this guy.
Drift Innovation HD170 helmet cam review
What's this, another way to capture for posterity the extremeness of our helmet-requiring pastimes? Yes indeed, a new player has entered the increasingly crowded POV/action/helmet camera market, the Drift Innovation HD170, offering 1080p recording in a durable case that stands poised to take on GoPro's HD Hero and VHoldr's ContourHD 1080p. However, the built-in color LCD here lets you do something you just can't do on either of those two: check your footage on the camera itself. Does this make up for some of the cam's other shortcomings? Read on to find out. %Gallery-98176%
Drift Innovation helmet cam shoots 1080p, sports a rotating lens and built-in LCD
Drift Innovation's HD170 is far from the "world's first" HD helmet cam -- heck, it's not even the first that does 1080p -- but we'll admit it's an attractive proposition on paper thanks to a tiny 1.5-inch color LCD and built-in speaker. While those let you verify your death-defying stunts were captured appropriately, an adjustable lens promises more freedom in the way you attach it, too, and at $329, the rest of the specs (30fps, H.264 compression, 5 megapixel stills, 1110 mAh battery, up to 32GB SDHC card) are more or less competitive with the other elephants in the room. Though we certainly can't recommend it without getting some hands-on time first, Drift's got some video samples after the break if you'd like to see how well the POV cam handles the open road and some skydiving Gs.
