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Tachyon launches OPS and OPS HD helmet cameras, not as durable but way more tiny
We can't say we've ever been particularly impressed by the video quality delivered by the Tachyon line of helmet cameras, but they're a good choice for those who need a recorder that can take one heck of a beating -- if you don't mind some extra bulk. That fat has been banished in the new, slimmer OPS line which will be available in two flavors: a $90 VGA base unit and a slightly higher-end HD (720p) one for $140. If you're keeping track that's the same as the earlier XC and XC HD models, but these aren't waterproof like those. The SD model is less than an inch wide and 2.252-inches long, while the HD model looks to be roughly $0.25 longer. Each camera is square in profile, meaning it can be rotated in four orientations on its mount, or flipped around backward. And yes, just like the XC cameras, Tachyon will be releasing a range of mounts for all your extreme endeavors, including shotguns, picatinny rails, and one that looks like an overgrown tie clip. It should be perfect for when things get fancy down at the range. %Gallery-123043%
Tachyon XC HD helmet camera review
When last we saw a Tachyon XC helmet cam it was clinging futilely onto the side of another, stuck together so that the footage coming from the two could be combined to create 3D -- something GoPro is now trying to do much more expensively. We weren't particularly convinced at the time, largely in part because the resolution of each of those XC cameras was only VGA. Now there's an HD model we've been given to try, and while we've happily ditched the Siamese action to go solo this time, some issues remain here that keep us from giving the new, $179.99 Tachyon XC HD our universal recommendation. %Gallery-115718%
Tachyon announces 720p Tachyon XC HD helmet cam, excites us with a Picatinny rifle mount (video)
Iron sights? Only for newbs. Holo sights? Much nicer -- at least until someone pulls an EMP. Picatinny-mounted camera? Not something you're going to find in Call of Duty, soldier, but soon something you can get for real courtesy of Tachyon. That company was the first to offer a consumer-friendly(ish) 3D POV experience by turning a pair of their cameras into sort of Siamese affair, and now it's enabling hunters, soldiers, officers of the law, and anybody who likes shooting stuff to get an up-close recording of exactly what the heck they're shootin' at. When we reviewed those 3D cameras we weren't exactly smitten with the VGA quality, but hopefully the 720p sensor in the new Tachyon XC HD tackles that. It's built into the same shell that struck us as being hugely durable before, and now it's even more so, rated waterproof to 100 feet. The new camera will set you back $179, matching GoPro's recent HD Hero 960, while that Picatinny rail mount is $27 -- unless you're a member of law enforcement or the military, in which case it'll be free. Full details in the PR below, as is a fun video of a little GunCam action. %Gallery-105616%
Tachyon XC 3D helmet cam hands-on
If you're the sort who does interesting things whilst wearing a helmet, things that you might like to capture on video for friends, family, or strangers to watch, it's an awfully good time to be a gadget lover. There have never been more helmet camera options than there are today, and one of the most interesting we've yet had the opportunity to affix to our lid is the Tachyon XC 3D. It's a pair of generally pedestrian cameras that, when joined at the hip, combine Voltron-like to do something rather more interesting: capture 3D renderings of your extreme endeavors. But, is an extra dimension worth the $380 price of admission? Read on to find out, and to experience the depth for yourself. %Gallery-74426%
Video: Tachyon XC helmet cam, and its Siamese 3D sibling, now shipping to headgear worldwide
The world is an ever more extreme place -- and ever more safety conscious too. That means more helmets per capita and thusly more helmet cams. The Tachyon XC is the latest, shipping in not one but two flavors. First up is the standalone model for $180, which packs a couple of batteries and an SDHC card into a lightweight, durable, fully waterproof case. Rather more interesting is the $380 XC 3D, a pair of the cams joined at the hip that record simultaneously and ship with software to join the fruits of their sensors into one mind blowing segment. 3D footage can be displayed in a variety of formats, including the red/blue standard style that rocked the '60s or cross-eyed mode, like those magical posters that look like fields of dots but explode into shapely images of naked ladies when you focus right. Sure, gluing two separate cameras together is perhaps a bit of a crude way to enter the third dimension, and strictly VGA recording is decidedly disappointing, but check out the video results below in cross-eyed mode before you write this off as an over-priced novelty.
