Crazy - 1080p cam + 180' housing for $270?

[Gombessa]

Saw this xtreme-dude-mountain-dew helmet cam on Engadget this morning and thought it was pretty cool. Then I actually clicked through to the link and saw the specs (PDF):

1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps
5MP photo mode
f/2.8 lens @ 170 degree wide angle view (above water)
underwater housing: rated to 180ft/60m
2.5h battery life
All for...$270?

You gotta plug the LCD to the back to watch anything (can't do it in water I assume) and there's no zoom, but a superwide, assumedly rugged, 1080p cam with a fast lens and underwater housing for under $300? Plus it looks like they don't try to gouge you on accessory pricing (the plug-in LCD is $50, an extra 1100mAh battery is $20 and...an extra underwater housing is...$40?? )

For that price, it's gotta have some interesting possibilities, no? The big bummer is no LCD in the housing...

Edit: They say the LCD actually fits inside the housing...now I'm really kinda interested. And the company is local to me too, might have to find some time to stop by...

 

[sprange]

Looks interesting...thanks for pointing it out. I think I'll take a chance and (pre?) order one.

 

[Gombessa]

I wrote an inquiry to the company asking them if they've had any chance to use the camera with scuba. Waiting on response.

I have to say, the underwater housing looks a tad thin for a 180' rating, but maybe it's size/volume thing. I also realized that the product isn't actually available yet, which is too bad. Hopefully it gives them some time to get us some footage of how it performs underwater.

 

[Drewpy]

Ken-Get it! Your movies are already awesome....!

Wabbits in 1080p..Priceless!!!

 

[Gombessa]

Thanks Drew! I'm actually kind of half-invested in the idea of a Flip Ultra HD in that new Ikelite housing. I've got the camera and a wide angle conversion lens for a great price, just waiting irrationally before pulling the trigger on the actual housing.

If I had heard about this HD Hero thing earlier, I'd definitely be going down this path. I'm still interested in seeing how it pans out, but spec-wise, it seems downright ideal for those of us who don't want to haul real equipment around in the water

 

[Matt S.]

At that price point the image quality in low light has GOT to be crummy.

Not that crummy isn't good enough for a lot of things. A crummy video camera that I have is a lot better than an awesome camera that I don't have.

I'll be very interested in sample movies.

 

[Gombessa]

At that price point the image quality in low light has GOT to be crummy.

Not so fast! It depends on what you're comparing it to. I've been running some tests of the Flip Ultra HD against my regular cam, an old pocket-sized Sony DSC T-30. Though the Flip is also dirt-cheap, it beats my little Sony by a mile in the low light arena. Newer technology almost always trumps the older stuff. However, if you try to compare any of these cheap cams to a real camcorder like those fancy SR-12s or Vixias, I'm sure they'll look worse than mud.

I'll be very interested in sample movies.

They have a somewhat hidden video preview section at GoPro HD HERO®: Pre-Production Test Footage that has a bunch of streaming HD clips (unfortunately none of which are underwater). Nothing really low-light that I can see, although the boring "kayak" clip does suggest a slightly narrow dynamic range.

 

[Matt S.]

Those clips are surprisingly good for the cost.

My girlfriend just got a Flip and we are thinking about the Ike housing. Might be a good idea to return it and try this guy out...

 

[Gombessa]

Those clips are surprisingly good for the cost.

My girlfriend just got a Flip and we are thinking about the Ike housing. Might be a good idea to return it and try this guy out...

I'm in the same boat. I realized really quickly after getting the flip that it *really* needs the wide-angle conversion lens ($280 new). I already have an Inon wide lens, so I'm still really tempted to just spend the extra $260 and get the Ike housing...

But now this thing comes around and boasts 1080p with a built-in superwide lens and 180' housing for $260? I'm hoping someone else takes the plunge soon and posts some results before I have to make a decision

 

[Matt S.]

I may be that someone else!