Comparison test: best adventure cameras Posted on 30 September 2013 Banish boring home movies forever with these adventure cameras and capture your travel memories from a whole new perspective. Adventure cameras are great travel companions, They’re pocket-sized, lightweight, capable of shooting video in HD and taking wide-angle photos and generally have built-in Wi-Fi. We tested these cameras on quality, ease of use and their respective apps (available free for Android and iOS). Drift HD Ghost Megapixels: 11mp Video resolution: Full HD 1080p at 30fps Waterproof: 3-metres Modes: video, photo, time-lapse, continuous photo, loop/tagging Wi-Fi: Yes It’s bulkier than the other cameras here at 160 grams and waterproof to three metres. It’s also one of the only small adventure camera that comes standard with an LCD screen so you can actually see what’s going on as you record – keeping you from gathering mountains of unwanted footage. Having a screen also means you can adjust camera settings without the hassle of cycling through all modes using only one button, it has great colour quality and both videos and stills came out beautifully. The battery life is also pretty good (better than the GoPro with the Wi-Fi on) and the Innovation app allows you to monitor your camera’s battery life, memory status and fiddle with the camera settings. Its also got a gallery option so you can check out all your videos. The camera is awkward to hold in the beginning and I used the screen incorrectly for the first couple of recordings, but it just takes some practice. If you’re looking to head deeper underwater on your next scuba diving trip you can buy a waterproof case for R599, which is cheaper than buying a screen for the GoPro and you can compete with its 60 metre underwater depth. Buy it Costs R4 650. Action Gear, tel 011-781-1323, www.actiongear.co.za iON AirPro Wi-Fi Megapixels: 5 MP sensor (digitally enhanced to 11MP) Video resolution: Full HD 1080p at 30fps Waterproof: 10-metres Modes: video, photo, time-lapse, continuous photo Wi-Fi: Yes The cylindrical camera is waterproof to ten metres and shoots good quality imagery picking up light really well. A vibrating mechanism indicates when it’s recording, which is useful when you are busy cycling, driving or otherwise occupied and the built-in battery recharges quickly (it comes with a wall mount for charging scoring it some brownie points). The iON app gives the battery status of the camera (definitely needed since the camera doesn’t show this), a gallery view and share options to upload your videos straight to Facebook or YouTube. My only gripe is that you have to change the settings on computer, which isn’t ideal when you’re on holiday. It comes in a handy tin that fits all its accessories and there are many: a lot more mounts, cables and adhesives are included in the package leaving other camera kits in the dust. Buy it Costs R4 599. Available online from www.iontheaction.co.za, tel 083-261-7654 Read more about iON action cameras here. GoPro Hero3: Black Edition Megapixels: 12 MP Video resolution: Full HD 1080p at 60fps Waterproof: 60-metres Modes: video, photo, time-lapse, continuous photo, loop Wi-Fi: Yes Just bigger than a box of Lion matches, but packed with versatility. It has the best waterproof capabilities at 60 metres and one of the only cameras with a removable battery so you only need a pocket-full when you head out (most others have built-in batteries and require charging via a cable). The GoPro app is a bit delayed compared to the live view of the camera and switches off during recording, but it works well as a remote control. Getaway photo editor Dylan Kotze says: GoPro cameras need no introduction. This 12 MP sensor produces far superior overall quality in terms of sharpness and exposure. What’s really remarkable is the slow-motion capabilities with twice as many frames per second than other models. The photo burst mode is faster than before and it can now shoot photo and video simultaneously. Battery life is a bit limited and while you can use the same mounts from previous generations, the batteries and housings aren’t compatible. If you’re a first-time GoPro purchaser, upgrading from the original model or using it professionally, it’s definitely worth splashing out for this model. Buy it Costs R5 299 for camera and R1 050 for LCD screen. Available from various stores including Outdoor Warehouse, Cape Union Mart, SA Camera and Action Cameras. Check out their website Liquid Image EGO Megapixels: 3 MP sensor (digitally enhanced to 12 MP) Video resolution: Full HD 1080p at 30fps Waterproof: N/A Modes: video, photo, time-lapse, continuous photo Wi-Fi: Yes The pebble-shaped adventure camera that entered the gear-categories African market at the end of April and is the lightest of the lot at 75 grams It can shoot anywhere between 135 and 90 degrees – less than other cameras – but it still gives off a great effect and is compatible with a standard tripod mount. Coloured lights indicate the mode of the camera and flash to signal recording. The battery life has been proved – I left it outside on continuous photo for two hours taking 815 photographs and there were still two bars of battery life remaining. The Liquid Image app has some unique functions and lets you adjust microphone levels so your video won’t be plagued with white noise when wind picks up and use it to zoom. This camera only records at 30 fps (half the rate of the GoPro) and waterproof housing is not included. However, the EGO features user-friendly programming, quality video recording, a very nice price and works as a terrific entry-level adventure camera. Buy it Costs R2 299,95 and waterproof housing R400 Available from Incredible Connection, Dion Wired and www.smac.com. Rollei Bullet 4S HD Megapixels: 8 MP sensor Video resolution: Full HD 1080p at 30fps Waterproof: 60-metres Modes: video, photo, time-lapse, continuous photo, loop Wi-Fi: Yes Fresh on the gear-categories African market, the Rollei action camera is another serious contender when it comes to the GoPro reputation. Firstly, the price is awesome for what you get (R2 499) and it’s got a small LCD screen. The battery life isn’t bad and I was surprised by the high quality images. The photos came out very well, even in undesirable light conditions where other cameras really struggle and the video is crisp with good audio. This sturdy little camera is bulky with its clip-on display screen and is quite a big package with the housing on too. It’s incredibly easy to use and you can play back all your images. The only concern I have is with the waterproof casing – you can’t power it on or off while the camera is inside. In other words, you have to leave the camera on the entire time to then shoot video or take photos, which will suck battery power. Buy it Costs R2 499 For more info call 082 456 0902 Check out these adventure camera alternatives – adventure camera qualities in a more familiar form Related Posts Heading off the grid with solar-powered gear 26 May 2021 Solar power and batteries have come a long way in a short time, making it... read more Guaranteed for life: The strangest, smartest and most-enticing inventions 17 February 2021 A lifetime warranty is one of the marketing world's strangest, smartest and most-enticing inventions. 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