ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam by Oregon Scientific
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Digital camera reviews of ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam
Digital camera Review: ATC2K Review
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had a little time to play with the camera now, and I think it's a great camera. I got my money's worth on this one!
I put it on top of a radio controled car and it worked great. I was hoping to use it to document some of my motorcycle trips by attaching it to my helmet, but the strap that comes with the camera won't go around the helmet. It works on the Forks and the Handlebars OK., but I really want to have it on the helmet so that it sees what I see.
I am sure I will come up with a method and when I do I'll share it with everyone.
Keep the rubber side down,
Raod Tripper
Digital camera Review: ATK2 Helmet Cam Review
Summary: 4 Stars
I was looking for something to mount on my handlebars since I do alot of on and off road biking where I live. I did not want to spend a lot of money yet..so I gave the ATK2 Cam a look. The main reason why I got this cam was the price. Its an absolute bargin at 92 US dollars. It arrived the next day neatly packaged. Once I got it out hooked the batteries and got a memory card..I was off and running. It does take a few minutes though to get used to the controls and how they are set up..but once you've mastered that..its is very simple and straight forward to use. 3 buttons of operation here..the middle button is the record/stop/select button. The button to the right is the enter button to confirm selections..and the bottom button is the menu button..to access certain features..which is neat.
Now onto playback and video quality. If you are looking for high resolution recording..this is not what you want. However, it does shoot video in VGA format..which is pretty good. It shakes over bumps and small indulations on the road..but its not terrible. With a 2GB memory card you get about 1hr of recording time..set the frame rate to 15 frames/sec and you get 30 more minutes of recording time. If you want to sacrafice a little more image quality then set it to QVGA..and you get almost 3 hours(3:30 @ 15Frames/sec). Now I have not had a chance to use the lowest quality setting yet(QQVGA)..but at the lowest frame rate you can get a whopping 12 hrs of recording time..which is really good. I recommend watching your videos on a compuer as the quality on a TV is'int that good. Battery life depends on the temprature and how much recording you do. Regular batteries will only net you, at the most, about 45 minutes @ 40 degrees. Upgrade to Lithium Ion batteries and you get 60 minutes. Slight improvment. I reccommend NI-MH rechargable batteries. I have not used them yet, but I have heard they can go for almost 2 hours between charges..and thats at 25 degrees. I would have to say about 3 hrs at normal temprature(60 degrees)..and 3 1/2 hrs at 80 degrees. To mount the cam it comes with a handlebar bracket which is fairly easy to mount. It also comes with a velcro strap to mount other places..but I have not had the need to use it yet. It also comes with a nylon band to mount it on your helmet. I have'nt used that yet..so I cant give any reviews on that at this time. What I can tell you is I would rather mount it on the handlebar since you can change modes or start and stop recordings without stopping someplace and removing your helmet.
As far as computer connectvity and memory goes..you just remove the cover and you have a USB connection inside along with a memory card slot. You also have a jack to plug into your tv if you feel the need. Memory is pretty good. A 2GB card will give you 12 hrs of recording time at the lowest resolution and at the lowest frame rate. At the highest resolution and at the highest frame rate you only get an hour of recording time. A 4GB card..from what I have been told will work but it will only give you the same results..but it will work..as long as its not an SDHC card..in that case the camera wont even turn itself on since it wont recgonize them. All in all I would give this camera 4.5 stars out of 5..since it has good recording resolution and ease of operation.
ATK2 Cam update 12-06-08. Cam still works good. I have noticed after extended use in cold tempratures(35 or lower) the camera will just shut off, even when fully charged batteries or new batteries are installed. This is because it just is not designed to work properly at freezing tempratures. Also if you plan to mount this unit on your helmet..good luck. The vibration when you mount it on the top portion of the helmet is so severe its litterally unusable. Works better on the handlebar. I will have another update when warmer weather returns.
Update 11-28....ATCK2 is still working fine. I am not using it on my bike trips anymore. Sound is not good and the image quality suffers..and the bike mounts keep breaking, and the helmet mounts are a bit to be desired..so I give up on this camera. I now have the Tachyon XC which does much better and has a much better picture and video resolution.
Digital camera Review: Action Cam - Great
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this to take to the coast on vacation last week. It worked great. We used it on the jet skis in the ocean, in the hotel pool and hot tub. Underwater worked good too. I bought a 2 GB memory card on ebay to use with it off ebay. I would reccomend it for an inexpensive fun video camera that you do not have to worry about getting it wet.Digital camera Review: Action Cam review
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this for off-road motorcycle riding. For a camcorder costing under $100, it works just fine. The controls are too small to see really well through the "window" on it, but once to get a feel for how to set it, it's simple controls are easy to understand. Thus far the only problem I see with it is wearing it on a helmet, the microphone on it gets a lot of wind noise. I'll try it next on the handlebar mount provided with it, but I expect the recording will be shakier because it will be absorbing the bumps of rough off road riding.
If you're expecting high quality video from this, pass on this one, but if you are in a situation where you fall or drop the unit, you're at least not destroying a $500 camcorder. Also, because of it's size, it's less obvious that you're using a camcorder, possibly making for more natural, candid recordings.
Digital camera Review: Action Flash Cam
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used this as a helmet cam to capture my firefighting duties. This little camera takes great video and with the addition of a SD card it takes over an hours worth. Very durable and easy to operate. I would have liked it to record sound better. I would suggest this camera for anyone wanting to capture any kind of action type video under extreme circumstances. Very good bang for the buck.