Two things..... 1) First! 2) After using this camera for a few weeks I can now say that it has supplanted the Contour Roam as my favourite helmet mount action camera. The mounting system is more flexible (it allows tilt), the camera is smaller, lighter and performs much better in low light. In my opinion it would be an excellent commuter camera for cyclists - the three hour battery life, weatherproof case and recycled video feature make it ideal for this purpose.
Techmoan would you say this camera is better than the TCL SVC200? BTW great reviews been following your reviews when I was looking for a dash cam now with an action cam with alternatives to go pros and countours.
I wish I'd watched this review yesterday - I've just this moment oredered a Contour 3 after watching your review yesterday... I may have to switch to the Drift 2 when I pop in to PC World to collect it on Monday! Thanks for the reviews though - I've made a few good purchases based on previous reviews
I wish I'd seen this before I bought a camera but then again I bought the Stealth 2 anyway. Did have an unsolvable issue with the WiFi but Drift to their credit approved a replacement. One question, I'm not clear if during the battery life test the remote was in use or not and whether it makes much difference to the battery life being a duplex system? OK maybe that could be considered as two questions.
Hi Niall, super late reply lol but to answer your question the battery life on the camera consumed through using the remote control is negligible. The reason being the camera is not constantly updating the remote control, only sending confirmation signals back to the remote, once status changes take place.
Sardi Pax It's not very scientific, but it's the easiest way I can easily explain the limitation of wifi signals - even though the signal from a router in a living room has trouble reaching the bedroom - some people expect the signal from a tiny battery powered camera to successfully travel hundreds of feet.
Thing is, it *should* manage something in-between those two. The signal power limit from even the beefiest mains powered wifi repeater is capped at no more than 1 watt (...possibly even 100mW, I forget which), which is why they've had to get fancy with multiple aerials for beamforming and the like with the AC standard. Obviously a pocket camera can't do that, and matching the power of a mains-powered router would kill the battery rather quick, but it should be able to produce a healthy fraction of the same antenna power. Which with the inverse cube law and all that will mean less of a range compromise than you'd expect. Thus the aerial in this thing is probably extremely weedy and under spec, and provided simply as an alternative to carrying a USB cable, especially if your mobile device can't do USB hosting, without any attempt even made at providing range beyond a few metres. One wonders therefore why they didn't just use Bluetooth, especially if the data rate isn't that good anyway... (wireless-G and particularly -N and -AC rivalling the speed of at least the older wired network standards, and nearing that of USB2 in the latter case). I expect it's not able to connect to a regular router as a device in its own right so you can access the filesystem remotely either...?
hi techmoan i want to say a big thanks about your videos. i watch all about dash cam and your work save me. i am truck driver and i buy a mio 568 touch after your advice. in all videos and today after 3monts of use i was saved of fraud in the road. thank you
I have watched all of your videos and have been a sub for a while now, I enjoy how you go through everything on a particular product with good information and a little humor thrown in the the mix. Great Review. thumps up.
I like the new format of your review, with the quick preview summary at the beginning and I am interested to see how your rating system stacks up over time. Thanks for putting so much work into these reviews. Over the last couple years they have been very helpful to me in evaluating my Dash Cam options.
I am liking this new "opening overview" style you kicked this video off with. It gives me a good idea of what exactly you're gonna cover in the video. Keep this up :)
I'd like to applaud your reviewing style. Quite simply, you get on with it! A lot of people's RUclips reviews would have gone on for twice as long as this and not have been as informative. This is one of the rare occasions I haven't skipped bits just to get to what I want/need to know. I have ordered one of these, will be fitting it to my bike, rather than helmet though, and sorting out the wind noise problem with either a sweat band or a piece of fake fur over the microphone hole
I hope everyone downloads a sample clip from your site as there is a huge difference in quality.. I downloaded the bike in the country one and was impressed..I really think if I had this one my hero 3 black wouldn't get much use.. Better for mounting and far better video then I was expecting..Great review as always..
You do a fabulous job, Mr. Techmoan. I just ordered one of these for use on my Goldwing. I did this knowing that I'll probably have to tape over the microphone hole and add audio later, if wanted. Thanks for what you do.
Great device! During summer I was using it almost every day when I was riding my bike. Apart from its shape (which is not only cool, but also practical :)) I like that its batteries live so long. Exactly as long as I needed. :)
After using your channel extensively to choose an action cam for my motorbike helmet i have finally decided to go with the stealth 2 with the contour roam 3 coming in a close second and the sj4000 getting an honorable mention. Just wanted to thank you for your extremely informative videos as they've helped me massively, will definitely be buying through your link so you get some commission. Keep up the good work mate.
Not fully tested it yet . had a small issue with charging earlier. it didnt seem to want to charge and just got very hot . was your camera 50 percent charged out of the box??? . wondered if it may have previously been sent back or something ? managed to get it fully charged in the end . do you reckon updating the firmware would make any impact . ive also reset it and seems ok now.oh and btw thanks so much for your reply its an honour
I was just on the VERGE of clicking "add to cart" on amazon for this camera. I was planning on using it as a helmet camera for my road bicycle. Everything about this camera seems ideal.... the price, decent video quality, good sound, mounts etc, good battery life. HOWEVER....that skip in the video at 11:05.... just notice the yellow sign in the middle of the road.... when the video skips look how close the yellow sign now is to the car.... ALOT can happen in that time like say... an accident, and id be very very disappointed if that happened to me and i had no video evidence of who was wrong. That was a deal breaker for me. Great review techmoan.
Another great review, using video taken only 4 days before publishing - Some quality turn around. I like the display telling you it's charging or charged - a lot less confusing than the myriad of devices I have that use multi-coloured stable/flashing LEDs to show charging status and not being able to remember what they indicate without digging out the manuals each time.
I'm quite impressed with the sound quality... it's often the last thing people think of, but it's part of the experience. Wind noise is a bit of an issue, though, at high speed...
Excellent review, so frustrating, this cam has everything I want apart from a Mic input. I don't really want to record separate audio, if drift put a mic-in on that camera I would snap it up.
Just a comment - the FPS is defined by the video format: If you have it set to PAL you're limited to 1080 @ 25fps, if you set the format to NTSC you can get 1080 @ 30fps. I have one of these, and as noted - it's a good camera.
Great review! Very helpful, I'm a motorcycle rider planning to use to record any trouble. For the price you can't beat it. Small discreet perfect for helmet
Techmoan Hello Techmoan,I'm sunny from geekbuying online store,are you interested in newest ip camera review for our site.It's very popular,I think you will like it very much.
I realize this is over a year old - but I'd love to see some follow ups on how some of these cheaper action cams have or have not held up over time. I'm seeing mixed reviews elsewhere, but would be nice to hear your informed thoughts on the matter.
That's an impressive camera. Weather resistant, standard tripod mount, compact size and light weight. That could be ideal for videoing my hikes, bushcraft skills and geocaching trips that I want to video and upload to RUclips. It is certainly better suited to my needs than any other camera I've seen over the past twelve months. I hope the manufacturer heeds your advice and incorporates your suggested changes into the design. Cheers, b. :)
Hmm, thanks for the run down on these two cameras. If the Stealth had a mic port I'd be ordering one right now. I'm wondering if putting a spot of foam tape over the mic would give some decent audio while riding?
Techmoan you show the best cam reviews on RUclips my friend. i always trust your judgement on action cams when my friends ask me i tell them to check with Techmoan for a reliable review. i just wanna thank you for all you do for us.
I bought a Stealth 2 as a replacement for my lost Ghost S. Really pleased with it after a month... I just wish Drift would make that rotatable lens/sensor, circular or at least square. Being rectangular, it's only symmetrical on one axis, so if it's turned anywhere other than that 180 degrees, you have casing protruding from the rest of the body - I'm always worried it might get caught on something.
I picked one up from actioncameras uk for £135 delivered. It's my first action camera. Seems good to me. I fitted it to my cycling helmet using the goggle mount provided in the box. Just used cable ties.
Chris Pearson It's £150 on the website. Found a code on another review though for %10 off. use IAMSPICY at the check out for £135. Hope this is ok to put up here mr techmoan..
Is the thread on the back of the camera that the door screws into, also a standard 1/4-20 thread? I can't think of why you would want to screw a tripod into the arse end of a camera, but if you can, hey, more flexibility.
Thank you so much for this revue, perhaps I'm thick but I could not pick the bones out of the differences between this model and the higher speck job, I would have made an expensive mistake as I really want the camera for use with an external mike and you say quite clearly that it has no socket for one, shame Drift couldn't have made this easier to understand.
For me the Sony HDR AS range are still the best all round cams, especially with their steady shot and low light, the let down being the mounting system
Which is the best stealth(not noticeable),hands free,weather & water proof camcorder which can take both pictures and videos with 1080p digital live streaming and infra red night and a good battery life beyond two or three hours and a good storage capacity at least 32GB that can be used as a dash or sports/action camera. Looking forward to your response.
***** Yes that's pretty much the only use I have for WiFi apps too - however on this one I just set the camera angle up without the WiFi and it worked out fine, so it's not always essential for this.
Hrmmm. There's a telltale problem here... the claim of doing 5mp or 12mp stills. There is no way on Earth that camera has a 12mp sensor in it, and I'm highly skeptical it even has a 5. In fact, "3" is probably rounding up. The images are just too soft. All of the higher rez modes including 720p have entirely too obvious over-smoothing and over-sharpening artefacts, on my 1280x800 screen (!), that just yell "UPSAMPLED!", and the stills aren't any better quality at all. It is at best a 2048x1536 sensor (3.07mp), but I more suspect something like 1920x1440 (2.76mp), 1728x1296 (2.24mp) or possibly lower. And it could be some less usual aspect like 3:2 or 8:5, given that 1280x960 loses a little off the sides in order to give a true 4:3 (...then again, 1280x720 is just as narrow, and presumably a little shorter top to bottom?). Maybe even 1440x960 (which is only 1.38mp), a raw 1280x1024 or 1280x960 (1.3 and 1.0mp), or as low as 1024x768 (0.8mp)... And if they're going along with that kind of bullshit overstating of the spec, then it doesn't give me any faith in the engineering quality or probable longevity of the rest of it. Because it tells you that they were far more interested in grabbing sales from people who just look for the biggest numbers and don't actually realise that something with lower specs that's genuine about them might actually be better made, and perform better in other areas. This extends to having a wifi app that can't show live video whilst recording for some reason (thus being pretty useless for anything much more than trueing it up on your helmet or lining up a tripod shot, if you don't have a mini HDMI cable to hook it up to a TV instead; any hope you may have had of using it as an actual viewfinder substitute is out of the window), nor seemingly record/take photos directly onto your phone/tablet, and those additional photo modes that, other than maybe timelapse for catching regular scenery snaps of a long journey (alongside another camera dedicated to video), no-one is actually going to use. They actively sell it as more of a motorcycle and cyclist helmet cam, after all, rather than the generic action-and-ruggedised everything-cam it desperately seems to want to be. And of course, the 1-second gap between video sections, which is absolutely the dealbreaker for me. I've never seen any other continual-loop type camera, or even cheap £10 "spycam" type things (that I've tried mounting to my helmet before with limited success), that can't make seamless multi-part files. Sods law dictates that it's that one second that some twat would come flying out of nowhere and crash into you, with the crucial footage being lost in between you riding along quite happily at the end of one file, and skittering along the floor in the next, without any clear evidence as to how it happened. Or if you're off snowboarding somewhere, it'd jump in the middle of you pulling off the sickest trick you've ever managed. Absolutely hopeless and shows that for the actual raw technical stuff _they just didn't care_ , instead being far more bothered about adding bells and whistles. Including that light up remote control, which is nice, but that's something that should have been worked on _after_ the recording side of things was perfected, *not* instead of doing that. It's a shame, this was otherwise a front runner for me in the helmetcam stakes (which I'm looking up whilst my bike is off the road with its engine in bits - so I'm not riding around with no coverage at all just because this camera is imperfect), with a good size, good mounting and levelling system, and an OK price... but the gloppy image quality even at 1280x720, the rather poor low light sensitivity (grain comes from an underperforming sensor whose shortcomings are disguised in software, by simply digitally boosting the exposure), and those gaps completely kill it for me. The one positive maybe is that it manages to give pretty good compression without much blocking, but that's probably only because the picture is so soft...
Just bought one of these: doesn't charge when you plug it in? remote doesn't work? Should it be synced? Managed to get it to charge, now won't stop? been on now for over 6 hours? Why do these things make me feel stupid? Help-???
Enjoyed this review (and many others)! A little tip: There's these small fluffy windscreens that you can stick on top of the microphone opening. Have you ever thried one (you might and I've forgotten)?
Yeah, but if you can't record it on your phone itself, or see the viewfinder whilst the camera is recording, that sort of hampers the range of things you can do with it.
Another great review! Am I right in presuming this camera costs around £150 to £200? Just wanting to make sure I am looking at the correct one as I am seriously considering buying this little beauty! I suppose my only question is how do you consider this camera rates in comparison to the new go-pro hero, is it worth an extra £50/100 of my hard earned cash? I much prefer the shape/size of this camera and from what I can see they both have similar draw backs (built in battery etc). The stealth does appear to have more features than the pro, but for mainly use as a motorcycle camera, will I really need them all? Again, a great review, please keep them coming! Techmoan
Hi, I noticed you used it as a dash cam but warned about the battery, Why would I use a £250.00 camera to do a job of £47.00 - £79.00 depending on the quality and things required both last as long as it's in the lighter, night time, sound, so just wondered why are these so expensive. great videos, much appreciated
I have the 4k wish they kept the drift side screen instead of the the one in back or added color screen that sucks up power with both running. Only issue I have with 4k is the internal battery is horrible and eventually won't hold charge . I like the drift locking back instead of 4k flaps. The 2 microphones on shell are noisy from wind.
I like the way you made this video. First a face showing, than the camera review and close with face again. Than the transistions of the clips, i like those too. More pleasing to look this review. Could you keep it like this?
What is your opinion on which action camera is the NEXT best in line after the "Drift Stealth 2"? The prices for a USED one are about $250.00 dollars US (not sure what that is in pounds) and that's for a "Stealth 2" (Drift's 'cheapest' camera!) Help me please!
What a top review thank you, ive just purchased one, brought the newer 4k camera before but sent it back as didnt like it, screen way to small and the menu system was very small, also didnt like the fact that i had if i wanted to have to chose between a bigger battery or a proper screen, would be nice if you could use the screen option with the larger battery !
Excellent review as always. Love new format and rating system! When you were heading towards the Macron DW JJB whatever its now call stadium I thought, ayup, he's off to Scan to pick up some techie bits!
hi techmoan. I think I have found a design fault with the drift stealth 2. I've been cycling in Majorca. the back door panel seems to have got so hot it's melted around the metal central bolt and broke in 2. the circular bit used to unscrew the back. do you think I should get a new back door replacement for free off stealth?
Hi Techmoan...I'm looking for a camera to mount on my bike itself for trackdays.....a lot of circuits don't allow helmet mounted cams. Which one would you say is best to cope with the vibration? Cheers
I can't wait for the new Garmin Virb XE and X. Expensive but looks cool. I really like my basic Garmin Virb. Video quality is not great but it has a huge battery.
Techmoan, I am torn between the two cameras (Contour Roam3 and this one). The ease of use with the Contour with thick winter gloves seems more user friendly with starting recording. Is the weather resistant on the Stealth good for pouring rain? Is the picture quality of the Stealth that much better then the Contour? I understand the other points made regarding other features. Thanks
Hi ive just used the camera once mounted on top of motorcycle helmet but found when i played the footage back plugging the camera into the tv the wind noise kinda spoiled watching the footage, is there anything can be done to help with this????
Can this operate with an external battery hookup ... I'm looking for something that will operate off the shoulder of my motorcycle jacket for extended periods of time..I know the 32Gig would be good for about 8 hrs... nice to have a battery that would do the same.... . ie long distance riding...
Very helpful video and educational have you ever done any cycling cameras what would fit on top of a cycling helmet if any one makes them would be helpful now a days
As always a good review..I'm thinking of getting this to replace my SJ1000. Did you know TomTom have brought out their own action camera called the Bandit. May be worth a review?
Hello. Hope you are well. A through, have you considered a review on DAT records? Also the brilliant Multi track PCM 8mm VCR's from Sony and cloned by other companies. Regards Sam
+lee mcnair Tough choice, but I'd recommend you rather Stealth. I personally use it on a bike and it's perfect when high speed is involved due to its shape. I haven't used contour, but I'm satisfied with drift.
Have you also used Ghost? Which of them would you recommend to record footage during sightseeing? I like Drift's shape and cannot decide which one to buy.
+Filip Kindred In the video I mentioned that I'd reviewed the Ghost S and didn't like it - see the review here: ruclips.net/video/7_-MBcIPGzA/видео.html
+Techmoan Sorry, I must have missed this information in the video, but thanks for your response. I also inclined towards Stealth, because it's smaller and lighter. So I'll buy it. Anyway, thanks for help.
Do you happen to know how long this camera can stay up after charging ? For example i got SJ3000 and it is great cam, but when i charge it and leave it for a weekend just turned off and even thjat i won`t use it, it will be dead on Monday anyway. I was thinking about buyng this ghost camera or GoPro Hero but i don`t know if it is worth it.
I think your new rating system at the end is an excellent idea! But may I ask what rating you would give the Contour Roam 3 for 'visual & audio quality', compared to the Drift? I'm torn between the two!
wildhorses2 the Roam 3 would get Amber for Visual & Audio, and green for the other two, although the non rotatable mount is looking a bit old hat nowadays.
Techmoan Yes I'm starting to lean towards the Drift for the rotational mount as well as the size/weight advantage. Thank you for taking the time to answer!
Drakesy99 I don't feel there's much point - a waterproof case isn't very interesting, it just serves a function, and unfortunately I don't take part in any water based activities.
mike240se Actually you might be right - I was thinking that the Sony action cams were better - but now when I look at the video from the AS100V again - it doesn't look too impressive ruclips.net/video/4P340RTWo2M/видео.htmlm26s
Techmoan Yeah I have seen pretty much all your videos and this one really stood out in the print works. I hated the old drift, way too big, but this one is just right size wise. It might eventually replace my AS100V. Too bad it cant handle 64gb cards though. Also replacable battery would have been awesome (one reason I went with the AS100V). I also have a ROAM2 but my rides are usually 8-12 hours so a changable battery is pretty important.
Hi Matt. As always a cracking review. In all this time I've followed you, I've never actually downloaded a sample file... a MAJOR mistake by my part... I should've listened to you earlier... It makes a world of difference viewing your files compared to any video on RUclips. I love this Drift and only miss it not having camera stabilization like Sony. As it's more or less in the same price range, is there any chance of you looking at the Sony AZ1VR in the future? Many thanks once again. ;)
Moto Spotting yes there's a lot more to it than just blocking...RUclips colours look muted too. I ordered a refurb AZ1VR when they first came out but the order was cancelled by Sony due to lack of stock. Since then after reading up on the camera I'm not too interested in it any more. It's smaller, but also missing a few features, like mic in and decent battery life. I'll give it a miss.
Yes, it is. But in my case this feature went away after some weeks of usage - for whatever reason there may be. Now I take the SD card out and use an adapter to access the files.
Two things..... 1) First!
2) After using this camera for a few weeks I can now say that it has supplanted the Contour Roam as my favourite helmet mount action camera. The mounting system is more flexible (it allows tilt), the camera is smaller, lighter and performs much better in low light. In my opinion it would be an excellent commuter camera for cyclists - the three hour battery life, weatherproof case and recycled video feature make it ideal for this purpose.
Techmoan Thank you for the first thing you mention above! Oh, and the second one as well.
Techmoan would you say this camera is better than the TCL SVC200?
BTW great reviews been following your reviews when I was looking for a dash cam now with an action cam with alternatives to go pros and countours.
I wish I'd watched this review yesterday - I've just this moment oredered a Contour 3 after watching your review yesterday... I may have to switch to the Drift 2 when I pop in to PC World to collect it on Monday! Thanks for the reviews though - I've made a few good purchases based on previous reviews
I wish I'd seen this before I bought a camera but then again I bought the Stealth 2 anyway. Did have an unsolvable issue with the WiFi but Drift to their credit approved a replacement. One question, I'm not clear if during the battery life test the remote was in use or not and whether it makes much difference to the battery life being a duplex system? OK maybe that could be considered as two questions.
Hi Niall, super late reply lol but to answer your question the battery life on the camera consumed through using the remote control is negligible. The reason being the camera is not constantly updating the remote control, only sending confirmation signals back to the remote, once status changes take place.
Another great review as usual. I really appreciate the fact that you shoot in the same places each time. It makes it easier to compare cameras.
2:56 "yeah, talking like that is why nobody speaks to you at parties"
Lol, i love his comments, lmao
someone has to edit that to add the "turn down for what"
I particularly liked the house brick throwing distance measurement standard :)
Sardi Pax It's not very scientific, but it's the easiest way I can easily explain the limitation of wifi signals - even though the signal from a router in a living room has trouble reaching the bedroom - some people expect the signal from a tiny battery powered camera to successfully travel hundreds of feet.
Thing is, it *should* manage something in-between those two. The signal power limit from even the beefiest mains powered wifi repeater is capped at no more than 1 watt (...possibly even 100mW, I forget which), which is why they've had to get fancy with multiple aerials for beamforming and the like with the AC standard. Obviously a pocket camera can't do that, and matching the power of a mains-powered router would kill the battery rather quick, but it should be able to produce a healthy fraction of the same antenna power. Which with the inverse cube law and all that will mean less of a range compromise than you'd expect.
Thus the aerial in this thing is probably extremely weedy and under spec, and provided simply as an alternative to carrying a USB cable, especially if your mobile device can't do USB hosting, without any attempt even made at providing range beyond a few metres. One wonders therefore why they didn't just use Bluetooth, especially if the data rate isn't that good anyway... (wireless-G and particularly -N and -AC rivalling the speed of at least the older wired network standards, and nearing that of USB2 in the latter case).
I expect it's not able to connect to a regular router as a device in its own right so you can access the filesystem remotely either...?
hi techmoan
i want to say a big thanks about your videos.
i watch all about dash cam and your work save me.
i am truck driver and i buy a mio 568 touch after your advice. in all videos
and today after 3monts of use i was saved of fraud in the road.
thank you
"talk like that is why nobody speaks to you at parties" lols
I have watched all of your videos and have been a sub for a while now, I enjoy how you go through everything on a particular product with good information and a little humor thrown in the the mix. Great Review. thumps up.
PacMany7 Many thanks.
I like the new format of your review, with the quick preview summary at the beginning and I am interested to see how your rating system stacks up over time. Thanks for putting so much work into these reviews. Over the last couple years they have been very helpful to me in evaluating my Dash Cam options.
I am liking this new "opening overview" style you kicked this video off with. It gives me a good idea of what exactly you're gonna cover in the video.
Keep this up :)
***** It's not appropriate for all videos, but you'll see this format used on my longer reviews - like the Koonlung K1s
I'd like to applaud your reviewing style. Quite simply, you get on with it! A lot of people's RUclips reviews would have gone on for twice as long as this and not have been as informative. This is one of the rare occasions I haven't skipped bits just to get to what I want/need to know.
I have ordered one of these, will be fitting it to my bike, rather than helmet though, and sorting out the wind noise problem with either a sweat band or a piece of fake fur over the microphone hole
Ordered one online yesterday, I'm glad you liked it, I have been deliberating on different cameras for weeks!
I hope everyone downloads a sample clip from your site as there is a huge difference in quality.. I downloaded the bike in the country one and was impressed..I really think if I had this one my hero 3 black wouldn't get much use.. Better for mounting and far better video then I was expecting..Great review as always..
You do a fabulous job, Mr. Techmoan. I just ordered one of these for use on my Goldwing. I did this knowing that I'll probably have to tape over the microphone hole and add audio later, if wanted. Thanks for what you do.
Great device! During summer I was using it almost every day when I was riding my bike. Apart from its shape (which is not only cool, but also practical :)) I like that its batteries live so long. Exactly as long as I needed. :)
Thank for that review and I enjoy it, but I am still look at your RUclips for your review of the Mini 0806.
superlight47 I finally got a working one and wired it up a week ago. If things work out there should be a review in a few weeks.
OK, this is wonderful. I be looking forward to that review.
After using your channel extensively to choose an action cam for my motorbike helmet i have finally decided to go with the stealth 2 with the contour roam 3 coming in a close second and the sj4000 getting an honorable mention. Just wanted to thank you for your extremely informative videos as they've helped me massively, will definitely be buying through your link so you get some commission. Keep up the good work mate.
+William Gibbons Thanks very much old chap - you've chosen the model I now use on my motorbike helmet.
Not fully tested it yet . had a small issue with charging earlier. it didnt seem to want to charge and just got very hot . was your camera 50 percent charged out of the box??? . wondered if it may have previously been sent back or something ? managed to get it fully charged in the end . do you reckon updating the firmware would make any impact . ive also reset it and seems ok now.oh and btw thanks so much for your reply its an honour
I was just on the VERGE of clicking "add to cart" on amazon for this camera. I was planning on using it as a helmet camera for my road bicycle. Everything about this camera seems ideal.... the price, decent video quality, good sound, mounts etc, good battery life. HOWEVER....that skip in the video at 11:05.... just notice the yellow sign in the middle of the road.... when the video skips look how close the yellow sign now is to the car.... ALOT can happen in that time like say... an accident, and id be very very disappointed if that happened to me and i had no video evidence of who was wrong. That was a deal breaker for me.
Great review techmoan.
you dont have to use DVR mode. Juat start and stop recording when you like. No skips.
A smooth and very detailed review and quite articulate with no mmmm's and AAAAA'S or time wasted. Thanks!
Your reviews are just joyful to watch, great job.
I just came across your channel. I'm loving the retro tech features, and the modern tech reviews. Back to binging :)
Another great review, using video taken only 4 days before publishing - Some quality turn around.
I like the display telling you it's charging or charged - a lot less confusing than the myriad of devices I have that use multi-coloured stable/flashing LEDs to show charging status and not being able to remember what they indicate without digging out the manuals each time.
Best video I've seen for a review : all clear, good voice, explanations are really usefull : you have a "thank you" sent from a French guy.
I'm quite impressed with the sound quality... it's often the last thing people think of, but it's part of the experience. Wind noise is a bit of an issue, though, at high speed...
Excellent review, so frustrating, this cam has everything I want apart from a Mic input.
I don't really want to record separate audio, if drift put a mic-in on that camera I would snap it up.
Just a comment - the FPS is defined by the video format: If you have it set to PAL you're limited to 1080 @ 25fps, if you set the format to NTSC you can get 1080 @ 30fps.
I have one of these, and as noted - it's a good camera.
Great review! Very helpful, I'm a motorcycle rider planning to use to record any trouble. For the price you can't beat it. Small discreet perfect for helmet
Two questions:
1) Can you turn the time stamp off?
2) Does it have image stabilization?
Brian Taylor You forgot to ask if it has a mic-in socket.
Techmoan does it?...
muhahahaha
Brian Taylor Oh and this classic from over a year ago;
Can it be used as a webcam?
Manny Calavera I'd forgotten about that one.
Techmoan Hello Techmoan,I'm sunny from geekbuying online store,are you interested in newest ip camera review for our site.It's very popular,I think you will like it very much.
I realize this is over a year old - but I'd love to see some follow ups on how some of these cheaper action cams have or have not held up over time. I'm seeing mixed reviews elsewhere, but would be nice to hear your informed thoughts on the matter.
That's an impressive camera. Weather resistant, standard tripod mount, compact size and light weight. That could be ideal for videoing my hikes, bushcraft skills and geocaching trips that I want to video and upload to RUclips. It is certainly better suited to my needs than any other camera I've seen over the past twelve months. I hope the manufacturer heeds your advice and incorporates your suggested changes into the design. Cheers, b. :)
Hmm, thanks for the run down on these two cameras. If the Stealth had a mic port I'd be ordering one right now. I'm wondering if putting a spot of foam tape over the mic would give some decent audio while riding?
Techmoan you show the best cam reviews on RUclips my friend. i always trust your judgement on action cams when my friends ask me i tell them to check with Techmoan for a reliable review. i just wanna thank you for all you do for us.
sw1ft2U well thanks, but without the subscribers like yourself I would just be another old chap talking to himself.
I bought a Stealth 2 as a replacement for my lost Ghost S. Really pleased with it after a month... I just wish Drift would make that rotatable lens/sensor, circular or at least square. Being rectangular, it's only symmetrical on one axis, so if it's turned anywhere other than that 180 degrees, you have casing protruding from the rest of the body - I'm always worried it might get caught on something.
11:00 - rolling shutter makes the windshield wipers look really floppy :D
I have mines in my hands now,, watching your preview video.
I picked one up from actioncameras uk for £135 delivered. It's my first action camera. Seems good to me. I fitted it to my cycling helmet using the goggle mount provided in the box. Just used cable ties.
Chris Pearson It's £150 on the website. Found a code on another review though for %10 off. use IAMSPICY at the check out for £135. Hope this is ok to put up here mr techmoan..
Is the thread on the back of the camera that the door screws into, also a standard 1/4-20 thread? I can't think of why you would want to screw a tripod into the arse end of a camera, but if you can, hey, more flexibility.
Thank you so much for this revue, perhaps I'm thick but I could not pick the bones out of the differences between this model and the higher speck job, I would have made an expensive mistake as I really want the camera for use with an external mike and you say quite clearly that it has no socket for one, shame Drift couldn't have made this easier to understand.
For me the Sony HDR AS range are still the best all round cams, especially with their steady shot and low light, the let down being the mounting system
Which is the best stealth(not noticeable),hands free,weather & water proof camcorder which can take both pictures and videos with 1080p digital live streaming and infra red night and a good battery life beyond two or three hours and a good storage capacity at least 32GB that can be used as a dash or sports/action camera. Looking forward to your response.
Good video - have just bought one of these to replace my Go Pro - at least I now know how to use it properly
there was a guy riding his quad on the street @ 10:17... I wish I could do that. Love your reviews...keep them coming.
I wish that one day you would strap every camera you own to your bike and share a picture of what it looks like.
The only thing I find the WiFi app good for is tweaking the camera tilt and level while sitting on my motorcycle.
***** Yes that's pretty much the only use I have for WiFi apps too - however on this one I just set the camera angle up without the WiFi and it worked out fine, so it's not always essential for this.
I always enjoy your videos, they are entertaining and well presented. thank you
Hrmmm. There's a telltale problem here... the claim of doing 5mp or 12mp stills. There is no way on Earth that camera has a 12mp sensor in it, and I'm highly skeptical it even has a 5. In fact, "3" is probably rounding up. The images are just too soft. All of the higher rez modes including 720p have entirely too obvious over-smoothing and over-sharpening artefacts, on my 1280x800 screen (!), that just yell "UPSAMPLED!", and the stills aren't any better quality at all. It is at best a 2048x1536 sensor (3.07mp), but I more suspect something like 1920x1440 (2.76mp), 1728x1296 (2.24mp) or possibly lower. And it could be some less usual aspect like 3:2 or 8:5, given that 1280x960 loses a little off the sides in order to give a true 4:3 (...then again, 1280x720 is just as narrow, and presumably a little shorter top to bottom?). Maybe even 1440x960 (which is only 1.38mp), a raw 1280x1024 or 1280x960 (1.3 and 1.0mp), or as low as 1024x768 (0.8mp)...
And if they're going along with that kind of bullshit overstating of the spec, then it doesn't give me any faith in the engineering quality or probable longevity of the rest of it. Because it tells you that they were far more interested in grabbing sales from people who just look for the biggest numbers and don't actually realise that something with lower specs that's genuine about them might actually be better made, and perform better in other areas.
This extends to having a wifi app that can't show live video whilst recording for some reason (thus being pretty useless for anything much more than trueing it up on your helmet or lining up a tripod shot, if you don't have a mini HDMI cable to hook it up to a TV instead; any hope you may have had of using it as an actual viewfinder substitute is out of the window), nor seemingly record/take photos directly onto your phone/tablet, and those additional photo modes that, other than maybe timelapse for catching regular scenery snaps of a long journey (alongside another camera dedicated to video), no-one is actually going to use. They actively sell it as more of a motorcycle and cyclist helmet cam, after all, rather than the generic action-and-ruggedised everything-cam it desperately seems to want to be.
And of course, the 1-second gap between video sections, which is absolutely the dealbreaker for me. I've never seen any other continual-loop type camera, or even cheap £10 "spycam" type things (that I've tried mounting to my helmet before with limited success), that can't make seamless multi-part files. Sods law dictates that it's that one second that some twat would come flying out of nowhere and crash into you, with the crucial footage being lost in between you riding along quite happily at the end of one file, and skittering along the floor in the next, without any clear evidence as to how it happened. Or if you're off snowboarding somewhere, it'd jump in the middle of you pulling off the sickest trick you've ever managed. Absolutely hopeless and shows that for the actual raw technical stuff _they just didn't care_ , instead being far more bothered about adding bells and whistles. Including that light up remote control, which is nice, but that's something that should have been worked on _after_ the recording side of things was perfected, *not* instead of doing that.
It's a shame, this was otherwise a front runner for me in the helmetcam stakes (which I'm looking up whilst my bike is off the road with its engine in bits - so I'm not riding around with no coverage at all just because this camera is imperfect), with a good size, good mounting and levelling system, and an OK price... but the gloppy image quality even at 1280x720, the rather poor low light sensitivity (grain comes from an underperforming sensor whose shortcomings are disguised in software, by simply digitally boosting the exposure), and those gaps completely kill it for me.
The one positive maybe is that it manages to give pretty good compression without much blocking, but that's probably only because the picture is so soft...
Thank you for this review...very nice. Good works. From PARIS (France)
Superb dissertation! I subscribed before you finished. I now know which of the two I'll be purchasing! Thank you so much.
Just bought one of these: doesn't charge when you plug it in? remote doesn't work? Should it be synced? Managed to get it to charge, now won't stop? been on now for over 6 hours? Why do these things make me feel stupid? Help-???
Do all the extra camera mounts on your helmet give you any better crash protection? :)
May need to get a bigger helmet.
Damn that hit close to home. Nobody talks to me at parties.
Enjoyed this review (and many others)!
A little tip: There's these small fluffy windscreens that you can stick on top of the microphone opening. Have you ever thried one (you might and I've forgotten)?
pepper669 I did ruclips.net/video/0TktXjgzReY/видео.html
Thank you for another great review, Shame no Mic in though as that stops me from buying it.
I was thinking the same thing MrCods..
Me too. Looking for something that can stop that wind noise (got the ROAM2 atm).
They should forget all the WiFi nonsense and price it better.
+9freelandk Video can be streamed to your phone in real time, which makes a for a great view find feature. It's also good for spying on people...
Yeah, but if you can't record it on your phone itself, or see the viewfinder whilst the camera is recording, that sort of hampers the range of things you can do with it.
Another great review! Am I right in presuming this camera costs around £150 to £200? Just wanting to make sure I am looking at the correct one as I am seriously considering buying this little beauty! I suppose my only question is how do you consider this camera rates in comparison to the new go-pro hero, is it worth an extra £50/100 of my hard earned cash? I much prefer the shape/size of this camera and from what I can see they both have similar draw backs (built in battery etc). The stealth does appear to have more features than the pro, but for mainly use as a motorcycle camera, will I really need them all? Again, a great review, please keep them coming! Techmoan
Great review. I was looking for a replacement for my old Drift HD170, think this is the one. Thanks .
Hi, I noticed you used it as a dash cam but warned about the battery, Why would I use a £250.00 camera to do a job of £47.00 - £79.00 depending on the quality and things required both last as long as it's in the lighter, night time, sound, so just wondered why are these so expensive.
great videos, much appreciated
Great review. Does the car made work like cycle record?
I have the 4k wish they kept the drift side screen instead of the the one in back or added color screen that sucks up power with both running. Only issue I have with 4k is the internal battery is horrible and eventually won't hold charge . I like the drift locking back instead of 4k flaps. The 2 microphones on shell are noisy from wind.
I like the way you made this video. First a face showing, than the camera review and close with face again. Than the transistions of the clips, i like those too. More pleasing to look this review. Could you keep it like this?
What is your opinion on which action camera is the NEXT best in line after the "Drift Stealth 2"? The prices for a USED one are about $250.00 dollars US (not sure what that is in pounds) and that's for a "Stealth 2" (Drift's 'cheapest' camera!) Help me please!
What a top review thank you, ive just purchased one, brought the newer 4k camera before but sent it back as didnt like it, screen way to small and the menu system was very small, also didnt like the fact that i had if i wanted to have to chose between a bigger battery or a proper screen, would be nice if you could use the screen option with the larger battery !
nice review but can i ask if this drift stealt can survive in rain or storm without the case?
Thanks Matt for another informative review. I like to comparison of Wi Fi distance to trowing a house brick:-)
Cheers Kym (Sydney - Australia)
Excellent review as always. Love new format and rating system! When you were heading towards the Macron DW JJB whatever its now call stadium I thought, ayup, he's off to Scan to pick up some techie bits!
***** On that trip I was on the way to a hospital - but you are right, whenever I need more HDDs, I pop over to Scan.
hi techmoan. I think I have found a design fault with the drift stealth 2. I've been cycling in Majorca. the back door panel seems to have got so hot it's melted around the metal central bolt and broke in 2. the circular bit used to unscrew the back. do you think I should get a new back door replacement for free off stealth?
Hi Techmoan...I'm looking for a camera to mount on my bike itself for trackdays.....a lot of circuits don't allow helmet mounted cams. Which one would you say is best to cope with the vibration?
Cheers
Thanks , from Sydney , much appreciated.
I can't wait for the new Garmin Virb XE and X. Expensive but looks cool. I really like my basic Garmin Virb. Video quality is not great but it has a huge battery.
like the rating system
Thanks for the review. Just ordered one. Any plans to review the Sena 10c?
Techmoan, I am torn between the two cameras (Contour Roam3 and this one). The ease of use with the Contour with thick winter gloves seems more user friendly with starting recording. Is the weather resistant on the Stealth good for pouring rain? Is the picture quality of the Stealth that much better then the Contour? I understand the other points made regarding other features. Thanks
+Woody Francescone it is a lot better in low light...download some of my sample clips to compare the video quality.
Wow that mic is doing really well.
2:47 you are my internet hero from now on. you totally burned them whoever it was who said that x) Keep up the good work! :D
Hi ive just used the camera once mounted on top of motorcycle helmet but found when i played the footage back plugging the camera into the tv the wind noise kinda spoiled watching the footage, is there anything can be done to help with this????
Can this operate with an external battery hookup ... I'm looking for something that will operate off the shoulder of my motorcycle jacket for extended periods of time..I know the 32Gig would be good for about 8 hrs... nice to have a battery that would do the same.... . ie long distance riding...
Techmoan, my videos turn out to be very bright when in the sun , will it help to lower the exposure to say -1?
What do you do with your old cameras Mr Techmoan ?
I am replacing my Contour 1080p with this camera. The down side on both seems to be extreme wind noise through the microphone.
Big fan of Techmoan. This guy should be on TV.
Very helpful video and educational have you ever done any cycling cameras what would fit on top of a cycling helmet if any one makes them would be helpful now a days
There’s this one. ruclips.net/video/9ilLlFUSTb4/видео.html
As always a good review..I'm thinking of getting this to replace my SJ1000. Did you know TomTom have brought out their own action camera called the Bandit. May be worth a review?
Price crash to £99.99 in the UK now.
Hello. Hope you are well. A through, have you considered a review on DAT records? Also the brilliant Multi track PCM 8mm VCR's from Sony and cloned by other companies. Regards Sam
Good review. Looking for a camera to use on my motorbike and also in race car what do you think is the right choice Drift Stealth 2 or Contour Roam 3.
+lee mcnair Tough choice, but I'd recommend you rather Stealth. I personally use it on a bike and it's perfect when high speed is involved due to its shape. I haven't used contour, but I'm satisfied with drift.
Have you also used Ghost? Which of them would you recommend to record footage during sightseeing? I like Drift's shape and cannot decide which one to buy.
+Filip Kindred In the video I mentioned that I'd reviewed the Ghost S and didn't like it - see the review here: ruclips.net/video/7_-MBcIPGzA/видео.html
+Techmoan Sorry, I must have missed this information in the video, but thanks for your response. I also inclined towards Stealth, because it's smaller and lighter. So I'll buy it. Anyway, thanks for help.
Do you happen to know how long this camera can stay up after charging ? For example i got SJ3000 and it is great cam, but when i charge it and leave it for a weekend just turned off and even thjat i won`t use it, it will be dead on Monday anyway. I was thinking about buyng this ghost camera or GoPro Hero but i don`t know if it is worth it.
Do you keep all the camera's you review? I imagine you have an entire closet full of those things then
What would be the best SD card to use with this camera?
As a warning to everyone, don't consider selecting any of the linked clips to download, they are ALL downloaded regardless of selection.
I think your new rating system at the end is an excellent idea! But may I ask what rating you would give the Contour Roam 3 for 'visual & audio quality', compared to the Drift? I'm torn between the two!
wildhorses2 the Roam 3 would get Amber for Visual & Audio, and green for the other two, although the non rotatable mount is looking a bit old hat nowadays.
Techmoan Yes I'm starting to lean towards the Drift for the rotational mount as well as the size/weight advantage. Thank you for taking the time to answer!
just watched this and it is very good even the night ones! Bit of a wonder do you live in skem?
Great review. Thanks
what is best in class helmet action cam that you have reviewed?
Good review as always =)
Talking of reviews are you going to do an update to the xiaomi yi action cam with the new case they have brought out?
Drakesy99 I don't feel there's much point - a waterproof case isn't very interesting, it just serves a function, and unfortunately I don't take part in any water based activities.
On US amazon it is on sale for about $70
Wow that camera is one of the best yet in the printworks! Which is better?
mike240se Actually you might be right - I was thinking that the Sony action cams were better - but now when I look at the video from the AS100V again - it doesn't look too impressive ruclips.net/video/4P340RTWo2M/видео.htmlm26s
Techmoan Yeah I have seen pretty much all your videos and this one really stood out in the print works. I hated the old drift, way too big, but this one is just right size wise. It might eventually replace my AS100V. Too bad it cant handle 64gb cards though. Also replacable battery would have been awesome (one reason I went with the AS100V). I also have a ROAM2 but my rides are usually 8-12 hours so a changable battery is pretty important.
Hi Matt. As always a cracking review. In all this time I've followed you, I've never actually downloaded a sample file... a MAJOR mistake by my part... I should've listened to you earlier... It makes a world of difference viewing your files compared to any video on RUclips.
I love this Drift and only miss it not having camera stabilization like Sony. As it's more or less in the same price range, is there any chance of you looking at the Sony AZ1VR in the future?
Many thanks once again. ;)
Moto Spotting yes there's a lot more to it than just blocking...RUclips colours look muted too. I ordered a refurb AZ1VR when they first came out but the order was cancelled by Sony due to lack of stock. Since then after reading up on the camera I'm not too interested in it any more. It's smaller, but also missing a few features, like mic in and decent battery life. I'll give it a miss.
is this action camera the best choise under the 100? (euros,pounds,dolars)
can you plug an external mic into the micro USB ?
is it possible to download the Videos directly on you PC, trough the USB cable?
Yes, it is. But in my case this feature went away after some weeks of usage - for whatever reason there may be. Now I take the SD card out and use an adapter to access the files.