Monday, April 10, 2017

ODRVM 4K Ultra HD Action Camera Review + Kit: Worth it?


Photo from ODRVM Action Camera

I recently was sent an action camera from ODRVM that boasts of filming in 4K, and I took it through its paces to see how it’d do in the NorCal backcountry. The ODRVM Action Camera and its low-cost piqued my interest to see how it would hold up.


Video review:

Overview:
The ODRVM 4K Action Camera is remarkably affordable ($55.99 - $79.99 [with attachments]) and is loaded with features uncommon to similar action cameras. I’ll go more into detail down below in the Features section, but know right away that its Settings Menu is one of the most customizable menus I’ve seen.


Accessories
The ODRVM 4K Action Camera is loaded with accessories, and the waterproof case is compatible with GoPro accessories as well. Inside the handy foam-padded case that the camera arrives in are the following accessories: a waterproof case similar to most other action camera designs with large buttons, an open non-waterproof backing to allow sound in, an extra 3.7V Li-ion 1050mAh battery, Wireless Remote with wrist strap, 2x mounts with adhesive backings, handlebar clip, screw mounts, 90 degrees mount, USB cable, selfie-stick mount, a lens wipe, multiple straps, multiple zipties, adhesive pads, and a wire tether. Overall, they didn’t skimp out on accessories with this camera! 

Features:
The ODRVM 4K Action Camera reportedly uses a 20 MP Sony sensor (although the manual says it’s only a 12 MP Sony sensor) and a Novatek Chipset. A bit of further research (since it’s not found in the manual or on the Amazon page) showed me that for the image properties, the Camera Maker is listed as Cosuo and Camera Model is CS96. Thus it looks like the ODRVM 4K Action Camera actually uses a 12 MP IMX 078 Camera sensor and Novatek NTK96660. I'm not sure if this allows for true 4K, or just interpolated imaged. 
All photos files are in .JPG and all video files are in .MP4. It connects to the wireless remote via a WiFi signal, and according to the manual, it can “be synced to a mobile device by downloading the ZSANYCAM app on the app store,” although that specific app is wasn't reliable for me.

- Video Resolution: 4K 24fps; 2K 30fps; 1080P 60fps; 720p 120 fps; 720p 60 fps

(I recommend sticking with 1080P for this camera as the higher resolutions are not very clean)
- Image Resolution: 20M, 16M, 12M, 10M, 8M, 5M, 2M , VGA selectable 
- Lens: 170°/140°/110°/70° selectable

- Gyro (built-in)
- Photo Mode: Single Shot, Burst, Self-timer (2s / 5s / 10s / Double)
- Time-lapse Record: 100ms / 200ms / 500ms / 1Sec / 5 Sec (note: it is not an actual time-lapse)
- Loop Recording Supported (it will auto-overwrite files when this option is on)
- Voice Prompt Supported (meaning that the camera will say “Video Start” when you begin taking a video – it does not mean that you can speak to it and have it start recording!)

- 5x Digital Zoom – simply press the up/down arrows on the side of the camera. 
- Motion Detection Supported (although it seemed rather buggy when I tried to use it, with no amount of movement triggering the camera) 
- Frequency: 50Hz/60Hz
- USB Interface: micro USB 2.0, micro HDMI
- Power Source Interface: 5V/1A
- Battery Capacity: 3.7V Li-ion Battery 1050 mAh (Two Batteries Included )
- Recording Time per battery: 40 minutes/ UHD 24 fps, 60 minutes/1080P 30fps , 70 minutes/720p 120fps (my average was about 45 minutes for 1080P at 60 fps)

- Storage capability: Up to 64 GB according to the manual, 128 GB according to their online specifications 
-Waterproof case: up to 30 meters

-Weight: 2.2 ounces






Sample photos:

Performance:
I took the ODRVM 4K Action Camera up to a cabin in the Klamath Mountains of Northern California and spent a week hiking through the backcountry, past thickets of tan oak and up above the snow line. I explored a creek and tested out its waterproof case in it. The battery seemed to die quickly after only a few shots and clips. I later found that the cause was because it wasn’t turning off when I pressed the Power button – this was due to the waterproof case with the waterproof backing having a bit too much rubber on the seal, thereby not sealing fully (there was a gap between the plastic case and the plastic backing) which created space for the camera to not be in contact with the Power button. I replaced the waterproof backing with the non-waterproof, sound-enabled backing and it worked much better.
While video quality was on par with most other budget Action Cameras, I particularly liked the built-in Gyro that enabled me to get fairly smooth recordings. Having a gyro is a HUGE plus and really helps offer better quality footage. The photos were decent but occasionally had some blueish-pinkish discoloration in the top portions (depending on lighting). I couldn’t seem to nail down the cause, but my guess is that it had to do with the various color options (Auto White Balance, 0 Exposure, WRD enabled). Audio quality was superb with no weird crackling sounds or anything of that sort. Overall, it worked pretty well and left me pleased. 

Summary:
The ODRVM action camera offers a affordable action camera price that can record decent HD footage with a Gyro stabilization and take fairly good photos. The 4K footage isn't as as exciting as I had hoped, but the 1080p footage is sharp and crisp. Photos are fairly good too, and I like the protective carrying case it comes with. Check it out at here on Amazon.


Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Best Solar Headlamp Review

I've been looking for a affordable, simple solar headlamp for a long time. Several years ago, I even saw several on Alibaba, but none were currently available. Fast forward to 2017 and I finally found one! It's dirt cheap (~$10), comfortable, and bright!

There are several variations of this model, but all seem to have the same modes: 3 different light settings (one is just a flashing light), a solar panel on the front of the headlamp for optimal charging, and a LED light with roughly a reported 6 hours of use. I've gotten several hours of use with non-stop light use, but haven't pushed it till it's completely empty. It also comes with a wired charger, in case you dont have a sunny day or need a quicker charge up.


Overall, I'm very excited about this solar headlight. It is exactly what I was looking and I will be using it a lot, on hiking trips (planning to hang this solar headlamp from my backpack to charge while hiking), and late-night fishing trips. You can buy this sun--powered light here: https://tinyurl.com/solarheadlamp or on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2nMlDoa

Sunday, April 2, 2017

MJX BUGS Quadcopter: Cheap FPV Drone for Budget Flyers






The MJX Bugs drone (https://tinyurl.com/mg8v6p3) is a very reasonably-priced, budget-friendly drone. It is also a brushless drone, packing powerful motors with a durable, well-designed frame. I'm not sure why they named it "Bugs", but it looks fast and no-nonsense. I really like the included action camera mount. I made it a little more snug by inserting a small piece of foam in it, helping hold my camera tighter. Range on the drone is quite good, although a little less than the XK X251. However, it carries a camera much better than my XK X251 does! Gearbest hooked me up with a review sample of the MJX Bugs, and I love it!


I have taken the Bugs drone and turned it into a great budget FPV drone. Using the simple EasyCap adapter setup, I can now fly FPV style, thanks to my Android smartphone, a pair of cheap VR goggles, a free app, an action camera with video out-recording feature (I use the GitUp1, but the SJ4000 and many others also have this capability), a cheap video transmitter/receiver combo, and the EasyCap adapter. Here's my complete list of gear for this rather bulky but very cheap and quite nice quality FPV setup:

VR headset (VR Box): http://amzn.to/2o0KMyp (You can usually most any VR headset that is comfortble and fits your phone. Needs to have enough space for your EasyCap cable to stick out of)
EasyCap Adapter: http://amzn.to/2nuuw4T
EasyCap USB cable: http://amzn.to/2o0LGLv
FPV App (my favorite): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=labsp.android.viewer
(Alternative) EasyCap FPV app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.easycap.viewer)
Video Transmitter and Video Receiver Combo: https://tinyurl.com/l9zlta3
Battery for video receiver (You can probably find cheaper elsewhere, this is just what I use): https://tinyurl.com/mb5thed
Video Out cable for GitUp: https://tinyurl.com/mcopxbh
(Alternative) Video Out cable for GoPro: https://tinyurl.com/lh4hf32
(Optional) Cloverleaf antennas: https://tinyurl.com/me3yljv
How-to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEQ_yAvfGCc
(Alternative) FPV receiver: https://tinyurl.com/lv75jcg (I haven't tried this, but it look much more compact)

Not counting the cost of a phone and action camera, this FPV setup costs just over $50. Dirt cheap for getting into a very fun hobby! Make sure your phone is OTG USB compatible before jumping into this setup. There is a tiny amount of latency, but not enough to impact my flying. As you can see from the video below, this little setup packs a punch! Sure, you probably wouldn't want to rely on it for competitive FPV racing, but it does a great job for fun hobby FPV flying. As always, make sure to have a spotter when flying FPV style, as I do.








Have any questions about this setup or the MJX Bugs drone? Let me know below, or on YouTube. Check out this bargain-priced brushless drone on Gearbest: https://tinyurl.com/mg8v6p3
Other Gearbest Drones: https://tinyurl.com/lkqldzo