MD-80s Sports Camera
This was the most popular bit of kit at the recent Gadget show LIVE event we recently attended.
This is currently the world's smallest camcorder!
We were dubious when this first turned up on our door step until we took it out of it's packaging and started playing with it. Normally cameras of this size produce poor video quality but this one records at 640 x 480 resolution 3.5mb/s which puts it way ahead of the ATC range of action cameras.
Probably the most amazing thing about the MD80s sports camera is the build quality and physical size. It has an aluminum casing that feels really nice to hold and it's not much bigger than a peanut..hence the name peanut camera. So small, you can put it anywhere... including RC cars and helicopters, bike frames or motorbike helmets.
The MD80s is the sports camera version which is supplied with a bunch of camera mounts including a cycle helmet camera mount, a pocket clip mount and an armband amongst others.
The unit records on to MicroSD cards up to 8gb in size and this package includes a 2gb card which will hold just under two hours of video. The internal li-ion battery also works for around 2 hours.
Charging the MD80s Peanut camera is done by USB and a mains USB charger is supplied with the kit.
A protective silicon skin is supplied with the kit to protect your camera but you should still avoid getting it wet. Filming in the rain never gives great results anyway!
The MD80s can be used as a web cam when connected to your computer and the supplied clip makes it ideal for use with a laptop. Another great feature is the VOX mode which activates the camera when it hears sound about 65dB. Standby time is 6 hours so using VOX mode makes it a really cool spy device too. The built-in mic records sound with your video and the files can be played back on windows or mac computers.
If you're looking for a wireless sports camera with zero hassle then this md80s peanut camera has got to be one of the best available for sheer size, video quality and ease of use.
An 8gb card will hold around 7 hours of footage.
Please note: A two piece helmet camera will always give better image quality. If you're looking for something a bit more high-tech and happy to have a wire connecting your camera to a small DVR recorder then check out the MiniDVR2
Watch Cycling video sample
(Don't forget to press on HQ for best quality) |
