Action cameras are becoming increasingly popular as the need to document every run, road trip and even tech conference sees the now-familiar devices strapped to chest mounts, head straps and monopods.
The equipment can get a bit pricey though, especially if you want extras such as an LCD screen or wifi.
There are a few lower cost alternatives though, including the EasyPix GoXtreme Wifi View.
Aesthetically, it’s similar to the GoPro but it’s a little bigger and a few grammes lighter. It also looks a little more basic. On the top, there’s a power button and an “OK” button, with wifi controls on the side. At the rear, there’s an LCD screen, which brings the “view” part of this camera. The display/menu button is set into the frame of the screen, which allows you to navigate menus.
The camera covers the basics – video and still images – with a few different options for both.
Bursts of still images can be captured up to 10 at a time, with a 5 megapixel sensor. It shoots 1080p footage at 30 frames per second, with 720p at 60 fps.
So how does it stand up against its rivals?
The good
The GoXtreme Wifi View includes an LCD display on the rear – an extra in competing cameras at a similar price – so you can see what you’re shooting as you go.
There’s no need to link up your smartphone to the device, although that option is also open to you. It’s not touch screen, which GoPro introduced with its Hero 4 camera, but at this price, you wouldn’t really expect it. The camera would be more of a rival for the entry level GoPro, which was introduced late last year.
Photographs and video footage were decent, with the ability to let the camera take over the settings and determine white balance and other critical settings, and more importantly choose them well – a must for a camera like this. The last thing you want when mid-event is to have to adjust settings.
But if you need to, it’s possible. Although the menu button is positioned in a fiddly place, you can get access to it if necessary, but you may have to remove the camera from the waterproof housing.
That housing makes the camera waterproof up to 45 metres, so you can take it swimming, surfing or even just for a rain-soaked run.
The range of mounts included in the box will cover most budding action photographers, with a surfboard mount, a bike mount and a helmet mount ready to go.
The not so good
The sound on the camera won’t blow you away, it’s a little tinny and slightly fuzzy even when out of the waterproof housing. But it’s audible, and will do more than enough to give a bit of background noise and atmosphere to your action footage.
Low light performance is passable but the camera does better in good light, both for video and still images. Plus the wide angle lens can give rise to some interesting effects on the end result.
The GoXtreme Wifi View counts a 10 megapixel still image resolution as an option, but it’s interpolated. That means it boosts the real megapixel count with software, filling in the gaps. The effective megapixel count of the sensor is 5 megapixels, which is on a par with the entry level GoPro camera.
The rest
The video quality won’t scare the higher end GoPro – it doesn’t include the higher resolution 2.7K and 4K modes that the more expensive cameras include, but the HD shooting options are more than adequate for most users.
In fact, you could argue that 4K for a video you’re only likely to view at home or on YouTube is a slight bit of overkill at the moment.
The Wifi View shoots in MOV format rather than MP4, which could raise a few issues in terms of compatibility. If you’re an Apple or Quicktime user, you’ll be familiar with the file format though.
The camera is distributed in Ireland by Essential Accessories and sold by Harvey Norman, DID and other camera stores, so you should be able to get your hands on it reasonably easily.
The verdict
HHH A budget action camera that throws in some extras not usually seen at this price.
