V.I.O. POV.1.5M Moto Kit

Comments about V.I.O. POV.1.5M Moto Kit:

I used the camera for hidden shots of moving objects. tried using it on body, but the cord is quiet stiff, and doesn't allow much maneuvering.
moreover, the camera's head can't stay steady and it keeps rotating the image, which means, i have to adjust every frame on the editing system.

quality is ok - during day light, but in comparison to other cameras, this is a bad camera for low-light shooting.

Comments about V.I.O. POV.1.5M Moto Kit:

Product used for recording ATV rides.

Comments about V.I.O. POV.1.5M Moto Kit:

I use the video camera in a closed cockpit race car. This the best product i've seen for this application for under a $1000. The lens angle is a bit wide for arace car application. the standard lens covers 110 degrees, 75 to 90 would be ideal. The double AA batteries last forever (6 hours so I don't plan to use the hardwire power capability.

Comments about V.I.O. POV.1.5M Moto Kit:

This is a review on the updated POV1.5 system.

I was looking for a portable videographing device for a while, tried Oregon ATC2K and Sealife DC800.

Compared to POV1.5, Oregon ATC2K is a complete joke, it's form factor is prohibitive for helmet installations and video quality is very low. So it ends in the "no man's land" - neither full video camera, nor POV device.

Sealife (video mode) has an advantage of true depth-proofing (40m) and color correction for water hues, but it's a total pain to use when driving or skiing (try heading downhill with a handheld camera!).

So, POV1.5 is a step in the right direction. This said, the product is not void of its own flemishes:

1. Badly designed access to battery and media storage.

It's understood that POV1.5 is intended to be weather-resistant, however, this does not mean it should rely on a screwdriver to replace batteries or transfer videos. An attempt to replace batteries in the chilling wind will lkely result in broken fingernails.

2. No external record/stop indication

It's great that the system includes a remote control, but it hurts to have no indication of whether the camera is rolling or standby without looking at the main unit.

Basically i found remote control to be useful only to tag segments in loop mode because clip mode with remote is unreliable.

3. Poorly designed pouch

Nice to have a pouch to organize things, but it's form factor and layout is badly broken. A main unit with camera attached does not fit in, which means you need to disassemble the setup to store (bad idea!!). In addition, the flaps at the end of the zipper line are not sewn into the pouch body, which allows small items (like batteries) to slip out.

4. No sunglass/helmet base mount in the base set

I was surprised to find no goggle mount in the base kit. Camera attached to wide-band goggles (ski type) is perhaps the most useful setup for active sports - it's flexible, compatible with many helmets and does not need ugly/unreliable glue work. However, I had to buy a separate mount kit from POV to get one.

5. No support for rechargeable batteries

I see no reason why POV system could not recharge AAA size accumulators when operated off external USB power supply. Right now I have a choice of using disposable batteries (bad and expensive) - or - carrying external carger around (too much space). Main unit should be able to replace a separate charger.

6. Integrated mic is nearly useless.

Probably the best place for mic is to co-locate it with a camera head (ie omnidirectional mic facing backwards).

This said, the company is moving in the right direction.
Next two biggest challenges for POV will be:

- optical image stabilization (too many sports produce shaky videos)
- true water-proofing to usable diving depth (33m at least)

Good luck!