IronX Action Camera Review

Readers of Hunting the River King know I love action cameras. They are perfect for capturing footage on my many fishing trips, from wild rainbow trout in distant mountain streams to urban largemouth bass fishing a midst the concrete jungle. I recently received this brand-new camera to review, the IronX Action Camera by DXG. With a host of interesting features, I was intrigued and couldn't wait to take it out. How did it turn out? Read on!

(More after the jump!)

Features

IronX comes boxed nicely, with plenty of connectivity and charging cables, a few mounts, CDs for install, and even a video editing program through Arcsoft. Following are the stock specifications:

Full HD 1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps recording

170 def Wide Angle

Time Lapse, Burst, Self-Timer

5MP photos

WLAN 802.11b/g/n compatible

HDMI interface

2.4G RF Remote Control Wrist Strap

Water-Proof Case IPX8, 60meter

Swivel tip mount

3 Adhesive mounts
T-Tip Adapter

Right out of the box you get the snazzy remote control wrist strap. This RF waterproof strap allows you to take photos, record, and stop recording with just a tap of a button. Other accessories available through the IronX website include a chest mount, head strap mount, stable filming attachment, underwater lenses (wish this was included with the stock one), T-Tip adapter, plenty of bike mounts, sticker mounts, bar mounts and much, much more.

Design

When comparing IronX to other cameras on the market, in terms of design, its the little details that count. It's clear the developers have looked at ways to improve the action camera user experience with subtle tweaks and offerings, making for a solid product. One of these is the remote control wrist strap (more on this below), along with other parts.

Big points to IronX for including the protective lenses cap. I haven't seen this from other action cameras on the market. Having the cap makes me feel a lot better about the durability of this little camera, especially when I throw it in my fishing backpack a midst other gear. Just don't forget to take off the cap before recording!

The waterproof case is quite solid and didn't leak at all. It sports a similar locking mechanism to the latest GoPro case, along with two buttons, one for power/menu and the other for recording/selection. Quite easy to operate and to select various modes for video or footage.

IronX uses a "T-Mount" system for connections, proving remarkably sturdy on use. For those with GoPro parts, IronX also sells a T-Mount universal connector to work with GoPro parts (super awesome!) (link). The chest mount that goes with the IronX provides the perfect vantage point for anglers. There is also a headmount offered separately that should work nicely as well when reeling in a big catch.

Finally, unlike some other major action cameras on the market, IronX offers up to mobile apps for on Android and iOS right from launch. These allow you to remotely control the camera, along with a preview/live stream of the footage. You can also upload footage through your app to social media, Facebook, DropBox, etc.

PerformanceI took the IronX camera out on several fishing trips, both freshwater and saltwater, for bass or trout. I even took it snorkeling (best to have flat lense case for this). The camera performed quite well-I had aqequate battery life for on/off filming over several hours of fishing, nothing froze up on me (cough cough GoPro!), and the chest-mounted camera captured my fishing footage excellently. Having the lense cap around also gave me some more peace of mind when setting the camera down on rocks and other hard surfaces.

I'm trying not to overplay this, but the remote control wrist strap for the IronX is incredibly useful. This is a pretty rare feature to be included with the stock action camera (GoPro and Contour sure don't do this!). For anglers, it is very helpful to avoid having to fiddle with camera buttons when the bite happens. With other action cameras, I had to reach up to my head or on my chest mount for the recording button, not an easy task when a massive fish just hit my lure and I'm trying to play them in carefully! However, with IronX, I just had to tap my wrist button for the recording to start, then tap it again to finish. No worries, hassle-free recording. Also impressive was the one-tap button for photos. With GoPro, I had to take my camera off my head mount, tap the button to get to the menu option for photos, then tap again to take the shot, and then tap back through the menu to get back to video! This annoyance is erased with the IronX action camera, no more tapping through menus if you just need to snap a photo, thanks to the wrist strap. A one-time sync with the camera is required for this to work correctly, and is easily handled through the menu on the camera.

So, that all sounds great, but how is the picture quality? I tried the camera in both 1080 and in 720. The 1080p footage looked excellent. It's clear and picks up colors nicely. It's not quite as detailed as the GoPro3 footage, but the difference is fairly subtle. The 5MP photos turned out great, no complaints there. The wide angle of view (some love, some hate it, I love it for outdoors footage) captures everything you could want in your shot. Take a look at the footage I've posted and judge for yourself!
Note: There is a one video (underwater one) showing off the flat lenses (dive case) sold by DXY for the IronX. It's a nice way to catch underwater shots without the traditional 'blur' of the double bubble with other action cameras. You are restricted to 1080p, smaller field of vision with it, but the level of detail underwater is still impressive. Expect more underwater videos to be posted from this soon!

Trout Fishing in the Mountains

San Diego Light Rock Fishing

Newport Light Rock Fishing

Underwater Clips

Lake Perris Float Tube




Photos

Summary

In short, the IronX action camera is an awesome choice for anglers. It shoots high quality HD wide-angle video, is supported by an array of  excellent accessories, has great developer backing with both Android and iPhone apps, and doesn't break the bank. Photo quality is impressive and the action-camera view video, in 1080p or 720p, looks solid! The IronX compares very favorably with brands like GoPro and Contour in all aspects. Finally, the included remote control wrist strap is absolutely perfect for anglers and is definitely great to have on hand. There is a lot of different action cameras on the market today, some poor quality and others quite good-IronX is definitely one I would recommend. Check out IronX Action Camera today!
(Ironx Facebook, Twitter)

Product Review: Midland XTC 300 Wearable Action Camera HD for Fishing Video Fun!

Intro
While names like GoPro and Contour have dominated the action camera market, many companies have started offering much more affordable alternatives. Amongst these is the interesting Midland XTC series. Now, while Midland is often well-known for its line of radios, they also have released a solid line of action cameras aimed at fans of the great outdoors. I took the XTC300VP4 HD Wearable Action Camera out on a several fishing trips and really enjoyed it. Interested in a affordable action camera with a wide range of accessories and high quality video? Read on!

Features
The Midland XTC300 will film in three modes: 480 (low), 720 (med, 60FPS), 1080 (high, 30FPS), with wide angle lenses (127 in 1080p, 147 in 720p), and fits up to a 32gb micro SD card. Other features include:

• Single Slide Switch for easy operation - On/Off
• Includes Submersible Case (up to 100 ft)
  (More after the jump)
  
• Also Includes 4 mounts - Helmet, Helmet Strap, Handlebar and Goggle
• Can Switch between 1080p, 720p and 480p recording options
• Camera View - 127˚ wide angle lens
• Uses 1100mAH Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (Included)
• Battery Life Indicator
• Low Memory Indicator
• USB 2.0 File Transfer
• Lens is a multi coated tempered glass
• Focus is 5" to infinity
• Aspect radio is 16:9
• Format is MPEG-4 with Compression of H:264
• Light Sensitivity is 1.4V/Lux. second
• AAC Audio
• Compatible systems: Win XP SP2+, Vista & 7, Mac OS X 10.4+

One of the neatest features is the inclusion of the underwater flat lenses. Now, if you have ever used a GoPro Hero2 underwater with the 'stock' case, you'll notice how blurry and unfocused the underwater video is. This is due to the annoying 'double bubble' lenses effect that occurs with wide-angle bubble lenses underwater. Midland solved that with the XTC by offering a super nice, interchangeable lenses. Just make sure you leave the rubber circle in place around the lenses opening when switching lenses, this is vital for preventing water leaks!

Design
The XTC 300 sports a super minimalist design. Unlike the GoPro, it has a more 'tube' or 'Contour' style design, so it will sit best alongside your forehead, not in the middle. The camera fits into the included waterproof case with ease. Recording is incredibly and refreshingly simple: just push the slider ontop of the case forward and recording starts; move it back and it stops. Also, there is a simple Low, Medium, High resolution switch inside the camera (near the battery) for you to adjust resolution. That's it! No annoying menus to scroll through or buttons for it to freeze up on. Granted, some people may wish for more features (photos, timer, etc), but the simplicity of the Midland XTC design allows you to concentrate on the key point of action cameras: filming! There isn't any zoom to speak of, or closeup macro focus, but this is fairly standard for most action cameras. The waterproof case is fairly tough, it took several tumbles during my fishing trips without scratches. Finally, the included accessories are fantastic-plenty of mounts to go around. However, it would be nice if they would include a baseball cap mount or headstrap mount as well, as these will definitely be needed by anglers. Midland does sell these and you can put one together for quite cheap, as I did, if needed.

Performance
The Midland XTC 300 action camera performed excellently, in a variety of fishing situations. I used it for moving shots, head-mounted shots, underwater footage, scenery, and more. The 60fps 720p resolution is nice, but I really prefer the impressive crispness of the 1080p (High res option). I didn't encounter any problems when using this on my hikes and fishing trips. No video encoding errors, distorted colors, or other annoyances. Sound quality is very limited when filming in an underwater case, as expected, so it really didn't bother me. Overall, the XTC 300 performed very well and you can see several of the videos I shot with it in this review. I tried both the stock lenses and the included flat lenses underwater, with a noticeable difference (definitely more clear with flat lenses, as you can see in portions of the Huge Trout video). The battery life seemed to be more than enough for my fishing trips (usually several hours of on/off use) and it recharged with ease through the USB port charger.

Summary
The Midland XTC300 action is a great option for those interested in a straight-forward, reliable and impressive action camera for the outdoors. It retails for $199, comes with a variety of accessories including a wonderful flat lenses, and performs admirably outside. I do wish they would include a hat mount or headmount by default with the camera, but these are easily obtainable through Midland and other sellers as well. Overall, if you are looking for an affordable alternative to expensive action cameras like the GoPro, please consider the Midland XTC300 Action Camera!

BlurFix HD Budget Action Camera Review

[Update: 7/4/2013: I've been using this camera off and on since the review and it finally died on me. Couldn't get it to boot up or reset. I've noticed a lot of different companies carrying this camera, from Polaroid to Vivitar and several others. Prices range from $40 to $100. Great set of accessories, some decent underwater footage, but poor battery life and reliability make this not the best choice for action cameras].
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Are you looking for an alternative to GoPro, Contour, Sony, and other incredibly expensive action cameras? The BlurFix HD camera may be one such option. Selling for only $149 and coming with a load of accessories, BlurFix is definitely opening new territory in the budget action camera market. I’ve just finished taking my BlurFix on a load of fishing trips, putting its waterproof housing to good use in a variety of situations and I have a full review of this little camera. Sit back, check out the BlurFix fishing video footage, and read on!
(Videos and review after the jump)

Wild Trout Fishing with BlurFix

Features
So why the name BlurFix? Many other cameras use a very wide-angle lenses that results in some blurring around the outside periphery of the video. The BlurFix HD features a fixed-focus, wide-angle lenses, but with a smaller field of view and none of the “fish-eye” and blurring that occurs with larger angles of view. Here’s the rundown on the stats of this budget sports camera:

LCD Display: 2" Touch Panel

Image Sensor: 1.3MP CMOS

Internal Memory: 128Mb SDRAM

External Memory: Supports up to a 32 Gb MicroSD Card

Still Image Resolution: 5MP(2592x1944)

                                       3MP(2048x1536)

                                       1.3MP(1280x960)

Image File Format: JPEG

Video Resolution: 720P(1280x720)Pixels @ 23-31fps

                               VGA(640x480)Pixels @ 49-63fps

Video Fil Format: AVI

PC Interface: MiniUSB 2.0

Battery: Lithium 300mAh
Battery Life: > 1 Hour
Dimensions: 66*43*27mm

Aperture: F/3.1 f=9.3mm

Focus: Fixed: wide-angle lens

Weight 46g (w/o batteries)
Digital/Optical Zoom : No
Aperture: F/3.1 f=9.3mm
White Balance: Auto
EV Compensation: Auto
Sensitivity: Auto
OSD Language: English
Supported O/S: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7

You’ll notice the video quality is up to 720p. That’s a minimum for YouTube to tag your videos as “HD.” While it’s not the 1080p shot by higher-end action cameras, 720p is plenty quality to catch the action on most fishing trips from what I’ve found. The BlurFix camera has a built-in lithium battery, rechargeable through an included car adapter or USB 2.0 port. Of special note is the 2.0’’ touch screen on the back of the camera. There’s no viewfinder, as the screen acts as such and also allows you to review your footage while out on the water. This is a really neat feature, definitely an advantage over more expensive action cameras that require a separate unit for such “in the field” reviewing.  After all, who wants to wait until they get home to see what their video looks like?

The camera size is also pretty impressive. It’s incredibly tiny, easily fitting in the palm of my hand. 

Underwater Lure Shots with BlurFix

Design
The BlurFix camera comes packaged with an impressive array of attachments to better capture action in different environments. These include a waterproof case, suction-cup mount, protective shield, handlebar/pole grip, helmet mount and strap. There’s also a USB charging cable and a helpful car charging cable. All the attachments and accessories worked great for me. The helmet clip is designed for use with bikers in mind; however, I was able to easily use the clip on a couple of straps as a chest mount for fishing. Furthermore, the handlebar attachment easily attaches to poles and I mounted it on a PVC pipe for better underwater shots. The suction cup mount is perfectly designed for use in vehicles on the dashboard, allowing for a very stable platform for footage from the driver’s perspective. Finally, the underwater camera housing is excellent! I can’t rave enough about this casing-it’s perfectly watertight, yet still allows for incredibly easy shooting under the surface of a lake, stream, or river. It’s very similar to the GoPro casing and is quite durable. There’s two buttons on the top of the case, one to power on/off and one for recording, allowing for easy shooting when a fish was on (not too many buttons to fiddle around with). I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the underwater shots I got with the BlurFix HD camera, allowing me to record my fishing trips from a totally different perspective.  It’s also nice that BlurFix includes all these attachments with the main product, not forcing you to purchase other accessory kits to get the full experience.  Also, the actual packaging of the BlurFix camera is pretty solid as well-looks like it would be right at home next to other action cameras at electronic stores!

Lake Skinner Bass Fishing with BlurFix Camera

Performance
The BlurFix really shines at capturing underwater shots. I used mine in a variety of situations and really enjoyed how the water footage turned out the best. It’s certainly not GoPro-level of quality, but it’s being sold at well less than ½ price of that brand’s camera so it’s rather hard to compare the two. Make no mistakes about it, this is a budget action camera and you won’t see the 1080p images found from more expensive cameras. The dynamic range of colors does appear to be somewhat limited, making it at times difficult to work in very bright or low-light conditions. Once inside the underwater camera housing, audio is nonexistent (as expected), but when used on its own, the quality is alright. There is a very low background “whirring” but it’s not immediately noticeable. On the flipside, the camera housing doesn’t appear to negatively affect the image quality, from what I could tell. It’s also really easy to shoot with the BlurFix camera. The button locations on the top of the camera housing allowed me to quickly turn on the camera and start shooting video, even with a fish hooked up. I really like how simple the BlurFix is to operate!

Puddingstone Lake BlurFix Camera

Summary
Action cameras, from Sony to Contour and more are the hottest tech toys of this holiday season. However, HD action cameras aimed at the more price-conscious audience are considerably more limited in selection. The BlurFix HD camera is one of the few sport cameras on the market today. While it has a few shortfalls in terms of overall image crispness and dynamic range of colors, the BlurFix HD is still a very solid option for a cheap action camera. Its $149 price is incredibly more affordable than most other sport cameras, although still fairly high for what it offers. Definitely consider the BlurFix HDif you are on a tight budget and looking for an affordable action camera with an array of housing. Hopefully, we’ll see even more budget action cameras in the near future, allowing more people to get in on recording their favorite outdoor activities, from skateboarding to surfing, and, of course, fishing. 

 Silverwood Rainbow Trout with BlurFix Camera

Bottom line:
If you don’t want to spend $300+ on an action camera, aren’t looking for GoPro 1080p quality footage, but still want a solid sports camera with underwater housing and plenty of other accessories, than the BlurFix may be just right for you.

 Fall Trout Fishing with BlurFix Camera