iON Adventure: a hybrid of a professional extreme camera and auto-recorder with a G-sensor and GPS
The “recipe” of manufacturing a hybrid of the autoregistrar and an extreme camera, widely used by domestic brands, looks like this: the recorder is taken, consists of a waterproof case and is completed with a set of fasteners (on flat surfaces, steering wheels, helmets, etc.). At the same time, developers forget that special requirements are imposed on action cameras — for example, when shooting extreme video, extremely sharp and constant changes in angle (plus shaking and upheavals) occur, for which the “iron” of ordinary recorders is not always ready. Moreover, when creating the “hybrids” described above, low-cost autoregistrations are usually used: if you take the advanced model as a basis, and add a good set of fasteners to its bundle, then it will cost more than 10 thousand rubles. As a result, “hybrids of auto regs and extreme cameras” usually normally play the first role, but they pass in the second. Extreme video, filmed on them, often turns blurry, fuzzy and with a bunch of artifacts.
Today I will talk about the implementation of a slightly different approach to creating an “action recorder”. The model that will be discussed in this post is called iON Adventure. I and my colleagues have written more than once about American iON extreme cameras: I first compared iON Air Pro Wi-Fi with GoPro Hero3 White Edition , and then reviewed iON Air Pro 2 Wi-Fi . Now this brand, which has eaten a four-legged animal in the field of sports cameras, has taken up the creation of a “hybrid”. The output turned out to be quite a curious model, which can successfully act as a device of the first and second type (that is, a professional sports camera, and car recorder).
However, there is one small reservation about the role of the sports camera. The iON Adventure package only includes car accessories (listed below). But the attachment for handlebars of bicycles and motorcycles, flat surfaces, and so on is not in the box. Yes, iON Adventure is equipped with a brand CamLOCK interface, so the “action recorder” is fully compatible with mounts manufactured for regular iON sport cameras. Another thing is that these fastenings will have to be bought separately. Personally, this moment does not bother me at all, since my favorite “extreme sport” is swimming with photographing sea fish at a shallow depth - up to 2-3 meters. In this case, no fasteners are needed, and the case of iON Adventure is waterproof: with this device you can dive to a depth of 10 meters, that is, in my case there is even a good supply.
')
The iON Adventure package includes:
• miniUSB / USB cable.
• Universal charger with 4 different plugs - travelers will appreciate.
• Dual USB-adapter with a plug in the cigarette lighter for the car (that is, with an additional port for charging other gadgets).
• CamLOCK interface + metal plate for screwing it.
• Safety strap.
• Adapter from miniUSB to AV.
• Fasteners on the suction cup.
• L-adapter for tripod. There is no tripod itself, but if you take it somewhere and screw it to iON Adventure, the camera lens will look up. So the adapter is needed.
• Car mount with a separate CamLOCK mount slot with a recorder.
• Carry bag.
• Storage box (it is metal and is part of the package).
• A pile of waste paper, including thick instructions in several languages, including Russian.
As you can see, the steering wheel is great iON Adventure really is not screwed. But to the car - easily, and you can install the device both in the cabin and outside it. For example, on the door glass or on the hood. I tried both this and that. In the photo iON Adventure is on the door. I was impressed with the diameter of the sucker (the air is pumped out from under it using a special pen): it is truly huge compared to those used in the fixtures of conventional recorders. It seems to be good: it will be better to hold on and not fall off during sharp turns. I checked it too - I'll show it below.
The case of the model is of high quality, but already plastic, - unlike the iON Air Pro Wi-Fi and Air Pro 2 Wi-Fi, where a combination of plastic and metal was used. The lens is now located not on the side face, but on the side surface of the "cylinder". You can’t say more about the case, but I note that it is pleasant to take it in hand. Especially after many "local" autoregov, made from very wrong hands.
Of the unusual, I note the lack of a screen and Wi-Fi support in the base delivery. Yes, for iON Adventure, you can purchase a proprietary Wi-Fi PODZ adapter from iON, and then the ability to connect an “action recorder” to smartphones / tablets will appear. But "in the base" the device can be configured and reconfigured only when connected to a computer using a special program (it is located in the device itself). On the computer, you have to watch the video. At first, I was worried about “aiming” iON Adventure on the road, but in practice there were no problems - you just need to position the device horizontally and make sure that the lens does not “look” up or down.
A set of typical “recorder” options is present in iON Adventure. So, there is a cyclic mode (recording in sections of 5 minutes in 720p mode and 3 minutes in 1080p mode). The recording can start automatically when the engine starts, and if the device is not connected to the cigarette lighter, then you should press the big button on the right side. There is a large “ring” indicator around it; it will turn pink, and that's it, the recording has gone. (By the way, this is quite a bright “burning” that annoys me.) Even in the iON Adventure, a G-sensor was implemented that automatically transfers the “emergency” (that is, the video received during sudden braking, strikes, turns, etc.) to an indelible area the memory card, thereby preventing it from being erased during the cyclic rewriting process. Another G-sensor is able to "twist" the video in the event of a change in the position of the device in space - as in the sports cameras iON.
There are two slots for microSD cards in iON Adventure. One for the needs of action cameras, the second - for the registrar. Both are under the cover on the left side of the case. There is also a small switch designed to select one of these modes. In the first case, the device writes a video in a continuous stream, in the second - segments. The ability to take a photo is also there, and it is oddly realized: in the recorder mode, you need to press the side button to get a snapshot. But in the action-camera mode, this method does not work: you need to buy Wi-Fi PODZ or remote control.
And in iON Adventure there is a GPS module for recording the route of movement. This is necessary for the subsequent video overlay on the card and download to the online service Kinomap (something like a social network for those who like to record video). To perform this action you should download the appropriate program - Kinomap Uploader. Here is the car route in this program. Do not be surprised at his entanglement and location "in the water" - my friends and I rode along the frozen river.
In some players - for example, the Samsung Galaxy S4 player - the coordinates and time / date are displayed directly on the video. (I inserted an iON Adventure card into my smartphone.)
Before proceeding to the demonstration of the results pokatushek, a few numbers. ION Adventure uses a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, the lens has a viewing angle of 120 degrees. Rollers are saved in two versions: with maximum quality (Full HD or HD), and also with reduced. This option is designed for fast download in the social network - the volume is reduced, say, from 600 MB to 50.
Here are the screenshots of all the basic settings that can be changed on the computer. From the same program, video is allowed to upload to social networks, YouTube and iON Cloud. All owners of iON devices on this cloud service are provided with 8 GB of space.
And now - the video itself. As I said above, we skated on the ice, securing iON Adventure on the side window glass of the car. It turned out this movie:
From the side it looked like this (shot on Samsung Galaxy S4):
Before the trip to the river, we “warmed up” in the empty parking lot of the supermarket:
I was completely satisfied with the recording quality: the driver turned the “wheel” very intensively, which led to sharp turns / reversals and, as a result, instant changes in the angle. In such circumstances, iON Adventure did not disappoint. But Daewoo Lanos was pretty surprised, starting to eat not 10-12 liters, but 29.5:
In the city, iON Adventure and I also rode. Here is a video recorder; quite a result in my opinion. Records at the level of a good modern "black box".
Summarize the experience. Did you like the device? Yes, for me. If I had a private car, then, quite possibly, iON Adventure would have taken it. This is convenient: on the way to some Crimea, he acts as a registrar, and upon arrival with him you can dive. In the spring, winter, and autumn (that is, when “not the season”) this thing will not roll on the shelf, as my underwater camera Kodak C123 Sport is doing now and as any “thoroughbred” action camera would do. The price of iON Adventure is about 10 thousand rubles, which is expensive by the standards of a regular recorder, but it is quite normal for a “hybrid”. And it is for high-quality "hybrid", which is Adventure, and not for Chinese recorders with a dust and moisture-proof case, with which the Russian market is replete.
Today I will talk about the implementation of a slightly different approach to creating an “action recorder”. The model that will be discussed in this post is called iON Adventure. I and my colleagues have written more than once about American iON extreme cameras: I first compared iON Air Pro Wi-Fi with GoPro Hero3 White Edition , and then reviewed iON Air Pro 2 Wi-Fi . Now this brand, which has eaten a four-legged animal in the field of sports cameras, has taken up the creation of a “hybrid”. The output turned out to be quite a curious model, which can successfully act as a device of the first and second type (that is, a professional sports camera, and car recorder).
However, there is one small reservation about the role of the sports camera. The iON Adventure package only includes car accessories (listed below). But the attachment for handlebars of bicycles and motorcycles, flat surfaces, and so on is not in the box. Yes, iON Adventure is equipped with a brand CamLOCK interface, so the “action recorder” is fully compatible with mounts manufactured for regular iON sport cameras. Another thing is that these fastenings will have to be bought separately. Personally, this moment does not bother me at all, since my favorite “extreme sport” is swimming with photographing sea fish at a shallow depth - up to 2-3 meters. In this case, no fasteners are needed, and the case of iON Adventure is waterproof: with this device you can dive to a depth of 10 meters, that is, in my case there is even a good supply.
')
The iON Adventure package includes:
• miniUSB / USB cable.
• Universal charger with 4 different plugs - travelers will appreciate.
• Dual USB-adapter with a plug in the cigarette lighter for the car (that is, with an additional port for charging other gadgets).
• CamLOCK interface + metal plate for screwing it.
• Safety strap.
• Adapter from miniUSB to AV.
• Fasteners on the suction cup.
• L-adapter for tripod. There is no tripod itself, but if you take it somewhere and screw it to iON Adventure, the camera lens will look up. So the adapter is needed.
• Car mount with a separate CamLOCK mount slot with a recorder.
• Carry bag.
• Storage box (it is metal and is part of the package).
• A pile of waste paper, including thick instructions in several languages, including Russian.
As you can see, the steering wheel is great iON Adventure really is not screwed. But to the car - easily, and you can install the device both in the cabin and outside it. For example, on the door glass or on the hood. I tried both this and that. In the photo iON Adventure is on the door. I was impressed with the diameter of the sucker (the air is pumped out from under it using a special pen): it is truly huge compared to those used in the fixtures of conventional recorders. It seems to be good: it will be better to hold on and not fall off during sharp turns. I checked it too - I'll show it below.
The case of the model is of high quality, but already plastic, - unlike the iON Air Pro Wi-Fi and Air Pro 2 Wi-Fi, where a combination of plastic and metal was used. The lens is now located not on the side face, but on the side surface of the "cylinder". You can’t say more about the case, but I note that it is pleasant to take it in hand. Especially after many "local" autoregov, made from very wrong hands.
Of the unusual, I note the lack of a screen and Wi-Fi support in the base delivery. Yes, for iON Adventure, you can purchase a proprietary Wi-Fi PODZ adapter from iON, and then the ability to connect an “action recorder” to smartphones / tablets will appear. But "in the base" the device can be configured and reconfigured only when connected to a computer using a special program (it is located in the device itself). On the computer, you have to watch the video. At first, I was worried about “aiming” iON Adventure on the road, but in practice there were no problems - you just need to position the device horizontally and make sure that the lens does not “look” up or down.
A set of typical “recorder” options is present in iON Adventure. So, there is a cyclic mode (recording in sections of 5 minutes in 720p mode and 3 minutes in 1080p mode). The recording can start automatically when the engine starts, and if the device is not connected to the cigarette lighter, then you should press the big button on the right side. There is a large “ring” indicator around it; it will turn pink, and that's it, the recording has gone. (By the way, this is quite a bright “burning” that annoys me.) Even in the iON Adventure, a G-sensor was implemented that automatically transfers the “emergency” (that is, the video received during sudden braking, strikes, turns, etc.) to an indelible area the memory card, thereby preventing it from being erased during the cyclic rewriting process. Another G-sensor is able to "twist" the video in the event of a change in the position of the device in space - as in the sports cameras iON.
There are two slots for microSD cards in iON Adventure. One for the needs of action cameras, the second - for the registrar. Both are under the cover on the left side of the case. There is also a small switch designed to select one of these modes. In the first case, the device writes a video in a continuous stream, in the second - segments. The ability to take a photo is also there, and it is oddly realized: in the recorder mode, you need to press the side button to get a snapshot. But in the action-camera mode, this method does not work: you need to buy Wi-Fi PODZ or remote control.
And in iON Adventure there is a GPS module for recording the route of movement. This is necessary for the subsequent video overlay on the card and download to the online service Kinomap (something like a social network for those who like to record video). To perform this action you should download the appropriate program - Kinomap Uploader. Here is the car route in this program. Do not be surprised at his entanglement and location "in the water" - my friends and I rode along the frozen river.
In some players - for example, the Samsung Galaxy S4 player - the coordinates and time / date are displayed directly on the video. (I inserted an iON Adventure card into my smartphone.)
Before proceeding to the demonstration of the results pokatushek, a few numbers. ION Adventure uses a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, the lens has a viewing angle of 120 degrees. Rollers are saved in two versions: with maximum quality (Full HD or HD), and also with reduced. This option is designed for fast download in the social network - the volume is reduced, say, from 600 MB to 50.
Here are the screenshots of all the basic settings that can be changed on the computer. From the same program, video is allowed to upload to social networks, YouTube and iON Cloud. All owners of iON devices on this cloud service are provided with 8 GB of space.
And now - the video itself. As I said above, we skated on the ice, securing iON Adventure on the side window glass of the car. It turned out this movie:
From the side it looked like this (shot on Samsung Galaxy S4):
Before the trip to the river, we “warmed up” in the empty parking lot of the supermarket:
I was completely satisfied with the recording quality: the driver turned the “wheel” very intensively, which led to sharp turns / reversals and, as a result, instant changes in the angle. In such circumstances, iON Adventure did not disappoint. But Daewoo Lanos was pretty surprised, starting to eat not 10-12 liters, but 29.5:
In the city, iON Adventure and I also rode. Here is a video recorder; quite a result in my opinion. Records at the level of a good modern "black box".
Summarize the experience. Did you like the device? Yes, for me. If I had a private car, then, quite possibly, iON Adventure would have taken it. This is convenient: on the way to some Crimea, he acts as a registrar, and upon arrival with him you can dive. In the spring, winter, and autumn (that is, when “not the season”) this thing will not roll on the shelf, as my underwater camera Kodak C123 Sport is doing now and as any “thoroughbred” action camera would do. The price of iON Adventure is about 10 thousand rubles, which is expensive by the standards of a regular recorder, but it is quite normal for a “hybrid”. And it is for high-quality "hybrid", which is Adventure, and not for Chinese recorders with a dust and moisture-proof case, with which the Russian market is replete.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/213659/
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