Product review: Movo Photo MicRig

This is a review of Movo MicRig "Sevenoak".



The first thing you need to know is that to take advantage of this microphone your video camera should have an audio jack for an external microphone.  The grip comes with cables for two options audio jack or micro USB with audio.   My Canon Rebel SLR, SONY NEX5 (a mid size digital camera), and a GoPro clone do not have a port for an external mike.  My smartphone has a audio jack and I am using it in the videos I am included in this review.

The microphone runs on one AA battery, which is not included in the package.  The grip has 1/4-20 male screw. It has a large easy to tighten knob at the bottom.  The phone holder is probably the best phone holder I own, it holds tightly, adjusts easiy, and has very nice rubbery texture on the inside that grabs well to the phone case shell.



The controls for the microphone are on the grip.  It also has a cold shoe if one wanted to mount lights or other accessories.

The microphone grip is made out of sturdy plastic. It feels sturdy but is quite light weight, it  weighs 19 oz.



I thought it did a fairly good job,  The only issue I see there is a tiny, very tiny shift in an audio.  It is not always obvious but sometimes it is - you can see the lips of the singer being slightly out of sync with the sound (the sound is behind).



I let you be the judge by listening to two videos I shot using it. One video features a street percussion instruments, the other one a singer with a guitar.



Ali Julia review

Product review: EKEN H9, Ultra HD 4K Waterproof Action Camera

The colors are excellent during the day when not shooting directly in sun.  Shooting in the sun is a challeging situation for any camera and this camera like many other overexposed the video if the sun is shining directly into the les of the camera. In attached video you can video taken with the camera during the day and at night. Night time video does not have a lot details in total duckness but with a little bit of light you can see what is going on.



This is a 4K camera.  On a 1080p monitor you cannot tell a difference between 1080p and 4K video, but if you own a 4K TV/monitor then you can take full advantage of 4K video.



The colors in the video are bright and accurate. Keep in mind that I am posting compressed video due to size limitation for the video pots, so viewing it as a thumbprint gives you the best approximation of the real thing.



The camera has an intuitive menu-driven interface, it also has WI FI that allows me to see what the camera sees on phone.  The name of the app that is compatible with this camera is EZ iCam App which is available from GooglePlay. There is also an iPhone version of the app which I did not try. The name of the hot spot is "ICAM-Hg(R)". The camera is exactly the same size as GoPro camera and accessories designed for GoPro fit it.



The camera is comptable with 16G and 32G micro SD cards, and I am using 32G class 10 card.  The card is my own, micro SD is not included in the package.



To recharge the camera takes about 5 hours from empty, I am getting about 3 hours of video on one charge.  The camera can take video while charging if it is switched to the "auto" mode, so it can be used as a dash cam on a long drive.



The package includes a large number of clamps and holders as well as a waterproof case.  My video shows close up of all accessories.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Crenova WIFI Endoscope - view on Android, iPhone, PC

The quality of the Crenova endoscope is pretty good.  In attached video I show a text in a magazine as I move the camera from touching the page to being about 10 inches away from the page.  It has a sweet spot for sharpness of the image in the middle of that range, but you can read the text at all distances.  The wire of the endoscope can be bent and it holds its shape as you move the wire around, this allows you to aim it at an angle not just pointing down.



The endoscope comes with app (available from GooglePlay). The name of the app is PLX_WifiCamera. The app also has iPhone version which I have not tried.  Once I plugged in the camera into the WIFI unit I immediately saw the camera hotspot under WI FI connections on my phone and was able to connect to it with the password specified in the manual. The name of the hotspot is PLX_Camera. If you turn off the phone or the endoscope, you need to reconnect to the hotspot (not automatic re-connection).

The endoscope has a light on the end, which is very handy when you are looking at the dark hidden away places. The light switch is built into the cable attached to the camera.  The switch is at the end nearest to the WIFI unit, so you can release the entire long cable and still be able to control the amount of light at the other end.



The app allows me to view the action on the phone. When I select I can take photos or record video.



The camera comes with a couple of accessories: a hook, a magnet and a mirror. The accessories lock onto the camera.  The mechanism is a bit finnicky and does not look very robust but it does work.  You can see me locking and unlocking the accessories in the video.



The documentation is fairly is not very detailed but it was enough for me to figure out how to connect the camera and turn it on.



Bottom line? This is a handy tool for hard to see areas, reasonable video quality, good price, it is a little tricky to control the aim. I hope the video helps you get a good idea of what to expect.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: FULLLIGHT TECH 720P 8.0MP Low-Glow Waterproof Game Camera

I have experience with several wild cams because we have a lot of wild life on our property and love taking a peek in the life of our visitors. This wild cam produces very good videos (excellent color, good exposure, night time video has a lot of definition) but it has difficult controls including for the operation that I use most frequently - formatting SD to remove the old videos.



This camera is controlled by physical switches to set the mode and the switches works fine. Other operations require the use a complicated sequence of key combinations (up, down, and keys together). The camera often gets into a wrong mode even when the sequence is done correctly. I have been using the camera for over 2 weeks and it has not gotten any easier. I tried other methods of removing old videos like formatting the SD using my computer or removing the files without reformatting. This does not work. After removing files with the computer the camera does not record, it only works if reformat SD in the camera.



The highest resolution of video you can get with camera is 720P. The photo resolution maximum is 8M. However the quality of the video and images under different light conditions is very good. The night time video has more resolution and details then any of my other cameras. I have included a couple of video clips taken at night when the camera switched to infrared. You will be able to recognize those clips because they are black and white.



Motion activation mode works reliably. There is a switch of how long it should wait until the next activation (1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes). The camera can run on 4, 8, or 12 batteries. The battery use is quite good, it recorded a large amount of videos every day on the same set of batteries. On some days 32G of data was recorded at which point the camera stopped recording. The camera has a low battery indicator but it is a tiny light that is hard to see. Other cameras have an easier to see displays.



In attached video I included videos recorded during the day and during the night. The camera is mounted on a tripod using the screw on the bottom of the case. The camera is waterproof and has been out in several rain storms without any problems.



Keep in mind that video you see on Amazon is highly compressed and it is best viewed as a time stamp image, because then you don't see the degradation caused by compression.



Bottom line: The video is good during the day and excellent during the night (i.e. much more definition compared to my other cameras). On the negative side the camera controls are hard to use.



This camera was provided to me at a special discount for testing and review as part of a new product introduction. Getting a discounted product does not effect what I say. I always leave critical reviews when the product deserves it. This camera has both highs and lows and I described both aspects of my experience. I think the videos it generates are better than others, but the user interface is much worse.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: TOGUARD Dash Cam

Through the years we owned a few dash cams which gives me a chance to compare TOGUARD with other car dash cams. TOGUARD video quality is excellent.  It does well under various lightening conditions and the color is true to life. Night time video is very good as well. The camera is small in side, the user interface is menu driven and intuitive.  The buttons are well marked and not overloaded for multiple functions, so I could use it even without reading the manual.



On the negative side it is designed to be attached to the window with a sticky tape. This does not fit in how I use the dash cams. I want to be able to take off my dash when I park in the city, I want to be able to move it from car to car.  However, I was able to come up with a way to use my own suction cup mount.  To attach the camera to the suction mount I use a phone holder.  Because the camera is small and light it holds securely.



♦ I had no technical issues of any kind. All files were readable. The camera writes out video frequently.  You can change how often under settings. I have it set to 5 minutes.  Some dash cams write one large file, this is much better as it improves reliability.



♦ The dash cam uses stands mini USB cables, the package includes a chargine cable and a cable with car port charger.



♦ Audio is recorded clearly, the default setting is to record with the microphone turned on.  It can be turned off.



♦  You need to supply your own micro card.  The package does not exclude one.



Overall, I this an excellent dash cam with only one negative for how I use the dash cam - the sticky tape mount.  I found a "fix" for the problem which is a bit of kludge but it works.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: SEREE S2 Ultra HD 4K 360 Degree Action Waterproof Panoramic Sport Camera

The unique feature of the camera is has a fisheye lens which produces 360 degree video. Overall, the video quality is pretty good under many conditions but not all. It overexposes video when the camera is shooting in very sunny conditions and it does not compensate well when you move from shadow to the sun (like when you come out from under the bridge into the full sun). I show small clips which show the camera at its worst and at its best in attached video. Under good lighting the color rendition is good and true to life. It also takes pretty decent night time video. The camera microphone is worse than other sports cameras I have used. You will hear sound distortions in my video. Keep in mind that Amazon compresses video, so it is best to watch it as postage format so the compression effects are not visible.



The camera user interface is menu driven, but you can only see two lines. The documentation is not detailed and not good, so I am finding myself fumbling with the keys a bit as I navigate through menus even after several weeks of using the camera. The navigation and keys are not obvious in many cases. All buttons are overloaded with several functions depending on what mode the camera is in.



This camera support WIFI mode where live video can be see on the smart phone. The app for live product is called "XDV360°" (by Shenzhen Pisoftware Technology). The app is not great, but at least it is available from Googplay and the manufacturer did not ask me to load the app from an untrusted site. Downloading software from untrusted site is not safe and I never down load apps from manufacturer web site unless it is a well known trusted company.



The camera supports micro SD cards up to 32GB (the micro SD card is NOT included). To recharge the camera takes about 2 hours from empty, I am getting about 2 hours of video on one charge.



The package includes a large number of clamps and holders as well as a waterproof case. Windshield suction cup mount is not included, and because of the shape of the camera none of my old window suction cup mounts fit the camera facing forward.



The manual is very sparse. The manual is very small and only has a few basic operations. It does not have instructions for every button. Plan on doing some experimentation to figure out controls.



I received this camera for testing and review at a special discount as part of the new product introduction. If reviews for discounted items make you skeptical, examine reviewer record. I have a long history of leaving critical reviews when products deserve it. I covered pluses and minuses of my experience. I really like the fisheye lens. The video quality is very good under many conditions, but not all. The sound recording is not good. The user interface is not as user friendly as some other sports cameras. Overall rating OK.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Distianert Trail & Game Scouting Camera

We are big animals lovers and I own several wild cams so we can observe the wildlife visitors we are lucky to get every day. Many wild cams look similar on the outside but there are differences in video quality.  I noticed that video short in 720p on this camera look better than 1080i.  By looking at the video properties I see that 1080i is recorded with the rate 14.98 fps where as 720p is recorded at 30 fps.  The 720p video looks more clear and the video is smoother.  My video editing software does not handle 14.98 without conversion, so my video clips included in this review were shot in 720p.



The video shot at dusk and at night are black and white, so you can easily tell them apart from the day time videos. I included clips taken during the day and during the night.



The camera has a good motion sensor and is activated only when something interesting is happening, so every video it captures has something good on it. The camera can be mounted in a number different (strap to attach to a tree or a tripod mount).  I am using a tripod.



The user interface is menu driven and is very intuitive, I show it in the attached video to give you a better idea of how it feels to use it.



The camera runs on eight AA batteries (not included). The battery life is pretty good.  After running for a week taking hundreds of videos every day the camera's battery indicator shows that it is half full. SD card is not included. The camera produces AVI and JPG output.



This camera case is robust.  The tripod with the camera has been knocked down by animals several times, and the camera still running, no problems. The case is waterproof and has been out in several rain storms without any problems. The case is 5.25" tall x 3.25" wide x 1.75" thick.



This camera falls in the middle of the pack compared to other wild cams I have tried. 1080i quality is not as good as other cameras, but 720p is very good. I love being able to have a glimpse into the life of our wild life visitors.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆