Liquid Image Ego sports camcorder
The basics
The Liquid Image Ego is no camcorder for recording the family reunion: it’s a tiny, robust little shooter that fits in the palm of your hand, and is designed to film (and survive) all your action sport pursuits.
It can film in up to full high definition (1920x1080) resolution, and can be anchored onto your equipment with the included clip. Best of all, it can stream the video feed direct to an iPhone or Android smartphone over Wi-Fi, so your friends can watch you go from afar.
The good
You’ve probably heard of the famous GoPro line, used to record the antics of scuba divers and off piste snowboarders alike. The Liquid Image Ego is its closest rival, and deals the GoPro an almighty blow by substantially undercutting it: it costs £160, compared to £230 or up for a GoPro.
And yet, the footage is still excellent: you can shoot in full HD 1080p, or at twice the framerate in 720p HD - still pretty sharp - with a maximum field of view of 135 degrees. The MOV format video looks great when played back on a big screen. There’s a micro SD card slot which supports cards with capacities up to 32GB: you’ll run through the Ego’s two hour battery life before you fill one of those up.
It’s incredibly easy to use: two buttons let you flick between settings, while a tiny LCD screen shows you which one you’re one. But the Liquid Image Ego comes into its own with the Wi-Fi control: a built-in hotspot lets you broadcast footage to a phone through a free app, and even toggle the settings from your device, or take a photo.
The bad
The pricier GoPro does have a few advantages over the Liquid Image Ego: for one it comes with waterproof housing in the box. The Ego is splash resistant, but you shouldn’t go diving with it: not until the separate housing accessory goes on sale in the near future anyway. For beach bums and surfers this might be a bit of a disappointment, though cyclists will cope fine without.
It's also a bit more flexible when it comes to positioning: by contrast, the Ego rotates on one line, looking a bit brittle next to the Yoga instructor that is the Go Pro. But for the saving you're making, we really can't complain, especially with so many stands available these days.
The bottom line
It may not have the big branding of the GoPro line, but the Liquid Image Ego is a great sports camcorder nonetheless with remarkable endurance. Better yet, it’s even got Wi-Fi built in so you can livestream with it, though you may not always have much opportunity to while hurtling down a mountain. For just over half the price of a Go Pro, that’s not something to be sniffed at. An absolute bargain for adrenaline junkies.
User comments (4)
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conall22 August 2012
actually you can buy gopro's for around 170-180
Report as inappropriateAnonymous22 August 2012
It's true, you can get GoPro's for around £170-£180; they're just either pre-owned (which means they don't have long to live, or they're the "basic" version shooting low-quality footage. I mean, obviously the GoPro is a more recognised camera, but if this takes off then it will storm the market!
Report as inappropriatebadboybint31 August 2012
"For just over half the price of a Go Pro...." Errrr .. the way I learnt maths £160/£115 means it is 40% over the half price mark which is hardly "just over"
Report as inappropriateRace11 September 2012
You can get the HD HERO from the gopro website for $129 http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-hero-naked-camera/
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