Shimano made a surprise announcement of its new Sport Camera CM-1000 back in February and now we've got a test sample in our hands. It's extremely lightweight at less than 90g, claimed waterproof to a depth of 10m, and it seems sturdily built, plus the included mount is compatible with nearly all GoPro accessories. More importantly, it's already proving to be exceptionally easy to use with the associated smartphone app and it's competitively priced at US$299 (UK pricing TBA).
Straight out of the box, the first thing we noticed on the new Sport Camera is its miniscule form factor. Measuring just 70x44x 30mm, it's basically the same size as two Tic-Tac containers tied together and with the lens oriented at its end, it seems like it might be easier to mount than a GoPro (and certainly will look sleeker when set up).
The lens can't be physically rotated to compensate for different mounting positions like some competitors, but it can be adjusted digitally (or automatically) with a direct Wi-Fi connection using the free smartphone app. That app is available for both iOS and Android operating systems and seems impressively well polished, too, with a highly intuitive interface, remarkably responsive speed, and a generous array of adjustable recording attributes.
It's a good thing the app is so well executed, since it's the only way to frame the image, as there's no built-in screen on the camera.
Shimano has included ANT+ wireless communication on the Sport Camera CM-1000, which allows for some additional pieces of data to spice up your video clips. Depending on what sensors you have on your bike, the CM-1000 can be set to read speed, cadence, power, heart rate, and even gearing information from a Shimano Di2 electronic drivetrain.
We haven't shot any footage yet, but the visual specs are encouraging: a maximum resolution of 2528x1422 pixels for videos and 2032x1526 pixels for still images; a fast f2.0 lens; and up to 243 minutes of recording time when using a 32GB microSD card and the highest resolution setting. Run time is only about two hours, though, and Shimano claims a recharge time of "less than four hours" for the integrated 950mAh Li-ion battery.
We're planning on gathering up footage in the coming days and weeks, and will also be doing some side-by-side comparisons against key competitors such as GoPro's latest Hero3+ Black and the Garmin Virb. Stay tuned for more.
via BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1rhZg9u
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