Ok, so this isn’t an in-depth technical review of the HTC RE Camera as such, but I’ve been playing around with one for the last few weeks on my travels and it’s a pretty nice piece of kit with some cool features worth talking about.
So what is it?
Basically the RE Camera is a waterproof, 16MP camera capable of shooting 1080p 30fps FHD videos and images with a MicroSD slot for up to 128GB of storage. There is no zoom and no viewfinder, you just hold it up and ‘click’. Keep the button down for a few seconds and you’ll be shooting video. Job done.
It looks like a mini periscope, it’s light and portable and fits nicely in the hand. The camera will switch on when you pick it up and it connects via bluetooth easily with your smartphone (iOS or Android) enabling you to save images to your phone or use it purely as a viewfinder.
You can also remotely send the images to Google, or straight to a dropbox account so they are safe and sound.
But, I know what you’re thinking – why do I need another camera when I’ve got one on my phone already?
Well, the answer is… you probably don’t. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one.
For example, you don’t always want to get your phone out at parties or spend two minutes opening the phone app as the smiles slip gradually away from your friends faces. The RE Camera is small enough to fit into your trouser pocket and can capture the moment before it’s over in a way that your phone can’t.
It’s also much less worrying to give a RE Camera to someone else to borrow rather that handing them your £600 phone will all your personal info on it.
It has a nice wide lense and you can also set it to ultra-wide for a fish-eye effect and because it is waterproof you can take it places you definitely wouldn’t risk taking your phone.
Battery life is pretty decent too and if you’re not using it every five minutes it will last more than a few days on one charge.
Overall, the RE Camera’s real strength is in it’s potential for spontaneity. It’s a great way to take pics on the fly and for that reason alone it’s definitely worth a look at.
Con’s
no viewfinder or zoom
fish eye lens not suitable for all situations.
video resolution slightly pixelated in lower light.
can be hard to get your image completely straight (see above)
You need to keep the camera still to avoid blurring.
Pro’s
Fun to use – it’s perfect for parties / sharing / time-lapse videos (cough – spying on people).
Good results / images.
Simple software – just works and easy to use.
Waterproof and durable.
Reasonable battery life.
FUN!
Tech Specs
High Resolution Optical Sensor
16MP sensor shoots 1080p 30fps FHD videos
Long-Lasting Battery Power
Capture up to 1,200 16MP photos on a single charge
Expandable Memory
MicroSD slot provides up to 128GB of additional storage
Waterproof Construction – Submersible up to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Priced from around £120 with SD card included. For more info visit www.htc.com/uk/re/re-camera
Here’s a time lapse video I did while in Mont Blanc. It’s actually two shots put together as I didn’t get a chance to charge the battery properly.
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