Lay Techs: Tech for Laypeople

Last week's trek was pretty awesome, partly because the last time I was up there was about 11 years ago and mostly because the people I went with this time were the most insane. The other guy I was with actually stripped down to his shorts just below Low's Peak to have a picture taken!

I wanna thank Corezone Sdn Bhd for letting me test drive this camera for a week. I have to say, I'm contemplating not returning it.

Dee Lu told me the Roam's battery can last 2 hours, and can hold up to a 32GB SD Card. I didn't dare test it beyond it's limit because I didn't have easy access to neither a power plug nor a solar charger, and I don't know how many minutes of 1080p video can a 32GB take. Also my motivation was to make a less-than-10-minute video. 

The Eye

This thing shoots 1080p at 170 degree ultra-wide angle. You get good horizontal coverage, but the vertical side is a bit tight and require some experience to figure out. Good thing is I can pee with the video playing, and unless I have a 'Welcome To Malaysia Have A Nice Day' tattoo, it won't show. 

The lens rotates a good 180 degrees for odd mounting positions. Just hit the button at the back of the device and a red laser will guide you to a proper landscape view. Take that, GoPro! Although the warping effect at it's ends will make ladies pretty mad. 

Because the device I had came with a headband, it is pretty heavy and mounts on either side of my head so vigorous activities had me constantly re-adjusting it to prevent it from squashing my ear (I realize that the words 'mount' and 'vigorous' in a single sentence will cause thoughts to wander, so may I remind readers to remove minds from gutter). The video will also capture some of your temple, but that's fine by me. 

Standardization of Peripherals

It takes any Micro SD card, and it charges via a Micro USB port. This means I can watch and edit my clips using my Samsung S3, and charge the device with the same charger as the S3. The former being very important if I'm on a 20-day Annapurna Circuit Trek and limited storage on my cards, and if I want to make sure I get the perfect shot of that sunrise (with the device not having a view screen and all). 

Where It Goes

There are many different attachments depending on which sport you're going to use it for. As for me the best thing about the Roam is the tripod socket, simply because I'm also a photographer with a selection of tripods and monopods. Else the standard head strap works just fine. It is a Point-of-View Camera after all. 

I met another guy near Low's Peak with a GoPro. It wasn't until then that I understood why the Roam is a better device for mountaineering. You see headlamps are important in many sports, and the Roam tucks at the side of our heads so it will never get in the way of headlamps. Brilliant! 

Vomit Induction

I would prefer if the Roam comes with an image-stabilizing component, but then it would increase the size and weight. Our eyes and attention shift very quickly, and during the shift our heads know not to capture too much image for fear of nausea. But it's hard to tell your viewers to blink when the camera is moving around. And no I cannot start moving my head slowly just because I've got a video to shoot. May cause accidents on my end. 

Audio Downside

I know it's suppose to be water resistant and all that, but I find the microphone pretty disgusting. For one, I could only hear myself talk. The audio is better when listening through headphones though. The microphones in Olympus tough cameras are pretty good, and those things can submerge into water and take decent falls. I'm pretty sure they can do better with the Roam. It may already be too late for me, but you could read up on THIS article to ensure your Roam gives you proper audio.

I made a video from the clips I compiled during our trip to Mount Kinabalu. It's not saved in HD simply because I do not have the patience to wait for a lossless render to complete. Have a look! PS: Turn on Caption! 

                        

All in all I think this is a very decent device to have with you for trips you really want to document. I do hope I'll get a chance to test drive the GoPro just to get a better picture of their strengths and weaknesses.

Having had the opportunity to try this device out is not all good actually now my budget for next year's Annapurna Base Camp trip just got more expensive.