Action cameras are a new breed of camcorder. They have been designed to capture video where no other camcorder would dare to! They are rugged, water resistant and come with a host of mounting options so you can attach them exactly where you want! They usually sport wide angle lenses to make sure you don’t miss any action. They have become popular with skiers, mountain bikers, paragliders, snowboarders, skydivers and bikers to name just a few. And they have recently become very popular with road cyclists attached to their helmets to record road traffic incidents – see our blog post and this recent BBC article.

We have researched the best action camera we could find and came up with the Drift HD170. It records in full high definition for superb quality and detail. It’s the only camera in its class to feature an LCD screen which makes setting up and playing back recordings easy or indeed possible! It comes with a generous selection of mounts included in the price, from helmet mounts to handlebar mounts to ski goggle mounts! And it even comes with a nifty remote control which makes recording so easy wherever you have the camera mounted. And the “170” in HD170 refers to the super wide angle lens which records a huge field of vision. The lens even rotates which makes lining up your camcorder easy wherever you have it mounted.

Please take a look at our videos below. The first video reviews the camera and the second video shows full HD footage from the camera for you see see first hand the quality. Please select the quality you wish to view the video from the drop down box towards the bottom right of the video . You can also select full screen by clicking on the bottom right icon. 

Manfufacturer's details

The Drift HD170 is the worlds first sports action camera which films in full HD and has a playback screen and remote control. This rugged water resistant camera is the first camera that gives people what they want from an Action Camera:

• Full HD for creating crystal clear footage
• A playback screen for lining up shots and the ability to play back the footage right away
• A remote control to enable you to film what you want to record, not the boring stuff in between
• Easy to use mounts so you can use it whenever you want and mount it anywhere your imagination allows you. The shape of the camera and the mounts it comes with make it the easiest camera out there to use

If that isn′t enough the camera also has the following :

• A rotating lens so you can mount the camera at any angle and any position to get that shot you are looking for
• It can take photos, put it in the photo burst mode and you can take pictures every few seconds for as long as your memory card lasts. If you don′t get a decent photo then you need to do something else or give the camera to someone else who can really use it
• You can pair the remote control to your camera, chances are your mates will have the same camera, no turning off their camera just before they hit the tree
• A zoom function so you can get even closer to the action or your friend in front
• An external microphone so no more listening to wind noise, great for in-car filming
• Night mode so you can record in darker and duskier conditions

Features  

• Maximum Video Resolution: 1080p High Definition
• SD Memory Capacity: up to 32GB
• Still Photo: 5 megapixel with Photoburst Mode
• Digital Zoom: Digital x4 (in 720p & WVGA mode)
• Lens Angle: 170° Fully Rotatable Wide Angle Lens
• LCD Screen: 1.5″ Colour TFT
• Water Resistant
• Remote Control: Wireless RF (5m range) Hands Free Video and Photo
• Mounts: Multiple Mounting Design
• Audio: Built-in Microphone & Speaker
• Menus: User Friendly Control Panel in 7 Languages

 Contents 

• HD170 Action Camera
• Remote Control
• Handlebar Grip
• Goggle Mount
• Head Strap
• Helmet Grip
• Universal Clip
• Velcro Strap
• Industrial strength velcro adhesive pad
• Component Cable for HD playback on TV
• USB Cable for downloading to a computer
• Lithium Battery
• Quick Guide to get started

 Specifications

• Sensor type: CMOS
• Water Resistant
• Video resolution: 1080p, 720p & WVGA
• Video format: H.264
• File format: .MOV
• Frames per second: 30 FPS
• Video format: 16:9
• Lens Rotation: 300°
• Recording Angles: 127° in 1080p, 170° in 720p & WVGA
• White balance: Auto
• Exposure: Auto / Manual (advanced users)
• Zoom: Digital x4 (in 720p & WVGA mode)
• Remote range: 10 ft. range
• Built-in Microphone
• Inputs: Optional External Microphone
• AV Output: HDTV out (cable included)
• Battery: 1110mAh rechargeable lithium-ion/ Optional 1700 mAh Li-ion rechargeable.
• Power-Save option saves batteries by powering down the screen
• Built-in memory: 32 MB
• SD memory capacity: Supports memory cards up to 32 GB
• Photo resolution: 5 Megapixel
• LCD screen: 1.5″ colour TFT
• Lens focal range: 0.5m to infinity
• Dimensions: Camera – 133 (L) x 50 (D) x 33 (W) mm / Remote Control 52 (L) x 40 (W) x 13 (D) mm
• Power: Camera – DC 3.7V / Remote control: DC 3C, 1x CR2032 battery (included)
• RF: Receiver (Camera): 433.92MHz ISM band / Transmitter (Remote): 433.92MHz ISM band
• Weight: Camera – 138g / Remote control – 19g
• Operating Systems: Compatible with Windows 7, XP & Vista; Mac OS 10.2