While smartphones cameras and DSLRs may be great for capturing everyday photos, you can't really take them with you on an action-packed adventure trip. This is where action cameras come into the picture. They are ultra-compact, waterproof and can be mounted just about anywhere.
When we talk about action cameras, GoPro is generally the first name that comes to mind. The US-based company's range of action cameras is quite well-known. But that doesn't mean there aren't other competitors in the market. And one such is Hong Kong-based Astrum.
We used Astrum's recently-launched SC170 Sports Action Camera for a few days. So at a price of Rs 9,790, is this something you should consider buying? Here's the rest of our review.Design
Action cameras generally come with their own waterproof casings and with them, they all look pretty much identical. The same's the case with Astrum SC170. Weighing in at around 60g, it has a 1.5 inch LTPS LCD display. The power button is on the front, just next to the protruding lens. At the top is the shutter button with the power button on the front next to the protruding lens. The shutter is placed on the top with an LED flash, while the bottom houses a battery slot. Scroll buttons, which can be used to toggle between settings are located on the left, while a microUSB 2.0 port, a microSD card slot and a mini HDMI port are on the right.
There's a tiny speaker grille next to the scroll buttons. There are huge bezels around the relatively tiny display, which we found to be quite disappointing.The front of the SC170 has a matte finish, while the sides are textured. For the price, we think that the design is pretty good. Since the camera doesn't weigh much, the in-hand feel is also great.
Specifications
The Astrum SC170 Sports Action camera is waterproof up to 30M and has a CMOS sensor with 170-degree wide angle lens. It can record in three modes - Video, JPEG and Car. For still images, the maximum resolution (JPEG) is 12MP, while the three different shooting modes - single, self-timer and burst photographs are also there. Full HD video can be recorded at 30fps and HD resolution video can be recorded at 60fps.
It is backed by a 900mAh battery, which is claimed to be good enough for one and a half hour of continuous video recording on a single charge. If you take a couple of pictures a day, the battery can last around 2-3 days. Connectivity options include USB 2.0, microUSB, HDMI (Type-D) and Wi-Fi. There's also support for microSD cards of up to 32GB in size.
Since the SC170 is an action camera, we tested it for recording underwater as well. The results are pretty great, but still images turn out to be dull and blurry. We tried using the camera underwater, the results are great but pictures were dull and blurry. The only thing that we found to be lacking in the SC170 is that the recorded videos and pictures can't be previewed directly on the action camera. You have to transfer them to a computer to see them.
Astrum SC170 Sports Action Camera comes with different types of mounts that can be used to attach it to anything from cars and bikes to helmets. There are multiple settings for adjusting the video quality, as well as different picture modes and features like self-timer available.
VerdictAstrum's SC170 Sports Action Camera is proof that you don't to shell out crazy amount of money to capture your adventures. At a price of Rs 9,790, it's definitely a must have. If you're looking for a well-rounded sports action camera that won't burn a big hole in your packet, go for the Astrum SC170.
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