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"Major improvements, a solid contestant in the sportcam market"
With a widened FOV to 90 degrees and some
new mounting options the new 2010 Tachyon XC is a new cam altogether and
is sure to heat up the sportcam market.
It's robust design and new 1/4 x 20
mounting option makes it a perfect candidate for securely mounting to
almost anywhere. Pictured here (using 3rd party ball and socket mount) in my favorite use of this cam is behind
my MT bike seat to video my buddies lagging behind ;-)
Pro's:
-
Much improved Field Of View (90
degrees)
-
Great price
-
Very sturdy unit
-
Good color/contrast
-
HUGE file storage capability (up to 32gb
SDHC)
-
Nice audible record/stop beep
-
Waterproof to 34 feet
-
The rail system is much improved
(seems to fit tighter) and the 1/4 x 20 threaded universal mount is
awesome (but other mounting systems still need work).
-
Drag-n-drop AVI files (most
applications - works well in Windows Movie Maker 2.6)
-
Has remote - (but it's on the large
side)
-
3D video recording possible with the
3D kit
-
Great mostly biodegradable minimal
packaging
Cons:
-
As mentioned above the rail system has
improved but the other mounting systems still need work.
With a simple addition of strap slots like I did
HERE
to their old
universal mount
they could make a 2-in-1 mount and get rid of the current helmet
mount that I find reluctant to use because of it's high profile.
-
Record on/off button a little hard to feel
and the time it takes to activate is too long.
-
Still a little on the heavy side.
-
Uses disposable batteries - go
rechargeable lithium ion battery packs please!
-
Poor sound, almost unusable. On an
editing side note, I use very little of the recorded sound anyway...
That's a wrap! Some sample video
HERE
NOTE:
Editing, rendering and posting of YouTube video reduces the quality,
even still the
results are excellent,
it will be even better when you watch it on your own TV or computer.
This cam has gone from
so-so to one of my most favorites in the "standard resolution" cam
category. The new FOV gives a great all around view, the price
(currently on sale on their website for $150) and the new sturdy
universal mount (combined with aftermarket mounting systems) all make
this a very desirable package.
Speaking of packaging,
I'll give them bonus points for
"green"
packaging - thank you.
On another note, this
package appears to be getting better by getting
smaller
with the new XC Micro (to be review soon!)
Bottom line:
Thumbs up! |
