INTRODUCTION

   Compact portable cameras (action cameras and spy cameras for most people) have come a long way since their introduction in the consumer market a few years back and so today many athletes consider them to be essential gadgets to record both their work and personal life. There are always some people who may look down on such devices because they simply can't compete with normal handheld models when it comes to image quality and features but action cameras are constantly improving in terms of specifications and on top of that they also get smaller something that allows manufacturers to place them even inside Wearables such as watches, hats, shirts, buttons, belts and glasses. Rollei has been manufacturing action cameras for many years now but it wasn't until last year that they released sunglasses with built-in action cameras and today we will be taking a look at their Sunglasses Cam 100 model.

   Rollei’s history goes back to the year 1920 and a workshop in Braunschweig. With the launch of the twin-lens Rolleiflex, a landmark film camera, Rollei quickly established a global reputation for precision engineering. A cult brand, it gave rise to its very own photo style in the 1950s and ’60s. In 2007 Hamburg-based RCP-Technik GmbH acquired the European rights to Rollei and since then has marketed Rollei consumer products with growing success. Rollei products are currently sold in more than 20 European countries. The Rollei product range features digital cameras, camcorders, action camcorders, digital picture frames, slide scanners, professional tripods as well as camera and iPhone accessories. Excellent service is assured for all Rollei products with the all-inclusive package for 24 months. If a defect is found within this time, the product can be returned and a new one received within eight days.

   Placing an action camera inside a pair of glasses is not the easiest thing and it does present manufacturers with certain limitations but still that didn't stop Rollei from using a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor capable of recording Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) resolution video at 30fps and HD 720p (1280x720) resolution video at 60fps. The sunglasses cam 100 model also comes equipped with a 550mAh lithium-polymer rechargeable battery, micro SD/SDHC card slot for cards up to 32GB, stereo recording microphone and two interchangeable glasses. True the features list of the sunglasses cam 100 model may not be as long as the ones we see with many of the latest action camera models but size and weight are a lot more important when we are talking about a pair of sunglasses so we never expected to see more than just the basics. Are the basics however enough to attract consumers? Well it’s time to find out.