INTRODUCTION

   Even less than a decade ago action cameras were pretty much nonexistent so people actually had to mount normal handheld camcorders onto their bodies (helmets, hands, waist) and vehicles something which was neither very easy nor convenient due to size, weight and of course durability issues/limitations (especially for use with Xtreme sports). With the introduction of action cameras a few years back this changed and so now people can actually record up to FullHD content via very small and extremely durable camcorders which are also quite affordable (always compared to their full sized cousins). GoPro and Contour are without doubt the first two names that immediately come to mind when talking about action cameras but they are far from the only manufacturers around and so naturally with the obvious increase of sales in that segment of the market several manufacturers have joined as well. One of them is Oregon Scientific and today we will be testing their ATC9K FullHD 1080p Water Proof Action Camera.

   Oregon Scientific is a global brand and creator of electronic products for today’s lifestyles. Its innovative products are the combination of cutting-edge US technology and stylish European design that build a bridge between people and technology, helping them understand their environment and enhance their daily lives. Established in the US in 1989, Oregon Scientific is both the inventor and market leader for Smart Clocks and Home Weather Stations. These two principal areas of expertise remain at the center of Oregon Scientific’s core competencies. Besides the award-winning Time and Weather collection, Oregon Scientific has successfully developed four other lifestyle enhancing product collections : Sports and Fitness, Telecommunications, Digital Media and Electronic Learning collections.

   Much like most action cameras the ATC9K comes with a wide range of capabilities and so aside the ability to capture video in FullHD 1080p@30 fps or 720p@60fps you can also use it to take very good still pictures with its 5 mega-pixel sensor (3M/5M mode). Other features of the ATC9K are the very decent wide field of view (FOV) set at 130 degrees which is almost the ideal angle (around 145 degrees is the ideal angle for me) since objects in the picture are neither too large nor too small, 20m water proof rugged housing for Xtreme sports use, 1.5" color LCD screen, G-Sensor used to measure acceleration (quite useful for fast moving use) and a laser pointer which allows you to make sure you're actually aiming the camera in the right direction without checking the rear screen. That's not the end however and so Oregon Scientific also offers a separately sold GPS sensor which fits inside the housing and can be used to measure both distance and speed with the help of Google Maps. How do all of the above work out in the end, well let’s find out.