INTRODUCTION

   If you happen to visit YouTube a lot like we do you will have most possibly noticed an considerable increase in clips recorded with action cameras and car dash cameras from all around the world. Obviously this wasn't possible a few years back but the current state of technology along with the large number of companies in the market that focus in the design and manufacturer of such products have allowed consumers from virtually every segment to own one such device. Since we have both used and tested quite a few such devices we know firsthand of what you can expect from them both in terms of video/audio quality and features but as with everything else there are plenty of models in the market we have yet to get our hands on. Liquid Image is one of the oldest players and already counts 6 years in the market but it wasn't until just a couple of months ago that they send us their latest EGO 1080p/12MP Wi-Fi Xtreme Sport Camera to test.

   Based in California, Liquid Image Co® is a leading Action Camera manufacturer and the developers of the first in-goggle camera with the lens mounted at eye level, allowing for True POV video capture. Since the release of the first underwater camera mask in 2008, Liquid Image has continued to evolve and develop products for underwater, snow, and motocross markets. In addition, most models include HD video in 1080P at 30 frames per second, 720P at 60 frames per second for high action, and wind guarded audio recording. In 2012, Liquid Image released their first mountable camera, which is currently one of the world’s smallest wireless enabled cameras on the market. With over 150 products and 35 Action Cameras in the Xtreme Sport Cams™ division, Liquid Image has the largest selection of hands free Action Cameras and accessories on the market. Liquid Image products have been honored for design and functionality by the CEA organization multiple times. The streamlined and ergonomically designed sports equipment created by Liquid Image offers technology that is both easy to use and beneficial to athletic performance, all at an affordable retail price point. The products range from low priced models that appeal to vacationing families up to higher-level models for photographers, athletes and the savvy tech consumer.

   The moment we received the EGO Wi-Fi Xtreme Sport Camera we knew that it wasn't the most advanced action camera we've ever gotten our hands onto since it's basically the base model in the Liquid Image product line but still it offers a very compact design (smaller than most action camera models), Full HD 1080p recording at 30fps (HD 720p@60Fps) via a 3MP sensor, can take 12MP still pictures (even continuously), features Wi-Fi connectivity for software control and packs an 1030mAh internal rechargeable lithium battery that gives it up to 2 hours of recording time. Overall it seems like Liquid Image has released a budget friendly action camera. However none of the above matters much if the recording quality of the EGO is not good so let's take a closer look and see what its 3MP sensor if capable of.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Liquid Image EGO arrived inside a nice clear plastic package which allows you to see the device from all 5 sides while at the lower front you can also see some pictures showcasing possible uses.

On the right side you can see a picture of how the Wi-Fi feature works.

A small opening at the rear reveals the bundled camera cover.

Along with the EGO Sport Camera you will also get a plastic lens cover, flat mount, 3M double sided tape, USB charging cable, 8GB microSD card by SanDisk along with an SD adapter, warranty paper and the user’s manual in 4 languages.

THE EGO

The egg-shaped EGO is quite smaller than most action cameras we've ever encountered and so it measures 63.5mm in height, 30.5mm in length and 40.6mm in width while it weighs just 74g.

Here we placed the EGO right next to the Chameleon by Oregon Scientific and the S-50 Nitro Circus Edition by Rollei to showcase the difference in size.

The 3MP lens can record both Full HD and HD video at an angle of 135 degrees.

The mono microphone hole is placed right beneath the lens and right next to the activity LED (green for 720p, red for 1080p and blue for still pictures).

At the top we see the start/stop recording button, the power/on off button (can also be used to change modes and turn the WiFi on/off) and a small screen which indicates the current battery life, mode and the state of the WiFi.

On the right side there's a small rubber door which is used to cover the microSD slot, mini HDMI output, microUSB port and the reset switch.

Information regarding the EGO is printed at the rear.

Worth noticing is that the EGO includes a 8GB microSD card by SanDisk that allows it to record up to 85 minutes of Full HD video (not many models include a card in the bundle).

For this review we used the car mount send to us by Liquid Image (although the camera is inverted if used on the dash).

LIQUID IMAGE APP

You can download the Liquid Image control app on Android phones if you wish to see what it is that you are shooting and also to have a better and more complete control over the functions of the EGO.

So here aside the live feed you can adjust both the video (1080/720p) and image (3/5/12MP) quality, set the WiFi name and security, check information regarding the camera and choose between auto and manual exposure settings.

AUDIO/VIDEO QUALITY

As always we tested the action camera in our hands while on a road trip and as you can see for its size (and price) it yielded very good results (We skipped on serious night tests since the 3MP sensor was obviously not ment for night recordings. However we will update this review if the a new firmware improves image quality). Once again we chose to upload a short clip to our server (even that is roughly 30MB in size) and not YouTube to preserve the exact same quality so to download it directly just click on the above images (click and save as). We advise that you use QuickTime or Potplayer to playback the file since a flag error (we had to invert the file and for some reason no matter how many times we did we got the same flag error) makes it play upside down in Windows Media Player and other players like VLC.

CONCLUSION

   There are three types of manufacturers in the market as we speak, the ones who focus in performance (audio/video quality in our case), the ones who focus in price and the ones who try to find the sweet spot between both. Unfortunately judging by all the action camera models I’ve gotten my hands on most focus too much on price while others too much on performance while only a handful focus on both. The EGO is a product that seems to focus on both and although it doesn't offer excellent audio/video quality still it does very well compared to several other Full HD 1080p models. Of course it goes without saying that if audio/video quality is a very important factor for you then there is a large number of models in the market that offer that but since you always get what you pay for you can expect them to cost a lot more.

   Liquid Image currently offers the EGO WiFi Xtreme Sport Camera (price depends on the color) for USD144.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 148Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so it's safe to assume that the price is well justified. Overall it's quite clear that with the EGO 1080p/12MP Wi-Fi Xtreme Sport Camera the people over at Liquid Image did their best to offer a compact model with good audio/video quality and WiFi connectivity at a bargain price and since all of us here think they've achieved their goal we are awarding the EGO with our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Size
- Good Image/Audio Quality
- Built-In Wi-Fi
- Mini HDMI Output
- Liquid Image Android App
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Bundle (Just A Basic Mount Included)
- Night Recording Quality