INTRODUCTION

   As you will have undoubtedly noticed for the past year or so we've focused quite a bit in bringing all reviews of many of the latest action camera and car dash camera models to hit the market. My personal opinion is that car dash cameras are much more useful than regular action cameras since they can be of assistance in case of an accident helping you save both time and money (not to mention that in some countries your care insurance fees are reduced if you happen to use one such model). However since most action cameras can also be used as dash cameras just by purchasing a dash mount there isn't that much distance between the two. However although most models we've tested to date combined very good image and audio quality with several interesting features in the end none of them was compact enough to be also be carried around as a camcorder. Rollei obviously thought of that issue and released the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 a tiny 720p capable camera.

   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.

   720p HD resolution (@30fps) may not be something special nowadays but thanks to both its tiny size, extremely low weight and WiFi capability not only can the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 be used as a wearable camera but it can also be used for surveillance purposes without attracting attention. Unfortunately a tiny size means that the lens can't be as good as the ones used in a good action camera and the same goes for the capacity of the battery but lucky for us Rollei was able to squeeze a 700mAh rechargeable lithium-ion one that can keep it going for roughly 100 minutes. That's not all however and so Rollei has even made it possible for the end user to also use the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 as a computer web-cam and as a two-way intercom thanks to the integrated speaker and microphone. Other not so "impressive" features include 100 degree wide angle lens, automatic exposure correction, shutter speed of 1/8000 ~ 1/30 seconds, real-time clock function and a minimum light level of 10 lux for video recording. How do all these translate in real life performance however is up to us find out once again.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Rollei packs the device inside a small box with a clear plastic section at the front from where you can actually see it prior to purchasing it. The main features are listed beneath that section in German.

You can find the features and specifications lists at the rear in German and English.

Some of the possible uses for the camera are showcased on the left side while listed on the opposite side are its main features.

Excluding the Mini-WiFi Camcorder the box also contains the underwater housing, suction cup, wall, clip and magnetic mounts, USB cable, AC adapter with Euro/UK plugs, two tripod mounts, lanyard, strap, user’s manual and warranty card.

THE MINI-WIFI CAMCORDER 1

Right from the box the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 is placed inside the underwater protective housing which is waterproof for up to 5 meters and a period of up to 60 minutes (both weigh a total of 97g).

Alone the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 measures just 48x48x17mm and weighs just 38 grams (to showcase just how small it is we placed next to one of our smartphones).

Rollei has used 100 degree wide angle lens capable of recording 720p@30fps MP4 video (4Mbps Bitrate) and taking 1280x720p still pictures in JPG format.

At the rear of the camera we see 4 indicator LEDs (video mode, still mode, WiFi on, WiFi to cloud feature).

You can turn the device on/off and switch between modes with these two buttons found on the left side.

The microSD card slot (supports cards up to 64GB in capacity) and the microUSB charging/access port are placed on the right side.

A large start/stop recording button is placed at the top of the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1.

USING THE MINI WIFI CAMCORDER 1

Unfortunately since Rollei hasn't developed a smartphone app for the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 you will need to use the more "generic" Unieye app.

Through here you can see what the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 is looking at either in one half of the screen or on the entire screen, listen to whatever's happening and use the build-in speaker to communicate with whoever is on the other end.

Settings-wise you can't play around with much since this is a generic application but you can enable/disable sound, choose the TV system of your area and connect the device to the CLOUD (via Ustream).

AUDIO/VIDEO QUALITY

Instead of leaving the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 someplace to record people and/or cars passing by i decided to take it for a quick ride in the center of Athens to see whether or not it can also be used as an action/dash camera and although quality is not the best (my issue is mostly with the not so vibrant colors) still it did ok (not so much at night however so we found no need to upload that clip). As always instead of using YouTube (and thus reducing quality) we chose to upload the day clip to our server (be sure to lower the volume of your speakers since the microphone is too sensitive) so to download them directly just click on the above images (click and save as).

CONCLUSION

   Rollei has proven to be one of those companies that do their best with pretty much everything they release and although the Mini WiFi Camcorder 1 is not a great piece of hardware still it offers things we don't see a lot in the industry. Amongst the good things is obviously it's very small size, built-in microphone and speaker, WiFi connectivity, CLOUD streaming support, battery life and very good bundle while on the other side we have the not so good resolution of the 1MP CMOS sensor (although for most people it should be ok) and the lack of vibrant colors. Of course I’m quite positive that Rollei could resolve the colors issue by releasing a firmware update (if the device supports such function) but for now things are not what they could be in the image quality department and in a way that's frustrating because that's the only thing holding back this otherwise quite impressive product.

   Another important factor when looking at such devices is of course the price tag and here Rollei has once again done quite well since you can purchase it directly from their official website for just 109.99Euros (free shipping). Certainly the price could have been even lower had Rollei not included so many mounts in the package but during testing we ended up using 3 of those inside a period of 1 month so i bet people may even use all of them eventually. Overall a very good product held down primarily by its color reproduction and although that would be cause for us to not award it at all still we can ignore its many features and amazing bundle which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Tiny Size (48x48x17mm)
- Weight (38g)
- Built-In Microphone And Speaker
- Integrated WiFi
- WiFi To CLOUD Streaming
- Web-Cam Feature
- 700mAh Li-Ion Battery (100 minutes)
- Bundle Contents 

CONS

- Image Sharpness
- Color Reproduction