The Action Shot Video Camera is an affordable POV device

Anyone who has ever seen Return of The Jedi is immediately drawn to mountain biking.   Those scenes where the speeder bikes are zipping around the trees on single track are the POV that every cyclist sees.  In their heart of hearts, every cyclist thinks about that movie scene once or twice when they’re on the trial.

You don’t need to live in the mountains or even Endor in order to enjoy mountain biking or document what it’s like.  The Action Shot Video Camera is a serviceable and affordable POV device that fits on your handlebars, helmet or board.    It retails for just under $50, so it really is a device that anyone who enjoys outdoor activities can afford.

The base unit comes with the camera, mounting case, helmet strap and dongle.  The dongle is what charges the camera, just connect it to your computer and the camera will charge in two hours. The Action Shot can shoot in two different quality modes of video, as well as, taking one picture or a time lapse mode where it takes a photo every 2 seconds. Once you figure the camera out it really is neat.

One thing to be careful of is that when the camera is in its mounting case you may not be able to hear the beeps or see the light indicator if you’re in the sunlight.  This could be especially problematic if you’ll be using the camera in the snow.  It took us a couple of runs to where we could operate the camera between all of the different modes.  Here’s a ride we took recently with the Action Shot mounted on the handlebars.

The Action Shot does have an optional video monitor snaps onto the back of the camera, allowing you to replay the action immediately.  Otherwise you will have to hook up the camera to your computer in order to watch things.

Bottom line

The Action Shot is a nice, entry level POV camera for basic sport enthusiasts. If you have a child that would like to see themselves cycling or skiing this camera is perfect.  It’s not a toy, per se, but is found near the toys and its recommended age of 7+ reflects who they’re targeting.  On the base entry the resolution on the camera setting is low and the video quality is a bit grainy.  Having said that, the camera is only $50; if you’re really into action sports you should get the HD version, which is only $100.  The HD version shoots at more than double the speed and has a 5MP camera.

You can follow Action Shot on Twitter or on Facebook to learn more.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received an Action Shot Camera for the purpose of this review.