When it comes to action cameras, GoPro is the one that springs to mind for most as it has monopolized the market for so long. Today, TomTom announced that it is venturing into the action space with its new Bandit camera.
It will be priced at $475 and available online in May.
Like the new Garmin VIRB XE camera, the Bandit uses motion detectors and GPS to recognize what you’re doing and when to start recording. It then tags what you’ve captured by speed, accelaration, altitude and G-force. You can still make manual tags as well so separate your recordings.
It can be paired with your TomTom Runner, if you have one, to detect your heart rate which will trigger it to start recording whenever there’s a spike.
It’s waterproof down to 50metres (with an additional lens cap) and has a wide angle lens with a 16-megapixel sensor.
Video can be recorded in 1080p or 720p and there are more cinematic options to record at 4k15 and 2.7k30 as well.
Other features include slow-mo and time lapse capabilities and single shot or burst photography settings.
There is an accompanying iOS app that will be available at launch, which allows you to preview and edit your captures through your phone. TomTom has said that an Android will be available as well at a later date.
The app is probably the smartest part of this camera, it means you can edit on the go so you don’t need to be downloading or remembering to bring additional cables or card readers with you.
It will also pull together the highlights of whatever you have recorded if you just shake your phone. The camera knows what part of your video has the action in it because of the numerous sensors.
TomTom says you will get 3 hours of use from one charge, but that’s something I’ll have to confirm when I get my hands on one.
➤ TomTom Shakes up the Action Camera Market [TomTom]
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