The Drift Innovation X170 is made for those with a budget in mind. It shoots both standard definition sport videos and 5MP stills to capture all the action from a wide variety of perspectives.
Features:
• DVD resolution video (720x480 pixels)
• CMOS sensor
• 5 mega pixels photos
• Wide angle lens - 170°
• Lens can be rotated into position through 300°
• Built-in LCD viewing screen - 1.5”
• Capture photos / videos
• Built-in microphone
• Speaker for audio playback
• User friendly control panel
• Expandable memory – SD card (16GB max)
• Adjustable microphone levels
• Direct to TV AV playback – NTSC and PAL
• Radio frequency wireless remote control (Up to 5m)
• Multiple mounting mechanism including standard 1/4” (8mm) camera thread
• Multilingual Instructions Manual and Menu Settings: 6 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese)
• Waterproof to 0.5 m (1.7 ft)
• 1 year manufacturers warranty.
Overview:
The Drift X170 has a bunch of features that definitely make it stand out from its competitors.
The first thing we noticed when playing with the camera was the color LCD screen. Setting up shots couldn’t be easier and the ability to review footage on the fly is priceless. It’s also very easy to navigate through the on-screen menu to change any video or photo settings on the fly.
Another feature that really impressed us was the rotating lens, which gives users a lot more flexibility when mounting the camera. The camera doesn’t always have to be upright; it can also be mounted sideways or upside down with an easy twist of the lens, post-production flipping or the use of excessive conversion mounts are no longer necessary.
The Drift X170 also comes with a wireless remote that works up to 16 feet (5 m) away. Although this may tend to get in the shots from time to time and may be unnecessary at others, it definitely has its advantages for certain sports and angles.
Mounting Options:
Unlike other point of view cameras, the Drift comes ready to play with a wide range of mounts. Included in the box are the bicycle mount, helmet mount, head strap mount, goggle mount and even a wrist mount for the remote control. On top of those, there is a standard tripod thread in the camera itself, a thoughtful idea that just makes sense. The threaded tripod mount gives you the ability to use many other available mounts.
Not only does the Drift shoot video, it also captures 5 Mega Pixel photos. We found it a bit confusing trying to figure out when the camera is actually taking the photo because it has two separate beeps in the process but the pictures seemed to turn out pretty nice.
Actual photo taken with the Drift X170
Along with such a low price for a fun piece of equipment come a few shortfalls when compared to higher priced offerings.
When viewing back the video on a large computer monitor we quickly realized that the video quality is, well Standard Definition and not the same quality when compared to its pricier HD camera stepbrothers. The quality is very comparable to the SD GoPro, which makes sense given the similar price point. This is due to the lower end CMOS sensor, which not only leaves more artifacts on the screen at times, but also places a black dot in front of the sun if it’s visible in any of your shots. The other thing we noticed is that the exposure is adjusted in large steps rather than small increments. This makes the adjustments more noticeable when looking back at the footage.
Although we prefer HD, it is important to note that not everyone can view and/or edit HD video. These file sizes are generally quite big and a major drain on your computers resources. There is also the requirement of an HD display in order to get the full benefits of it. Currently, SD is the most widely used format for both online and offline broadcasting.
We also noticed that the Drift X-170 is slightly bulkier than we would like. It’s not much of an issue for most mounting options but we found the camera a bit heavy for the included head strap mount and for mounting on the front of our cross-country style helmet. It would be better to mount it on the side of a helmet. If you are using a full-face or a study dirt jumping (hard hat style helmet) the Drift will work just fine.
Interestingly enough, the Drift X170 weights in at 4.5 oz (128g), compared to 4.9 oz (139 g) GoPro Helmet Hero. Drift’s lower mounting profile means, you will not have it knocked or snagged by low hanging trees or branches when mounted on top of a helmet or other gear.
The bicycle mount could use a bit of improvement. You only have two options: mount it with or without the rubber cushion inside the ring. We found that while it works fine on some parts of the bike, other parts of the bike do not fit properly into the mount. In this photo you can see that we couldn’t tighten the mount enough for the camera to stay upright on the chain stay.
This can be easily solved with a bit of extra tape or rubber strips from an old bike inner tube, so don’t be afraid to be creative. It would be nice if Drift Action Cams starts including different size inserts for this mount.
Another thing to keep in mind is the battery type. AA batteries are required to run the camera, meaning you’re either buying new batteries on regular basis or you have to purchase rechargeable batteries. We found that the alkaline batteries included only lasted for about 1.5 hours. According to the Drift website these batteries are just testers, and it’s recommended to buy the Energizer NiMH rechargeable batteries which can last up to 4 hours dependent on the operating temperature.
If you are thinking of buying batteries and charger, for $60 more the Drift X-170 MegaPack is a good choice.
In addition to the Drift X170 Package, the MegaPack includes Suction Cup Mount, Battery Charger with 2 x AA Rechargeable Batteries, Car Power Adapter, SD Card Reader and 8GB SDHC Card.
Test Videos:
Summary:
At the end of the day, you’re getting a point of view camera package ready for action. Although the quality isn’t the best on the market, it’s certainly holds its own compared to similarly priced cameras.
If you are looking for a standard definition camera with lots of prepackaged mounting options, an LCD screen and a remote control, the Drift Innovation X170 is the camera for you.
Priced at $199 The Drift is the best camera with an LCD and remote under $300 by far.
With the color LCD screen, setting up shots couldn’t be easier. The on-screen menus are very easy to navigate so changing any video or photo settings is a snap. Plus, the ability to review footage on the fly is priceless.
All of this means you will be shooting and sharing your videos and photos with ease. Show of your daily pursuits from your unique point of view. It’s like having a digital phone camera in your pocked, only much better.
[The video was taken with a Gopro HD Hero in 720p. Processing with Virtual Dub: Quicktime Plugin, rotation 180°, deshaker]
The video was taken in northern Bavaria in march 2010, the snow has just melted away…
Compared to my older videos which were suffering from serious ‘jello effect’ this video has much improved:
For vibration dampening I use a sponge (a viscose sponge like the ones typically used for washing cars - about 17x17x5 cm in size - BTW it can be cut easily with a sharp knive), which is glued between the camera mounting plate and another plate that is screw-fastened to the camera mounting plate on the lower side of the hexakopter. In order to prevent dangling of the camera (the sponge is too soft) I use two stripes of tape (4 cm broad). These connect the camera mounting plate with the transparent cap.
Apart from this balancing the rotors with small strips of tape had a significant effect on image stability.
Now I can make (almost) jello-free videos even with 1080p (coming soon).
The deshaker plugin provides some additional smoothing.
If video is suffering from progressive scan artifacts (jello-like image distortions) then the deshaker cannot fix this, but it does a great job in softening the movements of the complete image.
[Here is some 5dm2 footage from the Observed Trials Demo @ Red deer with some helmet cam put in! Video By: Mitch Brown Song - The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize. w/ VholdR ContourHD1080p footage]
2010 RED DEER MOTORCYCLE SHOW
Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts from the community of Red Deer, Alberta were entertained at 6 shows, over 3 days at the 2010 event.
With 3 and 4 people deep spectators around a thousand foot area filled with man made obstacles and an old Plymouth, the Second Gear Club had a great time displaying just what you can do with a trials motorcycle. Riders Stephen Foord, Steve Doel, Heather Wall, Matt Coonfer, Max Josey and Lexi Pechout displayed Expert to Novice level skills. Then the Experts showed off some of their tricks with these torquey machines.
By the end of each show, the crowds were growing along with the spirit of the riders as they became ever more competent over each obstacle and even encouraging some trusting volunteers to lie down on the floor, 3 people thick, and have experts jump over them! A thrill for sure! The riders and numerous other members of the club built a new trials demo trailer that essentially unfolds transforming into a big box with various ramps and obstacles attached to it. A crowd pleaser that has our members inspired to participate in more trials demonstrations this year.
Thank you to the Red Deer Motorcycle Show and staff for inviting our club to participate, organizing the used car and booth to promote the club and providing a super venue.
Thank you to our volunteers for the setup of obstacles and the spotting of the riders. Of course, none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the continued support of sponsors, specifically McKee Homes, Dr Doug Doel of Motion Chiropractic, Manor Real Estate Ltd. & MRSI who generously donated funding to support our trials demos!
The Second Gear Motorcycle Club (www.secondgearclub.com) is a not-for-profit registered society that promotes motorcycle events throughout Alberta.
Events include 6 race oval ice series, 5 observed trials and 5 hare scrambles and a street tour annually. With over 300 members and a core of 60+ volunteers, this club puts on a great show for spectators and an opportunity for racers of all abilities to compete.
New in 2010, a group of these members (riders at the Red Deer Motorcycle Show demo) created their own organization, the Offroad Motorcycle Training Institute, a not-for-profit society, to promote education by teaching experienced riders to be instructors as well as offering schools for all levels of riders.
[Saturday 3/6 riding out at Tokul in Fall City, Washington. Shot with a GoPro HD at 720p, 60fps. First time using the GoPro and the chest mount (obvious from the downward angle).]
First time out with the GoPro HD and I have to say I’m impressed. The christening of the GoPro took place at Tokul East in Fall City, Washington. It is a great spot for winter riding and has a pretty good selection of trails to choose from… it’s basically the only place I go during the winter.
In setting up the GoPro for the first ride I made a couple decisions on settings and mounts that seemed to work out pretty well. First of all I chose to ride in the 720p, 60fps setting (r3) as I definitely wanted 60fps with the forest setting and the speed at which I try to ride at (don’t want the sides of the video to be choppy in 30fps).
[Saturday 3/6 riding out at Tokul in Fall City, Washington. Shot with a GoPro HD at 720p, 60fps. First time using the GoPro and the chest mount (obvious from the downward angle). ]
After watching my own fair share of helmet cam footage I decided to try out my friends chest mount for the ride as I really like being able to see the bike in the shot. I had it about 90-95% of the way through its arc towards being fully pointed up (pretty much parallel to my body), and I think I will definitely put it up 100% of the way as I think the angle was a bit low at times (especially when things got steep). The chest mount is also great for training purposes as you are able to see your body position, timing of your braking, and how well you are moving the bike in general. The chest mount is SO easy to use and you don’t even notice it when it is on. Next time out I am going to try a side mount helmet angle to see how I like it and get more perspective, although I think the chest mount is going to be the favorite position for more aggressive riding.
On this trip I went up with one of my friends, Ty, who you see in my favorite moment of the video, being the flowpark fail. The weather was great, as it has been for much of this surprisingly dry PNW winter, and Tokul was in prime shape. I have significantly more footage than is shown in this video as there are a decent number of trails to explore at Tokul but I picked the highlights in order to import the video in the highest quality. I have literally zero video editing experience and just used Microsoft Movie Maker and music I could find in my iTunes. If you live in the Seattle area and haven’t been up to Tokul East I highly recommend it.
For the record my crash at the end looks much worse than it actually was, as I really had a glancing impact with the tree and my bike took more of the impact. You can actually hear me laughing the whole time because I thinking about how stupid I was going to look on video.
In terms of my future plans for the GoPro, I’m road-tripping to Moab in 9 days so I should have some more footage in the coming weeks. I also have a couple mounting ideas and will try to improve my editing skills (or lack thereof). I just wish there was a way to post the video in the same quality that it is on my computer (maybe I’m missing something, if so please fill me in). Hope this was helpful for some beginner GoPro helmet cam users and gave the rest some entertainment with my best George of the Jungle impression.
