Mountain Biking Resources .com

What MTB Riders Want – When & Where They Want It

ProductX POV iPhone Camera Case for Video and Photos – A Review

3

A few weeks ago, I received an email from the guys at ProductX asking whether I’d like to review their new iPhone Point Of View (POV) Camera Case. I hadn’t considered making video before, although I do enjoy watching other people’s POV Mountain Biking videos. I gladly took the opportunity though, as the chance to try something new and review what looked like a cracking little product really appealed to me.

Please read on, or watch the video review I made using the product, which I’ve embedded lower in this review.


Basic Facts And Useability

This iPhone Camera Case was invented by people who wanted a simple solution to shooting MTB video on the go without spending huge amounts of money on new kit.

£25 gets the case delivered to anywhere in the UK. If you’re outside the UK, contact the guys to find out how much it’ll be for you.

The product is a durable zip-close case, with a flexible plastic clip attached, through which two adjustable straps are threaded. These straps can be fixed to you – usually your pack, but you’re free to find somewhere better if you want because the straps can be fastened around pretty much anything.Your iPhone slides into the case and there’s a satisfying “clunk” when it gets home.  You can then zip the case shut and a clear plastic screen allows you to use your phone as normal – the straps might get in the way a bit, but it’s definitely useable.

I found that I could set off Cyclemeter, my tracking app then open the Video app ready to go.  By fastening the case so that I could reach the “+” and “-“ buttons easily, I could switch video on and off easily on the move – so no need to record everything and waste battery power/memory: just video the awesome bits of your ride. Your phone emits a helpful “beep!” and “bibeep!” noise when the recording goes on and off.

Best Points (in my opinion)

Price – £25 is 8.3% of the recommended price of a GoPro kit.  I don’t need to say any more on that issue, do I? It’s amazing value.

Quality – The fisheye lens gives perfectly acceptable video results, and I’ve tried it for photos too. You might not win any BAFTAs for the technical quality of your Youtube or promotional videos, but the quality from your iPhone with this case is surprisingly good.

Ease Of Use – I never thought I’d really enjoy making video, but this little case makes it a doddle. I’ve read reviews of other POV cameras for MTB use, and they all seem to be quite fiddly to use. The magic of the iPhone is that it’s really easy to make video. With some simple video editing software on your laptop, your Youtube popularity is only limited by your talent on a bike (or how hilarious your falling off is).

A Note About Video Editing: I used Microsoft Movie Maker to make my video, which came preinstalled free with my laptop. It was very simple to use. Don’t go spending money on expensive editing software if you’re not convinced you’re going to use it a lot. There’s really no need.

Worst Points (in my opinion)

The Zips – they rattle. A lot. You can hear them in the video within this article. BUT, if you fasten them under the straps when you attach the case to yourself, they’re kept silent.  Once I figured this out, the rattling noise disappeared, so if you pay attention to one thing in this review, fasten the zips away, ok?

Adjusting The Angle – This issue isn’t peculiar to this case. In fact most of the popular POV cameras, whilst costing a squillion pounds more, don’t have any preview facility. Your iPhone does have a screen which clearly shows what you’re recording. The trouble is that the screen’s up against your shoulder when fastened on your pack, so you can’t see it. I took the case on a late summer ride last week and captured some excellent quality footage of my legs, top tube and front wheel (curses!) on a cracking descent down the Pennines near home. Just remember to point the lens higher than you think you should to avoid similar wasted opportunities – you’ll have to work out the best way to do this with your own pack as the case doesn’t have any kind of ball joint. So far, the best angle I’ve achieved has been putting the case on my pack’s horizontal strap across my fulsome belly, but I’ll find a good place on the pack’s shoulder strap soon.

Who Should Buy a ProductX iPhone Camera Case?

1. Anyone who wants to do some video, has an iPhone and doesn’t want to spend £300 on a GoPro.

2. Parents, you can buy this when your kids ask for a GoPro, if you’ve already bought them an iPhone and are now in poverty. When the novelty wears off and your kid stops posting all his/her rides to Youtube, you won’t have wasted £300.

Basically, anyone thinking of getting into making videos but who isn’t sure whether to invest the money and time yet. It’s the most cost-effective way I can think of to give yourself all the raw materials at a tiny fraction of the cost of the most popular systems.

Buy the ProductX Camera Case for your iPhone by following this link. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

(If you’re looking for a handlebar mount for your iPhone instead, read this other review which I did a little while ago)

3 Comments

So, what do you think ?