I heard about the RidEye camera through social media quite a long time ago. I then backed it through Kick Starter. This camera had a lot of promise so why has it taken me so long to write a review?
I have two GoPros, one for the front (Hero 3 Silver) and one for the rear (Hero 1). To be honest, when I finally received the camera, I wasn't sure if I wanted it anymore.
However, I installed it.
To give a fair comparison, I had them pretty much side by side. Here is some video of the comparison:
The first two things you notice are the blue hue and the vibration in the RidEye. It was raining, hence the crash. Yet the RidEye shows the sky as being blue. The mount is horrible. I did receive the newer mount but did not ever get a chance to test it.
The RidEye was then mounted on the rear of the bike. I removed the existing mount. As I had not ordered a GoPro mount (pretty silly on my behalf) I used a K-Edge mount instead.
It is mounted upside down, however the RidEye is smart enough to record upside down so the footage appears the right way up when viewing it on your computer. Pretty damn cool!!
The RidEye is designed to be like a video "black box". If it detects a knock, it will save the footage. The camera records and will not stop when the internal memory card (not replaceable or able to upgrade) is full. It simply overwrites the oldest footage. The detection of a knock (or pressing the on/off button) changes the file name so it will not ever be overwritten. As I had a 32GB model, this was never really a problem for me.
It also has fantastic battery life. My tests (at 720) gave me a consistent 8.5 hours recording time. My GoPro 3 is lucky to last 4 hours with the extra battery attached.
So why is the RidEye no longer being used? I certainly love the camera. However, my camera died. I had finished a group ride and wanted to use the footage to create a video but discovered the camera refused to "power" on. There is power as the blue LED works but you need it to turn red to access footage, etc. I have contacted Cedric and he is happy to replace it. I will be shipping it back to him. However I feel this camera works wonderfully as long as it never rains. The microphone holes above the lens appear to be a poor design. I have heard quite a few reports of water ingression and I believe water has killed my camera.
So I'll be sticking with the GoPros unless I can work out a way to waterproof the RidEye.
www.rideye.com for more information or to purchase.
Do not waste your money on a rideye camera if you are serious about needing a video recording of your rides. I am now on my third rideye. They all break within a few weeks/months of arriving. And no, I don't do anything crazy or unusual with them. So far, the rideye people have been good about replacing them. Now, I just want my money back.
ReplyDeleteDitto...except I was promised a refund after four...count'em four failed cameras...that was 5 months ago. Do not go near this thing.
ReplyDeletejust came across your review. Have been using my camera for nearly a year without an issue and have nothing but good things to say about this product. I live in Toronto and commute aprx80km/week, all year in all weather conditions; sun, rain, snow and temps ranging from -20 to +35 degrees celcius. I can't rave enough about this camera. It has helped bring charges against 2 drivers in two separate accidents where drivers were just careless.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like there was a bad production run of these cameras and maybe I was lucky to get a good one?
Like I said, I love the canera. However I've gone through a few of them now. I think there is a possible design floor with the microphone area (three holes to allow sound in). Water can make its way in. Sealing them shut with something like silicone helps but it stops audio veing recorded. I stick with my GoPros now however even they are no longer calue for money.
ReplyDelete*flaw (damn autocorrect)
DeleteI had mine for a while now, but it died. Too bad it can't be fixed, but that would require actual customer service from the company. I would say their customer service sucks hamster balls, but that would imply that there is, in fact, customer service at all.
ReplyDelete