its latest ruggedized action camera. Looking more like the sort of spy
compass you'd get for free on the front of a magazine, the hockey
puck-style device offers a 14-megapixel CMOS sensor and a 6-element lens
with an f/2.8 aperture. That'll be good enough for 1080p video of you
on your longboard hurtling through traffic at 30 miles an hour.
Holding it in the hand is an odd experience, thanks to the fact that
the 1.5-inch LCD display is embedded in the "top" of the unit, so
holding it requires a claw-like grip. Of course, it's not really meant
to be used as a traditional stills camera (although it can take
10-megapixel snaps), but as a video unit for extreme, sorry, EXXTREEEME
environments. That's why the field-of-view while taking video is an
impressive 137 degrees, although that'll increase to 160 degrees for
stills.
Of course, everyone's more concerned with how this device
behaves out on the various slopes and tracks that you'll be doing your
sports upon. Certainly, the reinforced polycarbonate feels (with
aluminum accents) feels sturdy, if a little immature, and we have no
reason to doubt the company's belief that it'd keep working in 10 meters
of water, from drops of two meters and at degrees that are ten below
zero (Celsius). We're also glad that the WG-M1 comes with 100MB of
built-in memory, which at least puts it above the GoPros, which won't
even take a single test image without you first supplying an SD card. If
that's enough to tempt you, then the unit will be landing in stores at
some point next month, which should give you time enough to work out if
the odd-shaped unit is worth spending some time with.
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