Due to the limited stock, this camera is not available in Singapore yet. It was bought at a bike shop in Japan.
So what differentiates it from the other cameras? Let's check it out below.
Standard transparent packaging displays the camera for the customer
Here is where the features can be seen. Of particular highlights are the ANT+, the 10m waterproofing and the D-Fly feature.
Elaborating more on the unique features, the ANT+ feature enables the camera to pick up data from ANT+ compatible sensors, such as power meters, speedometers, heart rate monitors and etc. The data will be stored in a separate file, which can be combined with the video footage using software. This gives a video with information overlay. However, the Shimano software for this is not available yet. An example of such a display from Garmin can be seen below.
Example of a video with info overlay, from the Garmin VIRB.
That is a very cool feature, as it allows you to review your data along with the video footage. This is especially useful for training purposes as it can show your power output, along with the speed and other information that you want.
The 10 metres waterproofing is another major advantage of this camera. Without the need for a bulky casing like GoPro, it is already waterproof out of the box. This keeps the weight down and the size small, and is certainly rainproof.
Next, the D-Fly feature is designed to work with Shimano's own Di2 gear shifting system. It will be able to accept data from the D-Fly transmitter, such as selected gear, battery level and others. Not sure how useful it is as these are still early days for this. Read more about the Shimano D-Fly here.
Let's now take a close up look at the camera itself.
One slim power button on top, and one big record button. The functions of these buttons will be shown at the end of this post.
Convex lens at the front. Interchangeable with a flat lens (provided) and replaceable if required.
Simple slide-on mounting at the bottom
Rear door that is double locked for extra protection against water
There is a rubber seal around the edges of the rear door. Micro USB plug on the left, Micro SD card slot on the right. The Micro SD card is not included.
One of the first thing that struck me when I first took out the camera was how small it is! It is a really small and lightweight camera. You can get a feel of the size by making a comparison with some other common objects.
Comparison with a one dollar coin
Comparison with a standard namecard
When placed in the palm of my hand. Feels like a large chicken nugget.
Compared with my other sport camera, the Polaroid XS100i.
The Shimano camera is a lot smaller than the Polaroid camera, which is already rather small.
The weight of the Polaroid XS100i, at 148 grams.
The weight of the Shimano camera is 86 grams, exactly as stated on the packaging. Over 60 grams lighter than the Polaroid, which is very significant.
Since this Shimano Sport Camera is already waterproof up till 10 metres, it can be used for underwater video shooting without the need for a casing. However, it does come with a flat squarish lens that can be interchanged. It is said that this flat lens will prevent distortion when taking underwater videos. I have not tried it yet.
Flat lens for underwater usage.
Choose between the round convex lens or the square flat lens, depending on your usage.
Looks quite professional when the flat lens is used!
The camera also comes with some standard mounting for helmets. Currently the mounts for bicycle handlebars and such are not available yet, but it is not a big problem. Read on to find out why.
Helmet strap for use on vented helmets. There are stick on mounts for full face helmets too.
The camera mounting that is included. Slide the camera into the top portion to lock it in place.
The camera mount that should be used with the helmet strap. Doesn't the mounting look familiar?
The mounting method used by this Shimano camera is actually the same as the GoPro style of mounting! The simple yet secure 3+2 slot mount is also used here. This means that we can actually use the full range of GoPro mounts if required. A very clever move, to maximise compatibility with different mounting locations and yet there is no need to design and manufacture multiple mounts that are only specific to the camera.
Fixed the helmet mount onto the helmet
Rather low profile mounting that still allows for angle adjustment.
With the camera mounted on top
Does not look as tall as a GoPro, as the camera design is flat instead of vertical like GoPro
Button can be reached and differentiated quite easily
Side view of the camera when mounted on the helmet. The camera can be made to point forward or backward, just by removing and reversing the top part of the camera mount.
Mounting the camera on the helmet should enable the footage to be more stable, as compared to the bike frame. However, this also depends on where it is mounted on the bike, and the type of bike frame. In this case I mounted it on the helmet as it is the only mount that is included, and also because I can use it no matter which bike I ride, as long as I wear the helmet with the camera.
The advantages and disadvantages of different camera mounting locations can be found here.
Weight of the Kabuto MS-2 helmet, at only 202 grams. A very lightweight and comfortable helmet.
Weight of the helmet with the camera mounting and mounting straps. Adds on only 35 grams.
Weight of the helmet + camera mounting + Shimano Sport Camera. The Shimano Sport Camera weighs 86 grams on its own.
The weight of the helmet has been increased by more than 50%, which can seem quite a lot. However, due to the central mounting position of the camera, it is still rather comfortable as the helmet does not really tilt forward or backward easily. This is also helped by the very lightweight camera.
Although the previous Polaroid XS100i camera is only 60 grams heavier than the Shimano Sport Camera, this 60 grams difference can be felt very easily when mounted on the helmet. It is much less comfortable and less secure when the Polaroid camera was mounted on the helmet.
As for the operation modes, the manual is rather confusing. It took a bit of trial and error before I could understand what everything means. Once I got the hang of it, it is rather easy to operate even without looking. The audible beeps will tell the user what the camera is currently doing and what mode it is in.
Auto angle adjust. Means that even if the camera is tilted, the image will auto correct itself so that the footage appears the right side up and not tilted 90 degrees or upside down.
Using the buttons to cycle through the various recording modes, and what the various LED colours mean.
The LEDs also displays the battery level remaining and the recording time remaining.
Of course, it can be quite challenging to operate all these modes using only 2 buttons. Besides, you will need to remember what all the different LED colour combinations and beeping means! Luckily, there is also a Wifi feature which allows you to use a phone to connect to the camera and adjust the settings.
Setting up this connection is easy. After turning on the Wifi on the camera itself, connect to the camera using your phone. You will need the Shimano Sport Camera app to link up with the camera.
Main page after connecting to the camera.
Liveview gives you a live footage of what the camera sees. This is very useful to help position the camera to the angle that you want. The lag is also acceptable at only 1 second.
File List shows the footage that has been recorded. You can stream the video directly from the camera, or download it for better quality. Note that you can only delete files here, and not through the computer.
Settings available for the camera. Types of recording modes that are available are shown in the next picture.
The field of vision angle can be set to 135 degrees or 180 degrees. The difference can be seen below. Angle free means that the camera will auto rotate the footage when recording. Not too sure about high sensitivity setting, but I think it might mean higher light sensitivity or higher ISO setting.
Wheel size setting is not used now, as I have not paired it to any ANT+ devices. Volume setting refers to the volume of the beeping sound that gives the audible cues.
Many different recording modes available. The 120 fps setting is rather interesting, which allows footage to be slowed to 1/4 the frame rate and still look smooth.
Liveview, showing the wide angle setting of 135 degrees.
Super wide angle of 180 degrees. Basically covers beyond the eyes' field of vision!
Changing the field of vision angle can only be done via the Wifi settings. Note that at the top right hand corner of the Liveview, the recording time remaining and the battery level are also displayed. You can even start recording immediately by pressing the red recording button shown at the bottom left corner of the phone!
Overall, I think that this Shimano Sport Camera is a smart little camera that is small in size and yet packs a lot of features in it. The in-built waterproofing and lightweight construction means that it can be used for almost any sport purpose out of the box.
Connectivity is good with Wifi and ANT+ capability, however it lacks a dedicated remote control for now. It has a lot of potential regarding data collection with the ANT+ capability and D-Fly, but the software for this is not available yet. Mounting is not a problem, with the GoPro style of mounting enabling GoPro mounts to be used easily.
Battery life is quite decent at 2 hours, on Full HD recording mode. The battery is built in, so you can't just swap in a battery. While charging, it is not possible to record videos. This is a downside and means that it is not designed to be an all day recording camera. Rather, it is designed to be used for shorter events that are less than 2 hours long.
Battery life is quite decent at 2 hours, on Full HD recording mode. The battery is built in, so you can't just swap in a battery. While charging, it is not possible to record videos. This is a downside and means that it is not designed to be an all day recording camera. Rather, it is designed to be used for shorter events that are less than 2 hours long.
Video quality is quite good, with excellent low light capability and accurate colour representation. Footage might be a bit jittery as there is no image stabilization like Sony, but still acceptable. For some sample videos, visit the official Shimano Sport Camera page!
Any issues since you bought it ? Good review
ReplyDeleteNo problems with it. The video quality is good, and the software that links via the mobile phone is easy to use.
DeleteHi! Where did you buy the sports camera? I'm in Tokyo for a short holiday. I've looked around but can't seem to find it!
ReplyDeleteI'm not too sure where in Japan, a friend got it for me from a Japan bike shop. If you want to get it in Singapore you can find it at Hup Leong.
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