Hello and here is the review I promised for the new generation action camera. Anyone who knows me also knows that I expect a lot from products and don’t hide the facts if a product doesn’t meet my expectations. I think this is a product I would be hard to find fault with which makes a change. So here is a realistic and honest review of the Tachyon XC. The Youtube videos arent my own but give alot of info and clear footage.
My new Tachyon Action Camera arrived from America which only took about a week or so. The camera actually arrived in 3 days to the UK and the rest was customs over here. Delivery and communications from Tachyon are first class and actually test and use the cameras themselves. It was nice to be able to communicate with someone who knows what they are talking about and more than happy to answer questions.
So what’s the spec like for this camera?
Memory: Takes 2, 4, 16 and 32 GB SD cards giving a long recording time and a choice of Superior, High, Medium and Low modes. It’s the only camera I found which takes such a wide range of memory sizes and as large as 32GB. To give you an idea a 4 GB card give approx 1hr of superior quality recording.
Sample Clips….. I’ve used these as my internet connection isn’t fast enough to upload videos to youtube.
Tachyons own YouTube promo
Taken on a BMW RT
Power:
Two AA batteries sit inside a holder and slides into the back of the camera. The rear door as I like to call it presses against a seal quite tightly giving it a waterproof enclosure. This is held in place buy a simple and very effective cam style lever. Some cameras suffer from the batteries vibrating and the camera turning on and off but not with this unit as it sits snuggly inside the battery holder.
Recording:
The camera recording plays back in NTSC or PAL for Europe and an option is given on the TV screen for whichever you require. I found it played perfectly using Windows Media Player without a fault. Footage can easily be uploaded to “You Tube” in a high quality. An interesting feature is also its ability to record silently and secretly by turning off the recording led indicator on the camera front. The camera even lets you record to a depth of 8.5 meters max which to be honest if I was that deep on my bike recording would be the last of my worries. What it does show that rain, sleet, snow and everything else we seem to get the camera will still function correctly. The lens has a wide angle so it records the view in front well without having to precisely aim the camera.
Mode settings are as follows
S 640X480 VGA 26 FPS (Default & Best Quality)
H 640X480 VGA 26 FPS (more compression than S)
M 320X240 QVGA 30 FPS
L 320X240 QVGA 15 FPS
So what’s in the box?
Opening the box you are faced with masses or accessories covering nearly everything you will ever need!.... There are mounts, grips, adhesive Velcro and rubber pads, and cables for the TV and PC, handbook, straps, and of course the camera. There is an optional extra bike camera mount including 3 different size foam damping pads so should fit all the different size bars out there. The bike mount is well made and offers a wide variety of adjustment. The bike camera mount base also fits a standard tripod thread so can be attached to a Ram Mount and arm if preferred.
I particularly like the mount that you can fix to the camera and enables the camera to be turned around to film behind quickly. The mount rotates on a ratchet so it stills ensures the camera is secure. When you put the camera on the mount it’s held securely by the two clamps but there are also two convenient slots to add another strap over it if you wish.
First test: The footage was shaky and very dark under trees due to me not tightening the camera correctly and also the setting on Windows Media player was too dark.
Second test: With the camera securely fixed with very little vibration the video was as good as the ones I have seen. Even under trees clarity was good and colors remained clear. The superior mode creates avi format files which enable the higher quality.
Verdict: Really good solid camera with lots of extras in the box and certainly the best spec available at a sensible price. I tested the shockproof claims after tripping up dropping camera onto a wooden floor from 4 feet! It worked fine and did no damage at all. If you don’t want to bother with bullet cams, cables, etc etc then this works perfectly and just as good with no hassle.
After looking at lots of the action cameras on offer I think this is a very good buy and well made. To be 100% I would like to see the infra red remote designed to be waterproof, the sensor for the remote on the rear so you can ride and activate the camera without stopping and a metal ring on the camera body for security when filling up with fuel at petrol stations.
For online examples visit the Tachyon site found here….
Looks good, Mike - shame C&E clobbered you for Duty - maybe if they had marked the parcel "Gift", or "Sample" you may have escaped the dreaded duty.
How was it sent - I've always found stuff sent by USPS seems to avoid duty - but DHL, etc, always attracts the charge.
Glad you're pleased with it.
Mike
It was sent as a gift by UPS but on the gift label it also said it was liable for vat whihc was minimal but the post office added a few pounds. I still think its worth the cash as its less than others wth not so good spec
I don't know how it fares against Mikes suggestion on price/spec/usability etc..
If you compare the Tachyon spec to the one above theres no contest. Interesting bit of kit but nothing like the Tachyon spec. The sony looks great but I heard its going to be around the 750 mark? Of course thats just rumour but it certainly going to be very expensive.
Take a look at the specs and compare is my advice before spending any cash. Bear in mind 1 hr is approx 4gb at a decent quality
The Tachyon comes with a tripod screw mount on the base thsi will come in usefull although not on a bike helmet.
The water proof door on the rear clamps shut with a cam and looks a LOT more durable and long lasting than the ATC cameras fixing bits.
The 32GB card capacity is good ... on the ATC cameras thats a liniting factor in that lower capacities only are possible.
I concur the ONLY downside for me is that the remotes arent waterproof and on the Tachyon remotes only work from the front.
As I also want to mount it not just on my VFR but on the front of a 16 ft sea kayak i would need long arms to operate it !
Tachyon comes with more kit AND takes my standard connextor USB lead that I have for all other digi cam bits - so no lead to lose forget leave behind ....
The ATC has a built in LCD screen ... useful for set up I hope you can turn this off because it will eat battery life.
The you tube videos also appear crisper - I think the Tachyon gets it.
In short, 2 x AAA batteries, Micro SDHC cards, smaller and lighter than an i-phone, same build quality, water proof, shock proof, action cam as before......
£99 inc delivery for the camera, cards and batteries available!!!!!
Tachyon XC 2010, 3D and the new MICRO XC
Hybrid Mode
