WingmanHD Waterproof Action Camera

New Product — Wingman HD Video CameraPosted by nhildebrand, 02-06-12

(For full review, please visit: http://lakesurf.co/news/new-product-added/)

Here at Lake Surf Co, we want to give you all of the tools you need to maximize your adventures. What better way to capture your family outings than with a waterproof camera? The Wingman HD is a great adventure camera that won't break the bank.

This camera offers up to 1080p recording at 30fps, which was good for what we were wanting to do… record family video for our friends and family to see on sites like Vimeo and YouTube. Unlike other cameras on the market, the Wingman HD comes with multiple mounts: ¼-20" tripod attachment; helmet mount; vented helmet mount and bar mount. One accessory we recommend is the addition of a Stealth mount which gives you the ability to attach is to your board of choice (surf, sup or snow). For the price, you get a great video camera and also a versatile still camera. I shot the following footage in a dark building as a new retail NAPA Auto Parts store was being installed in Tea, SD, it was positioned on a tripod using 5mp (camera will shoot up to 8mp) with the shot timer set for 60 seconds (one pic every 60 sec).

The best part about this camera versus some of it competitors is that you don't have to buy a bunch of accessories after buying the camera. Buy the Wingman HD from Lake Surf Co. and you will have everything you need to head out and capture your adventure.

You need a Wingman, & this sidekick takes care of more than the action by Damon Webster, PhotoInduced, 02-03-2012

(For full review, please visit: http://www.photoinduced.com/8637/you-need-a-wingman-this-sidekick-takes-care-of-more-than-the-action/)

There is a new category of video camera that has sprung up in recent years. It's the sports camera that boasts a tiny footprint and delivers HD video. Put these pups anywhere and you have a point of view like you never had, and always wanted. A few years ago at CES the 2 main players came on the scene and form and function declared an apparent winner. Since then, the main customer base fro these units let it be known what they felt was lacking and what they needed to have added.

Well, one company decided to add the features to a camera they wanted to use themselves. Delkin designed the WingmanHD.

There are 2 main things that the Wingman has that the other cameras don't: Let's start with a built in monitor. Yep, nothing like the old concept of framing your shot before you set your cameras' position.

The other camera does that now, as well, but it's an add-on feature, with added cost. Then comes the 1/4-20 STANDARD tripod screw mount. What has been missing from the first round of these cameras was the ability to mount the camera on a suction cup mount, Gorillapod or just a simple tripod, without being in a case.

Now we'll be honest with you: Our review camera wasn't getting clamped to a snowboard. It wasn't suction cupped to the side of a race car. Not even secured to the handlebars of a mountain bike.

We carried this in our pocket during the Holiday season in NYC and it performed like a champ. On Monday we'll release a video with those examples. We even caught the Occupy Wall Street folks trying to convince the shoppers on Black Friday not to go into Macy's.

You can shoot 8 MP stills, create a time lapse video with the built-in intervalometer, and all of the controls have easy to use buttons on a rubberized encasement. It comes with the waterproof housing that also has the 1/4″-20 tripod screw mount built into it.

Using a rechargeable battery, which held true for 2.5 hours for us, it also sports a slot for a micro SD. you may not have one on hand so Delkin throws one into the package. Actually, you get everything you need to get started in the box: cables, chargers, media, protective waterproof case, and mounting straps. And the price is about $230., so you'll save some dough over the other brand.

We have used em all. The preference for us is the box shape, as opposed to the tubular. The Wingman has got all of the features, we wished our other unit had built in. High recco for this camera, and we look forward to sharing some of the different ways to use it.

Delkin Devices Wingman HD DV camera – mini review by Simon Taylor, 01-08-2012

(For full review, please visit: http://simontaylor.wordpress.com/?s=wingman#)

I had the opportunity to have a brief play with the new Delkin "WingmanHD" camera the other day. Being used to my SLR cameras, pro lenses and only occasionally using compact cameras, or the iPhone for record pictures, I wasn't expecting too much from this little camera.

However, when you consider what this camera is intended for, it's pretty amazing. If you want decent quality images, get something like a Canon IXUS or even use the iPhone 4S, but – if you want to stick a camera to the front of your car, skateboard, windsurfer, on your crash helmet and leap out of a plane – or even when snorkelling, then this is for you.

The camera is supplied with a waterproof housing, rated to 30 metres. This sort of add-on to a 'normal' compact camera would cost over £100 in addition to the camera itself, but this little camera comes complete with that, various mounts and straps for £199. Another nice touch is that Delkin – who are in the memory business after all, include a decent sized 8GB micro SD card so you can get going with the camera straight away.

The included battery will last for 2.5 hours according to Delkin, but I don't know if that's continuous video (doubt that would fit on the card anyway), or normal still mode. The package strangely had a US adaptor and an EU one in the package, maybe future UK supplies will include a UK adaptor. The camera will charge from the mains adaptors, but as it charges via a USB lead, also from your computer (as I did), or an included car power adaptor. Not something I can do with my Canon cameras without spending lots of money!

As for image quality, I wouldn't say that this would ever be your only camera – in the time I had the camera, I didn't get to find any zoom controls – I assumed it was a fixed lens – so the images I had were very wide and showed some barrel distortion, even fish-eye effects. But, if you were to use this as an action camera, you probably won't be using it in a viewfinder mode, so a wide angle will be very forgiving. I could correct the distortion to some extent quite easily in Lightroom anyway. The gallery below shows an original image and a corrected version.

One very nice feature for the extreme camera enthusiast is the camera's 'Continuous Shooting' mode. When I first saw this, I thought it was like my cameras – hold down the shutter button, and the camera keeps shooting while the button is depressed. This one operates differently, in the menus you set the interval with a minimum of 2 seconds and (I think) maximum of 60, press the shutter button, and the camera will keep shooting at that interval until you stop it. So, start the camera running, attach it to your cycle helmet with the included brackets and off you go! Low light performance seems OK, but I only took a couple of shots under a desk, not very scientific!

Then, there's the video mode. This camera records full HD video. A very nice touch is that there is a separate button on the top of the camera for activating video recording. So, when you have gloves on, you don't have to fiddle with menu settings or rotating knobs to choose between video or stills. Just press the appropriate button, and away you go. In fact, these are the only two controls on the waterproof housing, that could be taken as a pro or a con, I suppose.

Delkin irritatingly don't include a manual on their web site (a printed one IS included in the box), so now I don't have the camera to hand, I can't refer back, but I did use the camera without the manual. I like to keep PDF copies of my manuals in my iPhone, so I always have them to hand for obscure settings. Relying on carrying a paper manual is not very handy!

I'm hoping to get another loan of the camera for an extended period, I'd like to try some parallel shooting when shooting rugby games (using a secondary bracket on my monopod) – and, as the camera is pretty light (about 90 grammes), I'll tie wrap it to a kite and see what I get. I can also then do some better optical performance experiments, but as I said, this is a camera for a different purpose, not to compare with optical products from Canon, Nikon and the like. I'm sure there's also lots of features I've missed above – like zoom, ISO settings etc. I'll also then be able to let you have some decent test images and videos to look at.

WingmanHD Video Camera Catches the Action by Enid Burns, 10-31-2011

(For full review, please visit: http://www.kineticshift.com/2011/wingmanhd-video-camera-catches-the-action)

Athletes are capturing some amazing video. Biking on the trails; catching waves; skating some big tricks. Capturing the action while in motion, rather than filming when a friend rides by from a stationary position, adds to the authenticity of the video. It also requires some specialized equipment. That doesn't mean, however, that you need to spend a lot of money, or have a film degree, to pull off some amazing video.

Delkin Devices just released the WingmanHD, a waterproof, 3-ounce action camera. The company claims the HD camera capable of shooting 1080p video is the lightest on the market at 3-ounces. The comparable Contour HD helmet camera weighs 4.3 ounces, as listed on Amazon.com. The weight for the newly released GoPro HD Hero2 camera was difficult to find.

The WingmanHD is powerful with a 1.5-inch LCD screen; 3x digital zoom and universal mounting system. The screen allows you to view what the action (if the camera is positioned where you can see it) and also has a playback mode so you can review video even before you get back to your computer. The camera comes with an 8 GB MicroSD Memory Card, rechargeable battery that provides 2.5 hours of recording time, a helmet mount, vented helmet mount, bar mount, wall and auto charger, a pwer and data USB cable, component cable, wrist strap and user guide.

Delkin developed the WingmanHD to capture 1080p, 720p, WVGA, or QVGA video, as well as rich 8 megapixel still image photography. An automatic focus, white balance and exposure help make operation thoughtless. Sometimes the camera will need to operate by itself while the user completes tricks such as riding a bike or surfing the waves.

A companion piece to the WingmanHD is a line of Fat Gecko Camera Mounts and accessories. These include a rugged design model with a lightweight build and universal 1/4-20″ photography mount. It can attach to a helmet, person, racecar, surfboard, airplane or top of building, among other objects. This opens the realm of possibilities for filming.

The camera operates with or without a waterproof housing of clear plastic to protect from the elements. The waterproof case can be submerged down to 30 meters.

The WingmanHD is new to market, and will sell for $249.99.