Here is a picture of my little JVC Adixxion, replacement for my malfunctioning GoPro Black.
As you may know I published a BLOG of my experiences and trials and tribulations with the much vaunted GoPro Hero 3 Black.
Finally after much wasted time dealing with the GoPro Company sent it back for a refund I started searching for an alternative camera. I considered both the Sony Sport Cam and this little JVC Adixxion.
The Adixxion seemed much the better camera but was $350.00.
After Christmas I found an incredibly short lived deal for $99.00 and immediately purchased the Adixxion.
The overall experience with this camera for me has been the complete opposite of the experience I had dealing with the GoPro Camera and the GoPro Company.
Namely I am very happy with it.
Likes:
Size and form factor are better than the GoPro and even more so when the GoPro has its case on it.
Has standard mount base screw socket on side and bottom (and picture can be inverted so camera can be used upside down).
Has 1080P 30 fps and 720P 30 and 60 FPS and generally a better picture in daylight than GoPro.
Built in image stabilization definitely decreases multicopter vibration problems. Not in GoPro.
5x digital Zoom works without image degradation on 1080P due to large camera chip. Not in GoPro.
WiFi live preview actually works on IPad and with computer and with negligible delay (less than 1/2 second).
Much easier and more intuitive 6 button menu and navigation than 2 button GoPro.
Built in color LCD viewfinder.
Single battery life is better than the GoPro with the additional add on battery.
Nothing malfunctioning at all.
(You do need to do a firmware update from the JVC web site for the WiFi to work properly.
Dislikes (none major to me):
Night time video not as bright as GoPro.
Doesn't have all the fancy super high resolution video modes the Black had (of almost no interest to me anyway).
Although the IPad and PC based WiFi worked much much better than the GoPro, the Adixxion does not currently support direct connection to an Android so my Nexus 7 is not of use to me for WiFi at this time.
Basically a lot more to like than to complain about, really glad I got it.
Haven't tried the WiFi live preview while flying yet, but will report back on the results of that, live preview actually does work well enough to use it for FPV so long as the camera WiFi and the RC signals do not interfere with each other.
GoPro should take a lot of cues from this camera for their future efforts.
If they get the bugs out of the Black it will be a cool camera, but right now, this is a more useful camera to our RC community in almost every way.
Even if you have to pay full price, you won't be unhappy with this camera, but if you can find any kind of deal at all (Amazon currently $250.00) you'll make the GoPro owners envious.
Comments
Hmm the GP3 Black is around 70g, so this is significantly heavier.
I'm torn about this camera, I want it for its price but the image quality is questionable. It appears to add a lot of post sharpening and it doesn't handle rolling shutter skew well (aka jello effect - I hate that name).
I think I'm off to trying to use an open sourced firmware of a canon point and shoot.
update on video streaming...
looks like you cannot stream analog video to an A/V Tx as the cam does not have analog out - the outputs are mini USB and mini HDMI
weight is 126 g by the way
here's a half-decent review from B&H Photo...
the JVC GC-X1 is currently $249 U.S. on their site
worth considering...
1) image stabilization - very important feature for RC in my opinion and GoPro doesn't have it apparently
2) form factor - more aerodynamic than GoPro
3) both side and bottom 1/4x20 sockets - should make for smaller and lighter camera gimbals - you could make a pan/tilt or tilt/roll gimbal for this with nothing more than 2 servos using the side 1/4x20 mount
however, read the reviews at B&H Photo - not too great, though much of the fuss seems to be about issues with the WiFI
it also looks, according to 1 reviewer, that you can't stream over WiFi and record at the same time. whether you can stream over a cable to an A/V Tx and record i do not know
Gary, can you provide this info?
Originally I was put off by the cost of the GoPro3 black edition and a youtube vid of someone who switched on their wifi and streamed via iphone which ended in loss of control. Really needs to be tested just a few feet off the ground rather than the 40 feet in the vid! I then began looking looking at fpv tx rx units 200-600mw, but I think here in the UK you need a amateur radio license which is a lot of hassle for a quadcopter hobby. For the moment in my build it is far off but it would be good to find out your experience with the wifi streaming in flight.
Also are you going to create your own camera gimble or is one supplied and what is the mounting orientation for this unit as the mounting screw from the amazon.com pictures shows it on the side.
It would be good to know if this camera have live out while recording indeed. Watching a few comparisons in Youtube and I can see clear quality difference between Gopro 2 and Adixxion (for me Gopro wins in every conditions hands down). One example here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fPRO81_bm0
The degradation would be seen during high speed motion and as author said - in the dark. It is like the compressor is set to very high level so there is no detail at all.
I like that it is "quad proof"
$244.00 in JB HiFi for people in OZ
http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/digital-cameras/video-cameras/jvc-ad...
Does it have a live output (analog or HDMI?), so that you can use it as an FPV camera as well?
KR
Magnus
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