XCEL’s action cam has a similar-sized clear housing to the old GoPro HD HERO2. It’s fairly chunky but is waterproof, bashproof and uses a similar mounting system. A selection of mounts are included, along with a lens protector, an easy-to-use Wi-Fi remote control and a quality carry case.
The camera has a faux carbon look and a built-in mount, in case you want to use it without the casing. It takes a microSD card – up to 32GB – and is supplied with a lithium ion polymer battery that delivers up to 2.5 hours’ recording time.
It’ll shoot 480-pixel footage at 60 frames per second and 1,080p or 720p at 30fps, plus stills at up to 12 megapixels. Video quality is very good when light is decent, and though not quite as crisp as the latest GoPros, it deals well with dappled light and transitions from light to dark.
Mounted on a handlebar alongside a GoPro, the footage was noticeably shakier. But fixed to a helmet it works admirably and delivers steady footage. It has a useful time-lapse setting too. The menu is easy to navigate and the settings are easy to tweak – though we’d like to have seen a better frame rate in the 720p setting.