
Now, a new entrant, iSaw Edge, is offering a competitive action camera for a whopping $190! A lot of other products have tried to compete against GoPro with a cheaper product and failed. So what makes iSaw Edge so much better?
The product ships in a nicely packed container, very professionally produced and tidily presented. The real surprise however, comes when you open the box and find a bunch of goodies waiting for you to enjoy. We’re talking a heap of mounting options and other useful stuff, which you would usually have to pay extra for. And none of that cheap flimsy plastic rubbish either. It’s all solidly made and with a quality feel. There’s also a helpful User Guide in multiple languages.
As you’d expect from a GoPro clone, the Edge comes in a very typical black rectangle shape, all the better for fitting standardized action cam accessories. The camera itself is solidly built, with no flimsy catches or buttons, and it’s designed to be ultra easy to operate. Some evaluators have said they managed to produce quality stills and video without once looking at the user guide, which is a real testament to the designers.
One nice feature is the ability to tweak image settings such as ISO, exposure and so on, to improve your image quality in low light or other tricky situations. It’s the kind of flexibility you don’t find on other budget cameras, and is a neat touch. The iSaw Edge offers 4K video capability but at only 10 frames per second. If it’s 4K you’re looking for though, the GoPro still reigns supreme – but at a price!
What is undeniable though is the fact that the conventional 1080p 50 (or 60fps) mode delivers really delicious video quality, which is the sweet spot of any action camera. The underwater housing, (providing waterproof protection up to 40 meters) should allow you to grab some truly awesome footage.
There are two standout features in the product in general. First the fact that there’s very little battery/power leak when the camera is not in use. The second thing is the ease of use with the smartphone app. It’s a trivial matter to get the camera and phone connected via WiFi and from then on you can use the phone as your remote control, which is great for tricky or more extreme captures.
The iSaw Edge really sets the quality bar high for budget action cameras. It’s clearly a product which has been carefully thought out, and the result is a camera which can hold its own with any other model including the GoPro range. And considering it’s a fraction of the price of an equivalent GoPro, that’s a pretty superb achievement. The icing on the cake is the excellent set of accessories you get in the box, which means you don’t have to hunt around for bits and pieces to get shooting quickly. Overall this is an excellent product.