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HTC has designed a new action camera for the geeks of photography. This product was rumoured from a long time and people were expecting a lot from HTC. The basic designing aspects of the gadget are extraordinarily different and hold an indifferent shape. Great to look at HTC Re is basically a cigar patterned snapper. The basic functionality of the device is to catch the shots in action and keep moving with the regularity of snaps. The upper surface of the camera is the glossy plastic and has fine curves and feel. HTC has adroitly placed only two buttons on the complete icing of the camera. Things to execute with the camera are quite balanced, but HTC has eventually omitted a lot of things that have done some mischievous and productive jobs. The price of the camera is $200, which is probably not a good thing.
HTC RE is boasted with a tripod jack, memory card housing and charging cum USB data interchange port. The camera has a dedicated button located at the rear of its head and flourished in chrome. The click purpose from this button can be used in two ways. Another button is located at the front end. The rear chrome clicks still images when pressed for single time while the double press gets it into video mode. Judging the current mode of the snapper is not that tough as the same button is carrying a LED to distinguish the same. While the rear one commands for the move or stable imaging, the switch at the front will carry the function of rolling slow motion images. One must keep the button pressed for a second or two and the imaging will get a new definition. Notable thing with this camera is there is no power ON/OFF button anywhere on the device and the camera will always remain in the switched-ON mode but… only when you hold it. The inbuilt sensors will command for the same and get it relaxed when you keep it away.
Isolated to the tripod jack, the bottom also houses the slot for memory card allowing the same to get boosted from the camera’s internal 8GB storage to a bulky 128GB. The place for the memory slot seems to be ideal as placing the same at the walls or sides would have marked hurdle in the smart finish of the product. The complete design shows that the HTC has focused a lot over this issue, but it would be mysterious thought for folks to push it in customers’ hands, demanding a huge lot of capital for something that may worth it with face but could break hearts with its base.
Coming to the operational part, the camera boasts a 16 mega pixel 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor with 146 degree wide angle lens. The camera can record 4X slow motion time lapse at 720 pixels video. Snapping images or crafting videos from this snapper would be like a toss that will decide the perfection of imaging behind the photographer’s caliber without concerning a visual balance of the pixels, and this is because it doesn’t possess any display unit. Being an action camera, the display placement would not be a congruent thing, but then it also kills the scope of getting the perfect shot out of the imagination.
Making users worry less, the brand has prepared a smartphone app for this gadget which will serve the visual feel for the images. The app supports Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and higher version. Apple iPhone users can also enjoy the same with their devices running on iOS 7 or higher versions. The problems are there with this app too, as the Bluetooth connection disconnects with a small fluctuation and doesn’t get re-established easily. Going lucky, if one succeeded to connect the two, the clicked photographs can be viewed on the smartphone screen. Hold on…. You can only see the clicked images and not what the camera is shooting in live mode! HTC is however a master of electronics but a little more programming and hardware support to this devise could have given them chances to do a user independent miracle in its future variants, making the current version perfect. Probably, the production model will arrive with the updates.
The picture quality of the camera is somehow acceptable and glossy, but the low light scenario was a lossy deal. The pictures are not clear and absorb a lot of blur and noise. The day time photography can be enjoyed and the wide angle lens is useful with the function of getting the shot in wide angle mode from portrait. The perfection for the same is still a matter of research but not that bad either. Focusing over small stuff is a bit tough and same over larger objects is quite soothing. The shakes and jerks are out of the gadget’s business and its resolving aspect is not up to the mark.
The camera would definition bring a new era of smart cameras and it’s a good initiative, we say. The applicability of the device is endless and the imaging techniques can perform well with this device. It has started a new category of snappers and something to differentiate with the GoPro series cameras. The battery house of the camera is 840mAh unit that delivers backup for recording 1.5hrs long full HD movie or1200 highest quality photographs with 4:3. The camera is resistant to water and dust with IPx7, but customer can also buy an IPx8 shield for it. The dominating purpose of this camera is still unclear. No doubt, it looks good, has a nice shape and makes you feel apart from the crowd but will it be able to mark its presence in the already grown market with some great products? HTC might be wandering with their marketing team to unleash the selling perspective of this device but the value for money quotient is not the HTC RE’s approach.
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