Drift HD170 Stealth Camera Review - BikeRadar

It looks like you strapped your phone to the bars, that's an awful vid.

I have one of these cameras and even though I agree with the comments about the bar mount (It does suck) the rest of the report is biased (Check out MBUK as all there vidoe's are on a GoPro which is obviously a freebee!!!!)

The weight of the Drift is lighter than the GoPro once you add on the waterproof case and optional viewer.

You get the viewing screen and a remote for your bars/wrist as standard with the drift, a rotating lens and a zoom mode in the 720 setting.

The picture quality is just as good as, if not better than the GoPro (my mate has the latter and we have tried them back to back)

The only thing you need to make this a complete package is a waterproof case which has just been released (£39 bargain), however the Drift is water resistant.

having just used a Hero Cam, it took great pictures, but with no in built LCD it was a guessing game as to whether we had captured great footage or just the ground till we could review on the PC, they missed a real basic trick there, which is why the Drift looks good to me. Also I am sure once you have used the Hero a few times it gets easier but selecting options was a real pain, especially once on your head, this has a remote again looks easier to use.

I use my Drift HD 170 stealth as a helmet cam having modified a camera mounting footplate from a mini tripod and fixing it to my cycle helmet. I have never used GoPro products so my only knowledge of comparisons is what is available on youtube etc, I can,.therefore, only offer my feelings on the camera itself. I am extremely happy with the video quality and, wirthout comparison, the colour saturation has always appeared adequate. The audio quality is not brilliant but again is adequate ( I generally add music to videos anyway ) Ease of use is intuitive as the controls and menu are obvious and well marked. The LED screen is the obvious advantage over other cams and, in my opinion, essential. My only gripe is that the lens cover is very exposed and begging to be scratched - I used my camera twice before it became an issue. Drift do not supply a replacement lens kit and their only advice was to use the camera in a waterproof housing which really defeats the object of buying a compact action cam. If you can obtain a replacement lens it can only be fitted after a complete camera strip down, which has its own warrenty issues. Drift have addressed this problem on the newer cams by fitting an easy access retaining ring around the lens cover and making available a repair kit for around £20. As this camera is very vulnerable to damage and any camera is only as good as its lens, I would question the "action cam" status of the HD170 and feel that the lack of manufacturer support renders it a very expensive throw away item. Pros: Good quality. Easy to use Cons: No manufacturer support for an obvious fault. My advice: Don't buy the older models - look for the newer models with four screws around the lens.