What It Has: The Epic is a very small, lightweight, unit about the size of a D-cell battery (3-inches long, 1.25-inches in diameter), but much lighter (2 ounces without batteries). It runs for up to four hours on two AAA lithium batteries (accepts standard alkaline as well), and records up to 100 minutes of action on a standard 4GB SD card. The two control buttons and small LCD display make it even easier to use, and the audible beeps tell you just what mode the cam is in. You simply reach up to your helmet, push a button and wait for the right beep to know you're recording. The Epic also comes with a very simple, yet effective water-proof enclosure. You drop the cam into a clear plastic canister and screw the cap on. The clear plastic window, gasket cap and protruding buttons keep the unit dry and safe from shock without sacrificing any noticeable visual or audio quality. All documentation and setup info can be found on their website, and you can purchase directy from their website, too.
How it Compares: Like other cams in its class, the Epic shoots 30 frames per second video at 640 x 480 resolution in a 47-degree field of view. It supports standard AVI file format. Video options include a half-resolution mode to save battery life and a 2X Zoom. The camera also takes very nice still photos with its 5 megapixel still image resolution and supports standard JPEG file formats. I found the still photos to be of exceptional quality for a helmet cam and it was very easy to snap off a few shots between videos. The cam also supports burst mode stills up to 9 pictures and is highly programmable with just two buttons to configure for saving battery or memory or simply getting the best shots. I found the mounting options on my demo kit to be a bit lacking, but the company sells bar mounts and other accessories for better mounting capabilities beyond the standard clip and strap. My demo unit had some play while clipped into the mounting plate and thus experienced some jarring in the video until I secured the mounting plate to my helmet with zip ties. Once this was fixed, the video was steady.
The Best Parts: The thing I like most about the Epic cam is it's small size and ease-of-use. While the video quality may not be HD or super wide angle, its size and degree of functionality make it an easy decision to take along for the ride, giving you video opportunities you may not otherwise have. You could throw it in your bag and decide to pull it out midway through your ride without much forethought or setup required. It's pretty good on battery life too.
Below is a Sample Clip from the Epic Action Sports Video Cam*
* File is compressed in MPEG2 format for easy uploading to YouTube. Actual AVI files from the Epic cam exhibit higher quality video.
