Aldi REKA Action Camera

[mybike]

I noticed my local ALDI had these for £9.99, so thought it might be worth playing with. When I opened it up I found it was almost identical to my Kitvision, with lens, buttons & screen in the same place. It even fits and works in the Kitvision case. The menu is a bit different and the light on the top flashes blue instead of red. I've got them both set up in the back garden filming nothing in particular at the moment, I might post pictures later.

 

[MontyVeda]

yeah, had my eye on those for a while as the price kept dropping... but even at a tenner, the maximum recording time isn't long enough to be of much use for me.

 

[mybike]

yeah, had my eye on those for a while as the price kept dropping... but even at a tenner, the maximum recording time isn't long enough to be of much use for me.

2 hours seems to be standard for these types, I find the battery in the Kitvision gives me nearly that IF I have a break halfway through.

 

[BoldonLad]

2 hours seems to be standard for these types, I find the battery in the Kitvision gives me nearly that IF I have a break halfway through.

Will it record while charging? If yes, a battery pack as used to charge mobile phones etc, may extend recording time.

 

[mybike]

@BoldonLad Problem with both cameras is that the waterproof housing doesn't allow for connecting leads.

Results from recording test is that the (over year old) Kitvision, using looped short files lasted just over an hour and a half. The new REKA, using full size files, 2 hours and ten minutes. I've made a 2 minute comparison video for quality purposes, top is Kitvision, bottom REKA.

 

[mybike]

Just realised the card is wedged in the REKA, but it's working. May have something to do with the card being write only according to Linux. I'm not sure the KV will fit in the other housing either, seems a bit tight.

 

[autolycus]

I bought one of these REKAs last week and took it back because the camera rattled if you shook it and seemed to pick up the noise when recording on the bike. So i assumed it was damaged and swapped it at the store. But unfortunately the replacement is exactly the same. Video and audio is fine until you shake it, which is a big disadvantage on the bike.

Could someone here confirm that their camera rattles when you shake it; have they noticed an intrusive racket on the audio track? Have i just been really unlucky or is this what you have to expect with a budget camera? I didn't expect a perfect shake-free picture, but i am surprised at sound problems.

Thanks for any shared experiences.

 

[mybike]

I bought one of these REKAs last week and took it back because the camera rattled if you shook it and seemed to pick up the noise when recording on the bike. So i assumed it was damaged and swapped it at the store. But unfortunately the replacement is exactly the same. Video and audio is fine until you shake it, which is a big disadvantage on the bike.

Could someone here confirm that their camera rattles when you shake it; have they noticed an intrusive racket on the audio track? Have i just been really unlucky or is this what you have to expect with a budget camera? I didn't expect a perfect shake-free picture, but i am surprised at sound problems.

Thanks for any shared experiences.

I haven't used mine on the bike yet, although I do use the Kitvision. In my experience the audio is unusable. As to a rattle, I get none and unless the buttons or release latch on the case have no springs I can't see what there is to rattle.

 

[autolycus]

Many thanks for that Martin. I contacted Quesh who weren't much help but they did state "The unit by itself shouldn’t make a noise unless the battery is loose."

However, i just tried lightly taping down the arrow buttons and the OK button with insulating tape and, as you suggested, these are clearly what is causing the rattling noise. They seem to function perfectly and spring in an out as you would expect (even with the tape over them!) i.e. they don't appear to be damaged, but they do rattle without the tape. Having said that, i'm not sure if this rattle is as influential as i had thought on the overall background noise of a recording made on the bike compared with holding the camera and shaking it up and down, which plays back like maracas :-)

So i'm guessing this is a 'feature' of the REKA action camera - which i guess i can live with. It would be rather coincidental to have been supplied with two items with exactly the same 'fault'. Still, it's strange there's no rattle from your buttons?

 

[mybike]

Many thanks for that Martin. I contacted Quesh who weren't much help but they did state "The unit by itself shouldn’t make a noise unless the battery is loose."

However, i just tried lightly taping down the arrow buttons and the OK button with insulating tape and, as you suggested, these are clearly what is causing the rattling noise. They seem to function perfectly and spring in an out as you would expect (even with the tape over them!) i.e. they don't appear to be damaged, but they do rattle without the tape. Having said that, i'm not sure if this rattle is as influential as i had thought on the overall background noise of a recording made on the bike compared with holding the camera and shaking it up and down, which plays back like maracas :-)

So i'm guessing this is a 'feature' of the REKA action camera - which i guess i can live with. It would be rather coincidental to have been supplied with two items with exactly the same 'fault'. Still, it's strange there's no rattle from your buttons?

Just had a closer look at my case. The buttons are actually quite stiff to operate and they appear to have rubber gaskets to prevent water penetration. Are your gaskets missing?

 

[autolycus]

I certainly don't seem to have button gaskets on this one and presumably the earlier one didn't have them either. I might pop in and see if they've any in stock with gaskets. But for a tenner i can live with my insulation tape mod :-) Thanks again for taking the trouble.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

For what it's worth, both my Fly12 and Fly6 are awful for audio; they pick up all the vibrations through the frame and all the road noise. It can sound like the camera is a box of washers but I'm more interested in the good film quality than the audio. It's fine when I'm stationary and arguing with tossers though.

 

[kiwifruit]

I brought one earlier this week for £4.99 at our local Aldi. I used it for the first time yesterday evening and I think is great, but I never had a action camera before. One thing though as I didn't like the camera on top of the handlebar I decided to mounted below the handlebar which means the camera is upside down now. Once home plug into the laptop watch a few clip but everything is upside down. Does anyone knows of any setting on this to rotate the video?. I think I did see a member posted a video on here with the date and time upside down but the video right way up.

 

[PeteXXX]

FYI, the audio on my Garmin Virb is awful to the point of being unusable. (The audio, not the camera!)

 

[sheddy]

Off topic, but would this be suitable for filming wildlife - say birds at a feeder ?