Monoprice MHD 2.0 Action Camera – Affordable and Decent is the way to go!
The Monoprice MHD 2.0 is one of the most affordable action cameras in the market and a useful POV camera with diverse set of mounts available along with a standard tripod mount. It has decent video quality for basic users, although the only hitch is absence of a screen or Wi-Fi for shooting preview.
For a cheap point-and-shoot action camera, this is the one that fits the bill perfectly. What’s more is, its a waterproof 1080p MHD Action Camera and is pitted against the likes of the $99 Polaroid Cube, the $129 GoPro Hero, and the $99 Xiaomi Yi.
The Right Edge over Competition
Launched in 2013, the Monoprice MHD 2.0 is priced perfectly and has features that can thwart the competition too. Additionally, the offers during different seasons can bring the price to around $75, which gives it an edge over its competition. It has better video quality than its nearest competitor Cube and is waterproof, unlike the Cube and Yi which have an exterior covering for protection. The GoPro Hero, for example is housed within an airtight case, which cuts down on its mounting options.
Amazing Features for an Amazing Action Cam
The Monoprice MHD 2.0 is waterproof up to 30 feet of water depth and even shock-proof, dust-proof and withstands frozen conditions too. With a standard quarter-inch tripod mount, the action camera can be mounted on various mounting options that are available for its bullet-shaped design and hence sports a low profile, lower than the well-received GoPro Hero.
It has a clip that screws itself to the tripod mount, and hence fit enough to be snapped to a handlebar/pole mount and easily removable too. This mount utilizes ball joints that are compatible with third-party mounts including suction cup, helmet and board mounts that have quick connector clips for easy mounting and removal.
One can even find a carrying pouch, Mini-USB cable for quick charging and transfer of videos, a screw key for clip mounts, along with a security strap that can be looped into diverse mounts. Absence of microSDHC card for storage in the model might hurt some people but that can be factored into the purchase price too.
Starting out with Monoprice MHD 2.0
One just needs to slide the big switch to start recording. Clicking pictures is easy too. If you prefer to click pictures, one just needs to press and hold the shutter release so that the camera clicks on. Do press again to shoot. The Monoprice MHD cam vibrates and lets the user know that the recordings have stopped or started.
The action camera includes a locking twist-off cap at the back of its body which also includes a Mini-HDMI slot and a Mini-USB port, along with a small microSDHC card slot, a useful switch to change video resolution (1080p or 720p) and affect image quality and size, and a reset button.
Shooting options are many and varied including full high definition1080p recording facility and Tall HD 960p at the frame rate of 30 frames per second. The shooting modes also include the facility to record at 720p HD at 30 and 60 frames per second (fps). There is an additional second 432×240-resolution thumbnail video to go along with the main video that can be uploaded to social networks easily. The camera is fit enough to capture decent 5-megapixel stills too and has the ability to shoot at various periodic intervals or in bursts of 10 seconds each.
Quality Levels – the Decent Type!
Low-light video is decent in this cam although there is some noise, which is normal for a sub $100 cam. The audio is passable too, since the microphone is sensitive enough to pick up voices close to the camera.
With a built-in gyroscopic sensor, the action camera detects the camera’s orientation and will rotate to a perfect frame with a full resolution when positioned at 0 and 180 degrees. It takes 2 hours to get a full charge with recording capacity of 2.5 hours of 1080p video on a single charge.
Price
The Monoprice MHD 2.0 Action camera is priced at $82.72 (Price Source: CNet and Walmart)
Ashish Patel is Sr iOS Developer at Nimblechapps – Good Progressive iPhone App Development Company. He believes in smart work. He spends his time dabbling with iOS technologies and SmartWatch Ideas. Looking to venture into the world of Apple HomeKit development and to share thoughts along the way!! He is an avid reader and very passionate about home automation and car automation. He is eagerly waiting for his car to have Apple CarPlay.