He Sees You When You’re Sleeping–Our Picks for Automotive Cameras
This post is part of our inaugural “30 Days of Christmas” segment. Readers can cruise over to The Engine Block for daily gift-giving features in every price point. Product coverage will include everything from hardcore performance suggestions and must-haves for daily drivers to a 4×4 and recreational activities wish list. Our team of industry insiders is excited to make holiday shopping less stressful this year! In this edition, we feature the hottest cameras from around the industry.
While Polaroids have come back into fashion with the hipster crowds, we like our cameras a bit more ‘modern’. Give us Bluetooth, give us app integration, and give us intuitive controls! We take a look at The Engine Block’s favorite cameras in and around the automotive segment.
WASPcam Action Cameras
While GoPro is the name that’s synonymous with action camera, let’s give some love to a great alternative. A name that you need to know in the segement is WASPcam. They give users all the great features from competitors’ models at a much more attractive price point. Their ROX line shoots buttery smooth footage and can take up to 16MP still images for super-high quality pictures. The ROX companion app works great and gives you superior control of your cam remotely. The best part is that these bad boys start at just $99. At that price, you’ll have the budget to put other gifts in the stocking as well.
Cobra Dash Cams
My first memory of dash cams came from seeing those blurry low-res videos out of Russia. Explosions, accidents, random acts of weirdness–all caught on camera. Years have passed and while dash cams can certainly be a great way to capture YouTube-worthy footage, they have great practicality in daily life. Catching the plate number of that guy who caused an accident is not only useful, but kinda James Bond-like if we say so ourselves. Our pick for dash cams comes from Cobra –a name you might be familiar with. They have a stellar line of consumer radar detectors and CB radios. But their CDR models of dashboard camera has solidified them as a leading name in this segment as well. Bluetooth, internal GPS, speed alerts–all at your fingertips. Featuring 1080P video and a compact design, the CDR dash cam can provide peace-of-mind that you or a loved one is “always-rollin'” this holiday season.
DJI Drones
OK, so it’s not exactly automotive…but drones are too sweet to leave out. And while there are other guys doing drones in the market, no one does it like DJI. Their combination of style, features, and usability is absolutely tops. The Phantom line is their flagship, but we like the Spark for this list. Coming in your choice of five colors, the Spark offers a bevy of features to unleash your inner Michael Bay. Just use the DJI GO 4 App to easily choose a flight mode and the Spark does the rest. Track an object on the go or tap areas in the app viewfinder to create professional cinematic-looking shots and video. Plus we love the gesture control. Use a few hand motions to take complete control over the shot. I’ve had the pleasure of extensively using one of these for a video shoot last month and it immediately made its way onto my holiday gift list.
