ReplayXD PrimeX Sports Camera product reviews

The go-anywhere, do-anything sport camera that won't get in your way, the PrimeX has got to be one of the top contenders for any active lifestyler. Slightly larger than the mini, this unit carried a longer-use battery, better optics, and superior frame-rates for capturing that split-second money shot in crystal clarity.

Waterproof to 3m straight out of the box, I was lucky enough to be offered the specially-engineered waterproof casing that allowed me to take this baby deeper. Going scuba diving in Lake Rotoma just East of Rotorua, there wasn't a lot to see down there barring a few eels and the odd fresh-water crayfish, but the water was so clear I got some great footage of other divers apparently floating in space in 1080p at 60fps. It was quite magical, and the results from camera were stunning. We only went down about 5 metres because I'm not dive-certified so was limited to 'trial dive' guidelines, but this still required the use of the casing since it was deeper than the 'as-is' limits of the camera alone. If you plan to film underwater, this is my 'highly recommended' bit of kit.

Dropping the resolution to 720p allowed me to bump the frame-rate up to 120fps for capturing the action as I cooked down the hill on the louge in Rotorua the next day, minimising the motion blur. Dropping the same run again with the setting at default gave noticeably lower grade results at high speeds. So, while this is still not a 'high-speed camera' it will hold its own when dashing along at a fair clip. This was highlighted when I used the option 'Tactical Mount' to attach the camera to the rails of a mate's airsoft replica assault rifle. Unfortunately, being on some serious pain meds for a busted tooth stopped me from playing - I didn't want to risk making a stupid decision because of medication - but reviewing the footage afterwards showed that 720p/60fps was a good all-round setting for sports such as this. Higher frame rate would have meant grainier footage, higher resolution would have meant more motion-blur. The ease of use for the Tac Mount was outstanding, giving quick and simple instalation, a solid mounting for the camera, and being on the rails meant perfect placement for those point-of-view shots you just can't beat.

Utilising the best storage cards is essential as you push the frame-rate up. Make sure you get a card that is rated at least Class-10 U3, or better yet 4k compliant. 32gb should be the bare minimum you use, but investing in a 128gb card would be a very smart idea. If you're happy with 480p @ 30fps, you can make do with a regular Class-10 microSD card in a pinch, but if you are going to fork out for this baby, you may as well toss another Rutherford at it and go for the good cards so you're ready for the opportunities that come.

Overall, though this camera has the 'issue' of not being able to be strapped to your chest for, apparently, the best POV shots, it is perfect for mounting on whatever vehicle of choice your sport has, or a helmet, or even on your forearm as I did underwater. As with all such things, it has it's pros and cons, but for me the pros outweigh any cons - it's sleek, it stays out of the way, it's very effective, I can view-find on my phone or tablet because of the built-in secure, multi-mode WiFi (which is configured using a text file stored on the camera itself, accessible by phone or tablet) and it has a great battery life - around 3 hours at really good quality levels, though you can extend that by decreasing the footage quality and frame-rate. My only tiny gripe is that it wouldn't let me charge while in-use. As soon as I plugged in my external battery pack, it stopped recording and turned off the WiFi. Bit of a let-down really, but you can't have everything I suppose.