The Swann ThumbCam: mini digital video camera is one of them gadgets which does what it says on the tin. A thumb is a perfect representation of its best feature, its minuscule size and weight. This really is a device you could take anywhere. You wouldn’t even notice it is in your pocket.
Review
A mini video camera & DVR housed in a durable shock resistant casing, the thumb cam comes with a combination of portability and great accessories (including clips and a lanyard) which provides great versatility. The instructions mention its use as a covert surveillance device, a simple portable camera for holidays, events etc and a webcam. We gave it a quick road test and it seems it would suit all of these uses easily. As long as you’re not trying to film the next avatar you shouldn’t be disappointed.
Set up
Files save automatically so it is used like a memory card you record, press stop, plug it and the files are on the device ready to be edited/shared, it’s very easy to access the videos once recording is done. It’s even pre-charged so it can go straight from the box into the action.
Under the Bonnet
The cam creates time & date stamped 720 x 480 color AVI video files. It offers everything you need and more with standard recording, sound activated recording and an included 2G microSD card for backup which can be increased to up to 8G, but it has no flash for night videos. The battery life does however keep its score high with up to ten hours sound activation stand by and 25 minutes of solid video.
It can play up sometimes but the reset button can fix most problems without deleting videos.
Testing it Out
It’s a little creepy that they sell it as a ‘spying tool’ , ‘no one will ever know’ says the box. Although that is a little exaggerated it could be easily concealed if needed but it isn’t invisible and would look quite obvious hidden in clothes for example, unless you want to go through all the trouble of attaching it to your shirt and cutting a hole for the lens.
We stuck it in a fridge and made use of the sound activation. Now we can know who steals the beer on a night!
It would make an effective security device if placed in the right place. We filmed it near the garage door for example. If you’re worried about burglary/vandalism then this gadget may genuinely provide a valuable security element to your household.
It could also be used as an ‘action cam’ to record those death-defying down hill mountain bike runs. We clipped it to the front of a bike and had a little pedal down the road and it handled itself fairly well but whether it could handle a real battering or not I’m unsure. As the video of the garage shows,it can be temperamental which really lets it down. The majority of shots a high quality for such as small device but other times the video skips around. Plus the attachments are a little flimsy and fiddly , little problems like this could be a nightmare if your at the end of your best bike run ever and your left with no record of it.
We say
The device is certainly versatile and its sound activation, security and action features can be used in a variety of situations. It’s not perfect for filming your next action movie but for 50/60 pounds, it’s a reasonably cheap addition to your camera/gadget collection.
Gaj-it Verdict
8/10
The new ThumbCam is now available at SRP 49.99 inc. from PC World. For further sales information please email uksales@swann.com.au