Drift Ghost-S Review

May 30, 2014
Drift Ghost-S
Drift-Ghost-S1
Drift-cam
POV-cam-helmet-1
POV-cam-helmet-Billy
POV-cam-helmet-Billy2
Drift Ghost-S Drift-Ghost-S1 Drift-cam POV-cam-helmet-1 POV-cam-helmet-Billy POV-cam-helmet-Billy2
GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
90
Video Quality
8
Still Camera Quality
8
Setting Adjustment
9
Durability
8
Ease of Use
9
Value
8

The Good

  • Excellent video and photo quality
  • Monstrous battery life
  • Zero learning curve
  • Simple Menus
  • Bright 2-inch backlit LCD screen

The Bad

  • Pricey
  • Back panel is a pain to remove
THE VERDICT

The Drift Ghost-S offers the highest resolution on the POV cam market. By capturing 1080p at 60fps, the Ghost-S goes head to head with the GoPro, but its ease of use blows the GroPro out of the water. While the baffling amount of settings options keeps GoPro’s latest at the top of most cinematographers’ must-have lists, I’d recommend the Drift to 90 percent of the population.

FULL REVIEW

Excellent Video, Ridiculously Easy Menu
The video from the Drift Ghost-S is the only one that gives GoPro a run for its money–the 1080p at 60fps setting provided great clarity, excellent detail, even when moving at high speeds, and when compared side-by-side, brighter colors than the GoPro Hero 3+ with same settings. We attached it to the side of a Pathfinder with a suction cup mount, and the camera recorded tons of detail with minimal blur at 40mph. The camera allows for different lighting situations with “Normal,” “Vivid,” and “Low Light” settings in both the video and photo category. The low-light setting is especially useful–I was able to set myself up for dawn, dusk, or indoor shots with the push of a few buttons.

Speaking of photos, the still images were clear as well, with time-lapse settings from 0.5 seconds to 60 seconds and photo burst at 5 or 10 per second. The Drift Ghost-S earned bonus points for the ability to take photos while recording video.

Longest Battery Life, Video Tagging
Most POV cameras are going to lengths to increase their battery life, and the Ghost-S has gone the farthest by adding a larger battery that pumps out a maximum 3.5 hours of recording time, with a reported 2 hours with the Wi-Fi on. Another nice feature is their video tagging, which records footage in a continuous loop. When you decide to save a clip, it’ll store that loop on the SD card and start recording on a different loop. Saves a ton of storage space and prevents you from recording a ton of footage that you’d end up cutting anyway. It’s like field editing.

Extra Features
Drift has long been known for their in-box extras, and they’re not backing down from those: the two-way LED remote control is included, the 2-inch LCD screen is great for previewing your shot and checking out your footage right after you record it, and the 300-degree rotating lens lets you mount in in any position.

Drawbacks
Not much to complain about here–the camera is rugged (it took a truck running over it for us to finally break it) and waterproof to 9 feet, but that beefiness (and the extra battery) make it one of the heavier cameras at 6 ounces. Doesn’t sound like much, but you’ll feel it when it’s on your goggle strap.

Bottom Line
At 1080p at 60fps, the Ghost-S has video quality that goes toe-to-toe with the best cameras on the market, but its long battery life and the total lack of a learning curve to use it makes the Ghost-S the choice for the majority of the population. Its simplicity makes it the perfect grab and go camera, and its mount-anywhere capabilities mean you can get whatever angle you want.

 


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