Poppy Colors, Good Motion Recording
The Ion Air Pro 3 gave us great image quality in a range of light and though a range of speeds. The colors were bright and poppy, and at 1080p at 60fps, trees whipped by without motion blurring. The higher frame rate also makes slow motion footage look a lot clearer than cameras that top out at 30fps. The 12MP still camera offers single shot, 10 shot bursts, and time lapse mode. Bonus: pressing the photo button takes still images while the camera is recording video.

Innovative Tech Features
The Air Pro 3’s smart tech details give it an edge over the competition–the Wi-Fi PodZ end cap allowed me to connect to my smartphone and use it to adjust the camera’s settings. It also allows the phone to be used as a remote control. The Air Pro 3’s auto-rotation feature is especially handy when mounting the camera: an internal sensor figures out which way is up and makes sure that the camera is recording with the right side up. I also appreciated the dual stream capture: while recording, the Air Pro 3 can simultaneously record a thumbnail version that can be quickly uploaded to smartphones and the internet.

Smartphone App
Ion has invested a lot into their smartphone application, which is smart, because there’s no other way to change the settings in the field. The included PodZ provides a simple and easy way to connect with the phone. During testing, the app was great for tweaking settings, using my phone as a viewfinder, and uploading and posting photos and videos to the internet.

Drawbacks
Despite the lack of any on-camera adjustment setting, the Ion Air Pro 3’s excellent video quality, tough body, and on-touch operation makes a great grab-and-go camera, no matter where you’re going or what the weather’s like.