Bluetooth company Sena is the first to combine an action camera with a Bluetooth headset in one unit, the 10C.
Australian distributor Aaron Dalle-Molle of Earmold says he is not yet sure when it will arrive in Australia, but when it does, we will alert readers. Cost is expected to be around $400.
The 10C unit combines the ever-popular and reliable Sena SMH10 Bluetooth headset with the new voice-controlled Sena Prism Bluetooth action camera.
It’s bulkier than an SMH10 unit, but it’s a smaller unit than the action camera or the market-leading GoPro and it’s more streamlined, sitting lengthwise on the side of the helmet like a normal Bluetooth unit.
It weighs 94g which is about half as much again as the flagship SMH20S Bluetooth unit and it clamps or sticks on the side of your helmet like other headsets.
The unit features very similar controls to the Sena headset with a slightly smaller jog dial and a phone button on the back to control intercom, phone, FM radio and music. The intercom has a 1.6km range and can link with up to four intercoms.
The new control is a single button on the top for the camera. Press it once to turn it on, press it again to take a photo or hold it down for a couple of seconds to start video, with an audio prompt confirming the various functions.
There is also a “video tagging” function which is like a dashcam that records constantly in one-minute intervals, then deletes them, so you will have evidence of any incidents.
If you want to tag an event, hold down the camera button and the camera will save the previous minute, the current minute and the next minute.
Because it’s integrated with the Bluetooth unit, you can also narrate your video as you’re going. It will also overlay any music you are listening to and any conversations with a pillion or riding companions over the headset.
The 125-degree camera takes 1080p/30fps or 720p/60 or 30fps video, and 3.5-megapixel photographs and the battery has 17 hours of intercom talk time but only two hours of camera use. Then it automatically shuts down, leaving enough power for two more hours of intercom.
While the SMH20S and the separate Prism action camera have voice activation control, it is not available on this unit.