I’ll be taking a vacation (the first one in years) soon at the Grand Canyon, and I think I’ll take the Sunnycam Activ with me. It’s basically sunglasses equipped with a 1080p/30 frames-per-second video camera built “right between the eyes.”
The 90-degree field of view lens allows the wearer to record a wider perspective in a slimline frame. The microSD port holds up to a 64GB card (no cards are included, so add that cost into an purchasing plans), allowing you to record over 11 hours of video.
The Activ Edition also comes with a set of clear lens. The Grilamid TR90 high impact resistant frame is designed to handle an active lifestyle. That’s a necessity for a product like this, as most users of the gadget are going to be running, jumping, playing ball, etc. — all activities in which glasses can be easily dropped, scratched or broken.
Notice that I didn’t mention biking. I could never get my Activs to comfortably fit under my bicycle helmet (and you do wear a helmet while biking, don’t you?). Ditto for motorcycling if you hope to use them on trips).
Once you’ve charged the Sunnycam via its micro USB charger, you can start recording. The touch controls are built directly into the video glasses frame arm. You touch the controls to start recording HD video, though it takes a bit of practice to get to the point that you can tap the controls on the first try.
The Sunnycam doesn’t have great battery life. The built-in, rechargeable 500mAh Lithium-ion battery only allows one hour of recording when fully charged. You can buy apower pack (not included).
SunnyCam video glasses lenses are easy to pop in an out; they click into place. A full range of tinted and polarized lenses are available for various lighting conditions and sport requirements, though, again this adds to the cost.
You can watch your SunnyCam glasses videos on any device that is equipped with USB 2.0. Sorry, there’s no USB 3.0 or USB-C support, so you’ll need an adapter to use the glasses with a MacBook or 2016 MacBook Pro. On the Mac platform, the SunnyCam works with macOS 0.7 or later.
I’m not sure how much the glasses/camcorder combo weighs, but it was surprisingly light. I did my daily six-mile run with them on, and they didn’t feel appreciably heavily than “normal” sunglasses.
Video quality is good, but not great. Also, I had problems occasionally with sound syncing issues and recorded speech comes across as very fuzzy.
If you need action video in 4K, you may wish to give GoPro products a look. And, of course, the iPhone can record 4K video, but it’s not practical for wearing on your head for a first-person perspective.
The Sunnycam Activ is a fun gadget to play with. You can capture slice-of-life moments easily with it. If you can live with its limitations, you can scoop up one at Amazon for $179.99. Personally, though, I still prefer my GoPro.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★
