One of the most interesting products that Nikon unveiled last week at CES was its KeyMission 360 activity camera. Although this isn’t the first time that the company has delved into products for adventurous consumers, it is their first entry into the action camera market.

However, unlike most of its competitors, the KeyMission 360 takes the action camera proposition a notch higher by allowing users to record content 360 degrees, which is great for viewing using VR devices like Google’s Cardboard or the Oculus Rift.

The device is waterproof up to 100 ft and is shockproof from heights up to 6.6 feet. The camera has a square form factor but features recessed portions and a lens that is placed at the center of the body. Just like other action cameras, the KeyMission 360 can be mounted on various devices including helmets, backpacks and other surface (though we suppose a special mount is needed to do this).

At the moment, Nikon hasn’t provided a lot of information about the device including its price, availability and its specs.  

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The action camera market is really picking up. The once small niche market of waterproof and shockproof video recording devices is now a booming industry that a lot of manufacturers are trying to take advantage of. In fact, this niche is now starting to branch out as new types of action cameras are now being introduced.

One startup that’s trying to catch the wave is the GoFish cam, which recently received full backing on Kickstarter. The GoFish cam is a patent-pending underwater action camera that’s meant to provide anglers with an underwater shot of their catch.

The camera is capable of capturing Full HD videos and comes with a 170-degree wide-angle lens to allow for maximum coverage. It also comes with night vision capabilities which makes it handy even for anglers who fish at night. The GoFish cam is capable of going underwater up to 150 meters thanks to its tough armor casing.

The GoFish cam has also been designed in order to reduce wobble offering a stabilized video regardless if it’s trolling, cast-and-retrieve or bottom fishing. The battery on the device is said to last up to 4 hours and is recharged using a mini USB cable. It also comes with a built-in microphone and can store videos via a microSD card.

Finally, the camera comes with a companion app which provides users with a simple user interface to edit and share their captured videos through the internet. According to the company’s page on Kickstarter, they’re expecting to ship the product hopefully before mid-2016. The GoFish Cam is available for pre-order for $115, and will retail at $170.00 after the Kickstarter campaign.

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Apart from the Selfie smartphone champion called the Desire Eye, HTC has also unveiled its action camera called the HTC RE, a few hours ago in its Double Exposure event in New York City.

Unlike the crowd favourite GoPro Hero, the RE sports a pipe-like design, which according to HTC was intentional to make the device very handy. Moreover, unlike what many people have speculated, HTC isn’t marketing the RE as a competitor to the GoPro cameras, but rather it likes to appeal to ordinary consumers who want an always on camera to capture life’s most random moments.

The camera is equipped with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with an f/2.8 aperture that is capable of capturing 16MP still photos, Full HD videos at 30fps, 4x 720p slow-motion clips and time-lapse recording. Other notable pieces of hardware include an 840mAh battery, Bluetooth LE for initial pairing with a smartphone and Wi-Fi Direct for transferring files and remote shutter functionality.

The device is made from plastic (glossy plastic for that matter) and features a couple of buttons including a shutter button and a slow-motion capture toggle. There’s also an 8GB microSD card pre-installed but users can swap cards up to 128GB in capacity.

As mentioned before, HTC is marketing the RE as an always-on camera which should allow consumers to easily capture image and video as quickly as possible. The device doesn’t have a power button and instead is turned on automatically when sensors in the camera detects you’re holding it. Capturing photos and videos are also easier – users simply need to press the shutter button to take a photo or hold the shutter button for a few seconds to start recording video.

The HTC RE is compatible with any Android device running on Android 4.3 or higher and iOS7 or higher. HTC will start shipping the RE starting this month for around $200.

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GoPro’s latest creation will certainly be a gift from heaven for adventurers on a budget. The famous activity camera-maker has just officially announced its $130 Hero model, expanding the company’s reach to the entry-level market.

The more affordable GoPro is equipped with an ultra wide-angle glass lens and is capable of capturing both 1080p30 and 720p0 videos as well as 5MP still shots up to a depth of 40m. Just like its bigger brothers, the Hero is dust and dirt proof. It also comes equipped with a number of user-friendly modes including QuikCapture, Superview, Autolowlight and even a time lapse mode.

The device weighs around 3.9 ounces and includes a Skeleton Backdoor that enables enhanced audio during low-speed activities in dry and dirt-free environments. The device will also be backward compatible with existing mounts and accessories for the company’s Hero series.

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