There are now a number of actioncams that can be attached to a fishing line, where they shoot underwater video of fish being reeled in. The dual-camera waterproof Siren X-1 takes things further, as it simultaneously shoots down into the water and up towards the angler.
Invented by Australia-based Scottish expatriates Phil West and Calum McPherson, the Siren features not one but two wide-angle HD cameras, facing in opposite directions from either end of the roughly cylindrical device. If used at the same time (which is the whole point of the setup), they each record video at a maximum resolution of 1080p/60fps – that figure jumps to 4K/30fps if just one of them is activated.
The user starts fishing without the Siren on their line, keeping things free and simple.
As soon as a fish strikes, however, they squeeze a handle on top of the device, opening up one side of a 4.5-mm-wide channel running along its length. They then place the Siren on the line via that channel, after which they release the handle, closing the side of the channel back up. Finally, they release their grasp on the Siren, allowing it to slide zip-line-style down the line to the water's surface.
The device then simply floats at the surface, with the line running freely through it. As long as that line remains taut, one camera will continuously point down towards the fish, while the other will point up towards the user. When that person is editing the video – which is recorded on an integrated 32GB Flash drive – they can cut back and forth between both viewpoints.
A dedicated app allows the user to adjust settings on the Wi-Fi-equipped Siren, start/stop recording, and review or share footage. Additionally, should they decide that they'd like to shoot something other than fishing, the Siren's fishing-line mount can be removed and replaced with an optional GoPro-like mount.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Siren X-1 is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of AUD$790 (about US$542) will get you one.
You can see footage shot by it, in the video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, Siren Cameras
