If you've heard of Sena, you probably associate it with its wireless motorcycle helmet intercoms. Now, however, the company is forging into the world of actioncams. The soon-to-be-released Prism model can be remotely controlled by Bluetooth, and is designed with motorbike-mounting in mind.
The water-resistant camera itself is quite basic, which could be a good thing depending on your preferences. It's powered up using one switch, another switch starts and stops recording, while a third lets users switch between recording modes. Video resolution tops out at 1080p/30fps and photos peak at 5 megapixels, with everything being recorded on an SD card. The lens has a 140-degree field of view.
One 1.5-hour charge of the lithium-ion battery should be good for about two hours of recording.
Using its Bluetooth 4.0 capabilities, however, users can also control the Prism from a paired Bluetooth helmet headset. Given that it might be kind of hard for riders to see what buttons they're pressing on that headset, the camera provides synthesized voice cues, telling users via their earpieces what function has been selected.
The Bluetooth technology additionally lets riders record their own narration on footage as it's being shot, using the headset mic. If multiple riders are using that headset's intercom feature, then their conversations can be recorded. The camera does also have its own onboard stereo mics, and utilizes a wind noise reduction algorithm.
Included with the Prism is Sena's Quick Release Motorcycle Mounting system, which lets users quickly pop the camera on and off of their motorcycle – exactly what part of the bike it mounts on isn't clear.
The Sena Prism is available now for preorder, and (from what we've seen at various online retailers) is priced at US$399. If users want to see what it's shooting, they'll also need to purchase an optional LCD viewfinder screen. Shipping is scheduled to start at the beginning of next year.
Source: Sena