The Whistler Rush action camera is a intriguing addition to the action camera market. I was able to take it on several fishing trips and capture a variety of footage in challenging conditions. How did it perform? Read on for the full review of the Whistler Rush action camera.
The Whistler Rush films at 1080p/30fps, 720p/60fps. The 170 degree viewing angle is cut down to a 127 with the 1080p video. Camera has 5.0 M CMOS sensor, f/2.8 6-layer glass lense, with H.264 compression. Photos are 8 MP. Dual Micro SD card slots are available (neat touch!), allowing for even more recording options, in addition to a built-in dash cam feature for on/off recording with ignition. There is also a white LED light on the front that can be used to better iluminate subjects, another unique touch on the Rush action camera. HDMI, Aduio video ouput, time lapse photography and a swell 1.5 inch color monitor round out this impressive array of features on the Rush. It's really shocking that GoPro still can't seem to include a view screen on all its models; I am very glad to see this feature on the Rush. It's easy to navigate the built in menu and adjust settings as needed on it as well.
Videos and more after the jump (click below)
At just 2'' x 1'' x 1.5'', this camera feels remarkably small and nicely compact in hand. It weighs just 68 grams but feels solid. The battery is found on the front, by sliding a small panel back. It holds roughly 2 hours worth of charge; I had no problem getting plenty of intermittent video recording in during a 5 hour fishing trip without fear of the battery giving out on me.
More and more action cameras are adopting the GoPro compatible mounting options and I am glad to see the same on Whistler's Rush. There is a lot of generic mounts available through eBay for such attachment points and this allows the Rush to easily be placed on head, chest, floaty mounts and more. Not only that, but the camera itself comes with a HUGE variety of attachment options, including several for car Dash Cam mounting. I really liked the multiple helmet, flat suface, handlebar, surfboard, windshield clips! Of course, charging cable and USB connectivity cable included as well. The waterproof case worked well too, snugly holding the camera during my fishing trips. The case features a bubble lenses, something that works fine out of water but tends to blur video underwater (would love to see a flat lense case for this little camera). You can't access all the buttons while it is in the case, just the 3 most important ones: Power/Camera/Video. I was able to quickly power on, and take videos with ease, even when fighting a fish. The camera buttons respond nicely and have a solid "click" to them for haptic feedback when you can't see the camera.
Video quality was fairly solid in a variety of settings. You can see a low-light condition with my Dusk Bass Fishing video. Here, the contrast adjustments I made did tend to be a little on the over correction side. However, I was impressed with the overall clarity of video, even after the sun had set for a while. In my next video, East Fork San Gabriel Fishing, I was hiking at midday, amidst a lot of rocks and boulders. These combined with the bright sun really gave the camera a little bit of a rough time, as the sheer brightness did reveal the camera's limitations in color depth. However, I was still able to obtain acceptable video quality.
East Fork San Gabriel River Fishing with Rush Action Camera
Bass Fishing at Dusk with Whistler Rush Action Camera
Overall, the Whistler Rush is a solid action camera. I love the compact design, ease of use, dual-car cam options, and GoPro mount compatibility. Image and video quality, while limited in color deph, is still sufficient for my fishing videos. The price is a tad high, at roughly $200, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a drop on this given the recent release of the recent GoPro Hero HD bargain option. All in all, the Whistler Rush has been enjoyable to use and I think other anglers will agree as well. You can purchase the Rush action camera on Amazon.
Be nice.