Camera, Cameras, iON, POV Camera, Video Camera - October 17, 2013

iON Air Pro 2 Action Camera

At the recent Dew Tour action sports event in San Francisco, besides seeing a bunch of new bikes from Mongoose, we also saw a huge booth from event sponsor iON. They had the latest generation of their action camera on display called the iON Air Pro 2.

The iON Air Pro 2 is waterproof to 30 feet straight out of the box, no additional cases necessary (complete with waterproof microphone). It has a very streamlined profile with a top slider control that is very “Contour-esque”. One cool feature that the iON has that others do not, is that it vibrates when it starts and stops recording so you are assured your biggest hucks will be captured especially when you reach up to turn it on when it’s mounted on top of your helmet. With the optional Wi-Fi Podz, the Air Pro 2 has built in Wi-Fi capability to allow you to instantly shoot and share you best vids. It works in conjunction with the iON Air Pro smartphone app that is available for both Android and iPhone. The app also enables your phone to act as a viewfinder for the camera. The iON Air Pro 2 is very lightweight, weighing in at a scant 130 grams. The iON Air Pro 2 also has an auto rotation feature that works like a gyro cam. If you prefer to have your shots stable for those boned out back flips, you can turn the auto rotation off.

In this video, Teddy Upshaw from iON shows us some of the highlights and features of the Air Pro 2.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMxQl13Nad0

The iON Air Pro 2 has an 1800 mAmp battery booster that allows the camera unit to charge twice without the need for an external power source, providing over 7 hours of battery life. The wide angle lens provides the ability to record in HD (up to 1080p) with a field view of up to 170 degrees. It can shoot 14 megapixel stills that can be sequenced one at a time, three in one second or one photo every 10,20 or 30 seconds. As an added bonus, every purchasers gets 8GB of free cloud storage for their video content (the unit itself accepts Micro SD cards).

The rest of the iON Air Pro 2 action camera specs are as follows:

Lens Type: 180º ultra wide angle field of view.
Sensor: 14 Mega pixel CMOS sensor.
Focus Range: 0.5m / 20inches.
Video: 1080p: 1920×1080 pixels (16:9), 25fps PAL / 30fps NTSC. 960p: 1280×960 pixels (4:3), 25fps PAL / 30fps NTSC*. 720p: 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 50fps PAL / 60fps NTSC. 720p: 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 25fps PAL / 30fps NTSC*.
Format: H.264 compression, saved as MPEG4 (.mp4) file. Dual video files for easy sharing.
Photo: 14 mega pixel in JPEG format. Single, burst-shot*, time lapse*.
Audio: Built-in high quality microphone. Microphone Input (for professional external microphones). AAC compression, automatic gain control.
Storage: MicroSD / MicroSDHC with minimum class 6, recommended class 10 up to 32gB (not included). Average recording time: about 4 hours (using 32GB mSD card in 1080p30/720p60).
Connection: USB2.0 (for data connection and battery charging). HDMI – Hi Def Video.
Power: Battery life: approx. 2.5 hrs / 1 hr (w/ Wi-Fi).
Housing: High quality aluminum barrel / rubberized finishing.
Waterproof: Depth up to 10 meters / 30 feet.
Dimensions: 37 x 37 x 108 mm / 1.45″ x 1.45″ x 4.5″.
Weight: 130g / 4.6oz (including WiFi PODZ).

(*Settings can be changed through iON software.)

The iON Air Pro 2 comes in two models, the basic package that includes a variety of mounts, adapters and a mini tripod retails for $249.99 and the Wi-Fi Podz version retails for $299.99. The first generation iON Air Pro is also available with the Wi-Fi Podz for $199.99.

Our Take

We look forward to getting a test sample of the iON Air Pro 2 for evaluation and getting a closer look at image quality. The styling is very reminiscent of one of our favorite POV cameras, the Contour (R.I.P.) and the additional features (waterproof, wi-fi, vibration) added with the competitive price make the iON a solid option in the POV/Action Video Camera game.