I’ve always been fascinated by actioncams... or helmetcams, or POVcams, or whatever else you want to call them. Even before they were available to us mere consumers, I used to wonder, What would it look like if you could see what a camera saw, if it were mounted on that model airplane/squirrel’s back/cereal spoon/football, etc? Thus it was that when Drift Innovation released its high-def HD-170 this July, with its swiveling fisheye lens and viewing screen, I wanted to try one out. So I’d have something to compare it against, I also got hold of a GoPro HERO HD – probably the most popular actioncam currently available. I put the two through their paces, and you can see the results in the video that follows.

If you’d like to know more about any of the cameras in this piece, check out my earlier articles on the HD-170, the HERO HD, and the ATC9K.

Added Aug. 27/10: This just in! GoPro informs us that the LCD screen for the HERO HD will cost US$69.