Review | Selfie video camera a dream for vloggers – all-in-one IdolCam fits in the palm of your hand or on a selfie stick

Vlogs (video blogs) often seem spontaneous – they’re usually slice-of-life footage, shot selfie style, of a person going about their day – but producing a good one actually takes a bit of work and equipment. Shooting with a smartphone’s selfie camera is not ideal, because selfie cameras usually have a narrow field of vision and the hardware is inferior to the phone’s main camera system. But shooting with a phone’s main camera means the person won’t be able to see what they’re shooting, since the screen is facing away. Digital cameras are usually too bulky to hold selfie style for extended periods of time; and selfie sticks, an external mic, and a gimbal are usually needed to ensure audio quality and video fluidity do not suffer. A new gadget from southern Chinese tech innovation hotbed Shenzhen intends to change that. Named the “IdolCam”, it is an all-in-one vlog camera with a mic and flip-out screen, built on top of a gimbal, weighing just 275g. Design and hardware The IdolCam is a marriage between a gimbal and an action camera. It has a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens built on top of a three-axis gimbal, which then extends and connects to a rectangular body that houses the touch screen, ports, battery and buttons. The lens system is interchangeable: the default 12-megapixel lens is just about perfect for most situations, but there is a fish-eye lens and telephoto lens that users can buy separately. The unusual shape may appear bulky in product shots, but the whole package weighs barely more than a large iPhone in a case, and can sit easily on the palm of most hands. It’s light enough to be attached to an extended selfie stick, held horizontally, without issues too. Controlling the camera is mostly done via a series of taps and swipes on the roughly 2-inch touch screen, but there are three buttons on top of the body for more immediate actions such as recording or powering down. The screen is connected by a sturdy hinge that allows it to face either forwards or backwards. Also located on the top is a tiny joystick nub that allows manual control of the gimbal, and a grille for the internal microphone. A muffler is included that snaps over the grille to help prevent wind noise when shooting. Ports include a micro-HDMI out for displaying to an external monitor; a micro-USB charging port; a MicroSD card slot; and a 3.5mm jack for external microphones. The entire package apart from the lens is made of plastic, but the construction is sturdy. Everything works as advertised: power on the IdolCam and the gimbal kicks into action. Software and features The IdolCam UI is easy to use: swipe up to see previous footage and swipe right to cycle through different shooting modes including time-lapse. The touch screen has a bit of delay, but it’s not unbearable, just noticeably slower than what we’re used to on smartphones or the Apple Watch. Crucial software missing at time of review is a companion app. IdolCam’s founder Jason Lam says the app is being developed and should be ready in a couple of months, at the moment, there is no way to control shooting without touching the camera, and transferring files involves taking the MicroSD card out of the camera. The IdolCam’s hardware does have Bluetooth and Wi-fi functionality, so in the future, perhaps files can be transferred wirelessly. Performance and battery life Video footage shot with the IdolCam is impressive. Due to the large image sensor, footage is sharp, with excellent dynamic range. This is a big improvement over smaller action cameras like the GoPro or Insta360 One R, whose footage tends to blow out lights or be drenched in shadows in challenging conditions. The gimbal does its job, as stabilisation is on point even when I jog with the camera. The video below contains a series of clips shot during day and night, including a side-by-side comparison against the Insta360 One. Audio quality from the internal mic is solid and more than usable, but serious vloggers will want to plug in an external mic. From my testing, I find the battery to last just a little under three hours on a single charge. Conclusion In terms of performance, there’s not much to complain about the IdolCam, other than the current lack of a companion app. If there’s one obstacle keeping it from getting a glowing recommendation, it’s the relatively high price tag of US$350. Some vloggers will gladly pay that – the IdolCam began its life on Kickstarter and generated over US$100,000 – but for the average consumer, the price might be a bit high for a product from a brand they’ve never heard of. The IdolCam can be ordered at its website.