Being able to record yourself doing various sport-related activities is something that has become incredibly popular, particularly with products such as the GoPro camera. However, in some situations, it is even easier for a person to use a wearable camera such as the Pivothead Durango to record themselves.
Just by looking at the Durango, it is easy to tell that it is meant for people interested in sports since it is relatively bulky with very harsh lines and few soft stylish curves. It may not be anything like Google Glass in its ability to look good, but the Pivothead Durango does have the advantage of looking like a regular pair of glasses (at least from far away.)
There is very little to say about the actual design of the Durango, other than that our review unit was completely black, and of course, had a small camera in the middle, between the two lenses.
On the inside, there is a micro-USB port, and a power button for turning the glasses on and enabling the recording.
At their thickest point, the Pivothead Durango glasses are 11mm, meaning that they are much bulkier than the average pair of sunglasses, but since they also have a camera built into them for just $300, a little bit of leeway can be given.
Compared to most smartphones, the Durango’s image quality was nearly the same, and in some situations, even a little bit better. While there are action cameras with better sensors, the Durango’s design and price point makes it attractive, despite the degradation in quality that may be present.
The Durango only includes an 8mp sensor, so no matter what, videos are never going to be as crisp as some of the more recent GoPro cameras, but considering that the videos are still clear, there is very little to complain about with the Durango’s quality.
Pivothead does include a relatively limited software set with the Durango, which works well on pretty much any operating system. Within the software are settings for ISO and other things to alter the image quality of the camera. This is definitely handy, but it can sometimes be a little be inconvenient to have altered software settings that cannot be changed without plugging the Durango back into a computer. However, if you know that lighting conditions are going to be a certain way, or you know that what you are doing for the day will be benefited by different settings, the software is quite useful.
For most people, the Pivothead or even a GoPro is far from necessary, but for people that like the idea of being able to record their activities, the $300 Durango is a good and relatively comfortable choice.
Rating : 8.5/10
Price : $299 (Amazon)