By Ryan Michad
Before I was able to buy my own guns, I was a camera junkie. I filmed hockey and football games all through high school, I created professionally edited accreditation videos for our neighboring towns and got the chance to work with many cameras. I quickly developed personal preferences for how I liked my cameras to work for me. The things I want in a camera are surprisingly simple, yet it seems like many manufacturers struggle to make a camera the way I want it. My perfect camera is simple; it is intuitive, and it doesn’t have many external controls. I want high-definition footage, and easy transferability between the camera and the computer. I want the ability to transfer videos on the SD card, or by connecting a cable directly from the camera to the computer. I want the files to be in a common format such as MPEG-4. I can say with complete confidence that the Midland XTC-300 is 99.999% of the way there to being my perfect camera. The Midland XTC-300 is an extremely portable, high definition camera that will suit the needs of any outdoorsman or other sport enthusiast that would like to capture their escapades. The XTC-300 allows the end user to mount the camera in many different ways. I have personally used the camera on an ATV helmet to do a shooting course that involved an ATV. Using the submersible case for protection, the XTC delivered beautiful video and captured the whole experience from my point of view. If you choose to use the XTC as a normal video camera on a tripod, it excels at that as well. All of the reviews I have done for the Firearms Insider have used the XTC-300 exclusively for all the video work. The XTC-300 never missed a beat, and captured every moment perfectly. There is a video included above that is a compilation of footage captured with the XTC-300, from many mounting positions. This video shows you the versatility of the XTC-300 in action. I am extremely impressed with the Midland XTC-300, and I have recommended the camera to several people personally who were interested in purchasing a sport-style camera. It is an EXCELLENT BUY!
Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame: A really compact High-Definition video camera that allows the user to mount it in many different ways to capture every moment of a given activity.
Target Market: Outdoors enthusiasts, shooters, hunters, bikers, skiers, people who need a reliable and simple high-definition camera.
FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product)
- 1080p HD Video Capture
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio
- Records in MPEG-4 format (Compression H.264)
- Records to a Micro SD card up to 32 GB
- Up to five hours of recording time with a full charge
- Comes with many accessories including a submersible waterproof case (submersible to 200 feet), a Goggle mount, Picatinny Rail mount, Helmet Mount, Handlebar mount, and all needed accessories to allow the camera to interface with the computer.
Price point:
- MSRP = $199.00
- Retail = $170 to $200
I need it now! Availability: These can be found on the Midland website as well as many online retailers such as Amazon.
Our Rating
+ It records extremely clearly. The camera easily refocuses and handles light and dark situations well. + It is extremely light. Even when the camera is attached to something on your body or that you are using, its weight is negligible. + The sound quality of the camera is superb. I have tested this camera for the sound, filming my musical endeavors, and I am very impressed with the microphone on the camera. + The supplied accessories allow you to mount the camera in many different ways to suit whatever situation you may find yourself in. + The waterproof mount allows you to film in inclement weather conditions without fear of damaging the camera.
- When using the waterproof mount the sound quality is greatly diminished. This is no fault of the camera itself, but is just a result of the waterproof case needing to be completely solid. - There is no viewfinder. Note that these sport-type cameras typically do not have a viewfinder for space reasons and for battery life reasons. This not really a negative or any fault of the camera, but it is nice to be able to make sure that you got what you wanted in the shot when you’re out in the field.
Score: 9.0 Amazing!!!
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