#76: 8GB Waterproof Watch Spy Camera Review for Private Investigators

[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/hTwUZFqBbFw”]

I was pretty excited to review this 8GB watch spy camera as I thought it was perfect for a private investigator.  A spy camera that you could wear and have it blend in completely.   A spy camera that has internal storage and you don’t have to worry about buying a memory card for not to mention you don’t have to try and find it when your subject walks into a store and you need to document their activities.   The best part about the watch spy camera is that is sells for around $20.00.   I figured if it was even a half way decent spy camera then it was more than worth the money I spent on it.

Before I go into my formal review, below are the following specs for the camera and you will see that they are pretty standard.

Specs for the 8GB spy camera watch:

USB Port: USB 2.0

Video: 640×480 – 30 frames per second – Records in AVI format

Photo: 1280×960 JPEG format

Audio: WAV

Pros

Video Camera

The video itself is decent in regards to pixilation. The video isn’t grainy indoors or outdoors which is a good thing.

Photos

The camera takes average pictures and it is very easy use.  You can conveniently take pictures at the push of a button.  I have never taken a picture with such ease with any covert camera I have tested (so far at least).

Ease of Use

It is very easy to take a picture, record video, and to use only the microphone.  The camera isn’t complicated by any means.  I can’t praise the functions of this watch camera enough.

Setting Time

Setting the time is as easy as connecting the camera to your computer and making a couple of clicks.  Quite possibly the easiest spy camera to set the time on.

Convenient

Most covert cameras are convienient in the sense that they are small and covert.  I like this spy camera because I can have it on my wrist and never have to think about where it is when I have to follow a subject.  It’s much like having the 808 micro spy camera on your key chain.

Cons

Video Camera

There are some things that are very hard to overlook with this spy camera.  Though I said the quality (in regards of pixilation) was good, there is a problem with the video on the camera that I tested.

The video seems to have a problem keeping up as if every few seconds it skips or speeds up (I can’t tell what it is doing).  Needless to say the video  does not record as smooth as it should.

The audio that is recorded during is not very good and is hardly understandable.  Pretty big con as most covert cameras had moderately decent audio recordings.

Camera

The camera as I said in the Pro’s shoots average but decent pictures.  Having the watch camera on your wrist makes it easy to keep steady and take a decent picture.   The problem that I had with the camera is that it takes pictures upside down.  This isn’t a huge problem but it was something that bothered me.

Audio

Even when the audio is recorded alone it is very bad as if something is covering the microphone.  I even took off the small cap covering the microphone but it still sounded horrible. This isn’t a deal breaker as I would never use the audio but someone might have the need for it.  What the audio does pick up very well is the ticking of the watch.

Final Thoughts

This is very much an entry level spy camera. I may have purchased a bad version of this camera and you might have a different experience then I had.

The watch is functional and tells time.  It is made well and feels sturdy.  If you can get passed the slight glitches in the video then this watch camera might be suitable for you.

I will using this watch camera as a backup camera for my covert recording needs.  I will however be on the lookout for a better version of a watch camera.

Hope you enjoyed the review.  Be sure to check out the video for examples of the pros and cons.