HTC Re, a personal camera from HTC, is an ultra-portable camera with a unique design and a powerful hardware. However, though the device is great in performance and usability, it still needs a little more of ‘something’ from its developers. We took the HTC Re for a spin and here is what we liked and what we didn’t.
The HTC Re is a simple, easy-to-use, powerful and highly portable camera. Sporting a 16MP sensor, the HTC Re is shaped like a submarine’s periscope, but is sized like an asthma pump. Tiny enough, though the HTC Re has a good grip, the developers could have done a little better with regards to its aesthetics and size.
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The HTC Re is tubular in shape with an elbow design on the top which houses the sensor and lens. The shell is made of a hard durable plastic casing, coated with a high-gloss surface. The housing is made watertight and the camera can be used up to one metre underwater. Below the elbow is where all the electronics and the battery is housed. At the corner of the elbow is the all-chrome shutter release button and on the opposite is another button for a few other functions. On the bottom is a provision for tripod mount and alongside it are the micro SD card slot and micro USB slot. Near the bottom is a tiny hole for the speaker, above that an LED and on the top is another hole for the microphone. The Re measures 96.7mm in height, 26.5mm in diameter and weighs around 66.5 grams.
The HTC Re sports a 16MP sensor, with an aperture of f2.8 and capabilities of shooting 146-degree wide-angle shots. The camera can record full HD 1080p videos at 30fps and 720P HD videos in 4x slow motion. The camera can also record time-lapse videos. The HTC Re features wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth v4.0. The Re is powered by an 820mAh rechargeable battery, which can support up to 1 hour and 50 minutes of full HD recording. The HTC Re also does not sport a power button—it features a grip sensor, which turns on the device instantly when picked up and the camera is ready for action.
The camera does not have any built-in storage and needs a micro SD card for all videos and photos. HTC Re is compatible with Android and iOS for operation and data transfer, but you can also transfer the data to your PC or laptop using the micro USB cable.
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Operating the HTC Re is pretty simple and a no-brainer. The Re has a single-hand operation design and can be operated with just two buttons. The big chrome button can be operated by the thumb and a single click will snap photos, while a long press will start shooting videos. Slow-motion videos can be activated by the other button residing below the lens. A long press on the same button enables the pairing of the device with a smartphone. The camera produces beeps according to the mode it is in—pairing, video or photo.
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In order to use the camera, you can either choose to use it as a standalone camera, or pair it with your smartphone and use the phone’s display as a viewfinder. Additional controls on the app can enable you to remotely hit the shutter button and snap photos, record videos or take time-lapse photos. The app can also help you configure the Re for camera settings (photo/video resolution), streaming on YouTube, Location, video stabilization, ultra-wide settings and camera sounds.
Below are images from the Re shot in broad daylight.
Above: Though the images are great, without the viewfinder, you tend to lose out on the subject
Above and below: Image quality captured by the Re is pretty good and the wide-angle lens helps capture a larger area.
The HTC Re camera’s app is also provided with features to instantly download and share your photos directly from the camera’s storage. The app connects the smartphone to the Re via Bluetooth, only to enable a hotspot on the smartphone and then connect to the Re back again using the wireless interface. Since the HTC Re sports wide-angle capturing capabilities, the Re app can correct the barrel distortion in the photos on the device itself.
Check out the quality of images shot by the Re in low light.
The 16MP camera on the Re does a very good job at shooting videos and capturing photos. The photos are crisp, clear and the fast shutter takes care of blurred images when in motion. However, low-light pictures are disappointing since there is no flash or light for the subjects to be captured. Images are grainy and almost unusable. Using the HTC Re for capturing videos is great. The Re can be mounted on specialised mounts (needs to be purchased) that can be attached to your bike’s handlebars, or clipped on to your window or haversack. It is a great little device for shooting everyday videos and candid shots. Great for spies too. Additional accessories available for the HTC Re are mounts, chargers, desk charging docks, car chargers, water protection caps, additional batteries and lanyards.
Shown above are images with barrel distortion (left) and how the Re app corrects it (right)
The HTC Re is convenient, but the battery runs out pretty fast. Depending on the way you use it, carry it and the amount of pictures you take, the HTC Re needs to be recharged pretty soon. Because of the grip sensor, we noticed that the camera, when carried around in the pocket, keeps turning on, wasting unnecessary power. A physical power button would have been helpful. Also, we did notice that the camera heats up after a while of usage, especially when recording videos. The device does not seem to have any vents for cooling, which could add to the issue. Lastly, since there is no viewfinder, you would need to experiment with the device for a long while to get your shots right. Images could be a waste if the camera is not handled in a correct position. We also noticed that connecting the camera to the smartphone was not seamless—it takes a while and is very erratic with connection losses quite a few times.
Check out the video quality of the HTC Re taken in low-light while driving below an underpass.
The HTC Re is available for a price of Rs 9,999 and can be used as a travel companion while hiking, travelling, biking, riding, and almost every adventure sport you can think of. The tiny design and highly-portable form factor makes it convenient to carry around and easy to store. Though we recommend the product for those looking for a tiny, yet powerful camera, we still think the HTC Re should be further developed for additional features, stability and power.
