Turn Your iPhone into a Action Camera with Qmountz Case: Product Review

Intro
The Qmountz case is a convenient way to turn your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy III into a versatile action camera. I recently received one for the iPhone 4/4S and tried it out while fishing. So, how did it perform? Read on to find out!

Features
Take your iPhone, pop it into the secure Qmountz case, and start filming. Boom, that is all there is to it! If you have the latest iPhone, you can shoot in 1080p, which is right around what most major action cameras (GoPro, Contour, etc) shoot in. Choose from several different accessories to best mount it, be it on yourself or on a bike, pole, etc. Screw in a QCamz wide angle lenses (not included in this review) and you'll get the awesome wide-angle175 degree view found in many major action cameras. There is even an app from Qcamz for superimposing data onto the video, including GPS and display speed. The Qcamz developer have reported that the Qmountz sports military-quality, tough housing, waterproof to 30 feet!
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Design
The Qmountz case locks securely with a rubber seal around the rim and four (4) snap-lock clasps. The case is designed to fit an iPhone 4S snugly without any shaking, although I was even able to fit an iPod Touch, 4th Gen, in the case with a little foam backing. Qmountz is also available for Samsung Galaxy III and iPhone 5. Qmountz case is quite waterproof and didn't leak on me at all, despite multiple tests. The included accessories are all very well-designed, with a great chest mount (perfect for anglers, more on this below), a handlebar mount (adjustable with included pins), bike helmet mount, and adhesive grips. It really neat just how many accessories are jam-packed alongside this little case, really lets you take full advantage of the action camera moments!

Performance
One of the key issues with any action camera is being able to quickly turn it on, catching the action as it happens. Some cameras, like the Midland XTC-300, feature a one-touch slider to turn on/off. The GoPro features a couple of buttons with various modes, sometimes making it difficult to quickly get in on the action. Qmountz comes in with a one-touch recording, as allowed on the iPhone. However, you'll need to keep the device powered on for this to work. Otherwise, you'll need to tap the Home button to wake the device up (which you can do through the well-designed case) and then tap the video icon. It is possible to record without logging in through the passcode menu, but it's easiest if you don't have a passcode on your device (easier to just tap the record icon). You'll need to have a camera icon on the main menu bar, at the bottom of the screen, for this to work.



I took the Qmountz out in a variety of conditions-fishing for bass at a hot, muggy lake and trout angling alongside several crystal clear mountain streams. For anglers, the included chest mount is a must-use. It's simply the best way to capture fishing action on the Qmountz action camera. It's lightweight and very comfortable. Strap it on, adjust the angle of the camera mount, start recording and you are good to go!

I was very impressed with the stability of the camera mount on the chest straps. You'll notice in the following video that I do a lot of rock hopping, jumping across the stream to advance further up the creek. With many action cameras, such jumping will lead to unwanted shaking/vibrations, a 'jello' effect, or a wobbly video. The Qmountz case and the chest strap holds the camera so tightly that this wobble doesn't occur! Granted, the video won't be of the best quality when you make very quick movements, but this is more due to iOS limitations that the camera.


The Qmountz case' underwater performance was also impressive. It can certainly be nerve-wracking to submerge your expensive iPhone or iPod Touch device. However, the ultra-waterproof design of the Qmountz case worked very well for me. I did not notice any leaks and weak points where water could possibly get in. My iOS device didn't get wet at all after a dunk in the creek for some underwater trout filming. Furthermore, the default flat lenses on the camera picks up action underwater excellently! Check out this next clip to see a little underwater footage at another mountain stream with rainbow trout.

I didn't get to test out the neat wide-angle lenses (Qlenses) that is a separate accessory for QMountz. The actual case has a screw-top area just for the wide-angle lenses. I would love to see it works in person, I'll report back if I do get to test it out.

Summary
The Qmountz action camera case is awesome. Many anglers already have iPhones and this is a great way to turn your cell phone into a real action camera. The higher quality footage obtainable with newer mobile devices, including the iPhone 5, at 1080HD, combined with the Qmountz case, is impressive and quite comparable to the more expensive action cameras on the market. For anglers who already own a iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5, or Samsung Galaxy III, the Qmountz case is a perfect alternative to more expensive GoPro, Contour, or Sony action cameras. Look out for Qmountz action camera cases at QCamz! Also, be sure to check out their other interesting action cameras, the Q-WiFi, Q-Full, Q-HD and so on!