Panasonic's wearable 4K camera captures all your extreme exploits in super hi-def

What… what is that thing?
It’s a camera. A head-mounted camera. Don’t worry, it also comes in black.

It’s not very subtle, is it?
It sure isn’t. But show us a gadget that can survive in up to three metres of water for 30 minutes that doens’t look a little rugged and chunky.

Fair enough. But aren’t there enough action cams already?
Not like this. Panny’s unimaginatively named HX-A500 can capture all of your gnarly exploits in ultra-sharp 4K resolution. And unlike its Go Pro Hero3+ Black Edition rival which manages 15fps, the A500 can guzzle in 25fps, making for much smoother video.

It’s 2014. Why the wire?
The brains of the camera are found in the main operating unit, freeing up weight in the main camera which weighs just 31 grammes. It’s also got a 1.5in LCD so you can check that everything is being shot correctly.

There’s nothing worse than paragliding across the mouth of an active volcano, only to realise that a blob of lava has ruined the lens without you realising it.

That’s pretty clever.
It sure is. But it gets better. You can also use Panasonic’s Image App to connect to smartphones in seconds via NFC, allowing for remote recording and easy sharing.

You can even broadcast your exploits live via Ustream, giving paramedics an early warning for when you catastrophically wipeout.

Is there any –
– slow motion video capture? Why yes, yes there is. 200fps at 848 x 480, 720p at 100fps and 50fps at full HD, to be exact.

Does it come with an Xtreme price tag?
It’ll set you back £380 when it hits shelves in May. If you’re looking for something to capture your laser pen expolits with Mr Bojangles then it’s probably not worth it, but bear wrestling in a shark cage is a good justification for snapping one up if you ask us.

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.