There are many body cameras in the market today and it can be hard to determine which one provides the best value for money while also encompassing the best features. The body cams which are being compared here are commonly used in Australia by police officers, security personnel, military and throughout other professional fields.
This industry comparison table was formulated in November 2017. Some companies have since changed their business structure to be subscription-based only, such as AXON.
Model | Overwatch® EH150 V1 | Axon Body 2 | BODYCAM BC-300 | Wolfcom 3rd Eye | Reveal RS2-X2L | PatrolEyes DV6 |
Price (AUD) | $395 | $599 | $650 | $475 | $499 | $449 |
Resolution | 1296P/ 1080P/ 720P/ 480P | 1080P/ 720P/ 480P | 1296P/ 1080P/ 720P/ 480P | 1080P/ 720P/ 480P | 1080P/ 720P/ 480P | 1080P/ 720P/ 480P |
Field of View | 140° | 143° | 150° | 120° | 120° (rotatable) | 145° |
Weight | 165g | 142g | 159g | 156g | 145g | 158g |
Dimensions | 94 x 60 x 31mm | 83.82 x 66.04 x 20.32mm | 78.74 x 50.8 x 25.4mm | 93.98 x 58.42 x 30.48mm | 99.06 x 55.88 x 30.48mm | 83 x 56.90 x 32mm |
Storage | 64GB | 64GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 64GB |
Battery Life (hrs) | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 6 (battery packs will cost extra) | 8 | 6 |
Charging Time Until Full (hrs) | 4 | 6 | 3 | - | 8 | 3.5 |
Subscription/ Ongoing fees? | No | Yes | - | - | - | - |
Simple Plug & Retrieve Data? | ![]() |
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Encryption/ Password Support | ![]() |
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Warranty | ![]() |
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Strong Night Vision | ![]() |
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Pre-Record Option | ![]() |
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LCD Screen | ![]() |
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Motion Detection | ![]() |
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In-Built GPS | ![]() |
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Auxiliary Light (flashlight/laser pointer) | ![]() |
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HDMI Port | ![]() |
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External Camera Support | ![]() |
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Price
Generally, the price of the unit is considered last as some companies offer bulk discounts based on order quantity and are open to negotiation. They can also offer OEM or ODM solutions if the order quantity is large enough. One example is if you order over 70 units, we can offer free custom logo printing on the body cam unit (the shell). Different docking stations and custom management systems can also be presented once a large order quantity is achieved. There usually isn't any room for price negotiation though if you're only after a few or a single body cam to use or test.
The quoted price should always be considered on small, medium and large orders as some companies offer ridiculous mark ups, even during large bulk orders. You should always compare the features and quality of the body cam to determine if you're obtaining value for money. If you're not sure what body cam you want, the common action here is to purchase a few from different vendors and then to compare them or even to contact their customer support.
Resolution
Resolution is an important factor as this is the main reason why you're looking for a body cam in the first place - to capture video. There are usually many different recording resolutions available with the main ones being 480P, 720P, 1080P and 1296P. Something to keep in mind is that the maximum recording time and battery life which are advertised by most companies are usually based on the lowest resolution, not the highest.
You are able to change resolution from the internal camera settings with a recommended resolution being 1080P for optimum battery life and video quality. Of course you can increase it to 1296P but this will reduce the battery life as it's using more power to operate.
Field of View
Some people prefer a wide angled field of view which is used in most action cameras such as GoPro's, however with body cams, this can be unnecessary as it can distort the real footage. The optimal field of view without a adopting a fish eyed state is between 130- 140 degrees. You are able to see much more of your surroundings compared to standard cameras in this range and the footage won't look distorted, unusual or edited which may not be allowed in court.
Weight
The weight of numerous body cams are generally the same with a few grams difference throughout the variety. Beware that some companies do offer very light body cams but this is at the expense of the battery. You would need to attach an external battery pack and have more unnecessary wires running around your vest or clothing.
Heavy body cams (200g+) should also be cautioned as they often quite large and can get in the way of traditional field operations. For people using body cams without a vest, it can cause your jumper to droop down from the weight with this meaning that the lens is facing the ground and you won't be able to capture the footage you require.
Storage
Storage and battery life play a major role in the operation of a body cam, and rightfully so. If you don't have enough storage, you won't receive the desired footage that you need and you would have to constantly delete files to free up space which takes time if your body cam doesn't support loop recording.
64GB of internal storage is optimal for quality body cams as this can generally save many hours of HD footage. 32GB is fine for small shifts or if you only need to capture a few hours of video at most in HD (1080P+) resolution. Changing your recording resolution will also change the amount of footage that your unit can hold.
Battery
The battery life is also determent on what resolution you set your camera at and if you have other features activated such as night vision, flashlight, GPS etc. The battery life which is displayed in the above table is based on the lowest recording resolution and with all features such as GPS and flashlight turned off.
Some companies may not publicly display the battery life for other resolutions, however you can usually ask customer service or check their website for more information. You can view the EH150's battery life and recording time until the memory is full by clicking here or viewing the 'specifications' tab.