Why You Can Trust CNET Drift Stealth 2 review: Tiny, lightweight action cam keeps a low profile
Drift shrinks the great design of its Ghost-S camera resulting in a small splash-proof camera you can mount just about anywhere.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Making a small action camera comes with compromises. To shrink them, manufacturers have to do things like get rid of screens and onboard controls, use a built-in battery instead of a removable one, and use image sensors and video processors that don't produce too much heat or at least limit what the camera can do so the processors don't melt.
Drift Stealth 2
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
For the Stealth 2, Drift was able to keep its onboard controls as well as a screen for setting and mode changes, but it doesn't have a removable battery like the Ghost-S camera and the Stealth 2 isn't capable of that camera's faster frame rates or its video quality.
The Stealth 2 is half the size of the Ghost-S, though, measuring 3.2x1.7x1.1 inches (80x42x27mm) and 40 percent lighter 3.4 ounces (97 grams). Mounted on a helmet, you won't even feel it. And although it isn't fully waterproof without a housing, it is weather resistant.
Compared to models like the Polaroid Cube, the Stealth is easier to mount and since it has a screen and a couple more buttons, you don't need to connect to another device to change modes or settings. It has this advantage over the GoPro Hero4 Session, too, and it's half the price.
Pricing is a bit of an issue for the Stealth 2, though. At $200 (£150, AU$330) or less it's a fair price for what you're getting, but Sony at the moment has its Action Cam Mini AZ1 selling for $220 (£215, AU$350). The splash-proof AZ1 is about the same size as the Stealth 2, but has a removable battery; comes with a waterproof housing; and has better video or photo quality and recording options too, for that matter. And for $100 more, you can get Sony's wireless LCD remote for previewing and reviewing video and camera control.
The Stealth 2's design gives you a little more flexibility when it comes to mounting, however. The camera has a standard 1/4-20 tripod mount on the side opposite its screen, so you have a wide selection of mounting options in addition to those designed for use with Drift's included universal clip. And if you want to use GoPro's mounts, for a few bucks you can buy a simple adapter that uses the camera's tripod mount.
Plus with its 300-degree rotating lens, it can be horizontally or vertically placed, or even at an angle, and all you need to do to level your video is twist the lens into position. Included with the camera are flat and curved adhesive tray mounts, as well as a goggle mount to use with the universal clip. The Stealth 2 can handle getting some rain or snow on it, while a waterproof housing can keep it protected down to 131 feet (40m).
A removable cap on back protects the camera's microSD card slot (supports cards up to 32GB; not included) and Micro-USB and Micro-HDMI ports. Again, the battery isn't removable, but it did last a long time. In my tests, it was able to continuously record at 1080p resolution for 2 hours and 37 minutes. That's shy of the 2 hours and 50 minutes Drift quotes on its site, but not drastically. Keep in mind, too, that the camera records two video files, one at full resolution and another thumbnail version to make transfers or uploading from your phone easier.
The highest video resolution available on the camera is 1080p at 30 frames per second with a bitrate of 18Mbps. It can also do 960p at 30fps (4:3 aspect ratio), 720p at 60fps and WVGA at 120fps. Photo options include 3-megapixel single shots, bursts of up to three pictures per second, and time-lapse photos at .5-, 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, 10-, 30-, 60-second intervals. The camera can also be set to record in a continuous loop, so you can use the Stealth 2 as a dash cam in your car.
While setting and mode changes can be done with the on-board controls, you can use its built-in Wi-Fi to connect to an iOS or Android device to do it too, or buy and use Drift's two-way wireless remote. The latter has color LEDs that correlate to the different shooting modes, so that you know if you're recording video or time-lapse photos, for example.
The mobile app gives you a preview of what you're about to record and lets you review your videos and photos once you're done. You can also use it to change the camera's settings, start and stop recordings, or snap pictures.
Video and photo quality
As I mentioned at the top of this review, consider buying the Stealth 2 for its design and price more than the photos or videos you'll be getting out of it. That's not to say they're bad, because they're not. But they're not great, either, and if video quality is what's most important, consider the similarly sized Sony Action Cam Mini AZ1, or spend $100 more and get the more capable -- and waterproof -- Ghost-S or similarly priced Replay XD Prime X .
You can add the GoPro Hero4 Session to your list, too, but considering you can buy two Stealth 2 cameras for the price of one Session, it's likely not worth it if your plan is to just share your clips on YouTube with your friends and family. At small sizes, such as playing back on a smartphone or tablet, you're less likely to notice the problems -- unless of course you're looking for them.
Play the Stealth's videos back on a display or TV viewed from a close distance and you'll see fine details are soft and look smudgy, and with fast movement there are motion artifacts and a Jell-O effect caused by hard vibration. The dynamic range is limited too, leading to blown-out highlights and lost details in shadows. And it can be a bit slow to adjust to light conditions, though it does do so smoothly.
Photo quality is like the video quality: OK for Web sharing and viewing at small sizes, but the photos are probably nothing you'd want to blow up. The native resolution is 3 megapixels, so you're not making them too large anyway. The wide-angle lens gives you that fish-eye distortion that, while typical of action-cam videos, might be less appealing for your photos shot in 4:3 ratio, not 16:9.
Conclusion
The Drift Stealth 2's advantage over similar super-small cameras is its design. If you're looking for a camera for tight spaces or simply want one that's little and lightweight, it's a decent choice. Just be prepared for the compromises that come with its tiny size.
Editors' note: Pricing for Sony Action Cam Mini was adjusted to reflect change in bundle pricing.