The world may be awash with cameras recording our every movement, but it’s still pretty difficult to mount them properly to ensure they capture the best view. Sure there are different static mounts, such as those for cars, bicycles and clamps for generic opportunities, but these are all add-ons which are not so convenient. Now a camera has arrived on the market which may solve that problem.

The Stick & Shoot Lifestyle Camera is an action cam with a bit of a difference. Apart from being blue that is. The key feature is the addition of a dual mode mounting panel on the rear of the device, which lets you stick the camera to any flat surface using a magnet for metal, or a super sticky pad for other materials. The result is a camera which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘fly on the wall’. See our video below for an overview of how it works.

First impressions
The camera is shipped in a compact plastic case which contains the unit itself, plus a small but complete user guide, USB charge cable and a small remote control. It’s a functional and efficient group of accessories, and the specifications of the camera are also decent enough, especially for the price. Full HD 1080p recording, along with a 1000mAh rechargeable battery and support for up to 32B microSD cards is a solid spec. The camera view is 145 degree which gives a good result, and the camera sports WiFi for connecting to smartphones so you can use them as a controller.

In use
The camera itself has a number of features which indicate that the manufacturers took some time to think about the product rather than just slap it together. For one thing, there’s a tripod mound on the bottom of the case, which is yet another mounting option to add to the list, but it’s the swiveling sticky and magnetic mount which still steals the show. In practice the sticky mount is actually very good, and manages to stay put even during a jiggling car journey. You’ll need to ensure a nice suitable flat surface of course, but that’s to be expected.

When the sticky gets dirty, just wash and dry and it’s back to good as new again. The tiny remote control is also a useful feature when you can’t or don’t want to use your phone as the controller. It’s got two functions, press to shoot images, press longer to shoot video. And there’s a lock button which lets you prevent over-writing of video for those special treasured moments. Simple but valuable. The remote takes a small watch battery.

The smartphone app functionality also works well. It’s easy to set up the WiFi, as you can see from the video above. Just hit the WiFi button on the camera, and select the camera in your phone’s WiFi list. Then fire up the free app (Android or iOS) and connect. From then on you can run the major functions of the camera and use the phone as a viewfinder with little lag. Neat.

The overall image quality of the video is nothing amazing, but it’s definitely better than some phones we have reviewed, and even some action cams. There was a bit of an exposure problem on our test camera, not sure if that’s an isolated thing or generic, but the video was pretty clear in good light, again remembering the low price of this product!

Conclusion
The Stick & Shoot Lifestyle Camera offers an interesting and useful take on the general action cam genre. The product is easy to use, nicely designed, and comes with enough of a feature list to make it worth considering as a budget buy, even without the mounting options. The addition of the flexible rear panel for mounting on different surfaces just adds cream to the icing. Or something.

Price: $46.99 / £33.90 (optional wrap mount $5.78)

Specifications:
145 Degree Wide View Angle Lens: Meet your different needs
Supporting 1080P Full HD recording
Supporting up to 32GB TF Card (not included in the package)
Built-in 1000mAh Battery: Supporting USB charging
Two Control Ways Optional: Remote controller / APP control
Product Weight: 0.030 kg
Package Weight: 0.080 kg
Product Size ( L x W x H ): 5 x 5 x 5 cm / 1.97 x 1.97 x 1.97 inches
Package Size ( L x W x H ): 10 x 10 x 10 cm / 3.93 x 3.93 x 3.93 inches