There are plenty of action cams around, because it seems that people love taking video of their adventures. Which is great if you’re in sunny California, but not so useful if you’re stuck somewhere like rainy Leeds. But now there’s a way to use your action cam in the summer, and convert it into something else, including a car DVR, during the rest of the time.

The Dimika 1080 HD Action Cam is actually much more than just a simple video camera. For one thing it offers full 1080p resolution in a 37gram package the size of a matchbox. But it’s really the versatility of the little gadget that really sets it apart. You can set it up with software to act as a webcam, security cam, action cam, car DVR, time-lapse camera, and with the waterproof pouch, an underwater camera. Very impressive for the price.

First impressions
The camera comes with a simple but functional package, which includes a charging and data cable, a small but serviceable user manual and the camera itself. That’s about it. If you need extras like tripods, waterproof cases and the like, you buy them separately at the time of ordering.

The good news is the accessories are reasonably priced, with car windshield mount, tripod and splashbag all coming in at $4.90, which is definitely not a rip off. This means you can put together a pretty versatile pack of options for under $15, which is great.

In use
The camera is also very easy to operate. Insert your choice of microSD card up to 32 GB, make sure to charge up the camera using the microUSB port and you’re set. There’s a nice big on/off button on the top, plus a video start/stop button, so there’s no excuse for not knowing where you are at all times.

Versatile
The two LED lights tell you when the unit is charging (red light on the side) and when it’s capturing video (the green light on the top). Take a look at the video below to see the thing in action. One of the really cool features of the camera is the fact that you can tailor the functionality depending on what you’re using the camera for, using a free Windows program which you can download.

All you have to do is plug the camera in, fire up the small utility and you can alter things like the video data rate, loop recording times, motion sensing (if you use it as an alarm cam) and G-sensor (if you’re using it in your car as a DVR), the ISO/White balance/ exposure etc and even time lapse times if you’re going to use it for time-lapse photography. We did say it was a versatile little puppy, didn’t we?

Once you have everything set the way you want, just press the Sync button to save it to the camera and you’re ready to go. Great little feature! Finally we would be remiss if we didn’t comment on how great the video quality is.

Conclusion
For anyone wanting a great, high resolution camera, this is a definite contender. It delivers all the power and resolution of a Go-Pro or similar, but with the flexibility of the extra features which make it special. The G-sensor, motion detection, time-lapse and other functionality make it great for so many different purposes, so you can easily find yourself chopping and changing applications as the need arises. SAMPLE VIDEO.

This is a well thought out product at a great price. Recommended.

Price
$69