Have you ever watched a building site and thought that the building went up quickly but it turned out to be 6 months or planted a new climbing plant and wanted to record it climbing up some trellis it takes time but with the latest review we can watch that footage from your own home.
In this review, we are going to take a closer look at the Technaxx TX-164 time-lapse camera. If you have followed our reviews we have covered a number of Technaxx products such as the TX-168 Portable car alarm, TX-165 Birdcam, Technaxx disco mobile auto charger and TX-SW6HR smartwatch. So I was keen to see the latest offering from this brand.
First Impressions
The Technaxx TX-164 is a useful photography gadget that allows you to capture change over a period of time. The TX-164 comes with a 1080p CMOS sensor that provides excellent video footage that offers detailed images and a 110-degree field of view in which you can create a documented story.
Come night time the TX-164 uses an auto IR filter that will provide you with recordings at night that comes with clear footage that is surprisingly bright thanks to the integrated LED. You will also notice the battery life is excellent you get 6 months of use due to the fact it’s powered by 12x AA batteries which provide long-term use.
Unboxing
The packaging shows you examples of what you can record such as plants growing or buildings being put up. It also indicates the key features such as the following:
- Video
- MicroSD Storage (MicroSD card not included)
- Photo (1920 x1080)
- Built-in microphone & speaker
- Operating with Batteries
- 6 months battery life
- TFT colour display
- IP66 rated
When you open the box you will also see you are given the camera, 12x AA batteries, a small stand for mounting to a wall, strap, bungee cord, Pole clamp and instructions as well as some screws and plugs that help you connect the camera and stand. What you will notice there is no microSD card provided but the TX-164 can be compatible with up to 512GB microSD card this is an easy fix after a trip to amazon.
Design
The TX-164 is not a massive device coming in at 4.5x 3.2 x 5.5 (LxWxH) and it’s fairly lightweight at just 2 pounds. The camera is compact and that IP66 rating means it handles being outdoors and can handle rain, dust, dirt, debris or even when I put the sprinkler on in the garden.
The camera will also work with a wide range of temperatures from a very cold -20 to a Qatar-like weather of +50. I currently have to take the word of the manufacturer on this as the UK weather does not get to either extreme mentioned. I will keep a close eye to see if it still handles the UK weather and update this review in 6 months.
Finally, this camera also comes with a built-in microphone that lets you record sounds and play them back when you have recorded the footage which just adds to the overall recordings.
Performance/Use
The system is very easy to set up & instructions provided to set up were clear switching through the modes was a little tricky but the provided instructions really did help. Unfortunately, this camera needs work to improve.
Framing your image is complete guesswork because the mount is located at the rear door instead of the front so when you open it up the screen swings with the front section. This means the positioning is completely blind so it will involve a bit of adjusting to get the right footage. Once set up you will have a 15-second countdown and you are ready to go.
In terms of location, this camera is perfect for being placed in the garden or on a construction site as there is very little to do in terms of adjusting the settings of the TX-164 everything is automatic. If you had this set up at a local beauty spot as you approach the evening you will notice a significant jump in exposure levels you will struggle to frame it up perfectly. However, you could film seasonal changes as we will show you in the coming months.
Where do I feel this is best suited? I would say if you are having external building work and want to monitor long-term progress it’s great. It’s also ideal if you wanted to record the growth of my plants going up my trellis. You could also set it up by a bird’s nest and record from the time the eggs are laid until the baby chicks hatch. This camera is best suited for you to observe something over time.
The TX-164 does provide you with 4 modes in terms of recording:
- Timelapse Photo – The camera takes pictures at a set interval and produces an AVI video
- Timelapse Video – The camera takes a video clip at a set interval and combines it into an AVI video
- Timing Photo (Image Sequence) – The camera captures a set of stills at a set interval
- Timing Video (Video Sequence) – The camera captures a sequence of videos at a set interval.
Verdict
The TX-164 is a time-lapse camera that will record HD video and provide regular stills. The camera will provide you recordings for up to 6 months then you need to replace the 12 AA batteries for continued use.
I was impressed with the 4 different modes as you might record an extension being built to your home and then decide to record mother nature at work with a plant growing. The fact you have Timelapse photo and video and Timing photo and video options gives you a nice selection to pick from.
In testing, we found the timelapse photo was the best to use as over time it will combine the stills to create a video. However, it only offers 5fps which does not look great. Pass the footage to my son who is doing a film production course and had the software (Premiere Pro) he could adjust the frame rate which made it a better watch.
The only negative is the timing photo mode does not allow you the option to create separate folders so you will have to search for the photos and separate them out which can be very time-consuming.
Would I Buy one?
Well if budget and space are a concern then yes this has its benefits costing only £106. Now is it the best on the market no there are other better options out there but they will cost more. The image quality could be improved but to tell a story of how a building came up from the foundations to the finished article or a flower from being planted to flowering it really does show the story. The output of 5fps second is a little disappointing but something that the software could be updated could fix this issue.
Overall, if you are looking to capture birds in the garden, a flower growing over time or your new house being built this will tick the boxes in terms of your demands.
Product Rating:
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Performance: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Video recording/quality: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Data Storage: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value for Money: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars – 4.0 Stars
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