There are obvious brands you think about when some mentions action cams, body cams or wearables that can record video. Many of those brands come at a really high price point and need lots of expensive accessories to make them work the way you want.
Waterproofing: IP65
Video: 1080p @ 30fps
Viewing Angle: 100 degree
Brightness: up to 200 lumens
Battery Life: Up to 3hrs
The Losfom 03 camera is a great way to be able to record and light up your way when used for sport or just recording for personal security, it's easy to clip onto clothing, hats or whatever you can think of.
In the box comes very few accessories, the only one being a head strap which is basically an elasticated velcro secured strap, while I found this a little odd the actual Losfom Z03 camera is unique in its shape, like a very small U shape that has a very limited amount of flex. Given this shape, the camera can be clipped on clothing (and my new velcro Rambo head strap) really easily for things like walking, cycling and such. There are caveats to using this Losfom Z03 in anything “high octane” but more on that later.
Build and handling
The size is quite marvellous considering there is a 1000mAh battery in there – at less than 2-inch square and just over an inch at its deepest, it's really portable and slips into a pocket or bag without any thought.
The supplied head strap can fit most of the largest heads (mine being one) and slipping the camera's U-shaped body into it felt comfortable enough to use for the 3 hours of life it gives you.
There is also a wrist strap, the purpose of which is a little confusing but I guess you could secure it to something so it doesn't “fall off”.
On the side of the camera hidden under a rubber lug, there is a 5V 2A USB C port, a reset pinhole, and a MicroSD card slot. For testing, I used a 32Gb card. Up to 128Gb cards are supported. If you want to make your video time-stamped you can adjust the text file created by the camera and choose to display the time / date in the format of your choice.
On the front are 4 LED bright white bulbs (if I can call them that) and a red and blue indicator set of lights which offer some notifications of various types.
The build is all plastic of course, and while there is a small flex in the “U” shape I'm sure it could snap and would have liked more of a hinge with a locking mechanism here. But it does slip onto a bit of clothing as long as the clothing is a jacket or a side of a cap or something.
As with many devices, the smaller plastic-based construction means super lightweight at the sacrifice of sturdiness. Losfom Z03 body camera is no exception. The rubber flap that hides the ports is very flimsy and I would worry about its longevity if you decided to use this regularly in any kind of adverse weather (I guess nothing some electrical tape couldn't fix if you wanted to go full MacGyver, and to be fair this is hypothetical only – it didn't fail during my testing).
There are two buttons on the front and the only buttons, Steve Jobs may even have approved, one for light control and the other for turning the camera on / off.
Performance
Before I get onto the camera, I need to address the user manual / instructions, and a side note this is not to put the actual camera down. The instructions are appalling, I mean so confusing to the point where I had to guess I was actually recording, case in point. I went out to record in the dark while walking the length of my driveway close to midnight. There I was taking notes and narrating my overall experience for writing this review, the lights were on but as they say, nobody was home. The camera wasn't actually recording anything.
After trying to decode the badly translated instructions I saw my error. (To clarify, in a previous life I used to write technical instructions for a very well-known blue chip firm with three letters in its name. I’d like to think I could identify badly written manuals.) So yes, I'm an old fart that reads manuals, but I would defy anyone who buys this body camera not having to at some point. The red and blue light combo is super confusing. I wish they would have used an alternative so you could figure out the state of the camera, a few more buttons would have been great.
Once I got going, the camera performed very well in anything I threw at it considering its use cases, it clipped onto clothing well (read jackets) and also on the side of a cap / hat. Even if you clip sideways you can always flip the video in post-production.
A few issues though, the 30fps means it's really no good for sports or any speed, and the rolling shutter is clear and visible on anything with sideways movement, even walking means you get a bit seasick watching the video back. The lack of image stabilization is a huge miss but I guess for less than $50 it's not really expected.
Long bike rides would mean you are “limited” to less than 4 hours (far less than the advertised 5.5 hours), saying that there are more applications which this camera is great for. Such as security while dog walking, or using it for lighting on car repairs and recording what you are doing. There may be some good uses for technical YouTubers – but the quality is below the standard of, say, a modern phone, so it'd have to be edited in judiciously.
The light is great and lights up nicely but it's far lower than a dedicated headlamp. For example, I did try turning off the Fosfom Z03 light and using a dedicated Black Diamond headlamp which got around the 2.5hrs battery limit I got when I tested outside with recording and full highlighting output enabled. Testing in the dark really showed off the low-light capabilities of the camera which was less than average, plenty of detail remained in almost pitch-black conditions with the light on, the video was super grainy.
Sample Video
Apologies for not setting the clock!
All video output is in AVI format, so not the worst I guess, but I doubt Micheal Bay will be first in line to use it to film another Transformers instalment. That's not what this camera is for, but a format like .mp4 would feel a little more modern.
Verdict
If you're looking for a great little body camera for many applications and super portable, and love a good puzzle to solve, this is the camera for you. The 100-degree viewing angle and ease to mount on to clothing and the like really is a boon. Saying that, you don’t have a way to see what your camera is pointing at, so the wider view is essential given the "mount and hope" approach.
This body camera would be a great gift for someone who likes to record what they do, and I would certainly give this to someone who walks their dog alone or cycles lots, but it would test a friendship, just like it tested my love for this little camera.
Alternatives
The Insta360 Go 3 is another more flexible and powerful approach to a compact clothing-worn camera, though admittedly one that requires deeper pockets. The tiny camera is worn using a magnetic clip, or placed in a camera body which gives it more power and a monitor.
