Noise Play 2 review: Budget action camera with flagship features, tools

From 4K videos, EIS, wide-angle lens, water resistant casing to an affordable price tag of Rs 9,999, the Noise Play 2 is a great value-for-money proposition in the action camera segment

Having visited many exciting places across India, I wondered why I never kept a pictorial record of my visits from the first time I started exploring the unexplored. For action cameras, the GoPro did cross my mind. However, considering the price involved, among other factors, I chose not to go for it. Instead, I started looking for a no-frills and more affordable action camera for amateurs. It was then that I came across Noise Play 2 action camera.

An affordable price tag of Rs 9,999, optional accessory pack with waterproof casing at Rs 3,999, and the strength to record videos in ultraHD (4K) resolution are some of the reasons that went in the Noise Play 2’s favour. I would have loved to take it out on a ride to the mountains, but that will be for later. For now, here is my review of the device while running it in city conditions.

In the beginning, the Noise Play 2’s small frame and cuboidal design made me question its capability. However, soon after setting it up and pairing it with my smartphone using the Noise Play 2 app, I realised how innovative and technologically sound even such little devices could be.

The Noise Play 2 sports a 2-inch LCD touchscreen, which also doubles up as a viewfinder. The screen is good enough for changing settings and viewing saved images and videos. However, due to limited brightness and pixels, it does not do the job of a viewfinder exceptionally well. When paired with a smartphone via in-built Wi-Fi, the camera shows live feed on the smartphone’s screen, which is one way around the limitation. Interestingly, the Noise Play 2 app also allows fetching videos and photos stored in camera wirelessly, thereby easing the transfer process.

Coming to the actual utility of the camera, the Noise Play 2 takes detailed videos in good daylight conditions. The electronic image stabilisation helps reduce wobbles while recording videos, but not enough to make the footage smooth. With supplied optional accessories, mounting the camera on motorbike or helmet is easy. However, the shakes and wobbles become prominent in videos recorded while riding a motorbike. The camera itself is not waterproof. The optional waterproofing case allows it to be submerged in water for some time without causing any damage to the device. Thankfully, the case is more than enough to protect the camera during rains. The in-built microphone is sensitive to nearby sounds, but struggles to capture distant sounds, which can be recorded using an external microphone that the camera supports.

The still camera is set to take shots in 4:3 aspect ratio with a maximum camera resolution set at 16 megapixels. The aspect ratio can be changed to 16:9 widescreen mode, but it reduces the megapixel count from 16MP to 12MP. The camera has a 166-degree field of view, which is great for taking wide-angle shots. However, the images come out with fish-eye effect – curved at both ends. The images taken in daylight conditions look detailed and have good colour and contrast ratio. In low-light conditions, the F/2.8 aperture struggles to capture light, therefore the pictures turn out grainy with visible noise.

Speaking of downsides, the in-built battery lasts less than an hour. Charging times are not great and the battery takes almost two hours to go from zero to 100 per cent. The camera’s in-built wireless shows strong signals but drops the connection between the smartphone’s app and camera. The build quality is satisfactory, but not strong enough to face accidental drops.

Verdict

From 4K videos, EIS, wide-angle lens, water resistant casing to affordable price tag, the Noise Play 2 is a great value-for-money proposition in the action camera segment. For amateurs or beginners, the camera offers top of the line features. However, as an action camera, it lags behind peers in battery life and video/audio output.