I’ve an actual dislike for many of what I name e-waste cameras available on the market, that are the ones which can be shooting the sector in the course of the lens of a literal dashcam. They have a tendency to be affordably constructed, take deficient footage, and are affected by many irritating compromises. I’m in an instant skeptical anytime a brand new reasonable $45 point-and-shoot comes throughout my radar.

That is why I used to be so stunned when the C100 confirmed up. The unconventional design of composing by means of a big LCD window used to be very intriguing, and my first intuition used to be that the capturing enjoy can be a amusing one. I let my guard down, however quickly learned that I will have to have stored my skepticism. My long term used to be about to be stuffed with frustration.

Godox C100 Assessment: How It Feels

Now, Godox completely is aware of the best way to make cool designs and, as evidence of this trust, I like the IT32 flash unit that I lately bought for myself. For essentially the most phase, the Godox line of goods is useful and reasonably priced. This extends to the C100.

The out of doors of the C100 is fascinating, and the easy design is in truth fairly relaxed to carry. At handiest 65 grams, the C100 is pocketable and is no doubt no longer a burden to hold round.

The controls are easy, with a keep an eye on bar at the entrance situated over a generously massive shutter button. You’ll click on a transfer at the facet to cycle between the photograph mode, video mode, and light-weight meter serve as. This transfer is difficult to exactly click on into position, alternatively, and incessantly results in the fallacious place as you most probably burn up an excessive amount of effort switching it handiest to blow previous the mode you have been aiming for.

Inside the digital camera lies an built-in lithium battery. I usually hate non-removable batteries despite the fact that they are able to run for fifteen hours immediately. On the other hand, it’s extra common at the present time, sadly. I have a tendency to be towards them as a result of they considerably cut back the total helpful lifespan of a digital camera machine.

If an inner battery exists, I no less than hope for inner reminiscence, however no likelihood of that right here: you should additionally upload a microSD card for garage functions.

The view display is a suite of 2 see-through items of plastic with an LCD show sandwiched between. This show can then display you your battery existence, side ratio body traces, and light-weight meter data when in that mode.

There may be a hallmark for the middle of the picture, however take into account that the lens is positioned on the best of the display and can incessantly shoot excessive when composing topics up shut. I additionally discovered this display to be really easy to scratch, and after a couple of days in my pocket it used to be scuffed and marked.

The microSD card I used used to be no longer correctly formatted for the C100, however I had no method of figuring out that till I checked the cardboard after my first day of the usage of it. The C100 chimed and made noises find it irresistible used to be taking footage, however my first sequence by no means were given recorded. That’s no longer a really perfect feeling.

When I found out what layout the digital camera labored with (I went with exFAT), I used to be in a position to shoot. You don’t want a high-capacity reminiscence card, given the 2-megapixel dimension of the pictures. The digital camera takes 16:9 side ratio pictures, however you’ll press the left and proper arrows at the digital camera to cycle between 3:2, 4:3, and 1:1 ratio footage. You clearly surrender what quantities to already minimum solution through doing this.

Godox C100 Assessment: How It Shoots

The standard of the pictures is predictably deficient, with softness and noise provide in every single place. You’ll’t alternate the publicity, and there is not any actual meat to the pictures to permit for publicity adjustments in post-production. Backlit topics might be solid into shadow, and it doesn’t have a flash, so that you’re caught with ambient mild.

The photographs suck, and but that is the side of the digital camera I’ve the least factor with. I keep in mind that the digital camera is meant for informal shooters who wish to take photos of buddies and foods, events and other folks, and don’t thoughts the tough symbol vibe. On the other hand, it’s the exact taking of images that I in reality don’t revel in.

When a photograph is taken, the C100 creates an obnoxiously loud, virtual shutter noise which could be very obtrusive to any individual within reach. I’ve no longer but discovered a method to disable this, so it’s truthful to think you’ll’t. The reaction time is rapid as a result of there is not any wish to autofocus the lens. On the other hand, I did understand that topics inside arm’s succeed in, and even portrait distances, are incessantly simply out of doors of the zone of focal point and glance fairly cushy. Which means other folks photographs or favourite foods wish to be taken from a farther distance than is herbal.

That’s all disturbing, however the actual factor for me is the viewfinder accuracy — or moderately, the shortage thereof. All of the advertising and marketing footage display glad other folks capturing the C100 at arm’s duration, however this very herbal place does no longer line up with the viewfinder body traces in any respect. Actually, the lens shoots some distance wider than the viewfinder suggests, and despite the fact that your topic will no doubt be captured inside the symbol, there might be such a lot further to your shot than used to be supposed.

Most effective through hanging the viewfinder proper towards the face do the framelines have any likelihood of being correct. Additionally imagine that in case your hand is anything else however parallel on your eyes, the shot might be off to the precise or left. In brief, as it should be framing with this digital camera is a just about inconceivable job, and also you’ll get well effects through simply winging it.

There’s a mild meter serve as this is in truth helpful. You’ll set an ISO, shutter pace, and aperture, and the C100 will provide you with a right kind publicity price.

The consistent pushing of buttons to cycle in the course of the settings is a bit convoluted, however the C100 does serve as as a device for analog photographers. Frankly, I might moderately use an app on my smartphone, however when you occur to be sporting the C100 and an old-school movie digital camera, chances are you’ll use it on occasion.

Godox C100 Assessment: A Irritating Enjoy

The newness of the usage of this digital camera is totally integral to the usage of that clear viewfinder. The issue is that the viewfinder isn’t amusing to make use of. Subsequently, the digital camera enjoy isn’t very amusing both, and this digital camera turns into each foolish and irritating. The general public will almost certainly wish to shoot this digital camera vertically for smartphone utilization, however the design doesn’t simply lend itself to this job.

The video high quality may be embarrassingly deficient, with heaps of rolling shutter and a hollow-sounding inner microphone. In any case, the Godox C100 is simply some other repackaged dashcam digital camera that may most probably finally end up in a landfill or field within the basement, forgotten ceaselessly. Its handiest declare to reputation might be a misleading viewfinder enjoy that doesn’t are living as much as the hype.

Are There Choices?

At a worth of handiest $45, the C100 will principally give the similar symbol high quality as 1000’s of different dashcam-equipped point-and-shoots. That mentioned, the C100 is successfully the primary of its sort to hit main manufacturing and distribution. The Escura InstantSnap did have the speculation first (despite the fact that it has no lively LCD display, only a “dumb” show) and is in a similar fashion priced.

Will have to You Purchase It?

No. The enjoy is amusing in thought however deficient in execution.