Vantop Moment 6S 4K action camera review

REVIEW – Capturing video on camera is capturing those moments in life that you want to cherish for years to come. Who doesn’t like to look back at the wonderful videos and photos that we capture of those special moments in our lives? Whether those moments are happy, sad, scary, thrilling, or funny, we want to capture and keep those moments in time. That’s where a camera like the Vantop Moment 6S Action Camera comes in to grab those times in our lives that we want to capture so that we can see them and relive them all over, again and again.

What is it?

The Moment 6S from Vantop is a 4K action camera with a 2.3″ in. IPS touch screen on the back. The camera also has a second small screen on the front that displays useful camera status and information at a quick glance. This POV camera is perfect for capturing those exciting times in your life when you want to review, relive, and share those recorded moments.

What’s in the box?

• Moment 6S 4K Camera
• Waterproof Housing
• 2.4Ghz Remote
• Microphone
• Extra Waterproof Housing Door
• Various Mounts and adapters
• Helmet Strap
• USB-C Charging Cable
• Rubber Lock/Plug
• 2 Batteries
• 2 Adhesive Pads

Hardware specs

• Processor  – Ambarella H22 S85 14 Nano 1 GHz Quad-core Cortex-A53 ARM CPU
• Image sensor  – SONY Sensor IMX377, 1/2.3 ich 12MP
• Lens  – 170° FOV, F2.8, f=2.88mm, 7 layers of glass lens
• Main LCD Screen  – 2.33” IPS Ultra-high definition touch screen

Design and features

The camera shape of the Moment 6S is the familiar rectangle matchbox style that is popular on most action cameras nowadays. But his VanTop Moment 6S action camera has plenty of features to like such as the 4K@60fps which gives you a really crisp and clear video image in MP4 video format. Along with the 4K resolution, the Moment S6 can also shoot 2.7K, 1440, 1080, and 720.  Some other features for this camera is the Dual LCD screens: IPS touchscreen on the back of the camera and a smaller screen on the front that displays camera stats and information.

Having that small screen on the front of the camera is very useful when you need to see the stats of the camera but don’t want to keep flipping the camera around to see the LCD screen on the back. The small screen shows you battery life, camera mode, recording status, SD card capacity, and more. This is convenient especially if you have the LCD Off Time set at a specific time while recording. This way, you are still able to see the camera stats even while the LCD screen on the back is off.

One thing I noticed right from unboxing the camera is that there are only 2 physical buttons on the camera, one on the side and one on the top. With other POV cameras I reviewed, there are about three buttons on the camera body such as a WiFi button,  a Power, or a Menu button. The Moment 6S camera just has two physical buttons: a Power/Camera Selection selection on the side and a Record/Back Button on the Top. Basically, most of the main menus and features are accessed through the touchscreen.

I found the touchscreen to be very responsive and accurate. I like using the touchscreen to access the menus and features because it seems quicker and easier than having to press physical buttons. In using previous action cameras, there are times where the button I was pressing didn’t respond right away so I press the button again and end up overshooting the feature I was going for because I pressed the button too many times. With this touchscreen, you just press or swipe and you are right to the feature or the setting you want.

One of the physical attributes that I really like on the 6S is the standard 1/4″ in. tripod thread on the bottom of the camera. What a convenience to have it there. Typically, these action cameras don’t have the 1/4″ in. thread on the bottom of the camera so, you have to place the camera in their waterproof housing and then use the housing mount to attach it to a tripod. On some action cameras without the tripod thread, such as the SJCAM X1000, it has an accessory bracket with a 1/4″ in. thread that you snap onto the camera. However, with the Moment 6S you don’t need either of those accessories to mount the camera to a tripod or to any other camera attachment with a 1/4″ in. tripod screw. I find the tripod thread on the bottom of the 6S to be super convenient.

As most electronics today are moving towards a USB-C connection for power and data transfer so is the S6. This camera has the newer USB-C port rather than the common microUSB port found on earlier cameras. Keep in mind that there are still plenty of newer cameras that have a microUSB port but from what I understand, the next wave for electronics devices is to have them equipped with a USB-C port for power and data transfer. I like that the USB-C port is covered by a flap door because having this door helps keep any dust or debris in getting into the port. Plus, it protects the port from getting damaged and makes the overall camera body look sleeker.

And speaking of the USB-C port, the Moment 6S comes with a wired microphone that connects to the camera’s USB-C port. Having the microphone is handy when you are using the camera to blog or when you are narrating and need clearer audio of your voice.  Normally, you have to purchase the microphone separately so it was a nice touch for Vantop to include it in addition to the other included accessories that come with the camera.

The Moment 6S is equipped with WiFi so you can connect the camera to your smartphone or other devices with the Vantop Moment app. With the app, you can control the camera, frame the camera, change settings, view videos, and photos, and share them with paired devices. Using the app comes in very handy, especially when you are recording yourself and need to frame your shot. The app comes in handy when the camera is out of reach and you need to change a setting or two on the camera. Plus, you can Record and Stop the camera remotely from a distance.

And since I am on the subject of remote control, the Moment 6S includes a physical Remote in the already generous accessories for the camera. The Remote has five buttons: Power, WiFi On/Off, Photo Shutter, Video Start/Stop, and Burst Mode. The Remote comes on a watch band so you can wear it on your wrist or you can remove the Remote from the band if you desire. I like the Remote just as much as the app but both as just as handy. Keep in mind that the Remote is not paired to the camera so you will have to pair the Remote to the Camera before use.

I like that the battery door is on a hinge which makes it easy to switch out the battery for another one. Compared to other action cameras like this, that have a non-hinged battery door and come off the camera body, there are more chances of dropping the battery door when you pop it open. With the battery door hinged and attached to the camera it’s just one less thing to hold in your hand or put down and risk losing when switching out batteries. Plus, the battery door on the 6S feels solid and doesn’t feel flimsy when I open it.

And since we are on the subject of the battery door, just underneath it is where you will find the SD card slot. I have mixed feelings about the SD card location. It seems a little cumbersome to pop the SD card out since it sits very close and just below the battery. You really have to press your fingernail to insert and remove the SD card from the slot. Not sure why they didn’t place the card slot in the same location as the USB-C port since there is a door cover that would protect the SD card from dust and debris. If you can’t use your fingernail to get the SD card out, then you have to remove the battery which makes it kind of inconvenient, especially in those times when you are in a rush top switch out SD cards.

Performance

The Moment 6S camera captures great footage for both video and photos. The video footage came out clear and sharp. I like that there are settings in the camera that you change to give you a little bit of manual control such as the Sharpness, White Balance, Metering Mode, ISO and more. One particular feature that I really like is the Distortion Correction. This feature straightens the all too familiar fisheye look that is typical with action cameras. There are times when you may not want that fisheye look on your footage and the Distortion Correction did a fantastic job of correcting it. However, with some footage, especially extreme action footage, still looks good with the fisheye look. It makes the footage look more surreal which makes the captured scene look that much more intense.

The Moment 6S has an electronic image stabilizer feature which you can turn on or off. I found that the camera’s stabilizer was pretty good if you were walking moderately and holding the camera with just your bare hands. However, the image stabilizer seemed to struggle with the bouncing motion as I went running while hand-holding the camera. I wonder if it is because the stabilization is digital and not optical.  After reviewing the footage, it seemed like the camera was overcompensating the stabilization with quick jerky motions. When I mounted the camera on a pole mount, then the image stabilization was so much better. The camera captured smoother and more fluid footage which looked amazing.

And speaking of amazing footage, I love the 4K@60fps footage that the Moment 6S captures. The footage is fantastic and I can edit and export various ways when I shoot in the 4K resolution. I can edit the 4K footage in a 1080 or 720 sequence allowing me to pan and scan the footage. Plus, I can export out the footage to other frames rates if I need to.

One of my favorite features on the Moment 6S camera is the Slow Motion feature. You can still shoot 1080 with 120fps or shoot 720 with 240fps and slow it down in your editing program but with the Slow Motion feature, the footage is already slowed down when you play the footage back and when you import it into your editing program. You can even edit the footage slower to make the video more dramatic, as well. But if slow motion is not your thing, then the Moment 6S has both video and photo time-lapse that you can use to create some interesting content.

What I like

• 4K at 60fps Resolution
• 8X Slow Motion
• Clean and crisp high resolution footage
• Extra battery
• Included Remote
• Included Lapel Microphone
• Large 2.3″ in. IPS Touchscreen

What I’d change

• Location of SD card
• Change electronic stabilizer to optical stabilizer

Final thoughts

Although there are plenty of action cameras out in the market, few offer features that this camera has and what accessories are included. The Moment 6S from Vantop offers many features that usually come from higher priced action cameras. Plus, the accessories included with the 6S are along the lines of aftermarket add-ons that you would generally buy later on, such as the lapel mic or remote control, so having them included with the camera is a major bonus.

If you are looking for a 4K camera with plenty of features and accessories to get you started in the action camera game, then look to the Vantop Moment 6S action camera.

Price: $149.99
Where to buy:Vantop website
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Vantop.