Meet the newest, feature-packed 4K ultra HD action camera: The Cyclops Gear CGX2

Stephan Jukic – November 24, 2015

Cyclops gear may not have the same weight in the 4K action camera market as GoPro does since they’ve had only a short time in this market niche but now, that’s about to change.

The company formerly known mainly for its goggles and sunglasses with cameras embedded into them has now unveiled a new product with a lot of similarity to the famous and bestselling Hero line of action cameras.

We’re talking about the new CGX2 action camera, the second such model in the CGX lineup of Cyclops wearable POV cams with WiFi technology. Now however, the latest of these cameras also comes with a 2 inch LCD screen, numerous other new accessories and, most importantly, also includes the ability to record 4K ultra HD video. Best of all, it offers all of this for a price below that of the GoPro Hero 4 4K action cam.

With a form factor that’s very similar to that of its GoPro counterpart, the Hero 4 Silver and a nearly identical protective casing, the CGX2 is mainly distinguishable by nothing more than its very obviously different Cyclops logo, some repositioned control buttons and a black (instead of silver grey) exterior.

As for its internal specs, the CGX2 can deliver video in Full HD at 60, 50, 30 and 25 frames per second while also being able to shoot 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 pixel video at either 15 or 25 fps. Furthermore, the little POV camera can also manage 2K shooting at a 2074 x 1520 resolution with 30, 25 and 24 frames per second. On top of these video recording specs, the CGX2 is also capable of capturing 12 megapixel still images and has a built in WiFi sharing capacity that lets the camera get paired with the screens on either iOS or Android powered smartphones and tablets.

Action footage captured with the Cyclops CGX2 4K action camera

Additionally, internal shooting modes include burst shot, snapshot, high-speed recording, seamless loop and of course, slow motion, though the slow motion shooting only works with Full HD video and at a less than ideal 60 fps instead of the more common 120 frames.

On the other hand, at least according to reports we’ve seen from sites like Digital Trends, the CGX2 isn’t quite as solid a performer as its Hero 4 Silver counterpart, which offers more advanced customizable video shooting features and a greater range of video resolutions.

Another defect of the CGX2 is that it lacks the Hero 4’s LCD screen touch capabilities. Nonetheless, since this new action shooter with slightly limited 4K UHD capacity is definitely a more affordable choice than its competitor and it still offers a remarkably robust and accessory rich package. Furthermore, in terms of outdoor shooting endurance and specific extras like a waterproof remote control watch and a bundled 32GB MicroSD card along with a waterproof case that’s resistant down to 164 feet beneath the waves, the CGX2 is no slouch in the action camera market by any means.

Other accessories include mounts of various types for headbands, bikes, helmets, surfboards and plenty of other objects.

Like we said, with all these very decent to downright excellent features behind it, the CGX2 is quite a nicely priced alternative to the Hero 4 Silver since it sells for just $300 instead of the $399 of the former.

The Cyclops CGX2 can be bought already from the website of Bombardier Recreational Products and from Can-Am Spyder dealerships wherever they’re found.