What does it take to become an expert? Anyone familiar with Malcolm Gladwell's 10 000 hours rule knows that expertise can only be earned through time and practice. With more than 15 years under his belt as an action sports athlete, Nick de Wit of the Extreme Sports Shows is better versed than any to speak about the new TomTom Bandit Action Camera. 

TechSmart: When did you first come into contact with action cameras, and how have they added to your ability to film?

Nick de Wit: I have been in the extreme sports industry for over 15 years and I started using action cameras as soon as they came on the market. Action cameras are awesome from both an entertainment point of view and with helping in training. They are really rugged little cameras with great quality so I can really get different closeup shots of my riding and then see what I am doing and use it to perfect my skills. It's also great when I am trying something new and get a good perspective on what the new tricks look like. 

How would you say the TomTom Bandit differs or performs better than its rivals?

The Bandit is a great little camera with a lot of features. I think the shake to edit feature outperforms all its competitors, because the main reason for getting good footage is to share it and they have made it really easy to do that.

Are there any specific issues you’ve identified with it or things you’d change?

I haven’t found any big issues with this camera. Some of the features work better on certain disciplines of sport than others. I had a little issue with the camera twisting on hard impacts but a normal everyday rider would probably never experience that. 

How would you describe the recording quality?

The recording quality is up there with all the brands on the market. You can’t get much better than 4K and the Bandit does that. It has all the recording options of its rivals and even some extras. 

TomTom has talked up the Bandit’s shake to edit feature. How have you found it?

The shake to edit feature and the automatic highlight points will help you get your video clips up in no time and saves you having to go through hours of footage to find a specific point. It helps make the Bandit one of the best. 

For an action sports athlete like yourself the Bandit seems a great purchase. Who else would benefit from buying one?

I think most people would benefit from the Bandit, not just adrenaline athletes. You can use it a number of ways - from taking your kids swimming all the way to you jumping out a plane with a parachute. It will help you save those life memories.

The Bandit retails for roughly R5 800. How does this compare to other action camera setups?

I'm not 100% sure of all the camera prices but they are mostly in that region. You can obviously get cheaper ones, but if you are doing extreme sports or want a camera that's waterproof and isn't going to break if you drop it, then the TomTom Bandit is for you.

Any final thoughts on the Bandit?

TomTom delivers on what they promise for all their products and I think the Bandit is going to take the market by storm. It’s an amazing camera and this is only in generation one. I can’t wait to see what features they going to bring out in their next generation model.

How has your relationship with TomTom developed to date, and do you have any interesting events lined up with them?

I haven’t been with TomTom for very long but we are building a great relationship. They have supported me in some of my events and helped me out with some cameras to use in events and training. We have some big things planned for 2016. 

Find more info on the TomTom Bandit action cam by heading here. 
For more info on de Wit, visit his Extreme Sports Show website.

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