Spy Pen Camera by iSpyPens Review #190

Written by Andrew in Private Investigator Equipment Review

spy camera equipment

If you conduct surveillance like me then you would agree that having a quality spy camera is incredibly important to have to secure video covertly.  It has been awhile since I have reviewed a covert camera that is ideal for surveillance investigators.  Lucky for me (and you) the company iSpyPens reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing the spy pen camera.  I said yes of course as I have been a fan of spy pen cameras ever since reviewing the spy pen camera from Penrecorder Pro.

Let’s get into the review!



In this review I will cover the following topics:

 

What is in the iSpyPen Pro Spy Pen Camera Box?

The box you receive should contain the following items:

  • Spy Pen Camera
  • 32GB Micro SD Card
  • Felt Pen Cover
  • USB Connecting Cord
  • Power Adapter
  • Directions

Spy Pen Camera contents

Quick Thoughts on Contents of Spy Pen Camera Box

In the box of the camera I reviewed, I didn’t receive a micro SD card and I believe that was only because I was a reviewer and not a customer of this product.

When reviewing this device I didn’t use the enclosed USB connecting cord or the power adapter. I plugged it directly into my computer to charge it.  Even though I didn’t use the power adapter, it is nice to know you have the option should you not want to plug it into your computer.

The directions were in English and very easy to understand.  There are plenty of visual aids in the directions to help you understand how to operate the device. I usually provide instructions on operating the spy cameras I review but the company has a very good video on how to use the device already.  And since they have a video already, I didn’t feel it was necessary to focus on that in this review.  Here is the link to the video that provides operating instructions should you have any problems getting started.

Time Stamp Tip

The only reminder I will give you is when you set the date and time on the device and save it, be sure to disconnect the pen camera from your computer immediately and create a file by videotaping something really quick.  This will ensure that the time and date stamp is permanent on your device.  I always like to videotape myself saying the date and time so when I review the video I can see if it matches closely to what I am saying on camera.

Spy Pen Camera Specs

This spy pen camera shoots in 2.1 mp 1920 x 1080p at 30 frames per second.  The photo files are 2560 x 1440.  

This pen is 6 x 4 x1 inches and weighs .64 ounces.

The pen is powered by a Lithium-ion battery according to the product information provided by Amazon.

The video is created in an AVI file.

Photos are created in a JPG file.

Audio is created in a WAV (.wav) file.

Video Quality

At the price point of this spy pen camera, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  When corresponding with one of the owners of this camera I could tell they were very confident in their product but spy cameras can be hit and miss sometimes when it comes to quality.

After reviewing the footage I obtained during the day with overcast skies, I was delighted by the great video quality that came from this pen camera. The details in the video were sharp and the colors all looked great.

I was very impressed by the video quality and I would be sure to watch the iSpypens Spy Pen Camera Review (coming soon) I created to see the quality for yourself.

This camera records with audio. While recording video the audio sounded fantastic when talking to the camera at an arm’s length.  To find out how well the audio sounds in audio-only mode skip down to that section of this review.

All video will have a time and date stamp on it whether you decide to set the timestamp or not. This is not something that can be removed to my knowledge.

Spy pen camera video photo

Photo Quality

Much like the video quality, I was impressed with the photo quality as well.  The photo quality is basically just as good as the video quality. I was able to hold the pen camera steady with one hand and photography numerous times and take very clear pictures (Photo below).

The photo was taken during an overcast day. Despite the lack of sunlight, the pictures turned out good.

When in photo mode your photos will have a date stamp on them.   There is no way to remove the date stamp on the photos to my knowledge.

 

Spy Pen Camera photo example

 



Audio Quality

I tested several audio recorders last year.  In each review, I tested the quality of the audio at different distances.  Because you might be purchasing this spy pen camera for its audio quality I wanted to make sure this was something I covered even if it wasn’t something I would normally use.

I tested how well the device picked up the sound of my voice at the distance of approximately 5 feet, 10 feet and 20 feet.  This pen did a great job of picking up my voice and it was very clear at each distance.  Watch the review video to hear the audio quality (coming soon). 

Unique Features of this Spy Pen Camera

This device has a switch that changes the device from video mode to audio/photo mode.  While I have never seen anything like this on a spy pen before I thought it was unique and many will find this to be a user-friendly option.

One of the unique features I liked about this spy camera is when the device is in video mode it only takes one 3 second button push for the device to begin recording video.  It is very straightforward and a great function for investigators that don’t have the patience to deal with different blinking menu options.

 

 

Holding spy pen camera review

Final Thoughts on the iSpyPen Pro Spy Pen Camera

This is a great pen spy camera for the price.  You are getting great video, audio and photo quality from this spy pen camera that matches other great cameras that I have reviewed in past.

Because this spy camera has great quality video, it means it will use up memory much faster than lesser quality cameras. A 16GB memory card will only give you 20 minutes of video time.  And the 32GB provided card will only give you about 40 minutes of video documentation.

With that being said, the camera maker indicates that the camera will last approximately 30 minutes to an hour on a full charge.  

This isn’t a deal breaker by any means.  This is just something that the user needs to remember and understand.  Regardless of how big of a memory card someone uses on this device, it will always be limited by the amount of power the device has.  That rule goes any spy camera.

I like that you can upgrade the memory card on this device as well.  Some spy cameras have internal memory that can never be upgraded.  Neither one is bad, I think it just depends on the user’s preference.

Overall I think this is a great buy simply because as I write this review this camera is selling for $49.99 on Amazon.  

If you’re interested in this spy camera I have an Amazon Affiliate link below.  I will receive a small commission should you purchase this spy camera through my product link at no additional expense to you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this review and I will see you in the next one.

 

Andrew



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