The Sena 10C Evo is perhaps the most complete of all the motorcycle cameras I’ve tested recently. Or should I describe the Sena 10C Evo as an excellent Bluetooth intercom that also has a camera?
Whereas hybrid devices have a tendency to be a compromise, I’m yet to find where the Sena 10C Evo is missing a feature. It records excellent 4K video and will also record in 1080P.
Naturally, the Sena 10C Evo connects with other Bluetooth intercoms and connects with my phone and my GPS at the same time and blends all three audio streams together.
I especially like the option to set the background audio level. That way, if I’m being nagged and the GPS wants to tell me of an upcoming turn, the intercom gets faded into the background, while the GPS (Nagging Nadia) dictates the next change in direction.
Right. Time to get into the details – complete with video. Read on …
Getting Here
It all started with the Sena 50S Mesh enabled intercom which has revolutionised some of our longer trips. No more crazy hand signals or following the leader blindly on another GPS suggested diversion to nowhere we actually wanted to go.
After that came the Sena Prism Wifi, which bang for the buck is the best motorcycle camera available. Yes, it is short on fancy features, but that is the point of the Sena Prism, it concentrates on what matters and records excellent video.
The Sena Prism is simple to use, focuses on what matters and keeps costs down by not giving you features you might not need.
Goldilocks – Just Right
And then there is the combination of the two, the Sena 10C Evo. To install the excellent 4K camera the Sena Mesh technology has gone, but the reliable and clear Bluetooth intercom remains, as does the ability to group four Bluetooth intercoms together.
It isn’t as adaptable as the Sena Mesh system, but unless you are riding in a group of more than four, the intercom is clear and perfectly functional. You can share music and nag each other, just as easily as you can with the Sena Mesh system.
One thing we did note on a group ride was how well the Bluetooth automatically reconnected if we became separated. Something that earlier Bluetooth intercoms struggled with.
The Inevitable App
Everything has an App these days. Even my Xena XX15 disk lock has an App, and not to be outgunned, the Sena 10C Evo has two; One for the camera and another for the Intercom.
Neither App requires much explanation. There are help buttons next to the options, and if two options are incompatible with each other, the App tells you so.
The App for the Intercom connects over Bluetooth and has an array of features to get the sound just how you would like it. And if you are into your music, there is an optional upgrade to the speakers.
For the camera, Sena has an App that covers all of the cameras in their range, this time connecting over WiFi. The Sena Camera App gives you the option to live preview the video, which takes all of the guesswork out of trying to get the horizon level when installing the camera.
Horizon Levelling
Framing the video on the Sena Prism is straight forward as you can rotate the tube in its mount. As the 10C Evo doesn’t rotate, there is a small tab just under the lens that you use to level the horizon, allowing you to fit the 10C Evo wherever suits you best on your helmet.
Controlling how much sky the Sena 10C Evo records is controlled by a locking wheel behind the unit. Loosen the wheel and set how much sky you would like to include using the live preview feature. When you are happy with the images, tighten the wheel and go ride the bike.
I can’t think why you might want to exclude the speedo from your video in favour of more sky, but if you wish to, the option is there.
Sena 10C Evo Tech Specs
- Recording Formats:
• 2160p: 30fps (Ultra HD)
• 1440p: 30fps (Quad HD)
• 1080p: 60fps (Full HD) – Better for slow motion
• 1080p: 30fps (Full HD)
- Video file format:
• MP4 (H.264)
• Max video bit rate: 60 Mb/s (4K)
• Field of view: 125 degrees
• Aperture f/2.4
• Lens rotation: 30 degrees
- Bluetooth:
• Bluetooth 4.1
• Headset Profile (HSP)
• Hands-Free Profile (HFP)
• Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
• Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
The Sena specification suggests a 90-minute recording time, but I’ve never achieved that on a single charge. However, you can connect the 10C Evo to an external USB battery pack while using the system, allowing you to record until the maximum size of 128GB memory card is full.
And while we are talking about memory cards, you will – as with all 4K cameras – require one of the higher-end memory cards. Cheap and slow will not allow the video to be written to the memory card fast enough.
FAQ
Will the Sena 10C Evo …
- Connect to my phone and GPS? – Yes
- Can I still use the Bluetooth Intercom when connected to a Phone and GPS? – Yes
- Can I record video when connected to my Phone, GPS and using the Intercom? – Yes, it will even record the conversation
- Can I prioritise which audio stream I can hear over the others? – Yes
- Fit my helmet? – Yes there are a plethora of mounts and microphones included. The only helmet it wouldn’t fit would be one that doesn’t cover your ears.
Demo Reel
After the talking is over, it all comes down to “How good is the video?”
In the Youtube video below I’ve included video taken with the Sena Prism and the 10C Evo so you can make a direct comparison.
The easy thing to do would have been to wait for perfect conditions and filmed the spring countryside bathed in warm sunshine, but that isn’t the real world.
I picked a day with changing conditions. Shadows and sunshine between the trees; varying light conditions and for the Sena 10 Evo especially, a bright overcast sky, making the camera work hard at finding the right exposure.
The Sena Prism’s highest recording resolution of 2K video (1440p). The “film” in the video below has been upgraded by OpenShot to 4K. The 10C Evo video was captured in 4K.
Other than that, apart from edited for length, the video is unaltered. As for what Youtube do to videos when they are uploaded … who knows?
But nothing is perfect
The Sena 10C Evo has to have a couple of drawbacks. They are small but depending on your individual likes and dislikes may be annoying.
The Sena Prism and 50S are both designed to detach from my helmet for charging, for the 10C Evo this doesn’t appear to have been a consideration.
Yes, it can be done, but the connectors don’t appear to be made with regular connection/disconnection in mind.
It sounds like nothing, but somehow having my helmet hanging around while I charge the 10C Evo seems cumbersome. Crazy isn’t it, yet somehow that irritates me.
That said, the important part – the memory card – is easy to access. Transferring your ride videos doesn’t mean having your helmet on the desk next to you.
Dear Sena
When (… if …) you read this, please keep all of the Sena 10C Evo functionality, and make it a detachable unit that can share the same mounting system as the 50S.
Now that would be absolutely bloody perfect.
Clarity
The Sena 10C Evo was supplied by Sena for evaluation. As with everything we test, there is never an agreement that we will say nice things about products and all testing is done in accordance with our Product Testing Philosophy, a copy of which you can read here.
