How Good (or Bad) is a Spy Pen Camera?

[@RonJDuncan]

For $35, if used as a spy pen for discrete recording in the right situations, it's not bad. It's no replacement for vlogging, but if you recording somewhere it's normally not allowed, you might get away with it.

[@M.C.D.Technologies]

I agree for $35.00 this is a steal. I was expecting a picture show or just potato quality and I was shocked. For something that is used to catch people in an act of theft or attacking you this would be all you need for proof to the cops or lawyer, etc. If you are looking for a camera that can be as good as dslr's you just can't due to size. When it comes to camera sensors bigger is always better and like I said you just can't in a pen body.

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

@@M.C.D.Technologies it looks like 2010 phone quality which aint bad , actually i lie ,my 2007/8 LG viewty did a better job lol

[@Sevan_UP]

@@M.C.D.Technologies I want one to record video of when I'm in the audience of the let's make a deal game show. I want to record what the experience is like. They don't allow recording so I want to include the pen as part of my costume because you have to wear a costume when you go to let's make a deal and the pen would blend in well with a nerd outfit

[@user-nw1wc1jo4l]

@@girlsdrinkfeck no it didn’t lol

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

@@user-nw1wc1jo4l ?

[@Aercryptic]

imagine seeing a dude walking around holding a pen towards trees, grass and talking to it

[@TonyMontanaXx]

That’s probably the most normal thing you would see here in Vegas lol

[@kj4ilk]

i was just about to say something about that....looool

[@MartaBerryhill]

Lol

[@MrSupreme.17]

Future

[@justmartin4421]

Quality is a lot better than many bank and convenience store cameras that the police show when they're trying to catch a robbery suspect

[@supjay3945]

Ugothatright

[@bruceyung70]

Yep

[@Brizizaz]

Yea 24/7 recordings can take up a lot of space 😬

[@kj4ilk]

imagine you someone just happen to be in there with this pen thing and they're like wooow we need to use these more.... well not it's not SPY camera anymore thanks to you cops using it

[@pandakicker1]

Yeah! The video quality is even better than my security cameras which makes me kind of annoyed at the company. ¬.¬

[@Hi-TechHillbilly]

Drastically better than I expected. I was afraid it was going to be another cop cam situation. I have no clue what I would ever use it for.

[@robertmcdevitt7873]

I agree, this cheapo camera pen is better than the keychain cameras from the early 2000's. I was trying to find a way to ditch my smartphone and I got a standalone data plan for an Apple watch SE 2 via Tmobile. Plan costs 20 a month for 50gigs of 4g data and unlimited talk and text. Watch is 6.87 a month because I got it for half price and they waived the 35 dollar activation fee. However, I want to still be able to take pictures since I am a travel nurse who must take pictures to verify my timecard hours upon submitting them via email to the payroll department. I could just bring my phone to work only on Fridays just to snap a photo of the timecard, but since I use a pen anyway to fill in my timecards, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and just have a camera pen. Doesn't look like I will be taking macros with this, so maybe not. Perhaps I could find a keychain camera with a small display so I do not end up with blurry pictures. Seeing the capture is definitely a must. It is amazing how much stuff is out there. Just type it into the search engine and likely you will find it these days.

[@Sciocore-JM]

I am a conceal carry gun owner. I keep this on me at any time that I leave home and am armed. If anything happens, this will protect me from anyone claiming foul play on my part. I mentioned in another comment on here that I use a pocket sized power bank while in use and it lasts over 30 hours straight of record time. I have a $120 CamPro police cam too but it's a bit obvious and only records 12 hour loops.

[@rome3307]

Can i sahre the vedio to any one live ?​@robertmcdevitt7873

[@RprtBak]

Honestly, for $35 this is very, very good. Assuming everyone gets something of similar quality (Generally lower cost stuff has worse QC). This would be perfect if you need to record some inappropriate behavior in an office or something of the sort. It definitely would get the job done with some practice.

[@OrthodoxAtheist]

Yep, I remember the spy pens from less than a decade ago, and we were talking 640x480 video, and absolute trash compared to this pen. All that for $100+. For $35, I'm floored we've come so far. Pretty sure that video is better than my old S3 phone.

[@seanfoltz7645]

Trick is how long will it keep working as for $35 and coming with the cap already loose and rattling around, I'm betting it was cranked out in China and will fail within a month.

[@rasheemthebestfirstone3274]

@@seanfoltz7645did you buy one? How did it work?

[@seanfoltz7645]

@rasheemthebest First one no

[@stormchaser8576]

It's unfortunate that you can't set the pen to motion detection mode. Sort of a low power stand by mode where it could last weeks, only detecting and recording when people are moving about the field of view and not the entire time. But too set it up in an office to try and capture sticky fingers, 70 minutes doesn't cut it.

[@Sarafimm2]

Good enough for while you're out of the office for lunch though.

[@JohnDoe-hx1wx]

Even with a motion detection because of it's size the the battery is small, very small. Thus even on motion detection it would only last a couple hours....you're probably thinking it could function like a blink camera but those have a separate tiny sensor for sensing motion that is very low power consumption but that one turns on the camera that is dormant. That's why they're so big also

[@3DJapan]

Yeah, not so good for house sitters.

[@esecallum]

more like 20 mins

[@Adventures-with-Sisters]

The pen isn’t meant to record an informative review it’s meant to capture something someone shouldn’t be doing. The video and audio is decent enough to hear and see what you need. I would have tested it against other hidden cameras like it’s is meant for not a go pro

[@Dyanosis]

But even when he did a proper test (like the one in the park), the mic quality was still shit. So you wouldn't pick up anything useful anyway. Might as well put a glass against a wall and listen through that. Or paper cups with string.

[@ALLINCAPZBANGINONWACKZ805]

@@Dyanosis OK BUT IT’S A SPY PEN. DID YOU EVER SEE JAMES BOND USING PAPER CUPS TO CATCH THE BAD GUY???

[@Paradox-es3bl]

Sure but I had spy glasses like 20 years ago that sounded this good... so I don't think this product is good even at $35.

[@DeathmetalPersian]

@@Paradox-es3bl honestly im calling bullshit on that. Theres no way you were getting that audio quality 20 years ago from spy glasses, let alone the picture quality. I think you are drinking a tall glass off exaggeration.

[@MrCoffeeBreak]

Then show us all how it's done! You're better than him at this kind of thing, right? Prove it.

[@Fhrgaderga]

For the simple fact that it comes with some ink refills, this is already worth it.

[@LazerC4]

Pen, check, camera pen, uh check.

[@jurivlk5433]

The video quality is in fact very good! It would have been considered a wonder in the era of Roger Moore as James Bond. And the price is very low too, almost ridiculous. Due to the very small lenses it has some flaws, like not being good at counter light.

[@Beta117]

October Moore 😂

[@jurivlk5433]

@@Beta117 Okay, I don't know why autocorrect chose such a stupidity! I changed it and say thanks to Google. October Moore😂

[@Sciocore-JM]

I have this pen cam. Here is a trick that I use to extend the battery life. 1. Put in the 256 Memory Card 2. Leave the pen section off of it. 3. Plug it into a Power Bank (pocket sized) 4. Clip it to your pocket (clipping it to a jacket pocket is straighter and keeps focus ahead instead of above) with the power bank in your pocket with it (or another pocket with the wire hidden inside the jacket or shirt going to the pen) By doing this, I got more than 30 hours of straight record time and still didn't even use up nearly a quarter of the memory card. Actually I don't even think the power bank was dead yet because I only stopped it to see how well it did. Could have went a lot longer ....maybe even 48 hours (total) or more.

[@Thegreyman42]

Im curious on what would be the best pieces of clothing to wear with this pen, could you show examples?

[@kampbadam295]

Do you mean that this pen works at the dame time as it is pluged in to a battery or power??

[@Sciocore-JM]

@@kampbadam295 Yes but you will need to buy a chord that has a thinner connection port (the part that goes into the pen) because the SD card and the plug being in at the same time is really snug next to each other.

[@Sciocore-JM]

@@Thegreyman42 I use it in a jacket pocket (Rothco Outback Vest, Black). firm pocket so the camera doesn't bend downward. To avoid suspicion of having a camera, add a couple more pens or something like that.

[@Sciocore-JM]

@@kampbadam295 yes

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

I think it's interesting, that they included - not just replacement ink cartridges - but several ink cartridges, as if they actually expect people to use this as a pen, on a regular basis.

[@yasirkadhim2940]

If you don't want people to be suspicious about you regularly having it in your breast pocket, you should probably use the pen.

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

@@yasirkadhim2940 who pays that close attention? unless you're needing to write or sign something in the moment, & you either pull out another pen, or ask someone for one, I doubt anyone will notice or care

[@kj4ilk]

@@lauranolastnamegiven3385 imagine if someone said....hey smile for the camera and holds the pen out....the first thing i think of is that scene from spongbob that runs through the persons head that the camera wearer said it it "hey buddy you just blow in from stupid town??"

[@fourtyfivefudd]

This would be good for someone who conceal carry’s. If an your in a bad area or there’s a sketchy person hanging around and your practicing good situational awareness, it would be a good idea to have one of these and have it record. Should you ever be forced to defend your life, this could help you defend yourself in a court afterwards. Or more commonly, if you get into car accident and your worried the other driver my get aggressive. Even if you have a dash cam, it may not capture anything, or could even be damaged if the crash was bad enough. So this would be great to capture what happens AFTER the accident. For these reasons I just purchased one myself. Should arrive by the end of the week

[@andrewnope7879]

I was having problems with a manager and the store owner gave me this same pen to document what the manager was doing. Saved my job and got a better manager

[@Lostcory]

I would love a follow up video against other spy devices, always would love to know what kind of spy cam is best

[@Spy.product.manufacturer]

me

[@bradasstv]

Wow, this would be a good ad for the GoPro lol. It looks amazing next to that pen!

[@JegErBrittnee]

Okay I am THOROUGHLY impressed by the camera and sound on that $35 pen!!

[@beez1717]

I think the pen is supposed to be used for recording meetings and classes at school and not for anything remotely action oriented.

[@crokar5835]

sometimes the quality was amazing sometimes it was like a 90s camera. if it was consistently good it would actually be a decent product. the audio is bad but not bad enough to not be useful

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

The lens and sensor is very small so this camera is incredibly dependent on there being a lot of light. In the daylight scenes with direct sun things looked pretty good, but lowlight situations makes for grainy and objectively bad image quality. to tell the truth I'm impressed it's not worse.

[@FUGP72]

It WAS consistently plenty good enough for what it is intended to be used for. If you suspected someone was up to no good and you recorded them with this, you would very easily be able to make out their face and hear what they said or did.

[@heres_kat]

I was cracking up this whole video watching him talk to the pen and point it at the tree 🤣

[@Xyz404e]

To get the voice recorder (dictaphone I believe they call it) you need to click the button three time quickly while its on then click it again to turn it off

[@beaniiman]

$35 for that is a pretty decent deal. Think of having that 30 years ago, would have cost $1000s

[@Bobrogers99]

For $35 and its size, it's not bad, and comparing it to a GoPro camera (which costs more than $35) wasn't quite fair! Perhaps best used as a stationary spy cam rather than walking around with it in a shirt pocket. The audio wasn't bad, perhaps useful to record something that you're not supposed to. The whole concept of a spy cam is to record things undetected, and this pen does it!

[@sunnystar3321]

Thanks for the review. I think if I needed if for a "spy" situation it would do. Especially for only $35.

[@Sarafimm2]

When you have a t-shirt with no pocket, but it's button up like you wore, I've seen people slide a pen in sideways. I think that might actually be the best "face time/face forward" position.

[@BlackLotusFlame]

Honestly, I would have tried it in the pocket. Some people clip pens onto their pockets, including myself. It may not get the best audio, but I'd test the video aspect with that method. All in all, better than I expected.

[@mooni2146]

he said he tested it in his pocket and the camera was never able to stay straight because you are walking. maybe you should have watched the whole video

[@DJcyberslash]

​@@mooni2146he means pants pockets. Maybe you should have thought first.

[@willewinky]

I'd love a spy camera for my job as a Train Conductor to record violent bad behaviour of passengers. I'd call my video 'One Year as a Train Conductor' and publish it to KZbin.

[@HardxCorpsxKali]

“Uhh mommy why is that weird guy crouched down in the field facing a pen at the grass?” “Honey come here! Stay away from that guy!”

[@CraftyCheshire]

I mean.... Aside from the rattling that you fixed with a simple piece of tape.... It's pretty good! I'm impressed for a "spy cam." Because in my experience they NEVER work. Not only does that work, but I can see what I'm supposed to be looking at.

[@Ryyi23]

I think I'll check this out. For a camera meant for discrete recording, it seems good.

[@adecree]

LMAO the GoPro vs the pen was gold 🪙

[@jpwcpa]

A number of amusement parks don't allow guests to take their phone or GoPro or other video recording devices on any of the rides, but there are roller coasters enthusiasts who enjoy vlogging their rides for their KZbin channel. A spy pen camera would not be a good choice in such circumstances because an anti-shake feature is a must on a roller coaster. Some good-quality spy sunglasses are the ideal solution. I wonder if James would consider spy sunglasses for a future review.

[@More_Row]

He has done some actually

[@k.williams4925]

Thanks for doing a very complete review. Excellent job brofessor

[@HardxCorpsxKali]

“Man this spy pen is so cool! I’m recording everyone and they don’t even know it!” Everyone: “uhh why is that guy walking around with a pen in his shirt? It’s not the 80’s anymore..”

[@Timesplitter777]

That sponge bob im ready plug at 6:22 👌🏽

[@brib3175]

The highlight of my day is when you upload a video 😁 thank you so much for the content.

[@georgef551]

I think this is the same thing Swann sold, just upgraded over the years. 720p, same crappy sound, and the battery doesn't last. After 4 years of some use, dies in just 2 minutes after a full recharge. The way I had it aim properly (at least looking out) was I attached it to my pocket, but a plastic card underneath for stability. I also had a 1/4" square machine key attached to the bottom of the card on the pocket side, to tilt the camera forward. Getting it it to aim straight ahead was a lost cause, usually was off to the right (sometimes left). Now I use something totally different with better results, at least in showing what's intended.

[@TonyMontanaXx]

What are you recording that you need to use the pen lmao

[@georgef551]

@@TonyMontanaXx Currently "Mallpocolypse" videos, but initially used a Flip one day just to show how nuts a grocery store nearby (dubbed "The Zoo"), people loved it, did it every year until Covid. Post Covid, I don't use the pen, as it quit the year prior.

[@Paradox-es3bl]

It honestly seems almost good, and maybe if they made a 2.0 with better quality parts and stuff, and kept it around $50, it could actually be good. But there are so many other "spy" products on the market... and I feel like a spy teddy bear or something is easier to stick all the necessary parts in, seemingly is better quality, etc. or spy glasses/sunglasses... I don't really know why anyone would go for a pen? And I'm not sure if it's worth it for them to double the quality but not the price.

[@schattenlaufer2191]

maybe in a office or place where you usually use a pen (perfect inconspicuous objekt) so you can record if you need to

[@Spy.product.manufacturer]

么 2.0 Look at me

[@yeeisme]

I am not sure about this Spy Pen... but you made a very convincing argument that I need more movie house popcorn in my life!

[@glyphic313]

Random question. What do you do with all the stuff that you buy that doesn’t work out? Do you send it back? Do you have a massive guest room filled to the ceiling with past purchases? Do you have epic garage sales? Maybe a storage unit? Do you own a fork lift? Do your neighbors steal your shit like mine do?

[@rikityrik]

Man, for the purpose it serves, I like it! price is reasonable too. Makes me want to see you do a comparison of reasonably priced budget spy gear cameras. It would be cool if you could do micro-adjustments on the camera angle. And you’d think the company would of provided better customer service, especially for a KZbin reviewer, first impressions are everything. Thanks for the good review. 👍

[@johnsimun6533]

What is the f stop, format, or other technical information on the sensor and software side of the pen? On the individual files right click the properties. Wouldn’t the f stop help determine the distance, close up?

[@barcham]

I would have liked to see it tested in low light conditions, like in a bar. That is where something like this is most likely to be used.

[@seanfoltz7645]

He did have a few seconds of footage using it in a movie theater.

[@Spy.product.manufacturer]

me

[@Boodieman72]

I can neither confirm or deny that I have used a spy pen.

[@glennhodges2113]

Couple of things.. does it have a motion record feature.. like if it's in an office or something and you want it to record when someone walks in. Or could you record just audio?

[@laurallewien2165]

Ahhh James...the spy who loves me is keeping all my secrets safe in a pen tonight! 🖊 Great video as always 👍

[@ProLaytonxPhoenix]

I think you were a little unfair with the review as the pen is meant to be used in situations not meant to be recorded. For that purpose I think the pen did great. Still enjoyed your review.

[@Nightmaredeathdealer]

This would really come in handy for me. I’m security here in Vegas and One of my jobs is going to alarm responses. Seems like it would be good enough for that

[@3DJapan]

"Leaving the dentist office. Hopefully I got that rattle fixed". 😂

[@uppensai3709]

Does it record audio in the Video as well?

[@WhenTheManComesAround]

Pen & Go Pro Running = T-Rex Mode! Epicness! 😆👍

[@BriBCG]

"Mommy, what is that man doing with his pen?" "Just keep moving..."

[@teresaelliott1174]

Love the outtakes! 🙂

[@YourWealthCome]

Is there a way to record without audio. In my State of Mass. Its a 2 party consent law on audio recordings. (Meaning you would need to get permission from self and everyone else involved to record audio.) Video is fine but audio is not. Does this actually say for use dependent on local laws?

[@notold37]

You can't expect SLR camera quality from a $35 dollar camera pen, for what you get and the video and sound quality, I think it did a decent job, great video James 👍🏼👍🏼🇦🇺🇦🇺🦘🦘Cheers from Melbourne Australia

[@urzamtg]

very cool video. definitelyt been curious abotu this sort of thing before and there isnt much in depth info on them

[@wvw000]

Ooh, more spy gadgets please! 😁

[@commontater652]

"...how will it work as a *stationary* cam... Is that stationary or stationery? Hmmm. Double entendre? Homophone? Unintentional pun?

[@radicalraccoon]

The audio is somehow still better than the Wyze Cam V3. Lol. It seems like there is a new model of this pen that is all black and does have a motion detection feature. Would be awesome to see a review of the new model to find out if it's actually improved!

[@kj4ilk]

to counter the pointing up normally what i'd do depending on the setting is put the pen in the middle of my shirt on the collar of my neck so that way it's right under my chin and it'll either point straight or down some in the pocket because of the chest area it'll point upwards BUUUT as long as it gets the audio (if your being a courtroom sneaky like the one video from audit the audit showed) then it doesn't matter to much

[@JAAS-b7k]

How much GB space it consumes per hour of recording? How long the battery lasts?

[@ryancoke777]

The video from that pen has more artifacts than a museum 😂

[@karabasdumantv4866]

Whenever i see the sales going on i cant hold myself seenga

[@strtrcril87]

Looks like a more modernly packaged version of the spy pen I received for Christmas around a decade ago. Same quality video and audio too. I only tried it once and thought that the blinking red light while recording kinda takes away the spy aspect.

[@TheDRMSKR]

What SD Card did you use? Some of the jumpiness could be caused from a slow write speed to a slow card. Just curious.

[@exodous02]

I think that is the exact same pen body of a shock pen I saw once. As for the quality of video and sound I really think this is to catch someone saying or doing something, it isn't to make movies with.

[@ferociousgumby]

Sound is not great, but the picture is WAY better than I expected. You could shoot a sort of cinema-verite movie with it. Start a new trend! Spy Pen Theatre!

[@Oceangirl_505]

James, I am glad that your dentist was able to fix the rattling.

[@keithjones197]

Really impressed with picture quality and sound.

[@retluoc]

Click it 2x quickly and it fires a stun dart 😀. (That was for fans of Johnny English 😄) But seriously, for a pen cam it's not too bad, but it's no Go-Pro. I didn't even think it would be that good...the sound was also muffled. You have to be right on top of it to make out words.

[@AznTony360]

Good uses for this would prob to gather evidence for your attorney where recording would seem sus or where it’s not allowed. Another would be to just document a delivery guy when they hand it to you or when you drop something off at the post office. Insurance type recordings,

[@XXmodersglitchesXX]

Considering I grew up watching gaming videos for like 10 years. I don’t know how but I’ve watched every one of his videos for the last couple years. I don’t think I’ve ever committed to one channel this much before. But I just enjoy them so much

[@k.y.6148]

Sad to say, the video quality is many times better than most bank security cameras! The quality of moving video is comparable to $5,000 video cameras, depending on the situation.

[@knee0036]

Please keep being you JW. I have been with you since 2016 and watch every video!

[@jsb354]

Not bad for the price. Depending on what is used for, it can be a great investment.

[@diannshowers9129]

What good is it if when u put it in your pocket it films a ceiling. What was that static sound?

[@b3lial]

Awesome video. Hope the Vegas monsoon didn’t affect you much!

[@maddestruction1]

Why does a $35 spy pen have about the same camera quality as my $85 dashcam...

[@fourtyfivefudd]

I just bought this exact one after this review as i was in the market for one. However after reading the instructions, it doesn’t say 70 minutes of video memory, it says “working time is 60 to 70 minutes” and that’s right underneath the battery specs. And it says it can store up to 10 minutes of recorded video on its internal memory storage. So does that mean it’s about an hour of battery life but 10 minutes of video storage? OR does it mean an hour of battery life and and hour of video storage with an SD card? Because it does not specify that in the Manuel, and although it came with a micro SD reader to plug into a computer, it did not actually come with a micro SD chip

[@RVFRRV]

Did you eventually get the answer to your question? I want to know if it records longer than 10 mins consecutively or automatically stops and saves after 10 mins? Cheers

[@Creativecavemanagain]

The fact that you would expect stabilization on something that small and that cheap is absolutely insane

[@ajspice]

Why the scientific fuck does the cheap pen camera have a file tree that makes more sense than a $6,000 Canon?!?

[@pauldrake1972]

better than security bank cameras... you could make out big foot...lol

[@LordThree]

The circular frames on your glasses are a bit too big. You want a little smaller like VTS

[@beaniiman]

Still a lot better than CCTV or many other security cam footage lol.

[@DrawTangleswithDawn]

For the price it did better than I expected, especially the photos.

[@Omerta2times]

Another great video brotha!

[@cantsay]

Just a man and his pen, nothing to see here folks... 😂🤣 the ending was so funny

[@mikeyjames]

Lol at 4:45 😂😂😂😂😂

[@LexCoop5]

Great video, thanks for sharing. 😊

[@Foodlepadoodle]

Does it record sound?

[@chillzonejawn]

I've used a product almost exactly like this! I used it to catch my daughter's baby sitter pouring Pine-Sol in to her soup! what a world!

[@adhamadel9475]

Does anyone know how I can get this pen if I don't live in the US.. I want to know if there is international shipping available for this pen or frankly any other good spy pen.. I live in Egypt and I rlly wanted wanted get one so pls help if u could

[@seanfoltz7645]

It is what it is. My experience with stuff like this is that while it works well enough initially, it inevitably stops working at all quite quickly as you've got to figure that most if not all components were made in China, something you should probably mention so that we'll know overall quality and durability. The fact that the cap was loose and rattling tells me it will likely stop working and/or fall apart inside of a month.

[@brianshemwell6967]

I wonder what people were thinking when they seen you walking around having a conversation with a pen. haha

[@stjepan4444]

Your PenVlog is oddly satisfying

[@jamesadams893]

Which gopro was that at 35 dollars, the hero1/8?.

[@dansanfrisco]

The manufacturer asked for your Amazon order to verify if you purchased from their store or through a third party Chinazon seller selling a Chinese knock off of the product sourced through Alibaba for cheap. It is a major issue on Chinazon and other online marketplaces.

[@rickybelen_fyakap]

Were we can buy that cam

[@BackLashGaming]

Where you get those sunglasses I wanna grab a pair

[@NightBazaar]

How much recording time does it give you?

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

I apologize, James, I laughed way too hard, at the part where you were jogging, holding the pen & GoPro.