I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
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Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
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Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
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My Photography Gear: The Cameras and Equipment I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
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The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Action Cams
A Look at Sony’s New HDR-AS50 Action Cam
Sony has announced a new action camera, the HDR-AS50, coming in at a baseline $199. The real news here is that Sony actually has listened to customer complaints (or suggestions as they like to call them) and then made some useful improvements … Read More Here
GoPro Hero4 Session In-Depth Review
Please note: My Full In-Depth Review is now published and available. Please click on over to that post to get my final impressions of the unit. Enjoy! It’s been about almost three months since GoPro announced their Hero4 Session action cam. … Read More Here
GoPro announces new HERO+ LCD camera (oh, and a drone too!)
Today GoPro announced its latest action camera, the GoPro HERO+ LCD. This marks the first time GoPro has done an ‘off-cycle’ release of a new camera product, as the company has historically released new action cams in the September/October timeframe. … Read More Here
TomTom Bandit Action Camera In-Depth Review
Today TomTom has announced they’re venturing into the action cam business, with the introduction of the TomTom Bandit. This Twinkie sized action cam contains 2.7K (30FPS) and 4K (15FPS) capabilities, as well as GPS functionality that you’d expect from a … Read More Here
Sports, Drones, and Follow-Me Aerial Action Imagery: A State of the Industry
There’s been a ton of interest as of late in using drones within sports. This interest comes from many different angles. First is the more traditional approach of simply using the unmanned aerial vehicle as a platform for videography and … Read More Here
Understanding Live Streaming Video Options for Action Cams: GoPro, Sony and HTC
The ability to stream in real time (live) video footage from action cams remains a bit of the holy grail of sports action. Today, 99.99% of what you see on TV is done via broadcast quality cameras and equipment, with … Read More Here
A look at Sony’s new 4K action cam, crazy concurrent multi-cam support
Last week at CES Sony announced their latest action cam, the Sony FDR-X1000V, which is capable of shooting 4K video. They also updated their HDR-AS camera line with a new 200V version (HDR-AS200V). These came as a surprise to approximately … Read More Here
Giroptic edges closer to 360° action cam release, YouTube announces support for 360° footage (huge deal)
°° Giroptic was on-hand last night at the CES Unveiled event showing off their 360° action camera which had debuted on Kickstarter this past summer to very strong backer support. The action camera is somewhat a descendent of previous attempts … Read More Here
GoPro Hero4 Silver & Hero4 Black In-Depth Review
(Note: Review updated March 10th, 2015, inclusive of most recent firmware updates) Early last month GoPro completed their annual October ritual of releasing a suite of new units. Like past years, GoPro doesn’t tend to make massive upgrades in their … Read More Here
K-Edge shows off new combo Garmin/GoPro mount, new Pioneer mount, also new more aerodynamic Garmin mount
Today at Eurobike K-Edge had on hand a number of their just announced mounts, the most interesting being a new combo mount adapter that holds both your GoPro (or other action cam), as well as your Garmin bike computer. Beyond … Read More Here
Knog releases new Qudos dual GoPro and bike light system
Well known bike light maker Knog was demonstrating their newest bike light at Outdoor Retailer this week – the Qudos. This new light is relevant around these parts as it combines onto a single mount both a bike light and … Read More Here
Hands-On Look At Shimano’s Action Camera, the CM-1000
This is Shimano’s first entrant into the action camera category, going directly after the cycling market it knows well. Read More Here
First Look At Fly6 HD Camera & Tail-Light Combo
Yesterday I got to take out for a spin a new combination tail-light and HD camera that just launched on Kickstarter yesterday as well. The Fly6 camera is designed to act as a bit of a safety cam – recording … Read More Here
Garmin VIRB & VIRB Elite In-Depth Review
When Garmin announced the VIRB action camera late this past summer, it represented further expansion into the outdoor market, due to it’s significant product tie-ins with other Garmin products. Most notable however, is that they’re squaring off directly against the … Read More Here
K-Edge adds new mount options for GoPro, Sony Action Cam, and Garmin Edge units
This week at Interbike, K-Edge showed off a number of new mounts that will be hitting the market starting October 7th. While K-Edge has been selling Garmin Edge compatible mounts for a while now, these mounts either update some of … Read More Here