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We used the X-Sports when skiing on an indoor slope, go-kart racing at an indoor track and wakeboarding around a lake on a bright day, as well as during a few less exciting activities. On the whole the footage is excellent, with plenty of detail and good colour, although some elements can look a little over-sharpened.
Noise is also controlled well in low light when high sensitivity settings are used.
Left to its own devices, the X-Sports' metering system does a pretty good job and manages to cope with low light and bright, high-contrast conditions. The camera's exposure system also adjusts quickly when moving from dark to light situations and vice versa.
Distortion is to be expected with the very wide-angle lenses that are found on action cams, but the X-Sports keeps it within acceptable limits. Straight objects towards the edge of the frame appear bent, but they don't make for uncomfortable viewing.
Chromatic aberration is also kept under control and although some high-contrast edges show a little coloured fringing, it's not usually obvious or very distracting.
As usual with action cams, the X-Sports' audio quality isn't great – especially when used in the waterproof case. Conversation is usually just audible, but there's also some hissing. Sounds from splashes and crashes are usually picked up pretty well.
I found the battery lasted for about an hour of shooting, so those out for the day may need to time their shooting carefully, carry a mobile charger or invest in a spare battery.
We compared footage shot with the X-Sports with footage shot on a GoPro Hero3+ at the same time. The X-Sports movie had slight higher contrast, which makes some elements look a little more 'digital' than they do in the GoPro video. The greater level of sharpening is also noticeable in places in the Toshiba camera's results, but it is still very good. Footage from the two cameras could be mixed without it jarring or being noticeable.
It's worth pointing out that while Toshiba supplies a range of mounts with the X-Sports, if you plan on shooting a lot of footage from a bike, it would be advisable to buy a more solid bike-mount that locks the camera securely onto the handlebar. The supplied plastic mount allows the camera to wobble a little.
Verdict
Toshiba has put together a pretty enticing package that offers decent value for money at £179.99. The X-Sports has similar core functionality to the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition (although no 4K capability), but it has a built-in LCD, costs considerably less and comes with an extensive collection of mounts. There's also the included remote control, which is easy to use and makes it clear what mode the camera is in and whether it's recording.
We liked
You get a lot in the box, so you should be able to take the X-Sports with you on most activities. The remote control is also easy to pair with the camera and works well.
We disliked
The X-Sports seems quite bulky in comparison with the latest incarnation of the GoPro and the heavy-duty nature of the waterproof housing can render some of the buttons slightly unresponsive.
Verdict
Although the Camileo X-Sports is Toshiba's first action cam, the company isn't new to video cameras and it shows as the quality of the footage that it produces is very good. The camera copes well with a range of conditions to produce well-exposed video with plenty of detail.
