In the course of improving the Col8 video platform we work with many security companies and this allows us to get to grips with lots of different cameras, be they CCTV, Body cameras, or Dash cameras. Each camera works slightly differently with different supporting software and file formats which we have to ensure work on the platform.

For private security companies in the UK, the Rewire RX-3 V2 Lite is a camera of choice, coming in at under £170 including VAT including a dock, cables, and software. This 150g camera provides a valuable asset to help protect officers or the public and keep insurance costs down for the security company.

We were asked by a client recently about the Boblov F1 Body camera. They said, "Hey, we have found this camera that looks the same as the Rewire but only £115." So we decided we would do a quick review and comparison to see what was what.

We won't bore you with all the details as you can find out all the pieces that come in the boxes on the links above, but in general, they come with USB cable, dock, camera, and a range of clips that should fit the majority of security situations.

One difference is the Boblov camera came with a tiny CD with it. Unfortunately, not having anything that will read such a disc anymore, we are not 100% sure what is on it, but the manual is in the box that tells you how to use it.

The answer to this is yes but also no.

What do we mean by that? On the surface, they are pretty much like for like: same dimensions, finish, parts, screen size, and both come with GPS, which we think is a very valuable feature that should be included on a body camera to give extra context. They even make a similar noise when you power them on, and the lady's voice that tells you that it is filming is the same.

But there are subtle differences. The startup screens say either "Rewire Security" or "Boblov." The other functional difference we found was the Boblov can have up to 64Gb storage and comes with WiFi to link to a dedicated smartphone app (this function was not tested) whereas the Rewire is 32Gb and has no WiFi. More on this later...

Top of the Rewire RX-3 V2 Lite

Top of the Boblov F1

Features aside, this camera's job is to sit on your security officer's chest and allow them to record events to use at a later date, either in criminal or civil matters, to show what happened. If it doesn't do that, everything else is pretty much a non-issue!

There are some excellent but much more expensive body cameras out there like the Pinnacle PR-6. So these two are considerably cheaper models at less than half the cost but can still record full HD footage with their wide-angle lenses including night vision (that will be the subject of an article in the future).

We know of some clients with literally hundreds of these devices, and they have been very satisfied with the results recording at 720p resolution which is battery and space efficient, so we decided to compare the two cameras using those settings.

Below is an example from the Rewire RX-3 V2 Lite using Col8's geo-based video system, which extracts the data to produce a powerful searchable route you can see the results. Here is a link to the Boblov F1 Route where you can compare the two.

Can't be bothered to watch both? Basically, they are the same video quality wise, but the GPS data is a little better on the Rewire, showing a more accurate route.

Rewire RX-3 V2 Lite video route

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Both cameras do a good job at the task of filming and collecting information, but we found a key difference that will have an impact if you are buying these for a private security company.

Taking a step back, we need to look at a requirement of private security for these which is the need to collect evidence from an officer that presents the facts of the event but these could show the officer in a positive or negative way - however, this data must be collected without the ability for it to be tampered with. This is a key point, and why we would never advise you to buy a body camera for security that has an SD card which can be removed because the files could be lost or