Review: Hitcase PRO

Drop it in snow, shoot underwater, change lenses in a snap–mount it to your head even–the Hitcase PRO does it all.

It’s no secret that today’s smart phones do it all, but one of their most incredible features is the camera and its associated functionality. You can shoot time lapse, slow motion, bursts, and it doesn’t stop there, with a host of editing apps now available, you can basically shoot and edit a high res (most cameras now shoot in 4K) movie on a device that fits in your pocket.

Of course, the only real problem with current smart phones is their durability–or lack thereof. How many friends do you have with the classic spider web cracked screens? People who have destroyed phones by dropping them in water (please work bag of rice, please!) or out the car window. And when it comes to shooting, well, of course there are limitations too. We all love the helmet and chest mounts, and now the ever popular selfie stick. GoPro and Sony Action cams have a relative monopoly when it comes to the selfie angle, with a host of different mounting options and a nice wide angle lens. Only hassle there is, porting all of your footage into one place, managing a bunch of different devices, etc, etc.

But what if you could put all of of this mounting capability, as well as the ability to change lenses (not an option for GoPros) all in one package? One beefy enough to protect your phone from big hits and forays into the wetter parts of the world? I’ve had the opportunity to play around with the Hitcase PRO and have been thoroughly impressed. While the case adds significant beef to an already large device, it’s extremely easy to take on and off, so it doesn’t have to stay as my full time case. I’ve dropped it in snow, had it on the mountain on deep days, shot a grizzly footprint that was underwater by submerging the whole unit (better shot eh), even let it tumble down wood stairs with no damage to my phone.

The company claims that the Hitcase PRO is a 100% waterproof, shockproof case for the iPhone 6/6s, and I have no reason to doubt that through my experiences. It takes drying off the screen when it’s wet to get back to easy swiping, you sound a little muffled when you’ve got it on speaker phone, and if you’re shooting video with audio, the sound can be a little distorted. But the fact that any of these functions are happening at all with a case that’s 100% waterproof I find incredible.

The PRO comes with a TruLux Wide Angle lens which is great for shooting close up, but the company also offers three other lenses: a superwide, a macro and a flat lens, allowing you a wide range to play around with and great optics. The lenses are easy to swap in and out, but they are small, and their little rubber protective cases are even smaller. So if you’re somewhat prone to losing shit, well, stay focused.

I haven’t had a chance to play with the numerous different mounting devices Hitcase has developed, but I am looking forward to testing out the ShootR Telescopic Extension Pole (selfies are what’s up!), and the ChestR Mount. They also make adapters for existing GoPro mounts, car and bike mounts, as well as a very interesting looking time lapse mount.

Most of the pricing on the Hitcase gear is quite fair, with the case itself going for $99.00 and most accessories in the $20-$40 range, with options for savings by buying packages of goodies, like their PRO Action Pack bundle. All of it on their online store of course.