Is The Cammus C5 The Most Affordable Direct Drive Wheel Ever? A review.
Introduction:
The world of sim racing has been witnessing a shift in affordability, particularly for entry-level direct-drive racing wheels. One brand that stands out from this crowd is Cammus, offering the most budget-friendly direct-drive wheel available on the market today. But how does it compare to its competitors? Let's dive into our review of the Cammus C5 Direct Drive Racing Wheel and evaluate its quality and performance.
Force Feedback and Driving Impressions:
Cammus has managed to pack quite a punch with its price point, offering strong-force feedback that is both responsive and customizable. Their provided software provides an abundance of settings that will allow you to dial in the force feedback to suit your driving style.
The software sets max power at 50% by default, providing slightly stronger force feedback akin to that of belt belt-driven wheels like the Thrustmaster TMX. However, when we increased the power to 100% and utilized iRacing's Auto Force Feedback feature, it showcased impressive strength and immersion. I was very impressed and surprised with how much torque this wheel was able to dish out in such a small package. I had no problems feeling the wheels start to slip or lock up when pushing.
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Wheel Quality:
The Cammus C5 boasts a synthetic leather wrapping that offers an excellent quality feel around the entire wheel. The high-quality stitchings adorning the wheel add to its premium look and durability.
The plethora of buttons on the wheel provide solid feedback upon pressing, while the rotary dials are easy to move and offer a clear click for setting changes. Additionally, the carbon fiber-like faceplate gives the wheel an appealing finish.
Setup:
The Cammus C5 wheel mounts to your rig via 2 extruding arms from the rear of the wheel. the mounting arms have 4 threaded holes that fit M6 screws. These are not included. I was able to mount the wheel through some trial and error to my rig via L brackets. It is not an elegant solution, but it functions.
If you plan to mount the Cammus C5 to a desk, there is a desk mount that can be purchased. This provides the clamp attachment that will allow the wheel to be mounted on a desk. The desk clamp also allows for up and down angle adjustability which is a nice bonus. There is also an included fan that is to be added to keep the wheel cool with the additional clamp which is interesting.
After powering the devices on I downloaded the software and quickly installed it. I was prompted to update the wheel and wheel base immediately. This was completed fairly quickly and without any issues. Once configured in iRacing, I ran a few laps to allow the auto force feedback feature to learn the wheel and instantly I was greeted with responsive and strong force feedback.
Design:
The Cammus C5 approaches direct drive sim racing wheels in a different manner than the rest of the market. Instead of having a separate base, the base is incorporated into the wheel itself. This makes the wheel and base footprint significantly smaller than a conventional wheel and base setup.
This differentiating change does not diminish its ability to provide strong force feedback. I was very surprised at how strong the force feedback was at 100% power. It is rated at 5NM, and it feels quite strong. It also provides precise feedback needed in sim racing.
The D-shaped wheel comes in at 280mm in diameter making it a well-sized wheel for all forms of racing, such as GT racing and open wheel racing. Behind the wheel, you will find paddle shifters. Rather small paddle shifters. At first, I was concerned with how small they were. It seems like it would be very easy to miss-shift, but they are well placed that I did not struggle to use them, even in intense racing situations.
The face place houses 3 rotary dials that can be used to set brake bias, traction control, mode setup, etc. There is also a small LCD that will display speed, rpm, etc. As well as shift indicator LEDs. There are also a large amount of buttons that can be assigned to various functions. I did not find myself needing to use my button box as much, allowing me to keep my hands on the wheel more.
Upgradeability:
This is probably the only category that the Cammus C5 falls short of and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Since the base is integrated into the wheel there does not seem to be a way to upgrade the wheel to a different wheel. So if you wanted to have a F1-style wheel this would not be an option.
There is also no upgrade path for power. Devices like the Fanatec CSL DD provide an upgradable power supply pushing the wheel to 8nm from 5nm. This would be a nice upgrade to the device in the future, once you have gotten used to the 5nm. It would be nice if this was an option for the Cammus C5.
The paddle shifters are also not able to be upgraded. When you compare the Cammus C5 to a wheel like the Fanatec Clubsport f1 eSports V2 wheel which has the ability to upgrade to the Podium Advanced Paddle Module for additional inputs and analog paddles.
That being said, it is not the end of the world. Since the Cammus C5 is offered at such an affordable price, this wheel will provide you with hours of enjoyable sim racing. The D-shaped wheel is almost a universal style wheel that will function just fine in both GT and F1 style racing.
Conclusion:
The Cammus C5 Direct Drive Racing Wheel offers an impressive balance of quality and affordability, making it accessible to a wider range of sim racers. Despite its limitations in terms of upgradability compared to competitors like Fanatec, the Cammus C5's compact design, and lower price point make it an attractive option for those on a budget, with limited space, and those just starting out in their sim racing journey. With solid force feedback, premium-feeling materials, and ease of setup, the Cammus C5 is definitely worth considering for anyone looking to enter the world of direct-drive racing wheels without breaking the bank.