Action-cam for upcoming trip?
Discussion
What say ye?
We're off to Thailand shortly and I have been mulling over getting an action cam. I'd almost certainly plumb for the DJI Osmo Action 4 (and now the 5 is out they've been reduced a little). I'd maybe go for the hiking kit with the mini-tripod-stick and the backpack strap mount.
Thing is, would it be actually worth while other than scratching years long itch?
I've had "should I get an action cam?" thoughts I think since the original Insta360 GO came out and each time I've sat on it and then not bothered. Always convinced myself it's going to be more effort than it's really worth and the results will be "Terry Bull". I have a Sony RX100 VA as my main travel shooter and I am very comfortable with travel photography. I also have my Pixel 8 smartphone which can take video if needed (and is waterproof as well). So If I want to take video I am kinda already covered in a way. I don't have a gimbal but a gorilla pod does get you half way there. But something in my head says "do it, get one!"
Would appreciate some thoughts on this because it's very easy to get visions in your head about how you'll take some great "travel vlog" style video for future reminiscing. But realistically..... is it just going to be a lot of faff for some wobbly, wide-aspect footage you'll never revisit? Has anyone else bought something like this with the exprressed view to capturing golden holiday moments on video rather than still?
Part of me thinks it will be worth it for the "experiment" alone. I can try it and then if it doesn't work out, punt the lot on eBay. Part of me thinks I'd get more use out of spending the money on an Asus RoG Ally gaming device
We're off to Thailand shortly and I have been mulling over getting an action cam. I'd almost certainly plumb for the DJI Osmo Action 4 (and now the 5 is out they've been reduced a little). I'd maybe go for the hiking kit with the mini-tripod-stick and the backpack strap mount.
Thing is, would it be actually worth while other than scratching years long itch?
I've had "should I get an action cam?" thoughts I think since the original Insta360 GO came out and each time I've sat on it and then not bothered. Always convinced myself it's going to be more effort than it's really worth and the results will be "Terry Bull". I have a Sony RX100 VA as my main travel shooter and I am very comfortable with travel photography. I also have my Pixel 8 smartphone which can take video if needed (and is waterproof as well). So If I want to take video I am kinda already covered in a way. I don't have a gimbal but a gorilla pod does get you half way there. But something in my head says "do it, get one!"
Would appreciate some thoughts on this because it's very easy to get visions in your head about how you'll take some great "travel vlog" style video for future reminiscing. But realistically..... is it just going to be a lot of faff for some wobbly, wide-aspect footage you'll never revisit? Has anyone else bought something like this with the exprressed view to capturing golden holiday moments on video rather than still?
Part of me thinks it will be worth it for the "experiment" alone. I can try it and then if it doesn't work out, punt the lot on eBay. Part of me thinks I'd get more use out of spending the money on an Asus RoG Ally gaming device
Oh yes - USA road trip this summer - new DSLR, and an Insta360 X3. Also had a dash cam to record the whole trip!!
The Insta - I found it really tricky before I went to get to grips with it - but learned how to record 360 deg footage and thought I would tackle the processing/editting when I got back.
The packages software is dead simple to use - limited by your imagination only - my imagination is lacking somewhat so absorbing all the experts on YT to work out how to make it much better.
IMO it is effing brilliant - I am not the most artful of people, so this, being able to just point and record, allows me to sort composition later. It needs plenty of batteries (they don't last long when recording at 5k etc) but we got a twin pack off Amazon in a charging case that do the trick.
I also bought a car mount but I bought cheap, and it just did not work. I also have the standard 1m selfie stick, and a 3m stick. It does this fancy trick of deleting the stick when recording so it does look a bit like a drone. I nearly played safe to buy a GoPro - so glad I didn't.
The first use in anger is at the link. Like I say, I still have the 360 footage so as I hone the editing technique, I hope to make this better. I don't think you can go wrong - does pretty good still photos too, but then, so does an iPhone.
The Insta - I found it really tricky before I went to get to grips with it - but learned how to record 360 deg footage and thought I would tackle the processing/editting when I got back.
The packages software is dead simple to use - limited by your imagination only - my imagination is lacking somewhat so absorbing all the experts on YT to work out how to make it much better.
IMO it is effing brilliant - I am not the most artful of people, so this, being able to just point and record, allows me to sort composition later. It needs plenty of batteries (they don't last long when recording at 5k etc) but we got a twin pack off Amazon in a charging case that do the trick.
I also bought a car mount but I bought cheap, and it just did not work. I also have the standard 1m selfie stick, and a 3m stick. It does this fancy trick of deleting the stick when recording so it does look a bit like a drone. I nearly played safe to buy a GoPro - so glad I didn't.
The first use in anger is at the link. Like I say, I still have the 360 footage so as I hone the editing technique, I hope to make this better. I don't think you can go wrong - does pretty good still photos too, but then, so does an iPhone.
mattyn1 said:
Oh yes - USA road trip this summer - new DSLR, and an Insta360 X3. Also had a dash cam to record the whole trip!!
The Insta - I found it really tricky before I went to get to grips with it - but learned how to record 360 deg footage and thought I would tackle the processing/editting when I got back.
The packages software is dead simple to use - limited by your imagination only - my imagination is lacking somewhat so absorbing all the experts on YT to work out how to make it much better.
IMO it is effing brilliant - I am not the most artful of people, so this, being able to just point and record, allows me to sort composition later. It needs plenty of batteries (they don't last long when recording at 5k etc) but we got a twin pack off Amazon in a charging case that do the trick.
I also bought a car mount but I bought cheap, and it just did not work. I also have the standard 1m selfie stick, and a 3m stick. It does this fancy trick of deleting the stick when recording so it does look a bit like a drone. I nearly played safe to buy a GoPro - so glad I didn't.
The first use in anger is at the link. Like I say, I still have the 360 footage so as I hone the editing technique, I hope to make this better. I don't think you can go wrong - does pretty good still photos too, but then, so does an iPhone.
Oh wow, that road looks amazing! Thats one for the list. The Insta - I found it really tricky before I went to get to grips with it - but learned how to record 360 deg footage and thought I would tackle the processing/editting when I got back.
The packages software is dead simple to use - limited by your imagination only - my imagination is lacking somewhat so absorbing all the experts on YT to work out how to make it much better.
IMO it is effing brilliant - I am not the most artful of people, so this, being able to just point and record, allows me to sort composition later. It needs plenty of batteries (they don't last long when recording at 5k etc) but we got a twin pack off Amazon in a charging case that do the trick.
I also bought a car mount but I bought cheap, and it just did not work. I also have the standard 1m selfie stick, and a 3m stick. It does this fancy trick of deleting the stick when recording so it does look a bit like a drone. I nearly played safe to buy a GoPro - so glad I didn't.
The first use in anger is at the link. Like I say, I still have the 360 footage so as I hone the editing technique, I hope to make this better. I don't think you can go wrong - does pretty good still photos too, but then, so does an iPhone.
Yeah I have thought about the proper 360 shooters, it does have a level of appeal. However I think I realised if I wanted to use it underwater I would also need to get the dive case for it because 1. They're apparently not always as water tight as they like to advertise and 2. The spherical lenses would mean the focus goes underwater. You need flat lens really.
Another Idea I'd had was to get a gimbal instead and just shoot video on my phone. Bit of a bulky option mind you, but would open up the possibilities of nice time lapses and things.
I may revisit the 360 cams.
That road … only a couple of miles long but properly fun. My Mrs still does not know what it is like, she spent that time with her head deep in her cowboy hat screaming… she is not one for heights… maybe as we had just walked across Royal Gorge Bridge not a couple of hours before it was all too much!
She did better when we did Pikes Peak!! By the time we got to the Grand Canyon she was all over it! Almost cured!!
Don’t know about underwater, not my thing so never looked into that.
The 3m stick is an amazing tool. I would go insta just for that!
She did better when we did Pikes Peak!! By the time we got to the Grand Canyon she was all over it! Almost cured!!
Don’t know about underwater, not my thing so never looked into that.
The 3m stick is an amazing tool. I would go insta just for that!
I've just bought an Insta360 X3 on the back of a similar thread. I go away in a few weeks and will be doing some snorkelling/diving so wanted a cam for that.
Only used it briefly so far but I think it will take some getting used to. Quality of the footage seems good in normal light but a bit grainy in low light. Done a little bit of editing with the free app and it's fairly intuitive. I also like how it captures everything, so there's no real chance of missing something "out of frame" as such.
All the experience I have with it unfortunately
Only used it briefly so far but I think it will take some getting used to. Quality of the footage seems good in normal light but a bit grainy in low light. Done a little bit of editing with the free app and it's fairly intuitive. I also like how it captures everything, so there's no real chance of missing something "out of frame" as such.
All the experience I have with it unfortunately
T_S_M said:
I've just bought an Insta360 X3 on the back of a similar thread. I go away in a few weeks and will be doing some snorkelling/diving so wanted a cam for that.
Only used it briefly so far but I think it will take some getting used to. Quality of the footage seems good in normal light but a bit grainy in low light. Done a little bit of editing with the free app and it's fairly intuitive. I also like how it captures everything, so there's no real chance of missing something "out of frame" as such.
All the experience I have with it unfortunately
I did manage to find a review that actually talked about the dive case. Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6-nU9Ujdw&t=...Only used it briefly so far but I think it will take some getting used to. Quality of the footage seems good in normal light but a bit grainy in low light. Done a little bit of editing with the free app and it's fairly intuitive. I also like how it captures everything, so there's no real chance of missing something "out of frame" as such.
All the experience I have with it unfortunately
Its somewhere in there when it gets to the diving section, but she noted that she dove without the case and noticed nothing was really in focus. Put the dive case on
and its much better.
Yeah night time stuff is going to be grainy. These still have small sensors when it comes down to it and the only way to get the light in without having slow, smeary frame rates is to crank the ISO and therefore the image noise.
They do make a 1inch sensor version of the 360 cam but its very expensive.
Otispunkmeyer said:
T_S_M said:
I've just bought an Insta360 X3 on the back of a similar thread. I go away in a few weeks and will be doing some snorkelling/diving so wanted a cam for that.
Only used it briefly so far but I think it will take some getting used to. Quality of the footage seems good in normal light but a bit grainy in low light. Done a little bit of editing with the free app and it's fairly intuitive. I also like how it captures everything, so there's no real chance of missing something "out of frame" as such.
All the experience I have with it unfortunately
I did manage to find a review that actually talked about the dive case. Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6-nU9Ujdw&t=...Only used it briefly so far but I think it will take some getting used to. Quality of the footage seems good in normal light but a bit grainy in low light. Done a little bit of editing with the free app and it's fairly intuitive. I also like how it captures everything, so there's no real chance of missing something "out of frame" as such.
All the experience I have with it unfortunately
Its somewhere in there when it gets to the diving section, but she noted that she dove without the case and noticed nothing was really in focus. Put the dive case on
and its much better.
Yeah night time stuff is going to be grainy. These still have small sensors when it comes down to it and the only way to get the light in without having slow, smeary frame rates is to crank the ISO and therefore the image noise.
They do make a 1inch sensor version of the 360 cam but its very expensive.
Looking forward to trying it out properly!
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