Action Cam time again

[Si.Dalziel]

Some footage from today’s 360 camera test.

 

 

Sill learning how to use the software but getting there. 

[Andy - a15cro]

Does it lock on to what’s in front and then track it?

[Si.Dalziel]

9 minutes ago, a15cro said:

Does it lock on to what’s in front and then track it?

You select what you want to track and in what frame so it switches between narrow and wide throughout the video depending on how I set it. The YouTube video doesn’t do it justice really. 

[nice_guy]

I'm in the hunt for an action cam.

 

I thought the dji action 2 would do the trick, but it's quite expensive and I've read many a report of pentium 4 levels of overheating.

Fortunately, this meant the previous model was cheap.

Hardware-wise it feels great, compact, sturdy, with a lovely removeble lens protection / filter.

 

So where is the catch ? Well, it gives five power cycles before "activation".

Activation means using a smartphone app, that asks a lot of permissions (and these are non-choices, if you do not allow you can't proceed further) and finally asks you to create a dji account.

 

I'm already married, I don't need another omnipresent inquisitive thing in my life.

 

So it's going back to the shop.

 

Obviously the numerous reviews I've read / watched did not mention this, but I did a bit of homework, and it seems that insta360 also requires a registration / activation.

 

I'm not sure about gopro, last time I tried to use the computer application I sort of remember it required an account.

 

I run an old gopro hero from 2014, I'd fancy 4k or high framerates, but I have a very, very, very  short fuse when an smartphone app is required to make the bl**** thing run (or upgrade a firmware).

 

Any advice for a video recording device ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BenD]

10 hours ago, nice_guy said:

I'm in the hunt for an action cam.

 

I thought the dji action 2 would do the trick, but it's quite expensive and I've read many a report of pentium 4 levels of overheating.

Fortunately, this meant the previous model was cheap.

Hardware-wise it feels great, compact, sturdy, with a lovely removeble lens protection / filter.

 

So where is the catch ? Well, it gives five power cycles before "activation".

Activation means using a smartphone app, that asks a lot of permissions (and these are non-choices, if you do not allow you can't proceed further) and finally asks you to create a dji account.

 

I'm already married, I don't need another omnipresent inquisitive thing in my life.

 

So it's going back to the shop.

 

Obviously the numerous reviews I've read / watched did not mention this, but I did a bit of homework, and it seems that insta360 also requires a registration / activation.

 

I'm not sure about gopro, last time I tried to use the computer application I sort of remember it required an account.

 

I run an old gopro hero from 2014, I'd fancy 4k or high framerates, but I have a very, very, very  short fuse when an smartphone app is required to make the bl**** thing run (or upgrade a firmware).

 

Any advice for a video recording device ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

im still doing the same research as i have been since the start of this thread and still havent made a purchase. but one thing i did looking into was the instaoneR and the thing that put me off that is that it creates its own file format that needs to be converted to be uploaded so that was a no go from me. i almost purchased the Drift Ghost 4k but i cant remember why i decided against it

 

edited to say i remembered why it didnt have image stabilization

[BenD]

it appears to have image stabilization now🤷‍♂️

[nice_guy]

12 hours ago, nice_guy said:

I' I have a very, very, very  short fuse when an smartphone app is required to make the bl**** thing run (or upgrade a firmware).

 

 

 

Seems all 3 major players (Gopro, dji and insta) are after an account and would looooooove to know a lot about you.

 

I sort of swallowed the pill and went through the process. Albeit with a slight twist (a wiped clean android phone because it doesnt'work on a wiped clean iphone, and various networking black magic). Thing'll never see wifi again, and the app has been removed and won't come back ever.

 

[TAFKARM]

What do you plan to do with the videos youve taken? 

[nice_guy]

1 hour ago, Rush Motorsport said:

What do you plan to do with the videos youve taken? 

 

I usually store them on a computer.

[BenD]

1 hour ago, Rush Motorsport said:

What do you plan to do with the videos youve taken? 

I'm going to be a you tube influencer

[TAFKARM]

Beth was laughing when I was telling her my 27 subscribers demand high quality edits 😄

[BenD]

7 minutes ago, Rush Motorsport said:

Beth was laughing when I was telling her my 27 subscribers demand high quality edits 😄

I was hoping your channel was going to boost mine from 1

[Si.Dalziel]

16 hours ago, nice_guy said:

I'm in the hunt for an action cam.

 

I thought the dji action 2 would do the trick, but it's quite expensive and I've read many a report of pentium 4 levels of overheating.

Fortunately, this meant the previous model was cheap.

Hardware-wise it feels great, compact, sturdy, with a lovely removeble lens protection / filter.

 

So where is the catch ? Well, it gives five power cycles before "activation".

Activation means using a smartphone app, that asks a lot of permissions (and these are non-choices, if you do not allow you can't proceed further) and finally asks you to create a dji account.

 

I'm already married, I don't need another omnipresent inquisitive thing in my life.

 

So it's going back to the shop.

 

Obviously the numerous reviews I've read / watched did not mention this, but I did a bit of homework, and it seems that insta360 also requires a registration / activation.

 

I'm not sure about gopro, last time I tried to use the computer application I sort of remember it required an account.

 

I run an old gopro hero from 2014, I'd fancy 4k or high framerates, but I have a very, very, very  short fuse when an smartphone app is required to make the bl**** thing run (or upgrade a firmware).

 

Any advice for a video recording device ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to create an Insta account for my OneX2 but it was fairly quick and basic. I do get the odd email from Insta but certainly not to spam levels, and they are normally only for new features.

 

You don’t need the app to make the camera work but it does help a lot. I have my phone dash mounted and use it to control the camera. If you don’t want to do that Insta also offer a gps remote, a steering wheel remote or you can use an Iwatch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nice_guy]

2 hours ago, Si.Dalziel said:

I had to create an Insta account for my OneX2 but it was fairly quick and basic. I do get the odd email from Insta but certainly not to spam levels, and they are normally only for new features.

 

You don’t need the app to make the camera work but it does help a lot. I have my phone dash mounted and use it to control the camera. If you don’t want to do that Insta also offer a gps remote, a steering wheel remote or you can use an Iwatch.

 

 

The good thing is I don't really care about a remote control or streaming features (please click like and subscribe).

Features bound to an app (I really, really, really dislike them) that requires access to geo position, contacts, even browsing history and asks for a registration is nothing less than harvesting your personal data.

 

There is a reason that the app works only on a smartphone, and that someone went through the pain of maintaining two (ios and android) versions of a bit of software that runs on a fast changing platform, rather than giving basic firmware download. 

 

Actually there are two, it's easier for most of mankind to tap through a tactile interface, and the vendor has a way better insight on "what the customer does", and that allows for better product positionning.

 

The thing is, I'm yet to find one of these apps working on anything less than your life repository, aka smarphone. (never work on a tablet, or a smartphone without a sim / internet access, let alone an emulator)

 

It's always enlightening to watch what the app does through a bit of network spying. (apps are good kids, they call home frequently)

 

It took a bit of effort and tech to go through the registration without providing personal data. It makes this little camera quite dependant on a bit of software one can hardly ensure availability (can you get back to a previous version of an application on a smartphone ?)

 

All in all, it might sound a bit extreme, but I hate any applications guts. And its bones too. It is buying an action camera without completely ownling it.