At present, classification of digital cameras is becoming more and more detailed, in addition to SLR, mirrorless and compact cameras, which everyone often talks about, a new branch is emerging - action cameras.
Actually, sports cameras are not a new model. They have been around for many years. For example, GoPro, creator of sports cameras, has now reached its tenth generation, which is often referred to as GoPro HERO10 Black.
Recently, however, it seems that more and more people are buying action cameras. So why are more and more people buying action cameras? What are advantages of sports cameras over conventional digital cameras?
Actually, in terms of image quality, sports cameras don't have the advantage and aren't even as good as some mobile phones with powerful cameras. do not have action camera super portability, and strong waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof capability.
For example, conventional modern sports cameras can shoot uncoated directly at a depth of 10 meters underwater, and shooting on rainy days is not a problem. The dust and drop protection of action cameras is also very strong. Most action cameras will not have much trouble if they fall freely from a height of about two meters.
In addition to being dust, water and water resistant, sports cameras are very light and portable, they can be attached directly to the body or put on a headgear, which means that they can be worn, attached to a bicycle or motorcycle, and do not require manual shooting . Of course, you can also use a selfie stick to take pictures.
In addition, although price of action camera is only two to three thousand, its video performance is very strong, and it can shoot videos in 4K/120P or even higher. In addition, anti-shake performance of sports camera is very good, even in very uneven situations, it can still maintain a very stable and clear image. This is something that all modern SLRs, mirrorless cameras, compact cameras and mobile phones are not capable of. The viewing angle of sports camera is also very wide, with a large field of view
So what are well-known sports camera brands?
First of all, GoPro is a well-known brand of sports cameras, and many friends jokingly call it “Goupurou”. GoPro is currently first choice for many friends who choose sports cameras, mainly because GoPro has strong anti-shake performance and video shooting performance, as well as a more stable system. The HERO10 Black is currently most powerful GoPro action camera. The HERO10 Black is virtually unrivaled in terms of video performance and shock resistance, plus HERO10 Black has a relatively long battery life. GoPro HERO10 Black has top-notch anti-shake and can shoot 5.3K/60P and 4K/120P video in terms of video performance. good battery life.
Of course, GoPro HERO10 Black isn't perfect, and overall GoPro HERO10's current price is still a little high.
Of course, if you don't need such powerful video performance, you can opt for GoPro HERO9 with slightly lower image stabilization and video performance. The only difference between GoPro HERO9 and HERO10 is actually difference in processor performance. HERO9 uses GP1 processor, while HERO10 uses more powerful GP2 processor. Therefore, GoPro HERO9 video bitrate can only reach 5K/30P and 4K/60P, but cannot reach 4K/120P. Other aspects such as batteries, negatives, water resistance, etc. are exactly same.
However, both GoPro HERO10 and GoPro HERO9 have a common drawback, which is that film is a little small, only 1/2.3 inch, which makes GoPro action camera very noisy when shooting at night. quality is not comparable to image quality during day.
So what other more economical action cameras are there besides GoPro? This is DJI Action 2. More noticeable advantages of DJI Action 2: DJI Action 2 has a relatively large sensor size among modern action cameras. DJI Action 2 uses a large 1/1.7" film, much larger than GoPro HERO10. , picture quality of DJI Action 2 is clearly better. The video performance of DJI Action 2 is also very high, it can shoot 4K/120P and 2.7K/120P videos, and DJI Action 2 can shoot Full HD videos up to 240P.
The DJI Action 2 Battery Life Extension Kit greatly increases battery life of DJI Action 2. From current point of view, DJI Action 2 is relatively cost-effective.
In addition to DJI Action 2, many friends love another Insta360 ONE X2. The Insta360 does a good job with panoramic cameras, and latest Insta360 model is Insta360 ONE X2. This is a panoramic camera. Insta360 ONE X2 shoots in panoramic mode. No matter which direction you shoot, Insta360 ONE X2 can capture all scenery in 360 degrees. This is unique charm of this camera. In fact, Insta360 ONE X2 can be used for two purposes: Insta360 ONE X2 can capture 360-degree panoramic photos and videos, and it can also capture ultra-wide angle photos and videos. The Insta360 ONE X2 also features 10m water resistance and 360-degree panoramic live streaming.
The Insta360 ONE X2 has very good shock protection and you don't need a handheld stabilizer when walking or running. The Insta360 ONE X2 also has an invisible selfie stick feature and a bullet time feature.
In addition, Insta360 ONE X2 also supports live streaming with 360-degree panoramic views. When you are live streaming, viewers can see stage from any direction in your live streaming room.
Now many people use Insta360 ONE X2, DJI Action 2 or GoPro HERO10 as one of main shooting tools to create short videos by themselves, mainly because these sports or panoramic cameras are very small, very portable and not very handy . easy to get attention of others, unlike those big DSLR and mirrorless cameras, when you shoot people up close, they are very aggressive, and sports cameras avoid this kind of embarrassment, it is especially difficult to get attention of others when it is attached to clothing.