Just to address your insta/dji 360 exposed lens concerns, if that's a major issue they do have dual lens protectors directly from insta360. I'm on my 3rd gen (insta360 one-inch 360 rs, x3, x4) and if I were still riding the bore tide would upgrade to x5 without hesitation. Since you mentioned your main use case is mounting an action camera inside tho car on a dash, one cool idea is to use the external car/motorcycle mount package to mount the 360 on the top, or choose a side, for hyperlapse video. Driving Iceland's ring road could yield phenomenal mountain, road, coast panning footage.
On editing, I found the learning curve quite exciting in Insta 360 Studio or Final Cut Pro: simply choose a frame orientation, chose an ending, modify the angle of view if you like, and it will smoothly pan between keyframes. If the quality were higher, this technique could be perfect for street photography with mutable focal lengths, just walk around and edit after the fact.
With a long stick that seamlessly edits out, you can get these almost-drone-like selfie shots that pan. I have a DJI mini 3 pro and really enjoy it, but the hassle to actually fly it means I usually use my 360 on a long stick for similar shots, especially should you be traveling internationally. I've been curious about the AI-self-flying type Neo 2, but for me at least, the follow function still yields jittery footage and some tests for cycling (for me surfing over water) aren't there yet, but I'm really interested in next gen.
On Osmo Pocket 3, note the mechanical gimbal is quite fragile, so to "pocket" the camera you *must* put it back in the small housing it comes with which is slightly annoying, so I tend to hold in on long hikes or plan shots. I haven't worried about weather sealing much yet, but I'm usually in great weather (x4/x5 are water proof in comparison). Enjoy your trip! Would love to see your footage with whatever you decide!
kalani_kane wrote:
Just to address your insta/dji 360 exposed lens concerns, if that's a major issue they do have dual lens protectors directly from insta360. I'm on my 3rd gen (insta360 one-inch 360 rs, x3, x4) and if I were still riding the bore tide would upgrade to x5 without hesitation. Since you mentioned your main use case is mounting an action camera inside tho car on a dash, one cool idea is to use the external car/motorcycle mount package to mount the 360 on the top, or choose a side, for hyperlapse video. Driving Iceland's ring road could yield phenomenal mountain, road, coast panning footage.
On editing, I found the learning curve quite exciting in Insta 360 Studio or Final Cut Pro: simply choose a frame orientation, chose an ending, modify the angle of view if you like, and it will smoothly pan between keyframes. If the quality were higher, this technique could be perfect for street photography with mutable focal lengths, just walk around and edit after the fact.
With a long stick that seamlessly edits out, you can get these almost-drone-like selfie shots that pan. I have a DJI mini 3 pro and really enjoy it, but the hassle to actually fly it means I usually use my 360 on a long stick for similar shots, especially should you be traveling internationally. I've been curious about the AI-self-flying type Neo 2, but for me at least, the follow function still yields jittery footage and some tests for cycling (for me surfing over water) aren't there yet, but I'm really interested in next gen.
On Osmo Pocket 3, note the mechanical gimbal is quite fragile, so to "pocket" the camera you *must* put it back in the small housing it comes with which is slightly annoying, so I tend to hold in on long hikes or plan shots. I haven't worried about weather sealing much yet, but I'm usually in great weather (x4/x5 are water proof in comparison). Enjoy your trip! Would love to see your footage with whatever you decide!...Show more →
How secure are these mounts to put it OUTSIDE the car? That would frighten me lol
360 cameras seems nice but more post work than I am willing to do right now for travel videos. I'd be fine with a nice hyperlapse of the road trip.
There are different kinds of filters available for A3-A5, some you actually unscrew the front protector lens, others just slip ontop. So don't let filters be a deciding factor.
For me, I wouldn't consider anything before the A5 due to battery life and screen quality alone. And The A6 while on paper sounds cool, I don't see an actual reason to upgrade.
For "selfie" videos, none of these large-sensor action cameras do that very well, without adding a "closeup" filter of some sort. They simply don't have the close focus to do it properly out of the box.
The Pocket 3 is the selfie video king.
DJI absolutely runs the consumer drone market, which is why the US is/has banned them.
ISO1600 wrote:
There are different kinds of filters available for A3-A5, some you actually unscrew the front protector lens, others just slip ontop. So don't let filters be a deciding factor.
For me, I wouldn't consider anything before the A5 due to battery life and screen quality alone. And The A6 while on paper sounds cool, I don't see an actual reason to upgrade.
For "selfie" videos, none of these large-sensor action cameras do that very well, without adding a "closeup" filter of some sort. They simply don't have the close focus to do it properly out of the box.
The Pocket 3 is the selfie video king.
DJI absolutely runs the consumer drone market, which is why the US is/has banned them....Show more →
Yeah, if I had the A5P, it sounds like I wouldn't upgrade either. But from my point of view of a first action camera, I think the A6 is probably the better purchase since it seems the cost difference isn't THAT much more.....unless the A6 video is inferior of course. It sounds like the new macro lens for the A6 would be good for selfies since it allows close-up focus?
I was watching a review video comparing the A5P and Pocket 3, and the first thing he mentions is the Pocket 3 is not that great for recording in a moving car due to stabilization issues. So it rules that out.
DJI absolutely runs the consumer drone market, which is why the US is/has banned them.
Totally agree. I went to China twice last year and the level of consumer tech available at a lower cost (for USD) is AMAZING. I'm talking about EV brands I've never heard of that have a store in every mall, drones, dash cams, etc. I was in the Xiaomi store and ended up buying a great electric toothbrush and water flosser for like $20 each. Both can be charged via USB-C and the toothbrush has a small screen for information like modes, brushing time, "coverage," etc. I came back from both trips and wondered how I can even purchase most things in the US when the upcharge is soooooo much more here than over there, for sometimes lesser quality here.
I’m not seeing any issues with the Action 6. Mostly it looks like my action 5. Mostly though I use the nano. It’s just so convenient and the IQ is just fine. I wouldn’t panic about the A6. If there’s an issue DJI will fix it. They launch new software every 7 minutes, it feels like.
I will not travel to Iceland again without a drone. Actually, it’ll be my primary camera. The only issue is the weather, which can be wild. Yes there are some restrictions, which I would obey although most don’t. At Diamond beach, where drones are banned I watched a tourist not only fly his drone over people he hung his bag on the no drones sign. Dickhead…. Sure in the really busy spots they don’t allow drones but mostly they’re fine. Especially something like the Neo 2, which isn’t going to hurt anybody.
On my next trip I’ll take my Mavic 4 and Neo 2. I’m not sure if I’d take an action camera? It’d be useful when drones can’t but my phone would do, most likely and I’ll have a *real* camera with me anyway.
Yeah in a moving vehicle, a normal action camera is much easier to deal with than a gimbal.
I have both the Pocket 3 and the A5P, they both have their uses.
flash wrote:
I’m not seeing any issues with the Action 6. Mostly it looks like my action 5. Mostly though I use the nano. It’s just so convenient and the IQ is just fine. I wouldn’t panic about the A6. If there’s an issue DJI will fix it. They launch new software every 7 minutes, it feels like.
I will not travel to Iceland again without a drone. Actually, it’ll be my primary camera. The only issue is the weather, which can be wild. Yes there are some restrictions, which I would obey although most don’t. At Diamond beach, where drones are banned I watched a tourist not only fly his drone over people he hung his bag on the no drones sign. Dickhead…. Sure in the really busy spots they don’t allow drones but mostly they’re fine. Especially something like the Neo 2, which isn’t going to hurt anybody.
On my next trip I’ll take my Mavic 4 and Neo 2. I’m not sure if I’d take an action camera? It’d be useful when drones can’t but my phone would do, most likely and I’ll have a *real* camera with me anyway.
If I get a drone, I would get the Hoverair Pro Max since it'll be under 250g and I don't want to get the Part 107 if I can help it. Do you think something like the Neo 2 could handle the winds out there. I imagine the Pro Max would have similar wind capabilities as the Neo 2, if I do decide to splurge on the drone.
Ming-Tzu wrote:
If I get a drone, I would get the Hoverair Pro Max since it'll be under 250g and I don't want to get the Part 107 if I can help it. Do you think something like the Neo 2 could handle the winds out there. I imagine the Pro Max would have similar wind capabilities as the Neo 2, if I do decide to splurge on the drone.
There are winds in Iceland that planes can’t handle, let alone any drone. No always but sometimes. DC Rainmaker did a test and could hover the Neo 2 at 40kmh. Basically a drone can handle winds close to its maximum speed. 70-80kmh is not uncommon in Iceland.
I'm prob making wild assumptions, but the Hover drones look like overpriced happy meal toys, compared to the polish and overall product environment that DJI brings to the table.
If I was looking to buy a travel drone where video and compactness/ease of travel were the priorities, it would be the Neo 2 right now.
Mini Pro 5 is a BIG step up in every capability, but it's also much more expensive, bulkier, will take more time to deploy/land/etc, and less "safe" in regards to crashes. The Neo drones are just SO easy to use, and at their lower cost you don't worry as much about the inevitable crash.
That being said, the TINY sensor in the Neo drones is abysmal for photos, and essentially useless in low light. It's like a phone camera from 2014, but it can get great 4K in normal daytime light.
ISO1600 wrote:
I'm prob making wild assumptions, but the Hover drones look like overpriced happy meal toys, compared to the polish and overall product environment that DJI brings to the table.
If I was looking to buy a travel drone where video and compactness/ease of travel were the priorities, it would be the Neo 2 right now.
Mini Pro 5 is a BIG step up in every capability, but it's also much more expensive, bulkier, will take more time to deploy/land/etc, and less "safe" in regards to crashes. The Neo drones are just SO easy to use, and at their lower cost you don't worry as much about the inevitable crash.
That being said, the TINY sensor in the Neo drones is abysmal for photos, and essentially useless in low light. It's like a phone camera from 2014, but it can get great 4K in normal daytime light....Show more →
I'm most likely not gonna buy a drone but the Hover Air got a good review here:
ISO1600 wrote:
I'm prob making wild assumptions, but the Hover drones look like overpriced happy meal toys, compared to the polish and overall product environment that DJI brings to the table.
If I was looking to buy a travel drone where video and compactness/ease of travel were the priorities, it would be the Neo 2 right now.
Mini Pro 5 is a BIG step up in every capability, but it's also much more expensive, bulkier, will take more time to deploy/land/etc, and less "safe" in regards to crashes. The Neo drones are just SO easy to use, and at their lower cost you don't worry as much about the inevitable crash.
That being said, the TINY sensor in the Neo drones is abysmal for photos, and essentially useless in low light. It's like a phone camera from 2014, but it can get great 4K in normal daytime light....Show more →
I just remembered the reason why I preferred this Hoverair Pro Max over the Neo 2, other than the 8k. It's because the Neo doesn't have expandable memory, which sucks when on vacation. I don't own a laptop so having to think about downloading the footage somewhere on a long trip sucks.
Ray at DC Rainmaker has reviews on both and side by side. I’d have a look at those. He does the best reviews of this stuff on the planet and refuses sponsorship.
Ming-Tzu wrote:
I just remembered the reason why I preferred this Hoverair Pro Max over the Neo 2, other than the 8k. It's because the Neo doesn't have expandable memory, which sucks when on vacation. I don't own a laptop so having to think about downloading the footage somewhere on a long trip sucks.
flash wrote:
Pocket 3. Great IQ and best stabilisation. Basically the defacto for mobile YouTubers. NOT weather sealed and so might not be the best for Iceland. Super impressive footage for the size. You could add an action series camera or Nano for bad weather days.
Hey there!
I purchased the Action 6 prematurely...so returned it because I don't think it fits my use case. Instead, I am thinking to eventually get the Pocket 3 (or Pocket 4 when it releases this year). However, I had a question for the Pocket 3 (if you have one).
How does focus work? If I mount it on my interior car dashboard and point it outwards to record the road, will the Pocket 3 focus on the windshield or what's on the road. I know, with cameras, I would have to manually focus on what's outside the car since any AF would focus on the windshield. Just wondering how the Pocket 3 would handle a situation like that.
Thanks!
update: I'm reading up a bit more and seems like I can use Single Focus mode, as long as I focus on something at infinity outside the car (like a mountain), and then bring the camera into the car while making sure to keep that same mountain in focus. I wonder how that will work in practice though lol
