Tag Archives: action camera

Insta360 X4 releases variant in collaboration with BMW Motorrad

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Action cameras are pretty much in demand now in the age of content creation as they are more practical compared to using digital cameras or even smartphones. We see the more adventurous type of creators or even just “ordinary citizens” as they do things like surfing, mountain climbing, skydiving, or even something more mundane like walking. One of the more popular brands out there is Insta360 and now they have released a limited edition version in collaboration with BMW Motorrad.

Designer: Insta360

The Insta360 X4 BMW Motorrad Limited Edition is similar to the original version. The main difference is that you have the BMW Motorrad branding on the back, in case you want to flex that as you’re shooting. They don’t really specify if they want it to be used as you’re cruising on your expensive motorcycle, but those who will get this variant will probably use it for that purpose. The two brands previously collaborated on creating motorcycle action shots content.

But otherwise, it’s basically just the Insta360 X4 which is not bad in itself as it boasts of impressive features like it’s 72MP 360-degree lens system that can capture 8L 30fps videos and 5.7k 60fps videos. You can even do some slow-motion videos as it supports 4K 100fps, 5.7K 120fps, and 3K 240fps recording. Other things you can do with it is shoot 4K 30fps ultra-wide-angle videos with a 170-degree field of view and 11K time-lapse videos.

This action camera has other advanced features like a 360-degree active HDR, Flow State stabilization, 360-degree horizon lock, wind noise reduction, and an invisible selfie stick. So if you didn’t have this camera yet but would like to have one to go on adventures with you, and if you’re a BMW Motorrad fan, then this would be a good sign to get one. Well, that is, if you’re in China since they don’t have information yet if it will be available in other markets.

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The GoPro GoKart’s built-in Action Cameras capture your race like never before

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It makes absolute sense. The company that has a brand built around action and adrenaline should be in the racing business… no? After all, isn’t that exactly what Red Bull is doing? Designed by Sean Gao, the GoKart imagines a world in which GoPro goes automotive. The racing cart isn’t like anything we’ve ever seen before. It sports a gorgeously modern design with sleek surfaces that blend into each other… but the kart’s secret sauce is the fact that it has multiple action cameras integrated into its design, capturing your race from multiple PoVs. Designed for thrill but also for entertainment, the kart captures multiple streams from different angles, allowing viewers (or even the driver) to enjoy the race like never before. Easily the coolest thing to happen to karting since Mario Kart.

Designer: Sean Gao

The GoPro GoKart is a modern-day racing vehicle that brings karting into the future. Sure, you could do the rounds of a track on a gasoline-guzzling hunk of metal and fiberglass… but nothing quite beats racing around in these bad-boys. The GoPro GoKart is gorgeous to look at, sporting an uber-slick design that’s just about as gorgeous as a high-end racecar. You’ve got flowing surfaces that create the kart’s beautiful silhouette, with metal and carbon-fiber paneling that reflects light with a soft matte glow that’s subtly classy. Meanwhile, the kart comes outfitted with razor-thin headlights and taillights too, so night-time won’t stop your races.

Where the GoKart functionally differs from other karts, however, is in the inclusion of multiple wide-angle action cameras a la GoPro. These cameras can be found on the front, sides, and rear of the car, capturing multiple angles during the race. The result, breathtaking moments for both riders as well as the audience to enjoy during or even after the race. Gao proposes building an entire racing track around the kart too, with a multi-level course that are studded with cameras that add to the race feed.

The car’s cameras help capture the action right from the driving seat. A front-facing camera documents the track ahead, while a rear camera lets you see your opponents biting the dust. Cameras on the side document a much more high-stakes experience, letting you see two cars going head-to-head side by side.

The kart seats one, but aside from just a simple cockpit with a wheel and pedals, you’ve also got a dashboard with information, controls, and settings. A space underneath the steering wheel (or yoke, rather) lets you dock your smartphone, which starts the car and lets it authenticate its driver. The yoke’s central dashboard lets you see racing stats, as well as quickly toggle camera views to see what’s happening behind you. Meanwhile, video footage also gets sent to your phone, allowing you to replay your highlights after the race and share the footage with friends and fans.

Ultimately for Gao, the GoKart is a massive branding exercise for GoPro, letting it reinforce its position as the apex action-camera company. It also creates a separate channel that exists independent of the action camera business, building a sport that can be followed by dedicated fans. This helps solidify the brand, which has seen some weakening following a few corporate scandals and the rise of other companies like Insta360 and Kandao. Moreover, the karts are pretty much billboards on wheels for GoPro’s cameras, letting people experience their brilliance in the form of high-octane kart racing. If anyone at GoPro is reading this, give Sean a call…

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Belkin auto-tracking Stand Pro swivels iPhone 360 degrees with your movement during video calls, recordings

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Apple iPhone already does some great things. Belkin believes there is a way it can add some prowess to the phone’s video and FaceTime capabilities. To that accord, the accessories manufacturer is bringing Belkin Stand Pro to CES 2024. This motorized dock for the iPhone 12 and upward is made to swivel 360 degrees and track users’ movement while the camera is on.

There have been numerous iterations of iPhone dock we have seen in our time. Right from the days docking stations played incredible music and now those that wirelessly charge the smartphone and render it with incredible utility: case in point, the rotating functionality the Belkin Stand Pro brings to the iPhone.

Designer: Belkin

The Belkin Stand Pro is offered with a cylindrical base that can rotate 360 degrees. From the base extends a MagSafe-equipped motorized arm which holds and charges the iPhone. The arm can extend 90 degrees, up and down, for more convenience.

The Stand Pro is essentially designed for tracking your movement, for instance, you are cooking in the kitchen and the iPhone playing the video recipe tutorial rotates wherever you go; picking spices, or walking to the fridge. When you don’t want the iPhone to track your movement, you can turn the tracking off from the onboard button. The LED indicator built-in indicates when the tracking is on or off.

The iPhone pairs to the Belkin dock with NFC and allows you to open apps including camera, FaceTime, Instagram, WhatsApp and more. Once the app’s working, the Stand Pro automatically rotates the docked iPhone to keep you in frame all the time using iPhone’s recognition technology without having to add additional third-party app. This makes the Belkin Stand Pro the first iPhone accessory to use Apple’s DockKit framework.

Priced at $179.99, the Belkin dock functions as a wireless charger with up to 15W fast wireless charging when plugged into a 30W USB-C charger. For filming away from the direct power port, the Stand Pro also features a battery that can do the task for up to five hours on a single charge.

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GoPro and Insta360 get a Solid Competitor with the Kandao ‘QooCam 3’ 360° Action Camera

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Although Kandao has built its reputation on high-end VR filming gear and conferencing equipment, its more popular sellers have always been consumer-facing gadgets like the QooCam range. The company’s latest offering in the series is the QooCam 3, a tiny handheld 360° action camera designed to butt heads with the GoPro Max and the Insta360 X3. With a $349 price tag, the QooCam 3 stuns its competitors with a 1/1.55” sensor and an f1.6 aperture that allows for more light to pass through, helping the camera capture more detail with less light. The result, 360° video at resolutions of up to 5.7K or regular action-camera-style videos at 4K. Oh, and spatial audio to match your spatial videos too!

Designer: Kandao

With its two 1/1.55 inch sensors, the QooCam 3 surpasses the Insta360 X3’s 1/2″ and the GoPro Max’s 1/2.3″ sensors. This, coupled with its impressive maximum lens aperture of f1.6 (compared to the X3’s f1.9 and the Max’s f2.8), greatly enhances its ability to reduce noise and deliver exceptional performance in low-light conditions. The QooCam 3 is capable of capturing 360° video at a maximum resolution of 5.7K@30fps or regular video at 4K@60fps. Additionally, it can produce stunning 62 MP panoramic photos and record 360° 4-channel spatial audio in Ambisonic format, allowing users to focus the audio based on their desired framing direction.

The QooCam 3 shares a remarkable resemblance with the GoPro Max in terms of its physical appearance, although it is slightly bigger and heavier. It has the ability to be submerged in water up to a depth of 10 meters or 33 feet, and its IP68 rating ensures that it is resistant to both dust and water, making it suitable for various action-packed and adventurous situations. On the software level, though, the QooCam 3 shares quite a few similarities with the Insta360 X3, like the invisible selfie stick (the stick doesn’t appear in 360° videos), post-production reframing, video stabilization, automatic horizon leveling, and time-lapse wizardry. Kandao sweetens the deal with a mobile app for creative editing and seamless social media sharing, along with a desktop application for the more advanced post-production enthusiasts.

It seems like Kandao has its sights on the 360° action camera market, with a pretty affordable $349 price tag, undercutting even the GoPro Max by a solid $50. The QooCam 3 is available on Kandao’s website, although it should hit Amazon stores soon too.

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Go adventuring with Insta360 GO 3, a tiny powerhouse action camera with many hats

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In the world of action cameras, GoPro has been leading the game, but there are some names, like the Insta360, that are rigorously pushing the boundaries. Yet again, with the latest outing in Insta360 GO 3, the company is making uncanny power moves.

One of the standout action cameras in the making, Insta360 GO 3 comes packed – least to say – with innovative features and cutting-edge technology. For a perspective, the tiny powerhouse comes with a flip touchscreen and is usable in detached mode to work standalone, all the while relaying clips wirelessly to the unit with the screen. All in all, the camera is slated to revolutionize the way we capture our adventures.

Designer: Insta360

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Weighing in at only 35g, the Insta360 GO 3 is incredibly lightweight and compact, making it the perfect companion for any adventure, cycling day out, or a vlog in the kitchen, from first-person perspective. The lightweight and snappable design makes it even more delightful coz you can easily take it anywhere without any hassle.

For a camera, size is secondary; image quality is what really matters. To that accord, the Insta360 GO 3 comes with f2.2 aperture, and support for INSP and DNG formats for photos and videos are captured in MP4.  Speaking of videos, the Insta360 GO 3 offers a range of recording options: you can record in 1080p, upward to 2.7K resolutions at varied frame rates. It allows you to shoot videos in 1080p at 120 FPS.

Photography enthusiasts and adventure junkies will also appreciate the camera’s diverse range of resolutions available for capturing photos. Whether you prefer the square format 1:1, or Instagram-worthy 9:16, the Insta360 GO 3 offers endless creative possibilities alongside the standard delivery.

The camera also boasts three video recording modes to enhance your shooting experience and give you even more flexibility to capture the perfect shot. In FreeFrame mode, you can modify the aspect ratio of your footage after shooting, while Timed Capture is for the lazy adventurers who can set the GO 3 to start recording at a specific time, when you’re snoozing or busy setting up the tent at sunset.

In addition to freedom and camera prowess, the Insta360 GO 3 also takes stability seriously. With FlowState Stabilization technology the first-person videos or the action recording will all be jitter and shake-free, no matter the orientation or speed you are using it. And with a specified battery life of up to 170 minutes, the Insta360 GO 3 keeps you shooting for longer without interruptions. Additionally, remote, hands-free voice control, and live preview functionality make it easy to control the camera in real-time. Whereas to enhance the shooting experience, GO 3 comes with a versatile magnetic design and a range of handy accessories.

The camera itself is waterproof down to 5m if you were thinking of taking it down to capture yourself with marine life. Insta360 GO 3 is available through Amazon with a price tag of $399.99. At that price, this action camera offers tremendous value for the features and capabilities it brings to the table.

Click Here to Buy Now

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YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub Design of the Month #1 – Samsung Action Camera Concept

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Bagging the first Design of the Month spot is the Samsung Action Camera concept from designer Isaac Lee. I can’t begin to describe the kind of love I have for transparent objects, not just for their design appeal, but for the kind of effort that goes into rendering them. Making a product transparent means needing to detail out interior components, and adding screws, supports, and parting lines to the insides of plastic or glass parts. It’s a lot of effort for a seemingly low pay-off, but it’s the kind of effort I absolutely don’t mind rewarding!

Designer: Isaac Lee

Click Here to view all designs on the YD x Keyshot Inspiration Hub website!

The Samsung Action Camera, although it looks large, is quite a small contraption no larger than a GoPro or any other action camera. It comes with one wide-angle lens, along with a few other features like a record button, control knob, digital viewfinder, and an LCD screen on the top like the one seen on retro-style cameras. On the side, you’ve got two USB-C ports, and a 3.5mm aux in for an external microphone.

If you don’t know what the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub is, it’s best to think of it as the ultimate destination to find the most inspirational design work, as well as to have your own work featured, so it can be seen by a global audience of thousands of designers and creatives… an ever-expanding encyclopedia of good design and great rendering, if you will.

The hub helps fulfill YD and KeyShot’s broad goal of recognizing exemplary work from a distance and helping amplify it without having to rely on an algorithm, unlike with portfolio sites and social media. It relies on YD’s two-decade-long year history of curating great ideas, concepts, and case studies and ties it to KeyShot’s powerful position as the design industry’s most powerful and preferred rendering software.

The Inspiration Hub’s jury panel will hand-pick and highlight an outstanding design each week, also awarding a ‘Design of the Week’ and ‘Design of the Year’, featuring them at the top of the hub’s page while giving winning designs a permanent badge and entering them into the Inspiration Hub’s ‘Hall of Fame’. Hall-of-Famers will also be featured on Yanko Design’s Instagram page and will win exciting prizes from KeyShot. If you think your design has a chance to get featured on the hub and win, submit your design with us here.

Learn more about how to participate by visiting the hub, and also get your hands on a free trial of KeyShot 11.

Click Here to view all designs on the YD x Keyshot Inspiration Hub website!

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Someone revived the Microsoft Lumia brand as an action cam and I have to say, it looks pretty dope…

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Microsoft Lumia Action Camera

With GoPro practically flailing, and DJI and Insta360 both being under scrutiny for their Chinese origins… there’s truly space for another homegrown action camera company. What better time for Microsoft to revive its Lumia brand (under their Nokia acquisition) as an action camera behemoth? The Lumia’s always had a great reputation for stunning camera optics, especially given its continued partnership with Carl Zeiss. The Lumia Action would be a wonderful idea and would give Microsoft yet another domain to expand its hardware chops, after gaming and computing! Plus the Lumia brand practically markets itself.

Designer: Dmitry Lyubimov

Microsoft Lumia Action Camera

For now, the Lumia Action is purely a fan-made concept, but it presents an interesting idea. What if Microsoft jumped into the action camera race? The company, which produced arguably some of the best camera phones in the early Android vs. iOS vs. Windows days, is well suited to take on the task. Microsoft’s camera department is rather dormant, but a great product would revive the category and reinvigorate the space, stealing thunder from DJI and Insta360.

Microsoft Lumia Action Camera

Microsoft Lumia Action Camera

Designed by Dmitry Lyubimov, the Lumia Action is a nifty, colorful action camera with the same format as the GoPro, and the block-ish round-edged design as Microsoft’s Lumia-edition phones. The block-shaped design owes itself to the block-ish lithium-ion battery that sits inside the camera, which can be detached and swapped out for a new battery. You’ve got a single wide-angle lens on the front, and a large touchscreen display on the back. The Lumia Action charges via USB-C, and records video and image footage onto a MicroSD card.

Microsoft Lumia Action Camera

While the Lumia Action isn’t real (and it doesn’t seem like Microsoft intends on even making cameras), the thought experiment in itself is a rather interesting one. For starters, the Lumia brand, while rejected because of the windows mobile OS, was loved as a design language. The iPhones were chunky 12 years ago, as were Android phones. Microsoft (or Nokia) Lumia phones, on the other hand, were loved for their vibrant design and their rejection of standard norms that blocky phones couldn’t look beautiful. In a lot of ways, action cameras fit within that same paradigm. Current cameras look unmemorable (apart from GoPros), and are all extremely chunky and block-ish. Instead of portraying sleekness, the Lumia Action embraces its geometric brick-shaped design, and comes in colors that instantly grab the eye and make you fall in love. Heck, this concept even supports accessories like selfie sticks… what’s not to love?!

Microsoft Lumia Action Camera

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Action camera for your pet comes with built-in clip that fixes onto any collar

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Ever looked at your pet and wondered what they’re thinking? Although that just isn’t physically possible given current technology, you can, however, see what they’re seeing! The KIVI is a GoPro-inspired camera that’s designed to strap directly onto a pet collar, giving you the most glorious PoV of all time. Just plug it on your dog while playing fetch or at the beach, or onto your cat while you’re at work, and you can live the good life right from their perspective. Plus I like the idea of being able to see yourself the way your pet sees you!

Designer: Eli Lan

The KIVI Pet Camera is an action cam designed to be collar-compatible. Although most cameras are human-centric, the KIVI raises the question – Why should sapiens have all the fun?!

Armed with a single lens sitting in a cube-shaped form (with a built-in flashlight no less), KIVI sits on your pet’s collar, recording everything they do and see. There aren’t any details on the action camera (given that it’s a form exercise and not a professional concept), but I’d imagine that without a display (like the one on the GoPro), the KIVI has a fairly long battery life. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had a robust stabilization system either, given how frisky pets can be.

The KIVI Pet Camera also comes with a charging dock that allows it to replenish its battery after a long day of recording.

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DJI Osmo Action 3 camera boasts stabilized 4K/120fps recording with unique dual screen setup

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Compact action cameras are becoming ever so popular due to their quick nature of use and carrying aesthetics. GoPro has been the undisputed king in this product line, although DJI has not been far behind with the Action 2 modular camera. Now, the brand wants to attract a big chunk of users with a revamped design and fresh name.

Dubbed the Osmo Action 3, the action camera is more inclined towards a design language similar to the first model released in 2019 – the DJI Osmo Action. The look and design are going back to the roots of tried and tested realms of the action camera world for good.

Designer: DJI

Call it a coincidence or a measured move, but the DJI’s camera is announced at the same time as the GoPro’s Hero 11 action cams. For now, we zoom-in the focus on the DJI action cam only, since it has got some major revamps. The vlogging camera gets a beefed-up battery life, dual touchscreens (to access settings from front and back) and an optimized vertical shooting mode for content creators.

The action cam gets a 1/1.7-inch imaging system with shooting capability in a 155-degree field of view at 4K resolution (120fps). There’s the DJI PockSteady 3.0 image stabilization option even at 4K/120 fps settings which is a good option. DJI has brought the HorizonSteady option to keep the footage stable even with intense bumping or abrupt 360-degree rotation for people who are into dynamic adventure sports like surfing or skateboarding. The sweet spot between these two options is the HorizonBalancing feature for things like obstacle course runs.

DJI Osmo Action has a beefy 1770mAh Extreme battery that takes 50 minutes to charge and facilitates around 160 minutes of recording time. DJI has given precedence to heat management (the predecessor has overheating issues) with the resilience of temperatures as low as -4 degrees F. The 4x digital zoom-capable action cam also gets horizontal and vertical mounting to hook onto things like a helmet or handles.

For better audio recording control, the Osmo Action 3 cam has a three-mic stereo recording setup for eliminating wind noise, and voice controls for different scenarios. It also supports direct USB-C connections and external microphones too. Although modularity is no longer a feature now, the action cam has attachments and accessories like a waterproof case for shooting underwater, different mounts and a protective lens cover. The camera itself is waterproof to a depth of 52 feet without the casing.

The pricing for the DJI Osmo Action 3 camera starts at $329 for the Standard combo which comes with things like an extreme battery, horizontal-vertical protective mounting frame, quick-release adapter mount and adhesive base. Compared to the GoPro Hero 11 at $499 it is a cheaper option, and if can live up to its claim, users will fancy the DJI’s action cam!

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Insta360 ONE RS modular action camera lets you choose how you roll

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GoPro may have made the action camera a household name, but the brand is no longer the dominant player in the market that it popularized. In addition to audacious clones, there have also been other brands that dipped their hands in the same cookie jar, sometimes with interesting twists and turns. Although it initially started out with 360-degree cameras, Insta360 has started making a name for itself in the action cam market in the past few years. Its latest take builds upon the foundations of a modular action camera that lets you decide how and where you want to start recording those precious memories and daring stunts.

Designer: Insta360

The Insta360 ONE RS definitely doesn’t look like your typical action camera. Most of these recording devices come as narrow boxes, while Insta360’s version is wider and is visually busier. And that’s just the default look because the Insta360 ONE RS can actually take on many forms, depending on how you combine the different lenses and accessories available for it.

If the Insta360 ONE RS almost looks like a Fisher-Price toy you can disassemble and reassemble, you won’t be too far from the mark. The camera’s modular system allows you to combine different parts and attachments together, though there are some that are basic to any combination. The wide red battery is, of course, necessary for powering everything, and you’ll need at least one camera lens and the “core” that contains most of the processing power as well as the touch screen monitor.

Other than those three, it’s almost fair game what you connect. In particular, you can have a few choices when it comes to lenses, including a typical 360-degree camera that has two lenses back to back, a new 4K Boost Lens, and a 1-inch wide-angle lens developed in collaboration with famed camera maker Leica. Additionally, you can actually combine the lens and the core in any position, so you can have the screen facing in the opposite direction like a typical action cam, or you can have it face the same direction as the lens for a vlogging setup.

The true test of Insta360’s modular promise actually comes with this second-gen camera. It is actually possible to mix and match parts from the older ONE R with the ONE RS, so you don’t have to buy the whole ensemble if you simply want to upgrade the lens or the core. It’s definitely a bold move that goes against conventional action camera business models where companies want you to buy new ones just to get new features, even if the older models are still completely serviceable.

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