Camera sporadically

For the first case, sporadic use, I would perhaps recommend a simple second-brand sports camera, especially considering the price.

Information, opinions, and advice to choose the sports camera that best suits your needs and your budget.

Quick index of contents:

• Technical specifications to take into account

• Choose sports camera based on use

• Sports camera vs 360º camera

• Recommended Sports Cameras

• Low-cost sports cameras

• Recommended MicroSD cards for action cameras (link to SD card article)

Technical specifications to take into account:

• Resolution (Full HD / 4K) .

  Also, recording at a higher resolution means more processing power in the camera: higher battery consumption, more heating, etc.

• Frames per second (fps – frames per second).
  The higher the number of frames per second, the sharper the movement of objects in the scene.

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• Bitrate (bit rate) .
  Amount of video information generated by the camera.
  This parameter is important because it gives us an approximate idea of the compression suffered by the video information when it leaves the camera. What all cameras do is compress and discard information that is redundant or not important to the human eye.

• Image stabilizer .
  There are several types of stabilization techniques.
  For video, the ones that work best are those external to the camera (gimbal, steadicam, etc.).
  In-camera optical stabilization is very effective at correcting vibrations (jitter) without loss of quality but very few cameras of this type include it.
  Another technique is the internal electronic stabilization (eg Gyro or similar) that uses a crop of the image as a floating frame to correct camera movements, it is quite effective but depending on the model / algorithm it can imply loss of quality and/or loss of viewing angle.

• Optics (lenses / objective) .
  The optical part (lens) is one of the most important aspects of any camera.

  The sharpness of the lens (quality of the lenses you use).
  The maximum aperture (amount of light that the lens lets through depending on its focal length) is usually around f/2.8 in this type of camera.

  The focal length, which is related to the viewing angle offered by the camera, in general sports cameras offer viewing angles between 150º and 170º

• Sound quality .
  The audio recording quality is going to be average to poor in practically all cameras when we use their internal microphones.
  If we want to improve the audio we will have to use an external microphone connected to the camera (if allowed) or record the audio separately with a digital recorder

• battery autonomy

• Compatibility with equipment and accessories.
  Anchors, casings and other accessories. This will depend a lot on how we are going to use the camera: underwater, anchored to a helmet, to the chest, to a vehicle…
  In general, GoPros are the reference cameras for accessory manufacturers.
  If we choose a camera with the same physical format (size, lens position, controls, etc.) we will have many third-party accessories available, cheaper than those of the main brand, and with more variety.

Choose sports camera based on use

In this section I am not going to talk about specific uses. In the next section we will see the difference between a ‘standard’ sports camera and 360º cameras, which do tend to have slightly more differentiated uses.

I am referring rather to whether we are going to use the camera sporadically, to record 10 minutes on the beach with the family, or if we want a camera to do professional projects or we are simply going to use it on a regular basis.

For the first case, sporadic use, I would perhaps recommend a simple second-brand sports camera, especially considering the price.

I think it is not worth buying a top brand camera (GoPro, DJI, Insta360…) because it is very possible that we will not pay off the investment.

For the second case, as soon as we are going to use the camera and look for something more quality and reliability, I think it is worth going directly to the reference models .

The reference sports cameras are still those of GoPro today.

It is the most experienced manufacturer, it probably has the best image stabilization system/algorithm and its products are of very good quality: materials, construction, finishes.

Another manufacturer of reference is DJI . With a lot of experience in developing drones and external stabilization systems, it also offers some interesting sports camera models.

I would also include Insta360 in this reference group because it is perhaps the most innovative manufacturer, although its flagship model (the ONE R modular camera) I think is not yet a fully mature product, it does offer very good features.  SJCAM also had very competitive cameras a few years ago.

And then we have a group of manufacturers with good products for value for money, but who compete in a medium-low range: Apeman, Akaso, Victure…

In summary…

If I had to choose a sports camera for more or less regular or intensive use, I would probably play it safe: GoPro (it doesn’t have to be the latest model), the DJI Osmo Action Cam or the DJI Action 2

For more sporadic use, if I don’t need very advanced technical specifications, an old model could perfectly suit me: GoPro from previous versions, one of the Xiaomi models, SJCAM, or one of the lesser-known brand models (Akaso, Victure…)

For more specific uses, taking into account its particularities, the Insta360 ONE R / ONE RS can be a very interesting option because they are modular and have a lot of options and accessories.

Sports camera vs 360º camera

‘Standard’ sports cameras are designed to offer a first-person view .

In other words, the resulting content is very similar to what I see when I do a sporting activity.

The workflow is very simple: I record the scene and it’s almost ready to post (the camera records in a standard video format).

If I want to edit the content I could do it with any standard video editor.

360º cameras start from a different concept.

They are capable of recording the entire environment (360º around the camera). There is no specific point of view, the camera records everything.

You always have to do an editing process in two parts :

• First you have to use the specific editor of the brand.This step can be done from a computer or from a mobile phone, with official applications of each brand.

  In this first process we have to choose the point of view (the frame) that we will show at each moment. We can simulate camera movements, reframing, etc.

  The software is in charge of making the smooth transitions between the different points of view Think that it is as if we had information in 3D and we want to transfer it to a 2D projection with a certain frame The image stabilization process would also be done in this phase Once that we have the sequence that interests us, we render the video in a standard format

• The second step would be the standard edition from the video rendered in the previous step.

  This process would be similar to what we would do with the content generated by a standard sports camera.

Another advantage is that from a recording we can obtain infinite versions of the final video : different points of view, different camera movements, etc.

Image stabilization is also very good: ultra-wide cameras are used, which already minimize vibrations, and the raw information has a lot of spatial margin to apply stabilization algorithms during processing.

But its limitations must also be taken into account:

• The workflow is much more laborious

• If we edit from a mobile phone, the power of the processor will be noticeable (eg in the rendering phase)

• If we want to edit on a computer, we must take into account the possibility that the application is not available for all operating systems

• With technological equality, the resolution of the final video is lower than in standard sports cameras (since in each sequence we only use one frame, a piece, of the total recorded by the camera). It is usual for example that the final format is limited to 1080p

• Artifacts or small discrepancies may appear in the image , since the camera has to internally join the information from at least 2 independent cameras to generate that ‘360 panorama’

• In general, the camera movements and the sensation of movements of the protagonists in the third person are not perceived as ‘natural’ in the final sequence

Although the two systems can be used in many similar situations, I think they don’t really compete with each other, rather they should be seen as complementary systems.

The conventional sports camera offers a higher quality final content, with a more natural point of view, in the first person.

The 360º camera offers much more original points of view and we don’t have to worry much about framing during the recording, later in editing we can ‘compose’ the sequence that most interests us.

Recommended action cameras

As soon as you plan to make more or less intensive use of the camera, or if you are going to make content to publish on a social network, YouTube, etc. in a more or less serious way (looking for a certain quality, consistency and reliability) I would choose an upper mid-range camera: GoPro , Osmo Action  or Insta360 ONE R

GoPro Hero8 Black / Hero9 Black / Hero10 Black

NOTE: For most situations, I think the Hero8 Black offers more than enough features. The Hero9 and Hero10 have better features, yes, but they are features that I think are not going to be used in most cases. If you are not looking for those specific features, I think it is worth choosing the model that you find cheaper at the time of purchase.

Summary of features and differences

• The 9 and 10 include front screen, in addition to the rear screen

• Image quality is similar across all three models. In situations with a lot of dynamic range (very intense lights and shadows) perhaps the 9 and 10 perform a little better, but the differences are sometimes difficult to appreciate.

• All three models include one of the best image stabilizers on the market (HyperSmooth). The stabilizer of the 10 is a little better than the one of the 9, the one of the 9 a little better than the one of the 8… But in practice it is really very difficult to appreciate these differences, it will depend a lot on the situation.

  All of them represent a leap in quality with respect to the previous GoPro. And in general I think they are a step ahead of the stabilizers of other brands.

• 9 and 10 have the horizon lock function . This function allows the camera to compensate for camera pans up to a certain angle, maintaining the ‘verticality/horizontalness’ of the shot.

• The Hero10 has a more advanced processor and allows recording at higher resolutions (up to 5.3K) and also allows slow motion in 2.7K up to 240fps, and in 4K up to 120fps

• The Hero8 and Hero9 can go up to 240fps but in 1080p. And they can record 2.7K at 120fps

• The autonomy of the battery depends a lot on the recording mode and the use (stabilization, etc.). The advanced modes of the 10 consume a little more battery.

• Submersible up to 10m. no need for external casing

• 2-inch rear screen. Tactile. The rear screen allows you to see what you are recording (framing, etc.) and access the configuration menus. Also includes front display for setup information.

• Battery autonomy: between 1h 30m and 2h depending on the video mode, with the extras deactivated (stabilizer, GPS, WiFi). Charging is done via a USB Type-C connector

• 3.5mm jack input for external microphone

GoPros allow clean HDMI output. They can be used as cameras for streaming through a computer.

DJI Osmo Action Cam

• 4K recording: 4K / 60fps  (bitrate: up to 100Mbps )

• Full HD recording: 1080 / up to 240fps

• Includes H.264 and H.265 codecs

• Image stabilizer: Yes, electronic. It is also a very good stabilization system, it uses its own RockSteady technology

• Lens maximum aperture: f/2.8

• Maximum viewing angle: 170º

• Submersible up to 10m. no need for external casing

• 2.25-inch rear screen. Tactile. The rear screen allows you to see what you are recording (framing, etc.) and access the configuration menus.

• 1.4-inch front screen where we can see the scene we are recording (perfect for framing in selfie mode)

• Battery autonomy: between 1h 30m and 2h depending on the video mode, with the extras deactivated (stabilizer, WiFi and screen in sleep mode). Charging is done via a USB Type-C connector

Insta360 ONE R / RS

The Insta360 ONE R is not a camera as such. Rather, it should be understood as a modular system in which we can combine different modules according to the purpose or needs.

Processing modules (include LCD screen):

• ONE R

• ONE RS (greater computing power)

Camera modules:

• 360º camera

• 4K camera

• 1-inch sensor camera (narrower angle of view but better performance and image quality, especially in dim situations)

Battery modules:

• Various modules with different capacity and size

Add-ons:

• Case for ONE R

• Carcasa for ONE RS

• Different official Insta360 and third-party plug-ins and adapters

The ONE RS is a later version of the ONE R. The battery is slightly larger and so is the case. The casing is also easier to fit and use.

All modules are compatible between the ONE RS and the ONE R, but the cases are different (eg the ONE R case would not fit the ONE RS)

When we buy the camera we can choose the kit we want. At a minimum we need:

• processor module

• battery module

• At least one of the camera modules : normally we will choose the 4K, which would be like a sports camera similar to the GoPro, and perhaps accompanied by the 360º to have a ‘two in one’. If we are looking for more image quality in low light situations, we would choose the module with a 1-inch sensor.

We can choose a basic kit and later we can buy the other camera modules, add-ons, etc.

The camera can be submerged in water up to about 5 meters without using any additional housing (the housing that includes the camera is open, to hold the camera on some support, it is not a waterproof housing for immersion)

Keep in mind that the tightness depends on the rubber gaskets that each module includes in the connection area with the rest of the modules. It is necessary to verify that they are in good condition, that they do not have dirt, sand, etc. and that we have perfectly connected the modules and secured them with the external casing.

GoPro Hero7 Black

• 4K recording: 4K / 60fps  (bitrate: up to 80Mbps )

• Full HD recording: 1080 / up to 240fps (bitrate: up to 60Mbps in slow motion modes and 30/45Mbps at 60fps and below)

• It includes the H.264 and H.265 codecs ( H.265 = HEVC – High Efficiency Video Coding : same quality but higher compression, the videos take up less space)

• Image stabilizer: Yes, electronic. Available in 4K 60pfs with the latest firmware versions. HyperSmooth technology , better results than previous GoPros

• Lens maximum aperture: f/2.8

• Maximum viewing angle: 170º

• Submersible up to 10m. no need for external casing

• 2-inch rear screen. Tactile. The rear screen allows you to see what you are recording (framing, etc.) and access the configuration menus. Also includes front display for setup information.

• Battery autonomy: between 1h 30m and 2h 30m depending on the video mode, with the extras deactivated (stabilizer, GPS, WiFi). Charging is done via a USB Type-C connector

Summary / opinion on the GoPro Hero7 Black

From the point of view of hardware and external appearance, the GoPro Hero7 Black is practically identical to the Hero6. The main changes are in the firmware and the extra features it offers compared to the Hero6.

One of these features is the HyperSmooth electronic stabilizer , which works very well and can be activated even in 4K 60fps mode. As with other electronic stabilizers, when activated the image is a bit cropped at the edges (approximately 10% angle of view is lost) but the result is quite impressive.

Another of the new functions is Timewarp, which allows you to make hyperlapses. And the possibility of direct streaming to different video platforms in real time.

Pros : Waterproof without external housing, records 4K/60pfs, HyperSmoth stabilizer, high bitrate, rear screen, ease of use, very good options for slow motion

Cons : Basically the price. The external casings seem to me generally safer because you can check their tightness at any time and replace them in case the gaskets, etc., have deteriorated.

 GoPro Hero 6 Black

• 4K recording: 4K / 60fps  (bitrate: up to 80Mbps )

• Full HD recording: 1080 / up to 240fps (bitrate: up to 60Mbps in slow motion modes and 30/45Mbps at 60fps and below)

• Includes H.264 and H.265 codecs (same quality but higher compression, videos take up less space)

• Image stabilizer: Yes, electronic. Available in 4K but up to 30fps (not available in 4K 60fps). It also works better than the GoPro Hero5

• Lens maximum aperture: f/2.8

• Maximum viewing angle: 170º

• Submersible up to 10m. no need for external casing

• 2-inch rear screen. Tactile. The rear screen allows you to see what you are recording (framing, etc.) and access the configuration menus. Also includes front display for setup information.

• Battery autonomy: between 1h 30m and 2h 30m depending on the video mode, with the extras deactivated (stabilizer, GPS, WiFi). Charging is done via a USB Type-C connector

Summary / opinion on the GoPro Hero6 Black

It is perhaps the best sports camera for image quality and performance. The format and camera concept is practically identical to the Hero5 Black, but with better features, especially the option to record 4K at 60fps and the possibility of using the electronic stabilizer (very good, by the way) in 4K (although only at 30fps). )

Pros : Waterproof without external housing, records 4K/60pfs, high bitrate, rear screen, ease of use, very good options for slow motion

Cons : Basically the price. Also the fact that it does not need a case is both a pro and a con, as we mentioned with the Hero5. The external casings seem to me generally safer because you can check their tightness at any time and replace them in case the gaskets, etc., have deteriorated.

Low cost action cameras

action best cameras and choose a camera of this type if it is for sporadic use and for family videos, memories, etc.

• It does not mean that this type of camera does not give good image quality and performance. Knowing their limitations and their strengths, they can be used a lot, and perfectly valid content can be created to publish on social networks, YouTube, even for slightly more demanding projects.

• The main problem from my point of view is that the quality control criteria are not strict. They are models designed to compete on price.

• If you are very unlucky, you may get a ‘lemon’, a copy that already has some problem from the start or that after time some undesired effect appears (eg excessive heating).

• Another slightly negative point is that they are usually ‘perishable’ models in the sense that they will not have many firmware updates or bug fixes throughout their life cycle. And there is usually no active user community behind these models either.

• The vast majority of cameras will work perfectly and will fulfill their function without any problem.

Each one has to assess whether it is worth choosing a high-end camera, a high-end camera but older versions (if it is at a good price, of course) or a low-end camera.

As I say, if you are not going t use it much and you do not need incredible features, these models work very well in typical situations. If you are unlucky and it gets damaged over time or falls and breaks etc. it will not be a very painful loss either I am not going to recommend any specific model because it is not worth it.

I would put the limit at about 150 euros. On top of that, maybe I’d consider saving up and looking for some older GoPros at a good price.