One year after the release of the GoPro HERO7 Black and a couple of months after the launch of the DJI Osmo Action, GoPro is back with loads of new products: the GoPro HERO8 Black, a couple of modular accessories called Mods, and the GoPro MAX that replaces the GoPro Fusion. Let’s take a closer look at all these new products for action lovers! GoPro HERO8 Black – If It Works, Don’t Fix It The GoPro HERO8 Black replaces the previous HERO7 Black. Let’s start with the exterior design because there is not a massive difference between the two: The HERO8 Black measures 66.3mm x 48.6mm x 28.4mm, whereas the HERO7 is 62.3mm x 44.9mm x 33mm. The HERO8 Black weighs 126 grams, which is 10 grams heavier than the previous version. You don’t need a frame to attach your HERO8 Black to all existing GoPro mounts. Instead, the two swapping mounts are now built-in at the bottom of the action camera. They are retractable, so you can fold them if you don’t need to attach your camera to an accessory. The lens cover is slimmer and is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass which, according to GoPro, is “two times more impact resistant than previous models.” Gorilla Glass is the same type of glass that is used on iPhones. There is no HDMI port on the HERO8 Black. The GoPro HERO8 Black has two folding mounting fingers at the bottom. Image credit: GoPro And that’s it. No big move from GoPro on the exterior design, if it works, don’t fix it. The only thing that is missing is the built-in HDMI port; you’ll need to buy the Media Mod to get access to an HDMI port – more on that later. Most of the improvements are on the inside. GoPro HERO8 Black – Same Look, Improved Features If you are looking for drastic improvements on the photo/video resolution and framerates sides, you’ll be disappointed. The GoPro HERO8 Black still record in 4K at up to 60 frames per second, with only an improvement in terms of bit rate that jumps to 100Mbps (in 4K) compared to 78Mbps for the HERO7 Black. Below is a comparison chart between the HERO8 Black and HERO7 Black of all the resolutions and framerates available. Comparison chart between the HERO8 Black and HERO7 Black of all the resolutions and framerates available. So what’s new? On the photo side, you can still take 12MP pictures, but you now have RAW capabilities in all photo modes. Also, an improved HDR optimizes your SuperPhoto with less blur and more details in your shots. Finally, you can now capture a LiveBurst and get a 3-second video, or choose the best frame from the burst to get the perfect photo. The GoPro HERO8 Black has a new microphone placement, closer to the lens. Image credit: GoPro Better HyperSmooth Stabilization, Better Mic Placement, Time Warp On the video side, the front-mic gets a new placement which should improve the sound clarity. The HERO8 Black features a unique “night lapse” video mode for capturing time-lapses at night. Also, there is a new “narrow” digital lens, similar to a smartphone lens, for close up shots, portraits, or simply if you don’t want the fish-eye look. Some capture presets are also available if you don’t want to mess with the camera settings. Like the HERO7 Black, you can talk to the camera and say, “GoPro, what settings should I use for biking.”. And voila, the camera will enter the right preset immediately. Image credit: GoPro The team at GoPro also improved the already impressive HyperSmooth feature with version 2.0 and a HyperSmooth Boost mode. The HERO8 Black has three levels of stabilization: On, High and Boost. Boost is the highest setting available and should give super-smooth results. TimeWarp also gets a version 2.0 upgrade with auto speed detection. TimeWarp automatically adjusts speed based on motion, scene detection, and lighting. You can slow down the effect to real-time and then tap to speed it back up. GoPro Mods. Image credit: GoPro Modular Accessories for GoPro HERO8 Black As I told you previously, the built-in HDMI port is gone on the HERO8 Black. To turn the small action camera into a lightweight filmmaking tool for professionals, GoPro introduced “Mods” or modular accessories. At the moment, three modules are available: Media Mod, Light Mod, and Display Mod. The GoPro Media Mod. Image credit: GoPro The base module is the Media Mod. This mod features a small shotgun-mic and gives you two cold shoe mounts for additional accessories along with a USB Type-C port, HDMI output, and a 3.5mm input jack. The GoPro Display Mod. Image credit: GoPro The Display Mod looks like an answer to the DJI Osmo Action camera – that features a little LCD screen in front of the camera, which is useful when vlogging. The Display Mod is a small 1.90 inch LCD that attaches to the Media Mod. You can’t use it without the Media Mod. You can either use the Display Mod as a more prominent rear-facing display or fold it, so you have access to a front screen, ideal for vlogging. The GoPro Light Mod. Image credit: GoPro Finally, the Light Mod is a small battery-powered LED light that is waterproof up to 10 meters. You can mount it on the Media Mod, wear it, or attach it to a GoPro mount. GoPro MAX Last but not least, the GoPro MAX is a 360° camera that replaces the two-years-old GoPro Fusion. One of the significant drawbacks of the GoPro Fusion is the lack of a screen to see what you’re doing/recording. With the GoPro MAX, this is now something of the past. The GoPro MAX now has a built-in LCD. Image credit: GoPro The GoPro MAX is waterproof up to 5 meters, and have a lot of features similar to the HERO8 Black like: Max HyperSmooth to stabilize your footage. Max TimeWarp, that automatically adjusts speed based on motion, scene detection, and lighting. Four digital lenses, including Max SuperView, the widest field of view available on a GoPro camera. Built-In, folding mounting fingers. Voice control. A GPS that captures your location, altitude, and speed. The GoPro MAX inherit from a lot of the features of the HERO8 Black for some reason! Indeed, you can use the GoPro MAX in “HERO mode,” which is similar to a standard non-360° GoPro. Otherwise, in HERO mode, you can only record videos up to 1440p60, and pictures in a 5.5MP resolution. The GoPro MAX. Image credit: GoPro But the main reason to buy the GoPro MAX is for its 360° video capabilities, and you won’t be disappointed. You can record 360 videos in 5.6K at up to 30 frames per second, and 6.2MP PowerPano photos. PowerPano photos are panoramic pictures, but without having to scan the horizon. You can easily create a 270° distortion-free panoramic image directly in-camera. The GoPro MAX features six microphones to capture great 360 audio and stereo sound. Image credit: GoPro Updated GoPro App To go with all the new cameras, GoPro also updated its smartphone App. The Quik app is now part of the GoPro app, so you can now quickly edit your pictures and videos directly inside the app. Also, an excellent addition is the ability to live stream your HERO8 Black and MAX in 1080p straight to social media platforms. The GoPro App allows you to offload and edit your 360 footage in the GoPro app. Also, you can reframe 360 footage into traditional videos and photos that are more easily to playback, edit, and share. Pricing and Availability The GoPro HERO8 Black retails for $399/429,99€, you can already preorder it on the GoPro website, and shipments will begin October 20th. The Light Mod retails for $49.99/49,99€. The Media Mod and Display Mod retail for $79.99/79,99€ each. All three Mods will be available for preorder in December. Finally, the GoPro MAX retails for $499/529,99€, you can already preorder it on the GoPro website, and shipments will begin October 24th. What do you think of the GoPro HERO8 and MAX? Do you consider upgrading your action camera to this new model? Do you believe the modular accessories are attractive? Let us know in the comments!

ReelSteady GO is a standalone desktop application, which can automatically stabilize footage from GoPro cameras (HERO5, HERO5 Session, HERO6, and the new HERO7). It uses the information from GoPro’s gyro sensor to provide much better results than simple image analysis. Its creators claim it is even better, than GoPro’s own HyperSmooth stabilization built-in in the HERO7. It is now available for $99 US. ReelSteady GO can stabilize GoPro footage in post production. You might still remember the impossible drone shots from Robert McIntosh. He filmed a couple of fly-through videos with his tiny custom-built drone with stripped-of GoPro HERO4. The footage straight out of camera was of course not stabilized. The resulting clips were stabilized in post production using ReelSteady plugin for Adobe After Effects. The level of stabilization is really impressive. If you missed our articles about the impossible drone shots, you can check them – first video and second video. The professional ReelSteady stabilization plugin for After Effects is being sold for $399 US. Since this price tag may seem a bit too high for some filmmakers, the company now introduced a more affordable alternative in form of ReelSteady GO. It is a simple standalone desktop application, which will automaticaly stabilize clips from GoPro HERO5, HERO5 Session, HERO6, and the new HERO7. How does it work? ReelSteady GO Just like the ReelSteady After Effects plugin, ReelSteady GO app too looks like a very capable stabilization. It uses gyro data from GoPro cameras instead of traditional image analysis. That gives great results on virtually any shot. In fact, ReelSteady creators claim their stabilization beats GoPro’s own HyperSmooth included in the HERO7. To support this claim they showcase few comparison shots in their promotional video. The user interface of the app is very simple and straightforward. With one button, you can load the desired video, the app will automatically stabilize it. With another button, the video can be then rendered and exported.  Camera model, settings, and sync points are automatically detected and applied. ReelSteady GO features a very simple user interface. The sync points in the video can also be adjusted in case you are not satisfied with the result of the automatic stabilization. More on this in the ReelSteady GO tutorial video. As I already said above, the app only works for footage from GoPro HERO5, HERO5 Session, HERO6, and the new HERO7. I personally welcome an app like this, because I own the GoPro HERO6 and I filmed a lot of clips with it in 4K50p in H.265, which is a mode that does not support any stabilization with that camera. Now with ReelSteady GO I can stabilize it in the post. The ReelSteady GO desktop app is available for both Windows and Mac computers and it costs $99 US. There is also a free trial version available, so you can try it out before purchasing. The trial version has full functionality, but it will burn a “DEMO” watermark in the resulting stabilized clip. What do you think of the ReelSteady GO? Do you have some unstabilized GoPro footage which needs a treatment? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Please head to our full DJI Osmo Action hands-on review by clicking here. Today, DJI has announced the Osmo Action – their first acion camera and a direct competitor to the current “King of action cams”, the GoPro HERO7. What are the differences between these two cameras? Which one is better? You will find the answers in our comparison video and the following article. First of all, if you want to know more details and specs of the DJI Osmo Action, check our hands-on review of this camera. Last year when the GoPro HERO7 was announced, we tested the camera and its very capable HyperSmooth stabilization – more on that in our hands-on review of the HERO7. Now, which camera is better? DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 Our action cam specialist Gunther Machu took both the Osmo Action and the GoPro HERO7 for a spin on his mountain bike. He filmed a couple of side-by-side comparison videos as well, when he mounted both cameras on top of each other on his chest mount. You can see these comparison shots in the video above. DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 – 240fps 1080p modes Comparison. When we compare the stabilization of both cameras, the new Osmo Action’s RockSteady even outperformed the very good HyperSmooth of the HERO7. It is hard to believe, but the Osmo Action really does have better stabilization, which is visible in the side-by-side POV shot from the mountain bike. For this shot, the cameras were both set to manual exposure – GoPro at -0.5 and Osmo Action at -0.7. When it comes to angle of view, GoPro has a slightly wider lens, which fits the image more than the Osmo Action. When we then turn on the de-warp feature of the Osmo Action, the angle of view becomes even narrower. DJI Osmo Action Versus GoPro HERO7 – 240fps 1080p modes Comparison. When comparing the slow motion capability, both cams top out at 240fps in 1080p. As you can see from the footage, GoPro produces more pleasing images whereas Osmo Action’s image is over-sharpened with a bit more noise, especially in the shadows. All slow motion shots in Gunther’s test were shot in 240fps on both, the Osmo Action and HERO7. Color was set to D-Cinelike on Osmo and Protune Flat on GoPro. Generally speaking, the image from GoPro is slightly more pleasing. This is partly thanks to a higher maximum bitrate. GoPro’s HERO7 tops out at 75Mbps in H.265 whereas the Osmo tops out at 100Mbps, but only in H.264. DJI Osmo Action has a slightly larger battery than GoPro. Very important information and perhaps one of the best advantages that the Osmo Action has over the GoPro HERO7 is battery life. Osmo’s battery is only slightly larger (80mAh more), but the camera does a better job at power management and offers a significantly longer battery life. DJI Osmo Action Back Display is significantly larger than GoPro’s. When comparing the displays of both action cams, the Osmo Action has a larger 16:9 back screen, as opposed to the 4:3 of the GoPro. It also features a full-color front screen, which is great for vlogging or in general, when filming action scenes with a selfie stick, for instance. Last but not least, it is much easier to change the front glass element with the Osmo Action than it is with the GoPro HERO7. The Osmo features a simple thread to screw the filters on and off whereas GoPro’s system can be very hard to detach or attach, at times. Conclusion DJI did a really good job with their first action camera and they even offer it for a lower price than the HERO7. The GoPro HERO7 still remains the king of action cameras when it comes to image quality, but the new Osmo Action introduced very interesting features, including the HDR mode, de-warp feature, and the full-color front display. It even beats the GoPro when it comes to stabilization, which is very impressive. Which camera is better depends on what you are looking for. For image quality, the GoPro is better, for other features I would prefer DJI’s Osmo Action. If DJI polishes the image a bit with a future firmware update, it might actually become the overall winner. What do you think of our comparison? Which action camera left a better impression? Are you considering switching from GoPro to DJI? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

The latest GoPro HERO7 update brings 4K slow motion, HyperSmooth and TimeWarp to the Black model. What does it look like and what is the difference between the Silver and the White model? We caught up with GoPro at Photokina 2018 and went hands-on with the latest HERO7 Black to check out two new features: HyperSmooth and TimeWarp, as well as the difference between the other models in the HERO7 family. The GoPro HERO7 Black certainly packs a punch, promising very smooth 4K 60p footage. GoPro’s have been a staple tiny camera for productions all over the world, so what makes the HERO7 family stand out? How Smooth Is HyperSmooth? HyperSmooth is one of the new key features built into the GoPro HERO7 Black. It is 3-axis electronic stabilization that has a 10x crop on the image. GoPro claims it is the equivalent – if not better – than using a handheld gimbal to achieve stable shots. Naturally, we had to check it out on the show floor, and directly compare it to another HERO7 Black with HyperSmooth switched off. The footage in the video shows that although there is a slight (not significant) crop on the image, the electronic stabilisation functions very well while walking and running. What is interesting: The lack of ‘jello’ similar to the ‘warp stabilizer’ effect on the edges of the video, making the clip more than suitable. This isn’t exactly a full test on a mountain bike or under extreme conditions, so this will be one of the features we will look at extensively in our upcoming review. Create Hyperlapses inside the GoPro HERO7 Black GoPro’s have always been great for capturing time-lapses; they are small, capture a wide field of view and can run for as long as the battery lasts or until the memory runs out. GoPro has extended the time-lapse feature in the Black model by adding TimeWarp, which allows the user to create moving time-lapses, or ‘hyperlapses’, that stitch the images together in-camera. We tested it and this is also very stable, without the usual shakes – something that you have to be very careful to avoid when capturing time-lapses or a hyperlapse. Achieve super slow motion One of the stand-out features of GoPro cameras has always been achieving slow motion at high resolutions in a tiny body. The HERO7 Black offers 4K resolution at 50/60p, and super slow motion in 1080 HD at 240fps. The Silver and White models miss out on this high frame rate action, with the Silver being capable of recording 4K 25/30p and 1080 HD up to 60fps. The HERO7 White is unable to record 4K, but capable of capturing 1080 HD up to 60fps. Why the significant difference between the GoPro HERO7 models? What is apparent with the HERO7 family is that GoPro still wishes to keep user groups segmented. Through research, GoPro has found out that there are set user groups that require or only use specific features; the White model is for users that simply want to take the GoPro out of the box and have it working, without changing many settings. Whereas the Black model is aimed at experienced users that want to push the boundaries on capturing content, whether that is a hyperlapse of a hike, slow motion skiing or filming fast moving vehicles where the Hypersmooth feature is required. These features are exclusive to the GoPro HERO7 Black model, with built-in electronic stabilization available in the Silver and White models (no info on crop or quality of this yet). Overall, if you’re looking for the next level action camera, there is no other device with features like the GoPro HERO7. It’s unfortunate that so many features were withheld from the Silver and White model, but at its price tag of $399.00, that probably won’t stop users from investing. We’ll be putting the GoPro HERO7 Black through its paces in the near future, are there any specific features you wish to see demonstrated when we review the camera? Let us know in the comments.

Today GoPro announced its new product lineup of action cameras – The GoPro HERO7 Black, HERO7 Silver and HERO7 White. According to GoPro, the flagship HERO7 Black brings a new level of video stabilization with the HyperSmooth feature, as well as TimeWarp and enhanced audio. Also, GoPro is giving away $1,000,000 for the best HERO7 Black footage in their “Million Dollar Challenge”. What’s Really New in the GoPro HERO7 Black Innovations include live streaming, TimeWarp (hyper-lapse), enhanced audio and the built-in stabilization called HyperSmooth. When it comes to frame rates or resolutions, the HERO7 Black does not bring anything new in comparison to the Hero6 Black. HyperSmooth is, according to GoPro, the best in-camera video stabilization ever featured in a camera – and they even use the term “gimbal-like”. This stabilization should now apply to all frame rates and resolutions. The Hero6 Black already had some stabilization, but the 4K60fps mode was not stabilized. Take a look at the HyperSmooth demonstration video: TimeWarp is a feature that creates a stabilized hyper-lapse clip from a video at up to 30x the speed. The HERO7 Black is the first GoPro to support live streaming, making it possible to automatically share footage on Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, Vimeo and other platforms internationally, in real-time. It simultaneously saves the streamed videos to the SD card in high definition. GoPro is offering a free 32GB microSD card with every new GoPro HERO7 purchase. GoPro HERO7 Black Features Video resolutions: 3840 x 2880 at 24/25/30 fps, 3840 x 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps, 2704 x 2028p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps (MP4), 2704 x 1520p at 24/25/30/50/60/100/120 fps, 1920 x 1440p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps, 1920 x 1080p at 24/25/30/50/60/100/120/240 fps Supports both video formats: MP4 (H.264/AVC), MP4 (H.265/HVEC) Maximum bitrate is 78 Mb/s (in 4K) 12MP photos with SuperPhoto feature – Intelligent scene analyzation for automatic applied HDR, local tone mapping and multi-frame noise reduction Dimensions of the camera: 62.3 W x 44.9 H x 33 D (mm), which seems to be slightly smaller than the Hero6 Black. Portrait Mode – native vertical-capture for easy sharing to Instagram Stories, Snapchat and more Enhanced audio – using 3 microphones, the audio should have increased dynamic range. New microphone membrane reduces unwanted vibrations during mounted situations. It records in .wav format as well. Intuitive Touch Interface – 2-inch touch display with simplified user interface enables native vertical (portrait) use of camera Face, Smile + Scene Detection – HERO7 Black recognizes faces, expressions and scene-types to enhance automatic QuikStory edits on the GoPro app Short Clips – Restricts video recording to 15- or 30-second clips for faster transfer to phone, editing and sharing. Photo Timer – Countdown timer for convenient selfies and group shots Waterproof without a housing to 10m (33 feet) Voice Control – verbal commands in 14 languages Auto Transfer to Phone – photos and videos move automatically from camera when connected to the GoPro app for on-the-go sharing GPS Performance Stickers – enables to track speed, distance and elevation, then highlight them by adding stickers to videos in the GoPro app Touch Zoom – Framing photos and videos with just a touch GoPro HERO7 Black Million Dollar Challenge GoPro has thought about an original way how to boost sales of their new GoPro HERO7 Black: They are inviting their customers to participate in this year’s HERO7 Black highlight video. Beginning on September 27th worldwide, users can submit their best raw video clips shot with the GoPro HERO7 Black. The GoPro team will then pick their favorite shots for the highlight reel and award an equal cut of a million dollars to the individuals whose footage is selected. Full submission guidelines and details can be found here. GoPro HERO7 Silver and HERO7 White Features Silver shoots video at 4K (3840×2160) up to 30fps, at 1440p (1920×1440) up to 60fps and FHD (1920×1080) at up to 60fps. White shoots video at 1440p (1920×1440) up to 60fps and FHD (1920×1080) at up to 60fps. Silver has built-in GPS to track the speed, distance and more. 10MP photos. waterproof to 10M (33 feet) built-in battery 2″ LCD touch screen with intuitive UI no front monochrome display built-in electronic video stabilization shoot vertically photo timer touch zoom short clips share directly to Instagram story with GoPro app voice commands auto-transfer to phone QuickStories enabled auto-backup to the cloud Price and Availability The GoPro HERO7 Black costs US$399, the GoPro HERO7 Silver costs US$299 and the GoPro HERO7 White’s price is US$199. All cameras are available for pre-order today and will start shipping on September 27th. What do you think of the new GoPro HERO7 Black? Are you a GoPro user? Let us know in the comments below.

The Panasonic FT7 (announcement here) (in the US it’s called LUMIX TS7) is the latest member in Panasonic’s arsenal of photo cameras that can shoot video. With a super rugged body, 4K video capability, 4.6x optical zoom lens and optical stabilization system, EVF and rear LCD screen, there was a lot to look forward to. Despite its small sensor size, Gunther Machu, our cinema5D action-cam specialist, took it for a spin and here is his report. (The video above was taken with a Panasonic FT7 Pre-Production model).  Panasonic LUMIX FT7 When Johnnie approached and asked me to review the Panasonic LUMIX FT7, I had sort of a flashback. It reminded me of the fact that I owned a Panasonic LUMIX TZ5, which was the first HD capable video camera I ever had. This was 10 years ago (if you are curious have a look at the little piece I shot with it in 2009, please click here). Back at that time, it was revolutionary to pack a 10x optical zoom lens, HD video and a decent rear screen into a very tiny package. Fast forward to present time and we have the Panasonic LUMIX FT7 on our desk, which can record 20MP photos and video in different resolutions and frame rates (up to 4K 30 frames per second), but the real deal here is its durability. By introducing such a robust camera, Panasonic is aiming to capture the attention of users who are looking for a tool to shoot under harsh environment conditions as the LUMIX FT7 is prepared for it all: Water, cold, dust, pressure & shock. You can use it 31m /102 ft underwater, no problem. You can drop it from up to 2m / 6.6ft. It’s dust-proof for all kinds of outdoor applications without having to worry about it. It can withstand freezing temperatures as low as -10°C / 14°F. Plus, you can put up to 100kg / 220lbs on top of it without cracking the camera. Stuff it deep down your bag and load all kinds of gear onto it, no problem. Those specs looked interesting enough for me to take it for a spin over the weekend and I’m happy to share my finding with the community.  Things I’ve Noticed Upfront The camera feels very solid. Build quality is really good and the knobs are responsive. On the image side, the photos are OK (I had expected more from a 20MP sensor, no RAW setting available) but as this review is all about video, let’s concentrate on the 4k video coming out of it. In general the “out of the box” picture quality is fine and the colors are nice!  What is disappointing however is the crop the camera performs when recording 4k images. The 28mm full frame equivalent focal length becomes an effective 40mm lens at the widest setting. Also, the optical image stabilization does not work very well at all focal lengths of the zoom lens. Handheld static shots are possible, but if you start moving the camera an unnatural motion can be the result, also rolling shutter is quite pronounced. Furthermore, there is no filter thread on the front lens (Or lens outer ring to be precise), hence you have no means to mount an ND filter on the camera in order to reduce the shutter speed and create motion blur for more fluid images. LUMIX FT7 – Nice lens ring, why no filter thread? Outdoors It is an outdoor camera hence I took it along on a ride with my mountain bike. Compared to a GoPro Hero6 it feels heavy and massive (I’m writing this for fact as this is not necessarily a bad thing). On the other hand, whereas the GoPro Hero6 quite magically creates a fluid image with its digital IS, aided by the ultra wide lens, the Panasonic FT7  optical image stabiliser fails to deliver on a bumpy ride.  On top, other than the 5.5mm tripod mount at the bottom, no other mounting options exists for the LUMIX. On the bike, the lens is simply not wide enough and also the slow-motion feature is limited to 720p at 100 frames per second without sound. Speaking of sound, you get the typical unsatisfying action-cam sound with this camera, no more, no less. Have a look at the video and see (hear) for yourself. In the Pool Basically nice to have a camera that you can take into the water with you. The cropped image in 4k is very limiting however, and becomes even worse underwater because of the different refractive index leading to an effective full frame equivalent of about ~1.4*40 = 56mm. Hence, wide shots are difficult to achieve.  At the Palace (Schönbrunn) To cover the „do-it-all“ touristic part, I went to Schönbrunn Palace here in Vienna and took some beauty shots. I even had a slider with me in order to make my footage look more appealing and in this kind of artificial scenario the camera performed well.  It is worth mentioning the macro mode, I really like how it as it letting you get as close as 5cm to your subjects in the wide setting of the lens. LUMIX FT7 – Field of view in 4K LUMIX FT7 – Field of view in HD 1080 Panasonic LUMIX FT7 key features: (in no particular order) A truly robust camera! Nice images out of the box Nice colors Great Macro capabilities One can dive up to 31m with it with no additional housing or case Panasonic LUMIX FT7 main cons: (in no particular order) No ND thread (The absent of ND makes it very difficult to work in “M mode” Huge crop factor when shooting video in 4K video mode. (In iA mode what you see is NOT what you get. The preview shows a non cropped image but when pressing the REC button the image “jumps” and being recorded cropped. You can overcome this by shooting in “M” or “P” modes, then the framing on the LCD is the same as the recorded one (Cropped picture) Very limited aperture settings in “M mode” Very noticeable rolling shutter effect No manual focus or real exposure control. (In all shooting modes “exposure steps” are very noticeable) Picture on the LCD screen in a sunny daylight is very hard to see EVF leaves a lot to be desiered OIS is not doing a very good job Image on the far end of the video zoom is extremely soft Hi frame rate can be recorded in 720p resolution only   LUMIX FT7 – No fear from water Summary and Conclusion The Panasonic LUMIX FT7  is certainly a rugged outdoor travel companion that can do it all, whether you take it to the mountain, a sandy beach or underwater. But can it do it well? It sells for about $450, which is a considerable amount of money. For the price it offers a lot of features, great robustness, nice picture and colors out of the box, but I am still struggling somewhat to define the sweet spot and who it is for. A 40mm wide angle in 4k as a starting point, no lens filter thread, a viewfinder that leaves a lot to be desired and a rear LCD screen that barely can see in direct sunlight are quite limiting. In addition, the lens when zoomed in all the way to 128mm is quite soft. The underwater capabilities are nice but keep in mind the additional underwater telephoto effect. Music by Art list: Theme: Streets by Ziv Moran Can you see the Panasonic TS7 / FT7 camera serving you well while traveling or when filming under tough conditions? Share your comments with us below.

The market for small action cams has become highly competitive these days, with a lot of Chinese manufacturers competing with a very low price against the leader – GoPro. And here’s another new contender from China – Apeman TRAWO. Apeman TRAWO Action Cam – a GoPro contender? Impressive Specs and Body Looks Like a GoPro When I looked at the specs of the new Apeman TRAWO cam, it caught my attention as it lists an f1.8 lens and a Panasonic image sensor. Which is quite different to most other action cams which typically use an f2.8 lens and a Sony image sensor. It shoots up to 4k30p (no 24p or 25p mode), 2.7k30p, 1080p60 and 720p120. Note: on the Apeman website the cam claims to have a 2.7k60 and a 1080p120 mode, which is not available on the model I tested (A100 with the V2.1.0.1-A firmware) – I asked Apeman via email and they confirmed my finding – apologizing for this error. I do not know if those modes will be included in the future. Apeman TRAWO Findings Hence, I took it for a spin on a sunny afternoon in Vienna. Here are my findings: OK build quality, lots of accessories included needs a waterproof housing (included), which typically destroys audio quality 4k30 mode is very detailed and nice quite contrasty image, no „flat“ look available all other modes lack detail, e.g. the 1080p60 mode doesn’t look like full HD at all electronic image stabilization works quite well, but it crops the image significantly (20%) audio is as good or bad as with other action cams battery life is so so. After 30mins of shooting the battery symbol turned red GoPro Hero 6 Black Comparison Of course this is an unfair comparison, as the GoPro Hero 6 costs 430€ (~515USD), which is four times as expensive as the TRAWO. However, I wanted to see how close the TRAWO gets to the leader of the pack feature and image wise: GoPro Hero 6 Black: wider field of view than Trawo, but both have fisheye lenses (which I personally do not like) comparing the lenses, I am not so sure if the f1.8 claim of the TRAWO is true – the GoPro (with an f2.8 lens) shows much less motion blur at the same setting, indicating a higher shutter speed (hence a faster lens) → should be the other way round actually. build quality is so much better on GoPro, also has a touch screen no waterproof housing needed → better audio quality offers much more framerate options, including 4k60, 2.7k120 and 1080p 240 frames per second electronic image stabilization works phenomenally, and crops the image by only 12% much better image overall, having a protune „flat“ mode which retains highlights much better battery was still at 50% when TRAWO battery symbol turned „red“, indicating a near shutdown Aliasing in the 1080p60 modes between GoPro Hero 6 and APEMAN Trawo compared. Regarding resolution and dynamic range, the below image shows a much better highlight handling of the GoPro, and the image detail as well as resolution in the 1080p60 mode is also way better. Last but not least, for me an action cam should also provide a detailed high framerate mode. The maximum offered by the TRAWO is a 720p 120 frames per second mode. The next higher resolution offered is a 1080p60 mode. Here the GoPro shines with its 2.7k120 and 1080p240 modes. Conclusion – not a GoPro, but very Attractive Pricing All in all, the TRAWO offers quite good value for the money, also considering all the accessories which are included. I am still amazed how far technology has progressed – getting a 4k cam for about 100€ is mind blowing. Their Indiegogo campaign only just started, but it is refreshing to see an existing product already – the one we tested was definitely a finished product and not unfinished crowd funding hype (as happens so often) At the end of the day however, what counts for me in the action cam market is the image quality and the offered framerates. And here the clear winner is the GoPro Hero 6 Black. What do you think about the Apeman TRAWO? Have you been looking for a budget action cam lately, and is this camera for you? Let us know in the comments below. Music Credit: Band: Lathé Swing Song: Swing 39 (Creative Commons License)

ON Semiconductor – a Fortune 1000 semiconductor supplier company – announced new sensors that provide 4K resolution, global shutter and high frame rates in a 1-inch platform.  As stated in the press release, “The X-Class image sensor platform enables a new dimension in camera design by supporting multiple CMOS pixel architectures within the same image sensor frame. This allows a single camera design not only to support multiple product resolutions, but also different pixel functionality, such as larger pixels that trade resolution in a given optical format for higher imaging sensitivity, designs optimized for low noise operation to increase dynamic range and more. By supporting these different pixel architectures through a common high bandwidth, low power interface, camera manufacturers can leverage existing parts inventory and accelerate time to market for new camera designs”. Design flexibility According to the product blog, this technology has the potential to allow camera manufactures the privilege to bring new camera models to market. That would be a clear competitive advantage. 1-inch sensor, 4K resolution, Global Shutter and 120 fps There are two initial sensor designs in the X-Class family: the XGS 12000 and XGS 8000. Both of them share similarities regarding performance and specs.  The XGS 8000 is a 8.8 Mp (4096 x 2160) 4K / UHD resolution Global Shutter CMOS image sensor in a 1/1.1-inch optical format, supporting up to 120 frames per second readout at full resolution. The XGS 1200 is a 12.6 Mp (4096 x 3072) CMOS image sensor in a 1-inch optical format, supporting up to 90 frames per second readout at full resolution.  Dedicated to small cameras The package design and low power footprint make the device compatible with a 29 x 29 mm camera footprint, which means that this platform can suit small cameras (action cams more likely).  The combination between the 1-inch sensor and a small camera is not so rare, and was demonstrated in the Sony RX0 model, which we reviewed here.  The size of the sensor can dramatically upgrade the video quality even in small action cams. The XGS 12000 and XGS 8000 will begin sampling in Q2 2018, with production availability scheduled for the Q3 2018. Possible potential implementations Just imagine an action camera that has the capabilities to shoot 4K at 120 fps and with a global shutter… This technology can open more possibilities for us filmmakers in regards to action shooting when small cameras are needed. Maybe GoPro should check out this new sensor technology. It could be nice to see a joint venture here.  What are your thoughts about these new sensors? Do you see future implementations by established camera companies?  Let us know in the comments section below!