Resolution and frame rates of an action camera
Gopro, DJI and Sony are well-known brands in the field of action cameras. Many of their cameras now offer excellent (electronic) image stabilization that nicely absorbs all unwanted movements and shocks. As a result, you will see little or nothing of the vibrations in the recorded results! The main functions of action cameras: recording video in 4K or higher (but of course also full HD), capturing action in slow motion. Depending on the frame rate, certain cameras are better at this than others. Frame rates up to 120 or 240 frames per second are no longer an exception, which means you can slow it down by 5 or even 10 times. Filming around you, in 360 degrees, has also made its appearance in action cameras. Brands like
Insta360, Rico Theta and Kodak offer this type of
360 cameras.
Why rent an action camera instead of buying it?
Action cameras are developing at a very fast pace. Models with higher resolutions and improved feature sets quickly follow up the previous versions. A recent trend is image stabilization built into action cameras. The price of an action camera is therefore not low. At the same time, you often use an action cam only a few times a year. This is often on a holiday or during an adventurous activity, such as a hiking trip, diving trip, skydive or bungee jump. Is it really worth your money to spend hundreds of euros on a device that has become outdated in terms of functions after only a few years? Renting an actioncam is often better than buying your own.
Which action camera is best to rent?
There are a number of things to keep in mind when renting an action camera. How will you use the camera? Are you planning to mount it on your head (for example on a ski helmet or motorcycle helmet) or on a vehicle such as a car, bicycle or motorcycle? Make sure that the camera is suitable for this and has the right accessories. Other action cameras, such as DJI's Osmo Action, are meant to be held in your hand, a bit like a selfie stick.
Another important point is: are you going to film underwater? The vast majority of action cams are themselves waterproof up to a few meters and provide an underwater housing that increases the water resistance to tens of meters. The deeper you dive or snorkel, the higher the water pressure exterted on the camera. An extra waterproof case then becomes indispensable!
Also note the angle of view of the actioncams wide-angle lens. This angle differs per brand and type and the larger the angle of view (expressed in number of degrees), the more of your surroundings is shown in video or photo. A (small) disadvantage here is that the image is compressed to fit into the frame and especially people and objects that are close to the camera look distorted (known as the 'fish eye effect').
Image stabilization of an action camera
Action cameras, the name already says it, are intended for recording activities in which action and movement play a major role. Modern action cameras are therefore almost allways equipped with electronic or even mechanical image stabilization. Of course you want to be able to relive the action without all the shocks and annoying movements but in beautifully stable and shock-free images. The major manufacturers of action cams such as
GoPro and
DJI give their own name to the built-in stabilization technology of their cameras. The image stabilization of GoPro is called Hypersmooth and is rated very good by experts. DJI, known for their
drones and
gimbals, called the stabilization function in their action cameras RockSteady. Because of their extensive experience with mechanical image stabilization in their gimbals, RockSteady stabilization also performs excellently.
Need a camera to livestream your event?
Do you have an event or event that you would like to broadcast online, also known as livestreaming? An action camera, but also many other
cameras can often also be used as a streaming camera. You can broadcast the event online via, for example, Facebook, Youtube or another social medium. This is ideal for those occassions where some people cannot be physically present at a wedding, funeral or sports tournament, but would like to watch that romantic first kiss at the wedding, that moving speech at a funeral or that winning goal at your (grand)son's football match on their mobile phone or laptop. The possibilities are endless, as you can imagine. Some tech talk: many live stream cameras can be connected wirelessly to the internet via WiFi. Does the streaming camera have a bit higher resolution and do you need more speed? Use an Ethernet cable, which is supported by some of the streaming cameras.
There are also 'smart' event cameras available on the market that automatically monitor where the interesting action happens and then film it. This is done by using built-in microphones, facial recognition and other sensors and smart software that keep track of where there is movement or sounds, after which the lens automatically rotates and zooms in on the activities. So you no longer need anyone controlling or operation the camera at all! Brands that offer this include Mevo, Logitech and
DJI Osmo.