Tripods are useful camera accessories to have, but they tend to take at least a few seconds to set up and photographers risk missing an important shot while doing that.
Slopes is a posable, angled base accessory for GoPro that quickly enables users of that line of popular action cams to shoot from a choice of multiple angles without a tripod. Its polyhedron-shaped bottom and 3-in-1 slot provides 20 different ways to position a GoPro, and its body is even smaller than GoPro’s housing.
There are many action cameras competing for consumer dollars now, although none of have been able to eclipse sales of the GoPro product line yet.
The third-generation ViDi is billed in its Kickstarter campaign as a quality waterproof action camera that was created “for the people” thanks to its design, multiple features and relatively low price in comparison to rival products. The 1080p HD LCD camera can shoot video and still images. It has fully waterproof housing and is waterproof up to 40 feet, according to the campaign.
The enhanced cameras on Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6s smartphones offer some of the same functionality as action cameras. But consumers who spend hundreds of dollars on a new iPhone are likely not going to want to risk damaging it during extreme sports activities. The iPhone is also not waterproof.
ProShot is a waterproof case for the iPhone 6 and 6s whose makers are positioning as a rival to GoPro action cams. The case comes with two interchangeable lids that can handle extreme environments, including a Deep Dive lid that is waterproof down to 90 feet, according to its Kickstarter campaign. The case is also shockproof and can be mounted on nearly any surface, it says. An app for iOS enables the user to switch between slow motion, photo and video using buttons on the ProShot.
The action camera market keeps growing thanks largely to the success of GoPro and other established competitors. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more.
U-HWK Show is a low-profile, lightweight wearable video camera that’s been developed by athletes and designed for all types of athletes. It’s rugged, flexible and under 50 percent the weight of the leading competitors’ newest and smallest models, according to the device’s Kickstarter campaign. U-HWK has also been designed to get easily attached to helmets used in a wide variety of sports, including hockey and baseball. It’s compatible with most existing media players and video editing software, and can store up to 10 hours of video.
There are already motion control systems on the market that provide photographers with motorized control of their cameras’ movements and the ability to shoot in time-lapse mode.
Hercules is an affordable alternative — a patent-pending motion control camera system that works with smartphones, GoPro action cams and DSLR cameras up to 20 pounds. The device runs smoothly over flat surfaces, enabling it to work without a slider track. That allows users to get low-angle shots that aren’t limited by track length.
The device has a retail price of $150, but early bird backers can get one for $99 and it will start shipping to them in December. Its makers are looking to raise $25,000 by Nov. 27.
Alas, the Hercules is not mighty enough to conquer a lack of Bluetooth. There are likely many camera users who may find Hercules attractive given it comes in under the prices of other systems such as the fairly expensive, heavy and complex Axis360,
The popularity of GoPro has led to the development of a growing number of accessories specifically designed for that action camera, including the GoBall handle.
Duo Mount is a mount for GoPro Hero cameras that enables users of those action cams to mount one or two cameras at the same time, creating the ability to capture two different angles at once. There are vertical and horizontal mounting holes, allowing it to be bolted in any direction, on the left or right, front or back and bottom or top. It works with all generations of GoPro Hero cameras, including the new Hero4 Session, according to its Kickstarter campaign.
It would be great to have a device on hand that could tell a consumer what their correct clothing size is – especially when ordering products online and there’s no tailor around to take measurements.
SizeGenie is a low-cost 3D body scanner that does exactly that and aims to put an end to buying ill-fitting clothes that must be returned. The device uses patent-pending scanning technology that combines infrared sensors and cameras to obtain a 3D form of the person using it. That form is then further refined to arrive at a series of precise measurements that are shown in inches and centimeters.
Some car enthusiasts would probably love to capture video footage of what’s happening around them on the road while driving –- especially while racing their vehicles.
Waylens is an action camera that, unlike the popular GoPro and other traditional action cams, was specifically designed to enable drivers to easily capture, edit and share video taken while they’re driving. The camera works in conjunction with a vehicle’s OBD-II on-board diagnostic system port and automatically turns on while driving. By plugging in to the information provided by the port, Waylens can display useful information to the driver while the camera end is capturing video, video that the campaign claims beats those of other action cameras. There’s also the option to overlay these measurements atop the video as we’ve seen from GPS-equipped action cams from Garmin.
Virtual reality has become one of the hottest new technologies. But at least some of the devices using the technology are costly. Others –- like the AirVR mount that just straps a mobile device to the user’s head –- look even less comfortable and more awkward than the bulkiest of virtual reality headsets.
Shot is an affordable lens attachment for iPhones that, combined with an accompanying app, creates virtual reality videos and photos that can be shared. The attachment easily slides onto the smartphone and is made up of its own two lenses that increase the field of view of the smartphone’s camera.
Cameras keep getting smaller, but most tripods remain as heavy as ever and can’t be used for underwater photography. Pakpod, however, is a versatile tripod that’s been designed to stand on or suspend from just about anything using a variety of stakes. It will even work underwater, and –- at 15.5 ounces –- is lighter than many other tripods on the market.
Pakpod was constructed with stainless steel and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a thermoplastic polymer, and is both waterproof and freeze-proof, according to its Kickstarter campaign. Its quick-lock design is patent-pending. In addition to smartphones, GoPro and other action cameras, Pakpod was designed to also be used with mini-LED lights, iPads, sound recorders and microphones.