Action camera recommendations

[Gillie76]

Hi folks, so I've been looking at getting an action camera. Partly to safeguard myself in case of an accident and partly to record sections of pretty scenery I might be riding through.

There seems to be quite a jump in price between the Amazon specials and the more "proven" brands like DJI and GoPro. I quite like the look of the DJI Osmo Action 4, it's £189 for the basic pack which includes the camera, one battery and a couple of mounts. By the time I add on an sd card and helmet mount it brings the total to about £220.

Do any of you use this cam and what are your thoughts on it? Do you have any recommendations for other cams which will suit my needs? I know you probably get what you pay for but I'm not a YouTuber so don't need pro level gear 🤷‍♂️

Many thanks 🙏

[Froglodyte]

I've got 2 DJI Action 4s and can't fault them. If you buy a cheap one, you will regret it! You can check the video quality on my YouTube channel (@froglodytestravels)
I do have a spare DJI Action 1 camera with everything you need (except the helmet mount). I only use it occasionally so I may sell it. If you are interested, drop me a PM

[Gillie76]

Thanks mate. Had a look at a your most recent vid. Picture quality looks excellent! You have a nice relaxed vibe whilst taking us along for the ride 😎 What settings are you using to obtain that field of vision? Great image stabilisation too, which is probably one of the more crucial reasons to go for a more advanced camera 👍

[Froglodyte]

Gillie - re the camera settings:

I leave all the exposure and colour settings in auto.
I usually film in 4k at 25 or 50 fps.
On the helmet cam I use the wide field of view setting and on the rear facing cam I use horizon balancing
Rock Steady stabilization on both cams (you never need Rock Steady +)
Make sure you use a fast sd card such as Sandisk extreme pro

I have used cheap(ish) cameras in the past and they are a waste of money, especially if you want decent audio.
I also film continuously charging cams via either a power bank or plugged in to a usb on the bike. Takes a bit longer to edit but at least you don't miss anything.

[Gillie76]

That's great - thanks so much for your help 

[Sir Trev]

If you want setup and forget, mainly for evidential or just in case, then consider a wired dashcam such as an Innov. I have the K3 on my 800 which comes on with the ignition.  More of a faff to setup but for me it's peace of mind for £300 should something happen.

I've added BlackVue dashcams to both my cars for the same reason.

[Mep]

I recently got a DJI Osmo Action 5 basic kit (comes with helmet mount) and fast SD card and external mic adaptor. I export in 2.7K, and use similar settings as described above. Its easy to use and if the videos are less than 1 hour I use the DJI Mimo app which us simple, otherwise I copy the files to my PC. Check out any of my last 7 videos in the videos section here to see the results. Overall I'm pleased I got it and ditched my old Drift camera. The camera is mounted on top of my helmet with the standard mount. I'm not a fan of chin mounts and looking through people's screens. The sound is captured with a mic under my tank as the inbuilt one is no good for motorcycle riding due to the wind noise.

[Gillie76]

Nice vids Mep 👍😀
I got myself a DJI Osmo Action 4 and a DJI Mic Mini. Super happy with the camera performance but still trying to find the optimal position for the mic 🤔 I tried a chin mount and didn't like it either. Too bulky on my helmet and not a great view through my big touring screen, even though I'm 6'4"! Got it mounted low on the right hand side of the screen now via a few adapters and it does the trick nicely. Still getting the hang of it...more to think about than I thought! Something new to learn 👍😀