after a long search, i’ve finally found a setup that i can love. this week i picked up a gopro hero 7 and i am already 100% sold on the amazing capability of this tiny little camera. with limitations related to sensor size and light-gathering in mind, this is my ideal vlogging camera. super compact, super quick to turn on and get recording, and passable in-body audio for a basic walk and talk session with the addition of a fitted windscreen that i picked up on amazon in a two-pack for $9. for less spontaneous recording, i picked up a rode videomicro and a vlogging case with a cold shoe mount and a compartment for the required gopro microphone adapter, a setup that will set me back another $125, but that i believe will be well worth the investment.
for today, i rolled with my gopro strapped on to the action cam mount for my peak design capture plate, and it worked as an impromptu handle for holding the camera out in front of me and vlogging as i walked, but as i listen back there were definitely times when my hand covered some part of the built-in microphone as well as a few instances of handling noise, but honestly on first listen, i don’t think that these issues ruined the footage.
the stabilization on this camera is ridiculous and it makes me wonder how long it will be before phone manufacturers and others catch up with their own version of hypersmooth. it really eliminates the need for gimbals and all that other nonsense, and it makes capturing good clean footage unbelievable easy. personally, i am not a fan of gimbals because they’re finicky and unreliable, in my experience. when i was in iceland, i had a dji osmo mobilethat failed me and ruined my plans for shooting when the weather wasn’t perfect. maybe even worse, though, it ruined my mood and wasted a bunch of my time while i was trying to diagnose the problem. whereas a gimbal will only really work right in good weather - at least the type of gimbals that you can buy for a smartphone - a gopro is weatherproof and won’t let you down in the rain. i should probably just quit my job and become a gopro ambassador. i’m in love.