At random times I place a post about the importance of reading the manuals and documentation about a product or service you may use. Doing this has a dual purpose.
Firstly, it gives you a familiarity with the product, what its function is and how it can be used. Secondly, it means that you are getting the full value for money from the purchase of said product / service.
Things haven’t changed that much since my last scribbles on this subject – except in a way they have.
Take the humble action camera. Released in 2006, it was one of the few products that was a breath of fresh in a somewhat stagnant marketplace. It was a one of a kind, but soon to be mimicked and copied relentlessly by many. I have lost track of the number of GoPro wannabes I have reviewed since that time, roughly when Australian Camcorder as it was then first started.
As well as tens of “no name” clones (well “no-name” in that I cannot remember any of those brands), Sony had a crack at the market as did Nikon. Sony gave up in 2016 and Nikon in 2019, with the gap being later filled by models from Insta and of course, DJI, and these are still around – and more than just snapping at GoPro’s heels it would be fair to say.
But in order to make sure they don’t go the way of Sony and Nikon’s range, Insta and DJI not only have to equal GoPro in features and capabilities but beat them at their own game.
And this is the main point of this article.
Not So Simple Any More
No longer is just a matter of picking up, say, a DJI OSMO Action 6, pointing it at the subject and pressing the GO button. These cameras are serious pieces of kit with some astounding – even astonishing – capabilities unheard of even 5 years ago.
I have been playing with the DJI OSMO Action 6 for a few days now and feel I have only just scratched the surface of its possibilities.
Flashback and Now
Here is a flash back to the original GoPro Hero (actually not quite the original as that was a 35mm film camera believe it or not. I am talking about the first digital version).
This model could capture digital stills up to around 5Mp and shoot SD video (not even HD let alone 4K). The first Hero digital had a fixed lens, used ‘AA’ batteries, there was no LCD screen therefore no preview and no stabilisation. But it was waterproof.
Advance to today’s DJI OSMO Action 6 (I use this as against the GoPro Hero 13 as that is now 2 years old and the new GoPro MISSION is a totally different beast).
It has a large sensor thus giving good low light performance, and higher dynamic range, plus allows cropping for both horizontal and vertical video. The Action 6 additionally sports a variable aperture setting from f/2.0 to f/4.0 allowing shallower depth of field and sharper images in daylight.
Here is where we really start to get into the features list and leading into the nub of this story.
The Action 6 can shoot up to 4K and 120 frames per second or in lower resolution (HD), 240 frames per second, and supports 10-bit D-Log colour profile for grading.
I wonder how many actually understand what the last sentence means and how it relates to your video shooting, or more importantly, how it CAN relate to your video shooting? How do you use these capabilities, why would you use them and when would you use them?
Let’s keep going. You also get inbuilt RockSteady 3.0/3.0+, HorizonSteady and HorizonBalancing.
I could ask that last question again.
Remember those “AA”’s from the first digital Hero? Well we are now up to 4 hours on a rechargeable battery, and instead of an SD card, although that is optional, 50GB of onboard memory.
50GB! Back in 2006, the biggest SD card was 2GB and cosy nearly $200!
Further, you can take a DJI OSMO Action 6 safely down to 20 metres depth without any sort of housing. Not a miserable 5 metres and hope nothing leaks.
Finally, as againsty the original fixed lens, the Action 6 allows multiple lenses with both macro and ultra-wide lenses available, plus dual touch screens and the ability to use remote wireless mics.
Okay, this is not a side-by-side comparison of a DJI camera versus a GoPro. What I am trying to portray is that these gadgets have become very sophisticated and complex beasts indeed, and in order to REALLY get your money’s worth, you should spend some serious time learning all about what they can do, and more importantly, how you can use them and their features and functions in the videos and photo you shoot.
And don’t get me started on what the current day’s drones can do!
Another Example
Just quickly, another example I can relate to is in video editing software. My first digital editing package was Adobe Premiere 4.2, and along with a book from Peachpit Press by Michael Ferrer, I became reasonably adept at editing. That book, which was far more in depth than the manual, was about 250 pages.
Adobe Premiere 4.2 cost around USD$1000 at the time.
Take today. Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve’s manual is over 4000 pages!
And the software is free (so no need to justify its cost of course but hey, may as well learn all you can about it). And added to that are separate specialist manuals for the Colourist, Compositor/ FX and of course, a beginner’s guide among others. (You can download these from here).
Conclusion
My area is cameras, camcorders, microphones, drones and editing software and to a lesser degree the disciplines that go along with these. I don’t – and never have or will – look at vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, electric toothbrushes, juicers, smart refrigerators or the like. But I understand these too can now perform tasks we would never have dreamed of even a few years back.
So, it makes sense even with these devices that you learn all you can to make them earn their keep.
Have a skim of their manuals, or more likely these days a PDF or online system of some description, more’s the pity.
Just the job for a cold, wet, windy winter’s day though.