Action cams and how to use them
"Give me a good action cam and I will give you sick full HD footage of all my battles." – Napoleon Bonaparte.
Misappropriated quotes aside, tech savvy Napoleon is (was?) right. Action cameras, when strapped up and set to record, can capture some pretty amazing moments, as evidenced by the thousands of videos you'll find on YouTube. People strap action cams to themselves whenever they're about to do something heroic or at least mildly challenging for the average human being, otherwise there really is no point. So when should you strap on an action cam, or invest in what could turn you into a YouTube sensation?
Will it involve great heights?
Anything above 20 feet, whether you're paragliding over the scenic, garbage strewn coastlines of Cox's Bazar or recording yourself walking along a path in the hills of Sylhet as the sun sinks on the horizon, is absolutely welcome. Action cams usually come with super wide-angle lens that are suited to capturing incredible expanses of panorama, as opposed to wide angle shots of your bathroom in the process of taking a mirror selfie (trust me, no one cares about the Doreamon patterned tiles you might have). Case in point (not the bathroom selfie): a marketing stunt by Black Horse energy drink built a contraption that took a Bangladeshi flag and an action cam to the outer reaches of space. Naturally, it went viral, because resplendent footage that lends a sense of height to the viewer usually has them awestruck and hitting the share button before Manoj Bhargava can tell us who he is and why he's always there at the start of every YouTube video.
Does it involve a crazy stunt that should (probably) land you in jail for causing viewers' hearts to stop beating?
Disclaimer: As a perfectly reputable newspaper, we can't encourage you to partake in acts that will put your life and the lives of others in danger, so be warned. Your fans and the likes and shares that you get are NOT a safety net.
This is one of those things should be wrong, but in Napoleon's tech savvy age, is considered okay as long as people get a kick out of watching it. Combined with the great heights mentioned in the previous point, any sort of daring act at said great heights will bring you the rep points. You might think there's little difference between the last point and this one, but consider this: people go to the top floor of the Empire State Building all the time, but how many strap on an action cam and dangle off its side like King Kong swatting at passing planes? There are plenty of videos of nutjobs in Europe dangling off and vaulting across skyscrapers without a safety harness, and while they may be cool to watch, know that there are people out there who love you more than your love of showing off. Our recommendation? Film your kid's cute little bicycle stunt (helmets, pads present, obviously) or the fireworks launching off from your roof at New Years'. The key word here is SAFETY.
Is it fast (or will it look really cool when sped up)?
Action cams are great for speed freaks, on two wheels or four. Honestly, to get some good footage, all you need is a decent mount that will reduce shakiness, so that when you speed it up with basic tools on a video editing software, it'll look pretty cool. Mounting points matter, bicyclists and motorcyclists can wear a head mounted action cam while riding, and there are plenty of adaptable mounts for cars which allow you to stick your action cam wherever you want it, from the inside of the windshield to the side of your car. Turn it inwards and you can get some great footage of friends and family in the car on long road trips, capturing precious moments like your elder brother trying to murder you without your parents finding out immediately.
Will it help you protect yourself?
Aside from the obvious cool factor involved in uploading awe-inspiring videos that earn you mad rep on the world wide web, action cams can provide valuable recording of events that can be used to settle disputes out on the road and perhaps even protect your vehicle from theft. Dash cams are nothing new and cellphones can be used for this purpose as well, but its easy to tuck an action cam into a corner of your car for a wide angle view of everything, something you won't get with regular dash cams/phones. Leave it running at low resolution capture mode and the battery will mostly last long enough for your travels. Russians use action cams to settle on-the-road disputes while claiming insurance for crashes, as well as a way of recording car robberies which might help in putting away the robbers if the car and the cam is ever found.
** Actual prices might vary.
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