Why I sold my GoPro Hero and will be renting a 360 action camera from now on

Over the years, I’ve bought many different digital cameras, bullet cams and action cams specifically for filming ski and snowboarding trips. Looking back, I’ve dropped a lot of money on these gadgets, most of which were only used for two or three trips before being replaced.

This makes no sense when a 360 action cam rental with accessories is around SG$100-$200 for seven days from renticulous.com in Singapore (see below for info on where to rent in Australia, the USA, the UK and Japan). It’s very unlikely I’ll get anywhere near the usage required to cover the SG$1000+ price tag for the camera and all the accessories before the next model is released.

Why a 360 action camera is better

Most videos of skiing or snowboarding shot with a fisheye action camera like the GoPro Hero are terrible. The cameras themselves are great, but it’s almost impossible to frame the shot perfectly every time or follow someone while enjoying your own descent. That’s not to say you can’t get good footage; it just takes a lot more skill and effort. With a 360 action cam, all you have to do is hold it. You can choose the camera angle later. The cameras have two lenses on the front and the back that capture the entire field of vision. This means you can do a lot of cool things like tracking different people, zooming, panning and cutting between shots. You can make something more visually interesting just from a single video. It actually makes the editing process enjoyable. Three-sixty cams also get over the problem of everything looking flat with a standard wide-angle action camera. When you film yourself with a 360 cam, it can actually look steeper.

What are the best 360 action cameras?

Insta 360 X4, X4 Air and X5

Insta360 cameras completely changed the action-cam market. They are small, light, easy to use and produce high-quality footage. In my experience, although the X3 is a lot of fun and seemingly not much different from the X4 apart from video resolution, the problem I had with this model is how the video is stitched together. The X3 records two separate video files from the front and rear cameras, which are then stitched together using the proprietary editing software.

You can see in the video above how the stitching between the two halves of the video is often visible with the X3. Not only do the two halves move independently, but the colours are sometimes different in each half (see the second clip from Niseko Annupuri). Later in the video, you can see how the join is only visible with the X4 when there’s snow on the lens. I’ve used multiple different transitions and text overlays for demonstration purposes (you probably wouldn’t put so many in one video).

This problem was completely solved for with X4 and newer models, as they now record a single video file and the join is hardly ever visible. Insta360 has recently launched the X4 Air, which sits between the X4 and X5 in terms of specs. It’s lighter than both and has the replaceable lens feature that debuted on the X5.

GoPro MAX2

While it isn’t GoPro’s first 360-degree action camera, the MAX2 is its first major update in six years and is clearly a response to the success of Insta360 cameras. Reviews are positive, and it should be a great alternative, especially if you’re already tied into the GoPro ecosystem of cameras, accessories and software. Like the X5, it also has replaceable lenses, which are essential for snowsports.

DJI Osmo 360

Also launched recently, the Osmo 360 lacks user-replaceable lenses, and the software isn’t as good as Insta360 Studio, but it does capture comparable videos and can be cheaper to rent or buy. The camera can be sent away for a lens replacement, and if you’re renting, this won’t be an issue.

See this video review for a full comparison of the X5, MAX2 and Osmo 360.

The magic of the invisible selfie stick

The fact that 360-degree action cams remove selfie sticks from footage is a game-changer (all three cameras above include this feature). The third-person views you can get are truly amazing. It often looks like you have a drone flying behind and tracking you.

The invisible selfie stick makes it easy to get drone-like shots. Image: Jamie O’Brien

The downside of this is that you need to hold a selfie stick. For some people, this is non-negotiable, and to be completely honest, I felt the same way. I thought I would never hold a selfie stick, but when you see the footage, it’s worth it. Yes, you do feel self-conscious for a while holding the stick, but so many people have them now that nobody is going to care. And, strangely, I find holding a selfie stick is better than having a helmet-mounted camera because when you’re trying to follow someone and film them, you don’t need to look at the person. You just need to keep them in sight.

When on piste on hard-packed snow, you can hold the stick behind you for a drone-like camera angle. When off piste in fresh snow, it’s best to hold it in front; otherwise, you’ll get snow on the lens, which can cause the stitching line to show between the front and back videos and ruin your shot.

The differences between wide-angle and 360

With a normal action camera:

• Framing with a helmet mount is incredibly difficult, especially for snowboarding
• The angle is usually off
• There’s inevitably a lot of looking around
• Following someone and tracking them is very difficult
• The results are usually messy and difficult to watch
• You have a lot of unusable footage, so filming just becomes demoralising
• You have to spend time worrying about camera angles when you’re trying to enjoy the mountain
• The fish eye lens makes the gradient look very shallow angle

With a 360 action cam:

• You can get fantastic shots without even worrying about framing
• You just hold the camera and selfie stick, then you can frame it later
• You can then use the software to perfectly track people who were beside you, or in front of you
  Or track yourself in third-person view
• You can create multiple videos from the same master video
• Rather than being disappointed when reviewing the footage, you discover things you didn’t know about
• For example, when another skier is just behind you, or travelling parallel with you, a distance away
• You can switch the person you are tracking a number of times in a video to keep it interesting

Insta 360 Studio

Insta360 footage is edited with their proprietary software, which you must use to process and frame it. The software is used to choose how you want to frame each clip, which is done by adding keyframes or using the auto-tracking function. You can then export standard videos in a range of sizes and either edit with separate software or use the built-in Project Mode to edit clips together, add royalty-free music from the built-in library, transitions and text overlays. It’s easy to pick up and there are lots of good tutorials to follow. The software has its limitations, but this makes it very easy to quickly throw together an edited video with music, transitions and text overlays.

Auto-tracking a skier in Insta360 studio. Image: Jamie O’Brien

The benefits of renting

• Always use the latest tech (models are getting upgraded significantly each year)
• Get all the accessories you need, such as a memory card, selfie stick, mounts, tripod, and carry case
• Often supplied with multiple batteries
• Use the different manufacturers’ latest models rather than having to commit to one
• You can rent last year’s model for less
• Good for the environment, as there’s less tech waste if you rent

Where can I rent a 360 camera?

Australia: You can rent an X4 for AU$150 a week from Rentacam in Sydney.

USA: You can rent the GoPro MAX2 for a week for US$47 at Lensrentals, and they will ship to you for a fee.

UK: FatLlama is a peer-to-peer rental site where you can hire an X5 from around £14 per day.

Japan: 360 action cams are available from Map Rental for ¥1,650 per day.

Singapore: I live in Singapore, so I got my action cam rentals from Renticulous.com. Similar companies now operate in many countries, as people increasingly choose to rent technology rather than buy. The pickup and return process was really easy. Just drop by, sign a piece of paper, and you’re on your way. Everything is charged and cleaned, and a memory card and accessories are included.

For a 15% discount at Renticulous, use offer code: SkiAsia15 (the promotion is only valid for GoPro action cameras, Insta360 action cameras, DJI Osmo Pocket 2 and 3 and DJI Osmo action cameras).