I want to purchase a vlogging camera but I've also being doint quite a bit of desktop recording (I've a Youtube channel and I upload those recordings).
There are three cameras that I'm focusing on:
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 - $519
Obsbot Tail Air - $499
Obsbot Tiny 2 - $329
By the way, Obsbot is pronounced "Obs Bot". There's some guy that published a Youtube review that called it "Oh Bee Ess Bot" throughout a 20 min review...it was annoying AF.
Neither of them are cheap and all three of them are Chinese brands. Of the two brands, DJI is the more well-known, by far.
The Obsbot cameras utilize AI (primarily for on-camera gesture commands, which they are generally good at executing).
The Pocket 3 has a 3-axis gimbal. DJI also has a good ecosystem of accessories.
The Obsbot cameras have 2-axis gimbal cameras. The two cameras are not action cameras, although the Tail Air can be used outdoors. Both cameras can be controlled by remote contols, which is an extra cost for each - $50 for the Tiny 2's remote and $80 for the Tail Air's remote. Both cameras support resolution as high as 4K @ 30 FPS. Both use digital zoom (4X), but the Pocket 3 uses 10X digital zoom.
The Tail Air can be used in a standalone fashion, is portable and can be used wirelessly...it can be used in the woods or park or on a busy sidewalk. It can be used while being carried. It also has image stabilization. The Tail Air also has the option of USB-C to Ethernet connectivity. It has 2.5 hour battery time. I also asked a reviewer how long this camera takes to charge the battery after it's been depleted, and he said his experience has been approximately 90 minutes.
The Tiny 2, on the other hand, is pretty much dedicated for desktop use, as it is corded. I do not believe it has image stabilization (it's made for use on a desk).
The Tail Air will accept microSD cards and has a rechargeable battery. It also has several microphones built into it's casing, but can also be tethered to an external wired microphone. This camera can also be manipulated via smartphone app.
I've been asking questions on the Amazon product pages for all three cameras and of the two companies, only DJI has replied back.
I've been trying to get Obsbot to engage me but they have not answered on Amazon (for both Tiny 2 and Tail Air questions on each of the product pages) and on Reddit. That is concerning. If they are quiet now, they're going to be hard to reach if I have a problem or need to return an item or have it fixed. A workaround for that would be to purchase 3rd party insurance through Amazon (via Asurion).
Between the two Obsbot products, the Tail Air is almost $200 more than the Tiny 2. Does it offer $200 more in capability? Yes. Is it on par with the Osmo Pocket 3? I've seen two good reviews that demonstrate that it's not quite on par with the Pocket 3, and the Pocket 3 isn't much more than the Tail Air.
One thing that I'm concerned about with the Pocket 3 and the Tail Air is the battery life. Batteries have finite longevity. As they age, their charge retainment lessens. DJI has a battery replacement plan for the Pocket 3 (they charge you but it's not expensive to replace a worn battery). The Pocket 3 also can be tethered when the battery is worn to the point that it will no longer hold a charge. You can also use it while it's charging. The Tail Air, as far as I'm aware, does not have a battery replacement plan, which is bad, because that device is $500 and you lose some capability if the battery stops holding a charge or if the charge capacity lessens. If the battery stops charging, I'm assuming it can still be used as a corded device. I'm unaware if you can still use the device when it's charging but the assumption is, yes.
The one thing that the Pocket might be incapable of is using it as a streaming camera as a desktop/studio device.
I'm obviously leaning toward the Pocket 3, but I'm still conducting research.
UPDATE (3/10/2024): I was crafting this post at maybe 2 AM. It is now 8:25 PM (same day). I went ahead and purchased the Pocket 3. I bought the base kit, but I also purchased a 30W charger for this camera, as well as 2 years of Asurion insurance. As I begin to use the camera, I'll purchase what I feel I'd need for me to collect my normal video footage. I don't necessarily need a desk tripod, as I already have two of them, plus an actual floor tripod. If I find I need extra battery life, I'll buy the battery pack. I may need extra things such as a travel case or BT microphone, but I'll buy those later. I already have microSD cards, as well. I've been trying to decide this for approximately 6-8 months. The Pocket 3 is just more versatile than everything I was already considering. GoPro doesn't have anything like it and there are things I hate about GoPro. The Insta cams just aren't on the same level as the Pocket 3, either. If I find I'm having issues, I can lean on the Asurion insurance like I did when I had trouble with the Akaso (I should've never even considered that camera). I'll post my experiences with the Pocket 3 as I use it!
No comments:
Post a Comment