So, looks like I'm going to Mobile World Congress this year... and maybe more events after that. And I'm doing video work. Why, I'm not sure, but there we go. My initial plan was to use my existing absolutely ancient DSLR, a Nikon D3200. I've been having a play, though, and the results... aren't good. Even with all the office lights on, the footage is grainy; there's no in-body stabilisation so it's shaky too. The only way I got anything half-decent was by using at least a monopod if not a tripod. So, a separate device for video. Nothing bulky, though, 'cos my camera's already big enough. Having a browse around, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 seems to fit the bill. It's got one of those smart motorised gimbals for silky-smooth footage even on the hoof, it's teeny-tiny, does the same 1080p24 as my current camera but probably is much better at it 'cos again my camera is old as farts, and the "creator bundle" comes with a wireless lavalier mic - though I'd need a second 'cos interviews. The bundle also includes a snap-on wide-angle lens, which might be nice, and a battery grip that sounds like a must-have if you don't want to stop to charge all the time. Thoughts?
Ah, screw it, it's worth the money if it means I don't have to worry about the video side of things any more. Pocket 3 Creator Bundle get, plus the two-pack-and-charging-case DJI Mic Mini. Yeah, the Creator Bundle already includes a full Mic 2, but I need two - and it's cheaper to buy the two-pack of Mic Minis with receiver and charging case than a second Mic 2! Finger crossed this'll do the trick. If not, Amazon's usually good for returns!
So, first impressions: it's small, it's light, it's weird with that gimbal thing, which works really well - smooth even when I'm walking around the house, only vaguely attempting to keep it level. It does mean that sometimes you try to turn to something and it just ignores you - which is what the joystick's for. There are some nice quality-of-life features in 'ere, too, including one I need to test: backup audio. So, it's got built-in mics which are... yeah, the quality you'd expect. One front-facing, one back-facing. Weirdly, you can choose to have front-only or both... but not back-only. However, it also supports external mics - the Creator Bundle I got comes with a DJI Mic 2 already paired to it, and I've picked up a DJI Mic Mini double-pack (less feature-packed, longer battery life, handy charging case, and a physical receiver that can connect to USB C or 3.5mm things) to go with it. They can connect directly, too, but you can only have two mics paired at once (dunno what I'll do if I need to interview two people at once - shout?) so I've been using the physical receiver plugged into the Pocket 3 via USB-C. Works fine. Now, the way backup audio works is this: if you've got an external mic connected, it records that as the soundtrack in the video file - but with backup audio turned on it also records a WAV file of what the internal mics can hear. You can then use that for environmental mixing or as a backup in case the external mics went wrong. I was already planning on recording backup audio with my Olympus, but that's a nice backup-to-the-backup (though not a true backup, 'cos the two audio channels are still being recorded by one device onto one storage medium so if that goes wrong you're screwed.) It doesn't work in some scenarios, apparently - like in low-light mode(?) - but it's definitely worth a go. I also need to spend some time testing it for still photography. The allure of being able to cover an event with nowt but the little Pocket 3 in-hand is... very tempting. Especially as the DSLR and lenses account for the bulk of my current loadout's 8.5kg. First up, though, will be drafting one of the kids into being interviewed, so I can test the little selfie-stick-tripod thing I also picked up...
