Capturing all the action with the latest breed of next generation cameras

For decades, professional standard videography cameras were financially out of reach for the majority of aspiring amateur photographers and filmmakers. However, it is no coincidence that in recent years, alongside the prolific rise of online channels and the popularity of digital devices, there is a growing trend for more affordable innovation in the UK action camera market. What is interesting is that the highest demand is not just from professional filmmakers, but anyone from holidaymakers to sports people, who want to get the clearest possible moving images of their activity.

The market for more cost effective high quality cameras has opened up a range of opportunities for people such as photographer, John Aldred. His creativity behind the camera lens sees him photograph everything from people on location to animals in studios, as he now writes full-time documenting his expertise and experiences for DIYPhotography.net.

Aldred explains how the new breed of action cameras reignited his ambitions for videography. I started with stills photography on film about 17 years ago, said Aldred. I spent a lot of time travelling around different countries documenting what I saw with the camera. Over time, my abilities increased, but I had never considered doing it for a living.

I d always planned to get back into video at some point, but it was just far too cost prohibitive to purchase all the equipment I needed to make quality video productions. There were no DSLRs capable of video, no action cameras. Even entry level HD cameras which were pretty low quality by today s standards and started at several thousand pounds.

When Aldred started writing full time for DIYPhotography.net, his role involved providing a broad range of interviews and event coverage, as well as tutorials and reviews, which gave him a real justification to start investing in video equipment.

Aldred continued: There was a massive increase in the range and quality of video equipment, along with reduced cost, compared to a decade ago which has been a big help. I d wanted an action camera for a long time, something small that I could just keep tucked in a bag or my pocket and use at a moment s notice when I saw something interesting.

I had been using my iPhone, but I wanted something a bit less obtrusive than a phone or DSLR. I also wanted to be able to shoot video while not tying my phone up. Being able to take it into more extreme conditions and go underwater with was also a big need.

After carrying out some research online, trawling reviews on YouTube and various other websites, Aldred was impressed with the potential capabilities of YI Technologys latest action camera. The photographer now owns six YI HD Action Cameras and also purchased a number of underwater housings to allow him to shoot footage that would be very difficult or impossible to capture with DSLRs or a phone.

Having several cameras means that I can document behind the scenes on shoots or at an event, covering multiple camera angles simultaneously, said Aldred. No longer do I have to shoot with a single camera and waste half my day moving it to new angles and repeating actions to get a different take. I frequently have two cameras mounted side-by-side, which lets me record myself speaking to the camera, while another points at what I m looking at. This allows me to easily cut between footage without having to repeat steps, or waste time shooting footage I wouldn t have if I were just using a single camera.

The portability element was also important to Aldred, particularly as he travels frequently and often shoots in remote locations that cannot be accessed by car. Aldred has found it a challenge packing his equipment into a small, light load that can be transported on foot.

Recently, I went on a shoot and I was able to take eight cameras with me - two DSLRs to shoot still photographs and six YI HD Action Cameras for behind the scenes footage. I can t fit eight DSLRs and lenses into one bag, and even if I could, I probably wouldn t be able to lift it, said Aldred.

Having to keep up to speed with the latest industry trends, Aldred is interested in experimenting with techniques in areas such as 360 video, and is keen to shoot more 4K images. Last month, YI Technology announced the launch of the industrys first and only action camera that provides 4K30 video recording with the longest ever recording time of up to 120 minutes.

The new camera strikes the balance between being easy to use for amateurs yet providing the quality and long recording times needed to shoot the best action video. Whether users want to create professional content, like Aldred, or just capture memories, it is crucial for the future of the industry that the best imaging technology is available and accessible.

Aldred concluded: The small VR cameras like the Theta S are great, but their resolution and quality is quite low. There s GoPro options, but they re about 5-6 times the price of using YI cameras and a 3D printed rig for a similar level of quality. So it is a no brainer, really. Ive been keeping a very close eye on the new YI 4K, and the idea of an Open API is just fantastic. For now, I m looking forward to seeing how that develops and what features it provides while I make full use of the YI HD. The YI 4K is definitely in my future upgrade plans, though.

For more information on the YI 4K action camera, please visit www.yitechnology.com

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