A reader asks, “what’s your camera setup?” This question was posed as a comment to one of the first person match stage videos that I share across social media.
The short answer is that for the first person video I use a GoPro HERO 10 Black attached to my over the ear hearing protection with a GoPro QuickClip.
The longer answer is this isn’t the only video recording that takes place and it’s not a setup that I’m completely happy with. Let’s look at that.
The first person video is fun to watch and it does provide me with something to review and identify areas of improvement. However, the view port is limited to the gun, my hands, and the targets which doesn’t tell the whole story. As such, I also have one of my squad mates record the stage with the smartphone when possible. The combination of the two recordings provide a lot of diagnostic information that I can use to inform my training and practice priorities. I don’t post those third person videos frequently because they aren’t as fun to watch (analytic data from social media platforms support that notion). Perhaps that will be something I change in the future if enough folks request it.
In terms of not being completely happy with the setup, I find myself constantly bumping the GoPro into things like the awnings that provide shade for the bays at the local club where I typically participate in level 1 local club matches. It adds a few inches to my overall height and a bit of bulk to my head. If I was in the market for a new camera setup today knowing what I know now, then I would either opt for Insta360 GO 2 camera or the Tachyon GunCam for Practical Shooting.
Don’t get me wrong, the GoPro setup isn’t terrible. It works very well for what it is and it’s something I can live with. Aside from the extra height and a little bit of bulk, I haven’t had too many issues with it. It has shut down due to overheating on rare occasions, but I suspect all cameras are susceptible to that. I’ve also had the battery die in the middle of a match, but that usually due to me forgetting to turn it off after shooting a stage and was far more frequent when I wasn’t in the habit of turning it on before a stage and off after the stage. I can say that I’m pleased with the recording quality and it does come in handy for recording other activities. I’m definitely not looking to make a change to the setup right now as I’d rather invest in other things such as more training and ammunition.