The GoPro was one of the biggest revolutions when it came to shooting live action footage. Unfortunately, what many people weren’t aware of was with any camera, shooting video is incredibly difficult without a stabilizer. You end up with a lot of shaky cam and unusable footage, even with a warp stabilizer during post production. So now that the GoPro fad is starting to die down and cellphones are powerful enough to shoot, store and upload our home videos, what is a traveler on a budget supposed to do? No, I don’t think it’s the best idea to hook up my Pixel 2 with a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 and walk around foreign streets with a target placed on my back. A great travel action camera + gimbal should be able to be discrete, easy to pack/carry, and have a long battery life to avoid having to find an outlet.
I’m creating this comparison because my GoPro Hero 4 silver and FeiyuTech G4 stabilizer succumbed to water damage and now I need to decide on what Action Camera+Stabilizer combo I’d like to use to create my travel videos. Although I could find articles on the web praising each camera and videos trying to compare them, I couldn’t find a one solution check list that would list all the specifications in one place. Keep in mind that the specs are not the only things you should look for in a camera. Some shoot better in low lighting and others have more vivid colours. Unfortunately my specs table will not go that granular when it comes to detail. Rather, it will approach the problem as someone who is a hobbyist videographer and what they might want in a camera.
To clarify, this list is up to date as of March 3, 2018. Further software upgrades, sales/discounts, and newer models can come out to make this list obsolete.
| Specification | DJI Osmo+ | GoPro Hero Black 6 & Karma Grip | Removu K1 | Feiyutech Summon+ |
| Release Date | 2016 Q4 | 2017 Q4 | 2018 Q1 | 2017 Q2 |
| Price (USD) | $559 | $699 or ($999 for entire set with Drone) | $429 | $249 |
| 4k FPS | 30 | 60 | 30 | 25 |
| 1080p FPS | 100 | 240 | 120 | 60 |
| LCD Screen? | Mobile phone required | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | Li-Polymer 1225 mAh | Li-ion 1220 mAh | Li-ion 2900 mAh | 22650 Li-ion |
| Battery Life | 60 mins (1080p 60 fps) | 100 mins (1080p 60 FPS) / 105 mins (karma grip) | 480 mins (1080p 30 FPS) | 300 mins (unknown framerate) |
| Zoom | Digital 2x | yes, not on 4K | yes, with joystick | unknown |
| Photo Resolution | 12.4 MP | 12 MP | 12 MP | 16 MP |
| Size | 2.4 x 1.9 x 6.4 inches | 1.7 x 1.7 x 8 inches (with karma grip) | 2.3 x 2.8 x 8.5 inches | 3.8 x 3.2 x 9.1 inches |
| Weight | 201 g | 486.6 g (karma grip) | 340 g | 350 g (excluding battery) |
| Waterproof | no | Yes, up to 30 ft | no | no |
Based on this comparison I would rank the Removu K1 1st due to its price, LCD screen, and battery life. The GoPro Drone combo comes in a close second because it would be awesome to add Drone footage to my videos, but at twice the price, heavier weight, and limited battery life it would make travelling more tiring than it already is.