Benro has now officially released its first camera with a built-in gimbal. The Benro Snoppa VMate looks and performs in much the same way as the innovative DJI Osmo Pocket that was launched at the end of 2018 – and gives you the benefit of a pocket camera with a built-in 3-axis gimbal stabilizer.
The difference with the Benro Snoppa VMate, however, is that there is a built-in smartphone holder, so that you can easily use the bigger screen of your camera phone - so you don't have to rely on the 1.2 inch LCD that is built into the device itself.
The VMate is a collaboration between Snoppa and Benro, and is the first product to come out of the Benro Imaging Lab that has been set up to come up with next-gen tech for creators. The project was funded through an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign.
The 12-million pixel sensor captures 4k video capture at 60 frames-per-second, while its 118g weight means it is truly take-anywhere. It also boasts a dual-mic system, allowing creators to choose between noise-cancelling or full stereo sound; Bluetooth compatibility enables connection of external microphones for more audio options.
The VMate's 1.2-in touchscreen boasts a brightness of 850 nit for full onboard filming and control, even in bright sunlight. The built-in mobile phone holder enables phones to be used together with the gimbal for increased screen size or for remote control of the camera via wi-fi.
An interestingy-sounding Broadcast Mode enables use of the gimbal camera together with phone’s selfie camera to film commentary alongside image capture.
Other features for the VMate include:
- POV mode: the gimbal automatically follows users’ movements to record first-person-view footage
- Smart tracking to keep subjects automatically cent-red in frame
- Slow-motion capture at 1080p 240fps (8x slomo)
- Time-lapse and motion-lapse modes
- Night mode for clear filming at night or in dark environments
- Panoramic mode for stitching together horizontal images
- 210-minute battery life
- 200Mbps bitrate and USB C 3.1 connectivity to download video files easily and quickly
- Dual microphones on board for surround sound or noise-cancelling recording, with Bluetooth support for external audio
The Benro Snoppa VMate retails for $259/£269.
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