I know you're probably considering the GoPro MAX
....but just wait a minute.
In this video I'm going to give you
my initial thoughts on the MAX
as well as three other future cameras
you should consider instead of the MAX.
Now the biggest question I've been getting is
how does it compare to the Insta360 ONE X
and to be honest with you,
it's basically the same camera.
Yes, they are different in many ways,
but they're also similar in probably more ways.
On paper they have more or less the same specs,
so when the MAX came out I was like,
"is this GoPro's version of the ONE X?"
Maybe I'd call it the ONE X of 2019
because it does have some things that it does better
than the ONE X like for example the first one
is the touch screen at the front.
This is the best screen I've ever seen
from a point and shoot 360 camera.
Firstly it's the only color screen I've seen
from a 360 camera under $500.
And also what's really cool is watch this.
(camera beeping)
You can watch back your 360 clips on the actual camera.
That is seriously cool.
Great feature, you can't argue with that.
Overall the design's pretty good as well,
it's made of rubber, the lens is a good quality,
it's got a battery latch here on the side,
and here you have your battery,
your SD card and your charging port.
I've gotta say, I really don't like the GoPro mounts.
They make life so difficult
because so many camera accessories
like tripods and selfie sticks
just have the one quarter inch tripod thread.
So you have to use a GoPro thread adaptor like this one.
What's good is that it folds away
so you could place it flat on a table.
But why not just add a one quarter inch tripod thread,
why GoPro, why?
So while I've not done a direct footage comparison yet,
from what I've seen from both cameras,
it doesn't seem that different to the ONE X
nor it's predecessor, the GoPro Fusion.
I've seen other people on YouTube
making videos about the MAX
and most of those channels have more of a
traditional photography and video background,
as opposed to being specifically 360.
And kind of knowing the landscape of 360 cameras,
where they began and where they're at now.
And from someone that may have used a 360 camera
once or twice before,
I can totally see how the MAX seems groundbreaking.
However, as one of the OG 360 camera reviewers,
I can say this isn't that big of an upgrade
from what we already have.
The specs are basically the same
as most mainstream 360 cameras in late 2019
and it doesn't really seem to have anything
entirely unique to it that we haven't seen before.
It definitely has small things that are great
like the design, it has in camera stitching
and it has a pretty decent workload.
It's got one of the best mobile apps
for 360 camera out there.
Yes, it's very easy to reframe GoPro 360 footage
in the GoPro app and your shots will look amazing.
(gentle music)
In fact, I'd say this has one of the best apps
for reframing 360 video of any camera.
But newsflash, the ONE X could already do this.
The ONE X already has a great app
and a lot of the things I'm seeing in the GoPro app,
you've been able to do for over a year already
with the ONE X.
So to answer the question of
whether you should upgrade from the ONE X to the MAX,
I would say no because it's the same camera
and it's not enough of an upgrade.
Now I will make a proper comparison video between the two
so stay tuned for that but for now I would say no,
don't upgrade from the ONE X to MAX.
It's gotta be said that GoPro are great at marketing.
Whenever they release a new video hyping up their new camera
it looks bloody amazing, like a cinematic production
and it make you think,
- Shut up and take my money.
- Before you've even seen a single review about it.
But keep in mind, they put in so much time and effort
into these marketing videos.
And I remember when Fusion came out over a year ago,
their promotional video was so amazing,
just looked like the most revolutionary camera ever.
And while it definitely did live up to the hype,
I never saw a single shot after that
that lived up to their marketing video.
So really I see the MAX as an updated version of the Fusion.
They have almost identical specs
but it seems they fixed a lot of the workflow issues
that the fusion had.
The mobile app is really a lot better now
and the desktop software has come forward leaps and bounds.
Though it still seems to have
the number one issue I had with the Fusion and that is,
you can't download your 360 photos onto your phone.
I mean yes you can reframe them in the overcapture mode
and export that as a reframed photo.
But I'm talking exporting as a 360 photo
to your camera roll, so you can then edit it in other apps
and basically just keep it in 360 format.
In it's defense, you can airdrop
the equirectangular 360 photo to your computer.
And you can even save to files on the phone,
it just means it's going to be put
in some deep complicated menu somewhere on your phone
but not directly on your camera roll.
Look I'm not gonna say this is a deal breaking feature,
it's just a bit annoying.
So at this point I can say with confidence that
the GoPro MAX is not a game changer.
It's just a more workable version of the GoPro Fusion.
However, if you don't already own a 360 camera
then I think the GoPro MAX would be a good choice,
especially if you need it for GoPro type video content.
So extreme sports and vlogging
and anywhere where you're out and about
and you want a small light camera to capture the moment.
Now I will make a proper review about the GoPro MAX
but I wanted to use this video as an opportunity
to answer the 6000 questions I've been getting
on Instagram and YouTube and Facebook.
Now here are three future cameras
I think you should consider over the GoPro MAX.
So the camera company Kandao have announced
they're releasing a new 360 camera on November 7th.
They've given me access to the specs sheet
and I can tell you that the specs
are better than the GoPro MAX in every way.
Something I can almost guarantee though is
it won't have as good as a smartphone app as the MAX
and because they're a smaller company than GoPro,
it's just gonna take longer to fix the bugs
that will come out with the initial camera.
But if you're someone that obsesses over resolution,
then I'd say you'll definitely want to wait another few days
just to see what the other option is.
The second camera is the Xphase Pro
and this is a 200 Megapixel camera
that has already technically been released
but it's still in beta
and they're a lot of issues they're still working on fixing,
so apparently a working model of the Xphase Pro S
will be ready in mid November.
So if you prefer 360 photos over 360 videos
that's definitely one to look for.
Now for the third camera, I think we all know what's coming.
Yep, the ONE X 2.
From having observed Insta 360 over the past several years
it seems like after they release a new camera
they immediately start working on the next one
and I'm almost certain they'll be
working on the ONE X 2 right now.
I don't think it will be out by Christmas
but no doubt there's going to be some kind of
upgraded camera in the works, I'm guessing early 2020.
And the specs of it yeah, they'll be better than this
and better than that.
I've got no idea, I'm just speculating
but I'm speculating with a good amount of certainty.
So if you can afford this now, then by all means go for it.
If you have a little less money, get this.
Basically, no matter which one you choose
you're going to get a good camera.
360 cameras are getting so good
and they're getting better and better with each release.
So if you bought either of them now, you'll be happy.
You can always just sell it on eBay in a few months
if you find something else you like.
Anyway, those are my initial thoughts,
I'll be sure to post more about the GoPro MAX
in the very near future.
But for now, what do you want to know about the MAX?
Let me know down in the comments and I'll do my best
to include the best questions in my review video.
(Ben clicking)
that's it from Mr Ben, more soon,
talk to you later.
Whee.