GearFlogger

OmiCam Action Camera

Here at Gearflogger we've traditionally had a ho-hum attitude towards action cams like the eponymous GoPro. We don't generally feel the need to revisit or share our outdoor experiences, but clearly there are plenty of people who do. Lately we've been wondering if we're missing something, so when we saw there was a new kid on the block in the form of the OmiCam we decided to give it a try.

We'll give you the tl;dr up front: the OmiCam has some exciting new technology and captures beautiful video with good image stabilization at a reasonable price point, but the learning curve is steep and the support could use some support. The good news is that the OmiCam records 4K video at 30fps, has good battery life and decent image stabilization, achieved with clever software rather than external gimbal hardware. It also has a wide-angle 240 degree lens that performs some neat tricks, like allowing you to rotate the camera while maintaining a level field of view, while still being smart enough to switch the orientation when you flip the camera from vertical to horizontal.

Another plus is that the OmiCam comes with a belt/webbing clip for vertical use, a stand for VR-style applications, and a GoPro compatible quick-release mount as well. The OmiCam is water-resistant with a rubber door over the micro SD card and micro USB slots, and it has a standard camera screw mount on the bottom. Recording options include stills and a LifeLog mode where it records a 5sec video clip every 3 minutes. Video takes up about 100MB/minute, and you can connect via wifi to download the Omi Studio app to view, edit and change quite a few of the camera settings. You can then choose to process and download in various resolutions. Audio capture is adequate if not great.

The hardware could use some tweaking. Specifically, inserting a micro SD card can be done the wrong way, resulting in a stuck card that takes some doing to unstick. The card is a little difficult to insert or remove if you have normal size fingers. If you unwittingly insert an incompatible card, e.g. too slow as in a class 2 card like we did, you get two blinking green lights that aren't in the Quick Instruction booklet that's included with the camera. When you visit the support page, it's not well-organized and mixes Chinese and English language. After a bit of digital spelunking we eventually were able to sort things out.

All in all the OmiCam is some really interesting technology, and the end result is captivating video of your adventures that will show well at the highest 4K resolution of today's consumer screens. If you're willing to put up with some quirks in the hardware and invest some time - and patience - in navigating the software and support section of the website, you'll get quite a bit for your money.

$249.99 at OmiCam

Cotton Carrier G3 Camera Harness

Here at Gearflogger we're a sucker for vest style carriers of all kinds. Any kinds. For anything. Well, OK, maybe not this. Or this. But maybe this. One we'd wear for absolutely sure is the Cotton Carrier G3 camera harness.

We know two things - two! - about cameras. (a) they're hideously expensive so you don't want to drop them and (ii) the bigger they come they harder they are to carry. The Cotton Carrier G3 solves both problems with a vest that distributes the weight over your shoulders. Even the heaviest camera carries easily in this configuration, and the padding behind the chest mount will protect the boniest of builds.

The lightweight G3 makes carrying and protecting your expensive gear much easier, but the designers didn't stop there. An adjustable strap goes over the camera lens to limit bouncing, and a small pouch contains a rain cover that can be easily slipped over the camera. There's a small credit-card sized pocket on the front, a phone-sized pocket behind the chest mount next to your body, and a bigger mesh pocket in back for a water bottle, rain shell, etc.

Need a second camera on you? You're a glutton for punishment, but you won't get it when you use the Wanderer side holster. It attaches to the side of the G3 using an inch-and-a-half belt loop, or you can attach it to a standard backpack hip belt up to 5.5 inches with the rip-and-stick release tab. It's very clever and the molded pad lets it ride comfortably on your hip.

The camera attachment points use a Twist and Lock mount: just attach the disc to your camera body, slide it into the mounting point and twist it 90 degrees. Done and done, it's not going anywhere. Twist to unlock, get the shot and don't even worry about dropping your precious: there are two lanyards that attach from d-rings on the harness to split rings on the camera discs. There are even optional attachment methods for binoculars and other gear. The whole system carries nicely, works for multiple rigs, and effectively secures your pricey gear. If it prevents just one dropped lens you've made your money back. Available in classy charcoal and blend-in camo.

$159.00 at Cotton Carrier

Peak Design CapturePRO Camera Clip

When it's time to jock up, you need to be able to affix gear to your body in such a way that you can get to it quickly, but without compromising security. Nobody wants to see their thousand-dollar camera falling toward its demise. Peak Design builds a lot of stuff to carry your camera, all built to a high standard that ensures peace of mind in the middle of the action.

The CapturePRO camera clip is a devious little piece of metal that clamps onto a belt, shoulder strap or anything of the sort. By affixing one of PD's plates (for binos, Gopros, cameras and lenses) to your gear of choice you can quickly store and release gear on your person or pack. It's a really slick system, especially the lens holder. With two clips you can swap lenses while the camera is still in the clip, making the whole juggling act a little easier.

PD also makes a non-PRO version that has some plastic in place of some of the metal parts, but saves you a few bucks. We'll try to review that one soon to see if it stands up to an adequate level of abuse. The only downside is the cost of multiple clips and plates, but if you've already invested in the camera gear you need to spend a little more to protect it. And you can feel good about supporting Peak Design and other vendors that are working to protect the places we love to go.

$79.95 at Amazon

Lowepro Urban Reporter 250 photographer's bag

What can you say about Lowepro? They know what photographers want and need, and they make a metric s**t-ton of lustworthy bags for every conceivable purpose.

The Urban Reporter 250 is designed to merge your camera and computing gear in one everyday bag. The flapover design is stylish enough for around town, and the padded insert is tough enough to handle rough road trips.

Along with the camera organizer insert there's a separate laptop sleeve that will hold anything 15" or smaller, and the front pocket has enough organization for the most Germanic of shooters. Even the magazine sleeve on the side has a zippered bottom for double-duty to fit over a luggage handle for easy airporting.

The Urban Reporter really does it all with aplomb, and perhaps the most valuable feature is that it doesn't scream, "hey, valuable photog gear inside!" For covert carry of all your digital detritus, check out the Lowepro Urban Reporter 250.

$118.00 at Amazon

Lowepro Nova Sport 7L AW camera bag

Lowepro has been equipping photographers for every possible scenario since bicycles had square tires and it was uphill both ways. The Nova Sport 7L AW is a DSLR shoulder bag that fends off the elemental nasties with aplomb.

The cool thing about camera bags is how well thought out they invariably are. I guess it's a function of a profession that rewards anal retention attention to detail, both in the pursuit of the perfect shot and in the protection of the holy-crap-it-cost-how-much? gear. Lowepro gear is always state-of-the-art, and the Nova Sport 7L (also comes in bigger sizes) shows it all off.

The bag can be configured for anything. The shoulder strap comes off, the padded insert slips out, and inside that the lens protector can be moved around. The padded insert has its own cinchable collar and webbing handles for solo use - very cool - and also, we must note, insulates well should you need a bag to pull double-duty as a cooler/lunch bag. Seriously, even during a photo trip a day at the beach when you're parted voluntarily or by angry spouse from your equipment may sneak up on you.

The AW is for All Weather, and the Nova Sport 7L is pretty tough there too. Should you need more than casual weather protection, the built-in bag poncho slips out of a pocket on the back to up-armor your stuff. Speaking of pockets, there's a sleeve inside that will hold a small 7 inch or equivalent tablet - think Kindle sized or a tad larger. There's also a medium rip-and-stick front pocket with key leash, and a small zippered pocket on the top lid for small flat items. On each side is an elastic mesh pocket that will hold small water bottle sized items. Lowepro gear is always a pleasure to use, and the Nova Sport 7L just rocks as an on-the-go camera bag that can step in to more pedestrian duties as required.

$54.95 at Amazon

Joby Pro Sling Strap

With apologies to George Carlin, you need stuff to carry your stuff. Photographers, like climbers - and god forbid you're both - need their ridiculously expensive gear attached to their body and immediately handy. Joby has lots of options to help with that.

The Joby Pro Sling Strap is a lightweight and really well-made camera strap that secures your camera and allows for fast adjustments in size. The PSS has a two inch nylon strap for the load-bearing part that's on your body. The edges are smoothly finished so it doesn't cut into your neck, and the outside is very slick so it will rotate freely under a coat.

The SpeedCinch system is very cool, just flick open the lever and pull to adjust the length. There's even a leash included as a back-up tether to the quarter-inch camera mount. The mount itself rotates on a bearing so no twisted straps. The whole assembly is just very polished and high quality, no surprise if you've ever used one of their Gorillapods. Highly recommended for the camera slinging crowd.

$69.95 at Amazon

Lowepro Photo Sport Pro 30L camera bag

Lowepro is one of just a handful of top-tier bag makers for professional and aspiring photographers. Their Photo Sport Pro 30 liter camera bag is a nicely designed daypack-style pack that allows easy access to your DSLR while on the go.

The Photo Sport Pro has a lot of room, and a stiff internal frame to support pretty much whatever you want to cram in there. If you load it to the max you might feel the frame behind the thin waist belt, but the pack makes the compromises for a lower profile and lighter weight. Keep the weight reasonable - easy to do with lower-weight/higher bulk items like clothing - and the pack carries nicely.

The sternum strap has more vertical adjustment than most, the shoulder straps have load lifters and just the right amount of contour, and the waist belt, while thin, does the job and can be easily tucked away if you're constantly shucking your pack on and off. The fixed top lid has a zippered compartment with a keeper strap for small items like keys, and there's even a five-inch collar around the main compartment top opening that allows you to use the full internal volume while still keeping things covered.

On the left side as worn is a zipper that allows you to access the removable internal padded cube that holds and protects your big investment. The cube has generous grab handles and its own internal organizing rip-and-stick panels, so its easy to grab just your body and lens assortment for movement if desired. On the right side as worn is a mesh water bottle pocket. There are four horizontal compression straps and two vertical, so you'll never have an excuse for a sloppy load, even with a tripod to lash on.

The technical features include the afore-mentioned slim profile and light weight, plus 210D ripstop PU-coated nylon construction, hydration compartment (no bladder included, so sad...), pack cover compartment (all-weather pull-out cover included - happy again!) and dual trekking pole/ice axe loops and keepers. All in all we found the Lowepro Photo Sport Pro 30 liter camera bag to be a great way for scrambling photographers to keep their gear wired tight while chasing the perfect shot.

$199.99 and free shipping at Amazon

Gura Gear Chobe camera bag

Here's a little something for all you OCD photoglodytes (get it? photographer + troglodyte?) out there: Gura Gear is here to enable you with their hyperorganized kit, in this case the Chobe 19 to 24 litre shoulder bag.

Calling the Chobe a shoulder bag is like saying Joan Rivers had a "little" work done. The Chobe is a monster, swallowing everything (make your own celebrity comparison here) you can throw in it. Touting a sailcloth construction, the Chobe is deceptively lightweight while still being tough as nails.

We just don't have the space to describe all the pockets in this thing (see video and more pix), so here's the highlight reel: inside are two mesh zipped pockets, useful and accessible, mounted high and out of the way of the main lens organizer eggcrate. The handles are minimalist without feeling uncomfortable, even under load. When things get heavy, use the shoulder strap, complete with grippy material so it doesn't slide around as you're dodging bullets. The padded laptop sleeve holds a 15" wide (actual width, not screen size) laptop. The two outside pockets have pockets inside of pockets, complete with everything from pen sleeves (yes, plural) to small zipped mesh pockets.

The main compartment has an infinitely adjustable eggcrate for lenses, beer, hand grenades or anything else you can imagine, a plethora of rip-and-stick dividers included. So why is the Chobe listed as 19 to 24 litres? Because there's a zipper that compresses the bag to a more manageable 6 to 8 inches wide, eggcrate removed. Sweet! Overall the Chobe does a lot of things well, no small design feat. If you're looking for a uber-organized bag that can transition easily between camera, computer and general travel use, the Chobe is your bag. Even if you may have to hold a bake sale to afford the price of entry.

$299.99 at Amazon

Olympus Camera Flotation Strap

You know how it goes: buy expensive waterproof camera. Bring on boat. Drop overboard. Repeat as necessary until you figure out that waterproof doesn't equal positive buoyancy.

Olympus to the rescue with a simple and inexpensive solution to a potentially very expensive problem. The Camera Flotation Strap replaces your normal camera strap with a foam-filled orange number that not only keeps your compact camera from the clutches of Poseidon, it also makes it easier to spot in case you're in the currents.

It weighs nothing, costs little and is actually quite comfortable on the wrist. It's a life jacket for your camera, and it makes perfect sense.

$9.79 at Amazon

Digital Photography Outdoors book

In Some Like It Hot Jack Lemmon describes watching Marilyn Monroe walk as "like jell-o on springs!" That type of unpredictable motion also happens to describe my photographs, and that mental association may explain why I want to lick them... but I digress.

Optical image stabilization helps with the jell-o shots - mmm, jell-o shots - but there is a heck of lot else to learn about shooting good pics. Breathe easily, because it's all here: Digital Photography Outdoors (second edition) is a graduate class for all us waffle-stompers. It starts with the basics in a chapter aptly titled "The old rules of photography still apply" that covers composition, light and some other ground rules.

The book marches on through equipment, advanced techniques and getting the most out of your "digital darkroom." It's all extremely well-organized and informative, with plenty of clearly illustrated examples. One example of the detail you get is in the treatment of "workflow," the process of moving an image from capture to output and all the in-between steps that can affect final image quality. Photographs are a vital part of post-adventure enjoyment, and Digital Photography Outdoors will help you make the most of them.

$12.70 at Amazon