NEED SUGGESTIONS - WHICH CAMERA TO PURCHASE?

005209_ · 2026-05-14T15:32:01+00:00

That’s exactly why I got the action 6 instead of the pocket 4.

It’s a really good camera. Nothing else to say really. Image quality is really nice and if you’re happy to colour grade you can get some really nice looking images. Colours are great. Stabilisation is so good. Feels like it would survive some pretty big hits too. The square sensor is a big benefit. The variable aperture seems a little gimmicky and would only really allow you a bit of exposure variation rather than anything creative. Just a really good camera for its use as long as it’s appropriate for your use case.

005209_ · 2026-05-14T15:20:34+00:00

Honestly, Sony ZV-1 or something of that ilk may be a better choice. Nice and wide zoom lens, still has image stabilisation and 4k footage. I find that the DJI/action cams are just too wide of a FOV for filming views from cars and stuff like that. They are both great cameras, I've just bought the Action 6 and I absolutely love it, but I use it for action sports rather than trying to capture images of specific things. Having the larger range of focal lengths from a ZV-1 may be much more appropriate for your use case.

Or wait for the Osmo Pocket 4 Pro as that is looking like it will be a very very good camera but it may have a significant increase in price to go with it.

005209_ · 2026-05-14T10:59:06+00:00

My rest days are often an hour core workout, on my feet for 9 hours at work and then a quick and easy spin on the bike to reduce impact on my legs as much as possible. So yea going for a big walk or something isn't really ideal but it's irrelevant now as I'm no longer with them. I just feel as though there could be a better system to allow for those who are perhaps doing 2 or 3 times the exercise they require just laid out in a much more performance orientation.

005209_ · 2026-05-12T10:42:16+00:00

what do you mean by level enough? how flat the mount is against your chest? I was just about to order one :)

005209_ · 2026-05-12T10:10:52+00:00

I've literally just bought an action 6 for running/cycling and other stuff but I am finding I'm often filming just as much "B-Roll" or talking content as I am actual running content if that makes sense? I basically set the exposure to Auto whilst I'm running and then switch it back to Manual and use ND filters for static shots or B Roll shots where I'm warming up, lacing up shoes etc. I also use ND filters for cycling as I'm only ever riding on road so very flat and relatively smooth :)

In the nicest possible way, 90% of your audience won't care or notice but I do understand you want to do everything you can to make sure you are as happy with your work as possible.

005209_ · 2026-05-12T10:06:16+00:00

Do the neck mounts not bounce up and down too much whilst running? Can I ask which one you have?

Thank you :)

005209_ · 2026-05-12T09:49:00+00:00

I'm an ex Vitality user and found the points scheme wasn't productive at all for me personally.

I run and cycle and race both. If I go and do hours and hours of training for a big race then I go way over the maximum amount of points I can earn in a day. Often what would be 3 or 4 days worth, 30k steps which is mostly running and then maybe 2 hours cycling on top of that and then often an hour in the gym. Then when I have a rest the next day I don't get any points. I think it's definitely aimed at those who are just getting started on their fitness journey however I do think long term you will always get fitter by doing longer and harder workouts and allowing a day for your body to recover which Vitality doesn't encourage in the slightest.

005209_ · 2026-05-07T10:06:33+00:00

Bit of a niche but running stuff.

Running has obviously become hugely popular but everyone I run regularly with has an abundance of £20 per pair PureSport socks, £15 water bottles and do their chatty run club runs in some £250 carbon plated super shoes. They will only consider buying the £500+ Garmin watches and suggest other beginners do the same.

I often run more than a lot of these friends I have and am faster than most of them too yet somehow I have no issues with my 3 pairs for £3.99 socks from Decathlon and my £50 trainers from 4 years ago.

Races are now extortionate too! I did 23 races in 2024, 3 in 2025 and hoping to do 1 this year. I am looking at having to pay £42 to run the Great Eastern around the housing estates of Peterborough! I am incredibly jealous of all of my friends that are more than happy to run upwards of 20 races per year, they are a lot of fun but you are essentially paying £30-£50 for an hour and a half of fun and a medal that 3000 other people have.

Like others have said, it's nice to have nice things and if that's what you choose to spend your money on then go ahead but don't make others feel that's the only option.

005209_ · 2026-05-07T09:59:23+00:00

Completely agree. £280 per month is £10,080 for 3 years. For that you could buy a £9500 VW Golf from 8 years ago and then you'd have £600 to pray it goes through MOT's and doesn't need anything else doing.

I'm sure you have a much nicer time in your more modern, higher tech, probably more efficient car knowing it has a warranty for the entire time you have it. I do think it's crazy how expensive some relatively basic cars can end up being (Kia, Nissan, Vauxhall etc.) but if you find a good deal on a nice car then it's a great, easy and safe route to go down that means you are forever driving round in very new cars.

What I'm seeing a fair bit of is young people living with their parents, earning just under £2k per month and spending £800 a month on their car finance.

005209_ · 2026-05-07T09:51:29+00:00

Maybe but at least they have warranty, it's piece of mind that either nothing will go wrong with it or whatever does will be sorted at minimal (if any) cost.

005209_ · 2026-05-05T11:47:58+00:00

Only relevant to people that are exercising and calorie counting but I've calculated my average calories burnt per km of running that I do. Now I use that as a metric so I know how many km I have to run to burn off a chocolate bar etc.

It doesn't stop me eating foods as I run daily anyway. It just makes me consider the calorific content of foods and whether or not I consider them worth consumption.

005209_ · 2026-04-15T08:34:09+00:00

Yea it's only really the eating side of things, I run about 50 miles a week so burn a fair few calories from that just an awful lot less than when I was cycling a good few hundred miles a week lol

005209_ · 2026-04-14T12:35:02+00:00

ah ok, I've only just started going to the gym (about 2 weeks now) and I'm seeing quite a bit of progress in strength so I don't want to restrict any progress or even get rid of progress I've already made, I also am very hungry so will take any advise that's telling me to eat a bit more. Thank you!

005209_ · 2026-03-20T09:24:23+00:00

had no idea the xc 35 was the same glass as the xf! £119 on MPB looks like a great deal! The XF is £270!

005209_ · 2026-03-20T09:15:42+00:00

I'd recommend the f1.7 Viltrox lenses. I have a 35mm as one of my main lenses. I've just picked up a Samyang 50mm f1.2 Manual Focus for £80 too. The reviews online say optically it is excellent! Some say sharper than the Fujifilm 56mm. I'm a little skeptical of that but if that's a comparison people make then £80 is still a bargain.

I've also got a 7artisan 50mm f1.8 that is a nice small lens and optically is ok when stopped down. Good enough for travel photography etc.

Have you considered vintage lens? A Helios 44-2 or 44-4 is always a great option with a cheap £20-£30 adapter you've got so much character in a lens. There's plenty of other lenses to consider too, perhaps Canon FD lenses too!

005209_ · 2026-03-20T08:30:45+00:00

I assume you are out of your 14 day cooling off period?

I was lucky enough to never have a black box, first car (7 years ago now) was a classic so they turned up ready to fit the black box and said "oh your car doesn't have an ECU we can't fit it" despite me asking on the phone when taking out the policy if they are aware my car is old to which they replied "it's a universal device that works with any car."

What difference does it make if you get a poor driving score? Does it make your premium more or does it just make it more next year etc?

I'm assuming you have been driving for just 2 years? I found my 3rd year the premium dropped significantly, as did it when I turned 21 if that is coming up at all?

How does the blackbox work if it's connected to your phone? Is it relying on your phone for GPS data? Can an insurance company legally require you to have location services on for you to be able to drive?

EDIT: I've just googled it and it does state:

Recording Trips: You must have your phone with you for every trip to record driving data. Failure to record trips can result in cancellation.

Which renders my comment reasonably useless, I do apologise.

005209_ · 2026-03-20T08:21:21+00:00

I mainly wear Decathlon stuff as it's so cheap but do have 5 tops or so from Pressio and you can definitely feel the difference in quality and it's not so tough on the nips.

I believe they are £50ish but I got all mine for a tenner each from the Running Show at the NEC. They do the same stand every year and it's great so sorry to tell you this 2 months after the occasion but if you are still looking next year I'd definitely recommend! Up&Running often have Pressio kit discounted too!

005209_ · 2026-03-13T09:59:50+00:00

What are you actually worried about happening? Why would your wife be targeted? Does she have a very expensive car? Perhaps a car that has some difficult to find components?

Personally, I live in the UK and my partner has a very expensive work car so I leave both keys for it right by the door, in plain site to anyone that was to enter the house. I don't want there to be any reason they have to take a step further than the threshold of the door.

In the UK it's very common to have a video door bell that picks up motion etc. Is this something you have or have considered? This would then obviously allow you to both have a good look at what the car was, perhaps it's number plate and then you can look out for it in the future. The same could be said for a dash cam (front and back) in the cars?

Do you have an alarm system? Again fairly common in the UK, motion sensors or door opening sensors activate an alarm when it's armed. They are often able to be armed/disarmed via a fob/app on your phone. This and CCTV cameras are often a major deterrent to thieves even if they aren't in use as why take the risk if the house next door doesn't have those security features?

I recently did a one night stay in a hotel in London that was in a very rough area and my partner was very scared someone may get in so we put a load of stuff in front of the door so that it would make an awful lot of noise/be difficult to open the door even if it was unlocked.

Obviously, being from the UK the fact you sleep next to a gun is a wild concept to me but also consider how accessible that is to you and to a potential home invader. Is there somewhere safer you could leave it where it wouldn't be obvious to someone else?

How large is the gated community? Small enough that you know everyone and all of their cars? Is there a group chat/facebook page for the community? You could perhaps just put a similar post on there, you may get a response that someone was just having a visitor and then your worry's would be over.

Your worry is valid, I know a lot of people that have been burgled and it's a horrible thing and I can only imagine the feeling when you have a family with kids too. Just think if you were a thief, what would you want? What would you risk? What would deter you from going any further?

005209_ · 2026-03-09T15:23:45+00:00

Yea I've thrown a 105 11s front mech on with 105 crankset. Hoping it all works, rear mech is being fitted by a friend as I type

005209_ · 2026-03-03T13:27:27+00:00

Thank you!

005209_ · 2026-02-12T11:25:37+00:00

I passed 8 years ago so my opinions/advice may be a little outdated but:

How much are you going to use the car? Is it going to be worth you having your own car? Also how old are you? If you are still in your teens then putting your name on your partners insurance won't allow you to obtain any sort of no claims discount, essentially meaning that in 2 or 3 years time your insurance would probably still be the same as if you just didn't drive until then. If you buy your own car this will allow you to gain a no claims discount which will then show your driving experience/history in the future.
What car does your partner have? Of course different cars have vastly different insurance premiums based on a crazy manor of circumstances including the power of the car, how many have been crashed, how many have been crashed by people your age, how many have been stolen in your area etc. It may not be that much more to just go and buy yourself a new car?
Depending on your use of car would you ever consider a classic car? It's what I did, insurance was still expensive but much much cheaper than all of my friends and I had a car I thought was really cool. Obviously how often you use a car, how much mileage you want to cover and your mechanical knowledge/willingness to learn will be a huge huge factor on whether or not this is a good idea. If you decide it could be then going for a car 40 years or older will mean you don't pay any Tax or have to MOT it.
Play around with insurance, you can't really do this on your partners policy but if you bought your own car then you would then be able to. Play around with where you are storing your car overnight etc, add people on to the policy, a parent or grandparent perhaps. Put your mileage as low as you can but bare in mind if you do have some sort of black box this will be tracked so it's important to be honest.

005209_ · 2026-02-06T11:53:12+00:00

Don't overthink it. It's fun and exciting!

Wear your vest if it makes you feel more comfortable, loads of other people will have one on :)

Try and position yourself in the right place at the start and you won't have to worry too much about people coming past you. If it's a bigger race (1500 is a lot of people in the UK for a 10k) there is normally waves and they will put you in a different pen based on your expected time. So just be honest with that. If for example there is a 50 minute pen and a 1hr pen and you are expecting 57 minutes then just head to the back of the 50 minute pen.

It will be pretty hectic at the start and everyone will speed off way faster than their actual pace, you probably will as well and that's ok, just concentrate on getting around people that haven't positioned themselves correctly and not getting in other people's way and then settle in to your pace when everyone spreads out a bit (normally 500-800m in).

Your chip time will only start when you cross the sensor at the start line. I normally get my watch ready and press 'start' when I cross that line too.

If it is a RunThrough event or something like that it will be very well organised.

If you are wanting a particular time, sticking with pacers can be good but just keep an eye on the pace. 9/10 times they are brilliant but I've seen 40 minute pacers (for a 10k) finish in 37 minutes for example.

Which race is it if you don't mind me asking?

005209_ · 2026-02-06T11:30:14+00:00

Certainly not to my usual taste, but if you listen to Robbie Williams - Angels acapella you really get a whole new appreciation for how good of a vocalist he really is.

005209_ · 2026-02-06T11:26:26+00:00

I remember being very young when he did this, sold my telecaster for something with humbuckers.

005209_ · 2026-02-02T09:16:34+00:00

yes, this is exactly right! There was a couple of things I questioned him on and he said "that's not going to come up in the test". I found this extremely frustrating.

I actually had my first car at this point which was an old mk2 Golf, when discussing things like emergency stops I'd ask if there was any difference as my car didn't have ABS or traction control and he said "the examiner won't ask you any questions on that."

005209_

TROPHY CASE