Why it matters to you
Those who have been using 4K action cams that rely on large, external gimbals may prefer the Rollcap, which has one built right in.
Apparently there aren’t already enough action cameras on the market. Chinese drone manufacturer ZeroTech has announced that it will soon launch Rollcap, a 4K-capable action camera that features an integrated 3-axis stabilization gimbal, later this year.
Smaller than the size of a pop can, Rollcap is designed to negate the need for an external gimbal by building it right into the frame of the camera itself. To help stabilize the 4K video and 13 megapixel stills, Rollcap’s self-contained gimbal rolls, tilts, and pans +/- 85 degrees, +/- 30 degrees, and +/- 40 degrees, respectively.
In front of its sensor is a 94-degree lens that is roughly equivalent to a 21mm lens on a full-frame camera. On the side of the camera is the power button, as well as a MicroUSB port, presumably used to charge the camera and transfer data if you’re in a hurry.
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A dedicated smartphone app is used for composing shots and changing camera settings, while triggering the camera can be done both through the app as well as on the camera using the Rollcap’s single button. Various camera modes include a high-speed burst mode for stills, a timelapse mode, a self-timer mode, an HDR mode, and a slow-motion video mode designed for capturing video at higher frame rates.
There’s little additional information in terms of detailed specs or an exact release date, but ZeroTech has confirmed that Rollcap will retail for between $500 and $600 when it drops in late 2017. This price point puts it on the higher end of the action-cam market, but considering it effectively includes a gimbal as part of the setup, it comes out to about the same as what you would expect to pay for a 4K action cam and separate gimbal.