GoKawiilHohem says the Eyepic is the world’s first “two-in-one pocket gimbal camera,” and that’s probably true. It’s a tiny mechanically stabilized camera, and Hohem has long made gimbals, but it’s also a tiny, wearable, waterproof camera. In theory, it offers the stability and smooth video of a gimbal camera, but when the shot requires it, it can work as a wearable POV camera. The camera’s small size is reminiscent of Insta360’s Go line.
I checked out an early prototype at IFA in Berlin. Here’s how it works.
Eyepic hardware
Does this count as a selfie? Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
The Eyepic can record 4K video at 60 frames per second in both horizontal and vertical modes. It doesn’t do this by cropping in on the sensor. Instead, it rotates the gimbal head 90 degrees. The large, 2.5-inch touchscreen can also pivot separately from the body to show what you’re recording at the correct aspect ratio, full screen.
The tiny camera body connects via magnets and a mechanical clip. You have to physically snap it into place and press a button to remove it. I can see this making sense from a safety standpoint. I’ll be curious to see how much, if any, this slows down the transition from gimbal to wearable.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
At the booth, they had examples of some of the mounts they intend to offer with the Eyepic. Basically, they cover anything you’d want to attach a camera to, including hats, bikes, backpacks and essentially anything ferrous, since, as mentioned, the body is magnetic.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
It was too early to judge image quality since this was an early prototype, and it doesn’t expect to release the camera until Q1 next year. They expect to have a version at CES in January that’s even closer to the final version.
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