One of the great things about mobile journalism is that everything is evolving so freakin’ fast.
- A year ago you could choose between a couple of professional iPhone grips. Today there are so many I can’t count.
- A year ago, there was no professional multitrack iPhone video editor available. Today there are two: LumaFusion and Kinemaster (also for Android) and they are great.
- A year ago it was a hassle to distribute 360º video via your phone. Today you can do livestreaming in 360º in seconds.
- A year ago it was very difficult to get wireless audio in combination with a gimbal. Today that’s a piece of cake, with new gimbals that don’t block the Lightning/USB port and a dedicated wireless microphone system for smartphones*.
- A year ago zooming with your smartphone camera was a no go. Today Apple, Huwawei, LG and many other brands sell phones with two camera’s to create (some) optical zoom.
- A year ago you needed a DSLR to make images like this. Today you get the bookeh effect with many new dual lens smartphones, like the iPhone 7 Plus.
Some reporters, broadcasters and publishers still doubt the possibilities of smartphone usage for news reports, Those discussions are interesting. Of course, in many situations using a broadcast camera still has advantages. Better image quality, better zooming, I totally get it. But I always try to ask the question: If this is what happened in the last year, what will mobile journalism look like in another twelve months?
*The Samon Go Mic Mobile wireless microphone system for smartphones will be available in a couple of weeks. So that’s not literally today. But you get the point…