Perry Sun

Compared to prior years, one thing I readily noticed was the absence of the most prominent content creators on YouTube. Those focused on the technology for making videos, the ones you always turn to when researching your next camera purchase, the ones with massive audience reach and a huge following.

To be certain, travel costs have increased notably. Many influencers hail from Canada, so geopolitics may have prompted them to stay home this year. But it’s also possible that the novelty and uniqueness of new gear for content creators have plateaued. Truth be told, there wasn’t as much of that air of excitement over truly groundbreaking new products at this year’s show.

With this in mind, I’m a little concerned that the creator economy relevance at NAB may have started to peak. Nonetheless, official attendance figures showed a very impressive 140% growth in registrants who identified themselves as content creators, and nearly half of all attendees visiting the show for the first time.

Based on the numerous videos I’ve watched on this year’s NAB Show coverage, it’s abundantly clear that the action camera was a clear standout.

A lot of people shot their videos on the show floor with their action cams, and in particular, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 with built-in gimbal. This has been an incredibly successful product, and I’ve been very impressed with its image capture capability. Apparently, carrying around a lightweight handheld that fits in your pocket, is much more appealing than lugging around the heavier, bulkier mirorrless cameras which figured prominently at past NAB shows.

DJI just announced the Pocket 3’s successor, much talked about and hyped – but missing from the show floor due to US import restrictions. Insta360 teased their Luna, their first pocket gimbal camera to compete directly with DJI. However, it’s questionable whether that product was actually exhibited on the show floor.

GoPro introduced their Mission 1 series of action cams, including an interesting model with an interchangeable lens mount. Having bore the brunt of intense competition for years from DJI and Insta360, GoPro really needs a comeback, and is hopeful these new cameras will bring plenty of positive momentum.

April is a personal ritual for me to follow the latest developments from the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. Originally a convention and tradeshow for the television broadcast industry, NAB Show is now a wholly encompassing event for media and entertainment technology.

In particular, NAB Show is the big confab for content creators eyeing the latest video, audio, and lighting gear from companies like GoPro, Insta360, RØDE, Blackmagic, Amaran, DJI, Neewer, Godox, Hollyland, and so many others. It’s also become the event for big camera launches, especially with the demise of photography tradeshows over the years.

I always enjoy following the spontaneous show coverage, right on the floor as it happens, from content creators who not only talk about the gear but have documented years of experience using them in their productions.

The video above is a great example. But there’s also something quite remarkable. The picture quality is fantastic, shot with the wildly popular DJI Osmo Pocket 3, a lightweight, super-compact, consumer-grade video camera with integrated gimbal. In fact, DJI just launched the Pocket 4 in the runup to NAB. (Unfortunately, US availability is uncertain at this point.)