GoPro may be having a difficult time selling hardware, but over on Kickstarter, GoPro accessories are still all the rage. Snoppa Go is the latest GoPro stabilizer to show up on the crowdfunding platform, and it just surged past its $20,000 fundraising goal. Snoppa claims the Go is the world’s first handheld stabilizer that offers direct control of a GoPro camera.
By now, so many action camera stabilizers are out there that it’s a bit difficult to believe there is room left to be the “first” at anything. Snoppa, however, has worded this claim very carefully. The Sybrillo stabilizer we reported on previously is not handheld and uses an app to control a GoPro, so it’s also not direct. DJI’s Osmo stabilizer is very similar to the Snoppa Go, except that it uses an integrated camera, not a GoPro. So while Snoppa is technically being truthful, its underlying technology isn’t quite as revolutionary as it may sound.
Related: Sybrillo is a Smartphone-Controlled Gimbal for GoPro
However, that isn’t a bad thing — the iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone, after all. The Snoppa Go combines expected high-end stabilization tech with advanced software and a few novel features in a product that is small and easy to use. Its three-axis gimbal uses brushless motors and offers three different stabilization modes: lock, pan track, and omni track, each suited for a different type of shooting. When turned on, the Snoppa Go automatically powers up a connected GoPro, and users can start and stop recording and adjust the gimbal on the fly in one hand. The replaceable battery is good for five hours of operation and keeps the GoPro charged without needing an additional cable. For longer operation, the Snoppa Go can be charged on the go via a micro USB cable.
Rounding out the feature set are an integrated LED light for shooting at night and a storage slot for an extra Micro SD card (which should go a long way to preventing people from swallowing them).
With 21 days still left in the Kickstarter campaign, Snoppa Go has already raised over $23,500. Backers still have time to get in on limited early bird specials, which start at $229. Non-early bird pledges start at $299.
