The OWLE Bubo aims to turn an iPhone 4 into a serious contender for shooting HD video.
In this video review I took it to the Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in West Sussex on a day out with the family to see what it is capable of.
Front view
Much like my other reviews I haven’t spent time setting up shots – essentially just whipping it out and shooting. The footage was edited using Final Cut Pro but none has been colour graded or adjusted. What you see is exactly as shot.
Some news organisations are seriously considering buying into products such as the OWLE Bubo so that newspaper journalists can make the transition to becoming multimedia journalists. I for one think this is a ridiculous suggestion but do see them as a useful tool for field journalists wanting a little more from their iPhone.
The OWLE Bubo is made aluminium, making it virtually indestructible. It also comes with 37mm lens threading, as well as a 0.45x wide angle/ macro lens combination which delivers footage with better colour saturation, contrast and sharpness than is possible with the iPhone’s camera alone.
Back view
At the time of writing, the OWLE Bubo costs around £150 but for an additional £100 comes with a Rotolight for those looking to take the device to the next level. You’ll need to watch the video to find out whether I think it’s worth forking out for one of these kits.
Many argue that for all the money you could spend turning your iPhone into a reasonable video camera you’d be better off buying a DSLR.
My argument against that is simple – that you won’t find a video camera easier to operate than an iPhone. So if it’s simplicity you’re after I’d look no further than an OWLE Bubo but only if it’s only being used for fun.
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