I wanted an "action camera" but didn't want to pay GoPro prices. A couple of years ago I got a Firefly 7S. Since getting that camera, I got a new phone with a wide angle lens. In general, I'll use the phone when possible, I feel like it takes better pictures, but the action camera still gets some use for a number of reasons:
- I can mount it easily to my handlebars so I can take photos easily with one hand while biking.
- It has a wide field of view, so I can grab a quick shot without being too careful about centering it on what I wanted to capture.
- It has a waterproof case, so I can take photos even when the phone is packed away to keep it dry.
- Even though it's usually off, it can still be quicker to turn on and get into photo or video mode than my phone.
- It can be mounted and set to record video or take periodic photos of the course of a trip or even a few minutes, and during that time you can still use your phone.
- On a tour, keeping the phone battery from dying sometimes takes precedence over getting photos, so having a dedicated camera can be useful.
Those are reasons I carry it, but, as I said, in general I don't feel like it does a better job than my phone. It just is more available than my phone. I picked a hand full of photos taken with my 7S. You can be the judge. A lot can be improved by editing the photos after the fact, but I tend to be too lazy to bother and too ignorant to know what needs done, however sometimes Google takes it upon itself to spruce up the photos I take, and it generally does a good job. In the album, I tried to include a few examples of a Google-enhanced photo alongside the photo as it was when I downloaded it, so you can see the potential of the camera when combined with post-processing.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QG295fQRX26c1mpi6
On the whole I like it, and I'm glad I have it, but I'm also glad I didn't pay a ton for it considering that my phone is actually a fairly decent camera. On the other hand, I did spend a couple more bucks than I was comfortable with to get a 360 degree camera, and that's been a lot of fun as well.