The GoPro is a terrific action cam, but it’s far from the best option out there when it comes to vlogging and filmmaking. There are just far better setups for that kind of content. The Dragonfly Action Box Cine looks to change that.
A housing accessory for the GoPro, the device brings a whole new world of functions to the action cam, allowing it to capture more creative footage with plenty of cinematic flair. It, basically, turns the GoPro into an entirely new camera, making it a more suitable device for serious vlogging and filmmaking.
The Dragonfly Action Box Cine is, basically, a matte box sized to hold a GoPro, with a built-in shade that you can deploy to block out light glare. An integrated screw clamp makes it easy to lock the shade at any desired angle, making it easy to preserve the scene’s contrast and clarity, no matter the ambient lighting situation. Aside from serving as a matte box, the accessory also has a circular polarizer right in line with the GoPro’s lens, allowing you to adjust polarization to further minimize glare using a control wheel on the side.
Want more solutions for managing the light in the scene? It also gets three swappable ND filters (ND8, ND16, and ND32) that you can attach right in front of the polarizer. They attach magnetically, too, so you can simply snap them on and off, with the option to stack up to two ND filters on top each other. That’s right, you can use up to two ND filters along with the polarizing filter, basically adding a whole host of capabilities to your humble action cam. All the filters, by the way, are made with Corning Gorilla Glass, with double-sided coatings against scratch, smudge, and glare, complete with a carrying case to keep them protected at all times.
The Dragonfly Action Box Cine comes with 1/4″-20 mount for easy integration with your existing tripods and stabilizers, as well as the option to swap it out for a Falcam x Ulanzi magnetic mount. It also has fold-out GoPro-style mount for using with your GoPro accessories. There’s a cold shoe mount on one side for attaching various accessories, as well as an audio adapter if you want to use it to add external mics to your camera setup. You can also remove the shade and swap in a cold shoe adapter, in case you need to add another accessory (e.g. lights). Simply put, this makes your GoPro setup a lot more versatile.
How much better can this make your GoPro? In our opinion, it levels it up immensely. Having access to a matte box, a circular polarizing filter, ND filters, and two cold shoe mounts for attaching accessories like lights and external mics just makes the erstwhile action cam a way more powerful device. It’s a genuine game changer for folks who want to use a GoPro for more traditional video projects.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Dragonfly Action Box Cine. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $129.