I am looking into purchasing something that can record my rides for me, like the PIXIO or the SoloShot cameras. Has anybody used these recently/own a newer model? I am in South Florida and do not ride in an indoor arena, but I would like something that is capable of recording both indoors and out, just in case I ever need to use it indoors.
Thank you!
I have a soloshot and I preordered the new PIXIO that can record with your smartphone (Scheduled to ship in October).
Currently the Optic25 kit from Soloshot is on sale direct from Soloshot for a good price, which is why I bought it. It works fine, but only outside. I did have an issue with the memory card I chose that caused it to record only in 10 second bursts, not sure why. That has been resolved with a new memory card. However, the indoor module has been promised for a long time and has no date, so if you want indoor functionality, PIXIO is your only option.
I have a SoloShot 65 but it only works outdoors where there is a good GPS signal. I didn’t really realize how dependent on GPS it is when I bought it… my location is challenging with lots of trees. I’m happy with it but I’m also fairly technical and willing to deal with its quirks. They are pretty responsive and are making improvements but it’s still rough going.
If you definitely need it to work indoors, go with the Pixio. Soloshot has been promising the “indoor accessory” forever and I would not hold my breath.
I have an old SoloShot2 and the new SoloShot3 with the Optic 65. Love them both.
Regarding the SoloShot working indoors, there are (long time) plans for an indoor accessory however, in the meantime, there are GPS repeaters that are advertised as bringing the GPS signal inside. There’s been some debate on the SoloShot Facebook forum about whether it would work; I think it would, because what’s important is the relative distance between the base and rider. That said, I do not have a need so haven’t tried it out. I did however talk to some folks very savvy on GPS and they too think it would work.
Also, a lot is going to depend on the GPS coverage in your particular area in addition to any obscura such as dense tree cover.
More than you probably want to know here:
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Accuracy_of_GPS_data#Your_location
Thank you for your input!!
Those of you that have the SoloShot with the 65 optic, do you find that it is easy to upload and the quality of the videos is easy to watch and zoom in on? I need it mostly so that I can watch film and see how my equitation is and what I need to do in order to better myself.
As I live in South Florida, I do not NEED indoor recording at this very moment. It’s mostly just in case life takes me elsewhere, I’d like to have the ability if possible though.
I have the 65 and use it for the same thing – where is my leg, what are his legs doing, etc. While it can record in 4k, that is way overkill. I record on whatever the next level down is, and then downsize again if I’m uploading it anywhere online.
I’m really happy with it. I have many hours of video that I never would have gotten if I had to impose on someone to stand there with a camera. It does a better job than a random human holding a video camera would… AND it does not talk to me while it’s doing it!
I have a Soloshot3 65. Just got it in July and have not had a chance to use it as much as I would like, but I have to say I love it. I only ride outdoors so the indoor capability did not matter to me. It is new tech and there can be issues with it (mine had some initially and quite a few user errors as well), but after only using it about 5-6 times I pretty much have the set up down and have been very happy with the results. Riding alone, it is nice to be able to review the ride afterwards for improvement. I also find that because the ride is being filmed and i MIGHT share the video, it makes me pay even more attention to my position. This can only help improve the ride.
Reviving… How long did it take for your orders to ship from Soloshot that were not pre-orders? Im hearing horrible reviews on the customer service and I have tried calling several times about ordering a refurb unit, with no answer.
Did you all order direct, or thru a 3rd party?
Anyone have luck with the unit showing up within the specified processing time? I’d love to order the Optic 25 and there is a discount promo going on right now, but Im nervous that I might be throwing away my money.
I have a SoloShot and a Pixio and I say go with the SoloShot and if you ever need to be videoed inside, just hire a barn rat to video you. The Pixio is not very user friendly or intuitive, and if you are using it once in a blue moon, it’s even harder to get it set up right.
I do agree that the GPS dependence of the SoloShot can be a problem. I board near my house, so I drive by the barn several times a day, and often my car tells me “GPS signal lost”. And I’ve only used the SoloShot a few times, but one of those times it couldn’t get a signal. In the exact same spot I’d used it the day before!!! But at least it has a screen interface to tell you what’s wrong. The Pixio relies on flashing red and green lights, which can be really frustrating to try to decipher. If you need to trouble shoot, customer service is in France (ie not at all in a close time zone). And you will need to download some files from the SIM card for them. It’s a whole thing.
Also, the Pixio has five pieces that need to be charged (the robot, three beacons, the watch) in addition to the camera. And none of them have indicators beyond green light charged/red light low (so if it’s green, how charged is it? Is it almost red or totally charged?). The SoloShot has only two pieces that need to be charged, and they charge on one cable (unlike SIX for the Pixio), and the robot/camera and tag have indicators to tell you how charged they are.
My opinion is that neither technology is really there yet. It might actually be cheaper to just hire a barn rat to video you once a week or so.
I have a PIXIO but have only used it indoors at this point. It works great!! I have had it since 2016 so have been able to use it a lot. The customer service is amazing! If you have questions, they are there to answer them. Whenever there is a software update with enhancements, you can download it and upgrade the robot. One of the chargers stopped working and they sent me a new one. I think you can buy an adapter so you can use your Smartphone, but I haven’t tried that yet. I use a Sony digital video camera. In terms of set-up, you need to make sure you charge everything fully before you use it. It takes about 3 minutes to set up the micro-beacons around the arena and turn it on, it’s not difficult at all. You can record or pause using the watch you wear. I can’t wait to try it outside this year! Let me know if you have more questions!
I have a wide angle video camera, put in a big memory card, & a tripod I bought in college 20 yrs ago, lol. it was much cheaper. No robots or gps required. indoor or outdoor.
This is what I do!
Me three. Mine was around $80. It doesn’t do a bad job for the price.
I am another one trying to decide between the two. Have seen a lot of people with issues setting up the soloshot and have yet to see a video that is zoomed in enough on the rider. However, the price point right now is very appealing compared to the pixio who’s $1000 setup doesn’t even include a camera. Setup and zoom capabilities look easier on the pixio. I saw somewhere that battery life for the pixio is only 2 hours? Does anyone know how long it is for the soloshot?
I ordered the Optic 25 on sale a few months ago directly through the Soloshot website. I got a shopify receipt and order number but nothing else. It appeared on my doorstep within a week, but I never got shipping notices or anything. I LOVE it! So much easier to set up than the SS2 and it’s worked wonderfully for tracking my rides at home.
FWIW my Soloshot2 had issues where the base stopped working, and they sent me a new one right away and it worked great. This was a couple years ago, but I found the customer service to be excellent at that time.
I bought the Optic 65 Soloshot 3 last July. Use it a lot! I mainly only ride outdoors, so the indoor accessory was not a big deal to me. It has a learning curve to it and is finicky, but I pretty much have my set up down. Recorded every ride on every horse and it has been so helpful. I bought the Optic 25 (supposedly used off of Amazon but it was a great price) in February. Now I can set up the two cameras in different spots of my arena for different angles. I can honestly say I have had great success with both units and most of the problems encountered were user error and not the product itself.
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