If you're paying up to $550 for a GoPro actioncam, you'd better be sure that you're allowing it to deliver the best footage possible. The ActionBox Cine housing is designed to make that happen, with an adjustable lens shade, quick-mount filters and more.
Invented by Seattle-based videographer Ulysses Glanzrock, the ActionBox is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. It's compatible with GoPro Hero models 9, 10, 11 and 12. Versions for the Insta360 Ace Pro, along with the DJI Osmo 3 and 4, are in the works.
The device is made primarily of a nylon polymer, with stainless steel hardware. Like the stock Hero housing, it helps protect the camera in the event of falls and other mishaps … but it also does a lot more.
On top of the ActionBox is an adjustable-angle lens shade that can be tightened in place via a screw clamp to prevent lens flares. As an added bonus, that shade can be folded all the way forward to form a protective cover over the front of the camera when not in use.
The housing additionally incorporates a circular polarizing filter, which sits overtop of the Hero's lens. Users adjust the polarity of the filter via a thumb wheel on the side of the ActionBox.
Included in the package are three square neutral-density filters (grades ND8, ND16 and ND32), which simply pop on and off of the housing thanks to neodymium magnets in their aircraft aluminum frames. Up to two of the filters can be stacked together.
They're made by partnering company Camera Butter, and feature Gorilla Glass which is nano-coated on both sides with anti-scratch, anti-smudge and anti-glare coatings. The filters are kept in an included hard case when not needed. And just to clarify, they're used along with the polarizing filter, not instead of it.
A cold shoe mount on one side of the ActionBox allows for the attachment of accessories such as shotgun mics, which can be plugged into the camera's USB port using an included audio adapter. It's additionally possible to remove the lens shade and replace it with an included second cold shoe, for attaching lights or other gadgets.
On the underside of the housing is a quarter-inch threaded tripod hole along with a fold-out GoPro-style mount.
Assuming the ActionBox Cine reaches production, a pledge of US$119 will get you one – the planned retail price is $165. Its features are demonstrated in the video below.
UPDATE (Aug. 30/24): Two new stretch goals have been added to the Kickstarter campaign. An upgrade to saltwater-resistant ceramic bearings will be unlocked when total funding reaches $25,000, while an optional magnetic dive filter set will be unlocked when funding gets to $30,000.
Sources: Kickstarter, Dragonfly Optix