Filming my ride

[ORen]

Nice work O'Ren! I've got limited bandwidth at work and had to watch the 360p version but even that is fairly crisp. Nice work on the blindspot checking too!

 

Can't wait to get my GoPro HD in the mail. Hopefully it will arrive next week. I bought it from eBay last weekend, and it came out to about S$350 with express shipping. Thankfully came under the S$400 limit where GST is chargeable. Massive savings compared to buying at Vivo.

 

Thanks - I'm the blind-spot freak, I will soon start checking my blind-spot when walking !

I bought the cam from Amazon, $235 (S$297) + S$24 for shipping via V-Post. Didn't know there was a reseller in Vivo(city?), at the time Motoworld was bringing them in for almost S$600 so I went with online shopping.

 

You will absolutely LOVE this little aby ! Even the negative of not having a review screen is not that much of a problem : after playing with a few days, you sort of get the hang of what the lens shoots and how to orientate it.

Really an excellent purchase.. !

[vyruz]

Even the negative of not having a review screen is not that much of a problem : after playing with a few days' date=' you sort of get the hang of what the lens shoots and how to orientate it.[/quote']

 

Yea I read a few reviews that mentioned that as well. I guess if you've got money to burn, you can now get a GoPro LCD screen retrofitted to your HD Hero (http://gopro.com/hd-hero-accessories/lcd-bacpac/).

[vyruz]

Double post

[ORen]

Yeah, meant to get it, but since I'm now comfortable aiming the camera, I figured it's not really needed.

And I'm considering maybe a portable screen, since the camera can record and send live feed to a screen.. So would serve the purpose of helping aiming the camera, but also playing the videos when on the road for myself or others..

I'm no expert in portable LCDs so I have no clue what to look for, but I'll do some digging.

[scubasimon]

Hey O'Ren. Which Mac are you using to edit your vids?

[ORen]

Any mac will do, iMac or MacBook, I use iMovie to edit the videos. There are other more advanced video editing softwares for mac that are a bit more extensive with more features, but I didn't have the time or courage to dive into them.

iMovie is a native app that comes with all Macs, it's fairly simple to use and I think it can do anything you'd need for a youtube video.

 

The only thing I want to research more is the format and compression of videos.

With HD you get huge files, and even when I pick 2min of footage only, I end up with a 400MB file after editing. Uploading this to youtube takes time.. I have to find a way to make it smaller without compromising the quality..

 

How do you usually mount your GoPro ? I've tried the following :

 

- Rollbar mount on the handlebar : not high enough even with all the pivots added, still captures the windshield. Quite a it of vibrations

- Curved sticker mount on top of the helmet : so far my favorite, easy on and off, can't forget the camera, no vibrations but head movements

 

I haven't tried the suction cup - seen too many failed attempts with the camera crashing so not super keen. Maybe I'll try on the tank..

I haven't tried a sticker mount on the fairing itself, afraid there's gonna be too much vibration

I saw a video with a rollbar mount mounted around the footrest of the pillion, that could be pretty cool..

 

What about, what did you try, what works best for you ?

Edited April 6, 2011 by O'Ren

[scubasimon]

On the contrary. It is painfully slow on my Mac mini. Am thinking of getting an MBA or MBP but not sure how it will be with FCP.

 

As for mounting. I like to use the handle bar mount. I mount it on my crash bars for front facing shots. I like to have the perspective of seeing part of my bike in the shots. I mount it on my top box bracket for rear facing shots. My bike does not show up on those shots though.

 

My preferred angles are low ones with the camera mounted on the bottom of the crash bar, extended downwards and outwards, upside down. I like to use the suction cup on the tank and on my wind shield too. Just have a lanyard tied to it in case it comes loose though it never did.

[ORen]

Yeah I see, FCP is probably too demanding for Mac mini to handle. But iMovie shouldn't be ..

MBA can handle FCP perfectly - it's just a lot of money to fork for something that only has the advantage of being light compared to a MBP.

Thanks for sharing your mounting options, will try crash bars and windshield

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Having 4 hours of battery life means I can film more than just the ride.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I7D1NOzMIU

[belgarathc]

Hi,

 

I watched the embedded video and it's already very crisp and clear.

 

It seems that HD is not really necessary?

 

Any idea how it compares to the Contour brand?

 

I should have bought this for overseas rides, so many wasted opportunities.

 

Hiya everyone,

 

I started working on the videos captured by my GOPRO HD HERO camera.

This is the first video I put together, here's the background info:

 

Shot with GOPRO HD HERO Motorsprots camera mounted on the top of my helmet with a 3M sticker curved mount.

The camera was inclined slightly to try to capture as much of the front bike view without including the bike, as well as the surroundings.

The camera is in R5 mode: Full HD, Highest resolution, 19:9, 1080p (1920x1080), 30 fps. This is also a mode that's 27% less wide than the widest mode. I'll post video of all modes as I go through them.

The video was shot at the end of the afternoon, so the sun is still out there, shining at the camera's lens, you'll see purple dots - that's sun flare. I think it's pretty cool

The video was shot along Bukit Timah Rd, going from Bugis junction to Upper Bukit Timah. I ride a Pulsar 200cc, 1 year old bike.

I only picked about 2 min of footage to give you an idea of the quality and the width of the shot.

 

Very important: if you watch the video embedded below, you will only get a 360p resolution.

To see the video at its FULLEST resolution of 1080p, you have to open it in Youtube and then select the 1080p HD resolution from the video menu (bottom right side).

To open the video in youtube, click on the YOUTUBE logo on the bottom right corner of the video.

 

This is best viewed full screen !

 

[belgarathc]

Just realised that there are 2 HD versions, one 960 and one 1080.

 

http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-HD-HERO-960-Camera/dp/B003YMN3O6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1302400070&sr=8-3

[ORen]

Yes they are, but to my knowledge the 960 version isn't enhanced anymore, and it's recommended to go with the 1080. I suspect they will discontinue the 960 at some point.

I haven't recorded yet a video non-HD. If it looks crisp even if the resolution is low, it's probably because to start with, it comes from a HD video - when you upload it to youtube, youtube creates - I suppose, not sure - lower resolutions to allow fast loading of the video.

I'll do some rides with the other resolutions and post them up soon so you can see the difference.

 

I can't say I'm familiar with the contour camera you're talking about, maybe you can look up youtube/vimeo videos of both to compare ?

it's definitely a very good thing to bring on an iverseas trip if you're gonna ride

[belgarathc]

Thanks for the reply, I read more reviews and I am getting excited.

 

http://helmetcameracentral.com/2010/10/12/gopro-hd-hero-960-review/

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Some notes for the following video -

 

1) Depicts typical commuting scene. Sometimes we have no choice but to squeeze between lanes to get somewhere on time. There are no alternative routes or easy escape lane in the area of this filming.

 

2) The speed is only 10-40kph, but look how scary it is from the camera's perspective.

 

3) HD-capable camera on improvised mount. Work needs to be done in terms of vibration suppression (which my Nokia handphone doesn't suffer from?). But doesn't the vibration and sound make it even more scary!?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2J9Tc41m_c

 

Ride safely - it may be routine to you but record it down and see how it really looks like from an observer's perspective.

[TwoWheelsOnly]

HI GUYS,

 

saw these while searching for cameras. Seems to be good and user friendly.

http://contour.com/

[belgarathc]

May I ask for those who mount their videocams on helmets, do you mount it on top or at the side of the helmet?

[ORen]

You can do both, gives you a different angle. On top of the helmet you can get a wider view of the road, your lane and the oncoming traffic as well. You can also catch your speedometer on the video is you want, at the sme time as recording the road infront of you. Also, a top helmet mount will allow you to film behind you by turning the camera of fixing it facing the back. This can be cool when riding in a group and you're the lead bike.

 

If mounted on the side, the angle isn't that different, but the camera is less visible, and attracts less attention.

[belgarathc]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I worry that mounting at the side would give a bad viewing angle.

 

And I thought having a camera on the top of my head would be a little funny.

 

I should be receiving my items next week.

[ORen]

Gopro ?

On top of the helmet people will definitely stop you to ask you questions, other riders will take risks to stare at it and you're in for a treat if you cross the customs with it

But it does the job perfectly. I have yet to try on the side of the helmet.. will post the video when I do it

[belgarathc]

Yep, GoPro 960.

 

Haha, thanks for the reminder.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Camera testing. Need to wear the thing higher next time.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YROv3Y3U8A

 

Takes great pictures too, both day and night

[blackant]

Camera testing. Need to wear the thing higher next time.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YROv3Y3U8A

 

Takes great pictures too, both day and night

 

Nice image. If can mount it on the tank with clear view would be good.

[belgarathc]

Just received my gopro 960 and was quite overwhelmed by the number of accessories. Some comments and questions:

 

1) To me, it seems like the optimal position is at the helmet front, as shown in the first image of the guide. But if I do this, it means that the camera will be upside-down. I remember reading somewhere that there is a function to record in such a manner.

 

2) Do I need to apply any adhesive to the head strap mount?

 

3) If I keep changing helmets, does it mean I have to change the adhesive tape as well? Or I can purchase additional mounts.

 

4) Are the 3M adhesive tapes easily available? How much does it cost?

 

I will go for a trial run this weekend.

[ORen]

Just received my gopro 960 and was quite overwhelmed by the number of accessories. Some comments and questions:

 

1) To me, it seems like the optimal position is at the helmet front, as shown in the first image of the guide. But if I do this, it means that the camera will be upside-down. I remember reading somewhere that there is a function to record in such a manner.

 

2) Do I need to apply any adhesive to the head strap mount?

 

3) If I keep changing helmets, does it mean I have to change the adhesive tape as well? Or I can purchase additional mounts.

 

4) Are the 3M adhesive tapes easily available? How much does it cost?

 

I will go for a trial run this weekend.

 

1) you need to upgrade the firmware (go to the official website for that), that will give your cam the option to record upside down.

 

2) I don't own a head strap mount. I don't think you do if the mount has a base on it already, you just need to clip the camera or screw it on. When I record from the helmet, my gopro is fixed on the top of my helmet with a curved adhesive mount (comes in the box). I don't need a head strap and it's much easier cause the cam isn't in the way when I take off my helmet or put it back on.

 

3) in my box I had several curved adhesive mounts. If you don't have them you can purchase them (amazon has the best prices from what I saw). You only have to fix a curved adhesive mount on each helmet and clip the camera to it !

 

3) if you're referring to the adhesive mounts, they come in two models: curved and flat. They are sold for about 25 usd a bag of many. (sorry can't remember how many). They are made of 3M adhesive tape fixed to a plastic base. The camera then clips on the base. Don't you have those in your camera box or did you buy the camera naked without anything else on purpose ? If by accessories you mean the ones that come with the camera in the packaging then you must have curved mounts for the helmet.

 

An excellent source of videos and infos of all sorts about the GoPro is the Eye Of Mine website. Google it, the guy made aftermarket mounts for the gopro but more importantly he recorded tons of video tutorials on how to use the camera and accessories. Also do a search on Vimeo for GoPro and you'll find a bunch of very useful videos to guide you with the accessories and mounts.

[vyruz]

Finally had a chance to do a proper test run of my GoPro HD at PG earlier this week.

 

I managed to get only 30 minutes of recording before the battery died on me. I was fuming thinking I may have got a bad battery. Then I read in a forum somewhere that some batteries may require cycling from full to empty a couple of times before they can hit full charge. Tried this at home (full charge, then leave it to record until battery runs out, repeat three times), and now it works fine. So if you're having battery problems, I recommend trying this.

 

For those of you looking for a way to have a removable/relocatable safety line on your GoPro to stop it flying off if the normal mounting fails, here is what I did.

 

1. Get a nylon-coated wire line from a fishing shop. Most will come with sleeves to help you crimp the wire line. Cost = $2-3.

2. Crimp one end of the wire line around the exposed part of the GoPro housing hinge (in the middle of the hinge - see pic below).

3. Crimp the other end of the wire line into a loop (see pic below). You can later thread the loop around a climbing hook, with or without a keychain ring. Cost = 80c per hook. You can see the keychain ring and climbing hook I used in the third pic below.

4. Find a place on your bike on which to hook the climbing hook.

 

This securing method worked a treat for the two places I had my camera. Photos below. For the tail mount, the hook was hooked onto the pillion grab strap. For the headlight fairing mount, the wire line was threaded through the hole where the side mirrors would normally be, and the hook was hooked onto the line itself (i.e. looped around itself).