Mountable Camera's

[Sabie]

Hi everyone

I'm looking for a camera to mount for next years rally, and as usual I'd like to get the best value for money.

I've heard of the Go Pro and the Contour and a couple of others. Could I ask you to name the camera you use on this tread so I can research each make and model so I'm able to make an informed choice.

Thanks guys.

Sabie

[Shiney]

GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition

[ST2UP]

Contour ROAM 2.....we have 2 mounting locations, side of my helmet and over (L) mirror on RAM of side of dash, didn't want to add anymore to bars.

Found the me mount superior to bike......no vibration cause I act as a shock absorber and looks where I look, easier to reach to activate and you have the added advantage of filming when off the bike but still with your lid on.



 

[BigTed]

Drift HD Ghost...

http://www.ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=4486.0

While I'm yet to use it on a proper touring ride,  I'm very impressed with it.

[StinkyPete]

Contour ROAM, and it came with several "stick on" camera mounting plates.   I fabricated my own mount to go on the panel above the instruments, filming through the screen, and also stuck a mount on the right side of my helmet that gives a great view forward and backwards as well.   On 720 resolution, it gives 15 minutes of recording time per Gig of MicroSD Card space, but you do need the high speed (can't remember the class) card to handle the continuous video flow.  Including a 16 gig card, which will give about four hours of video, it cost me about $250.  It's a nice piece of kit.

[Sicman]

Drift x170 on solid mount off left handlebar so camera sits high enough to look over the dash but is protected behind the screen.

[Pocket STocker]

with the camera mounted on the side of Chris's helmet i can turn it on aswell if i see something to film  Then just twist his helmet to stay on the subject, its just like having a remote control 


Pockey 

[Marcus]

There are so many choices all do the same thing...as well as each other...

I have a GoPro Silver edition, it's small enough to fit in my side compartment thingy

[Sicman]

with the camera mounted on the side of Chris's helmet i can turn it on aswell if i see something to film  Then just twist his helmet to stay on the subject, its just like having a remote control 


Pockey 

 

[Sean]

A cheap option to the Drift camera is EXTREME HD Video camera. Can be found on ebay under that name for less than $100. I don't have one but have seen the footage and the quality looks very clear. For the cost it may be worth a look. Check the added postage as some are free and some add $20+.

 

Sean

[Shiney]

In my opinion all the mentioned units are very good at recording video

The reason I went for the GoPro is that the modes can be changed whenever you like (video, pictures, time lapse, resolutions etc) unfortunately some other units (like the Contour) can't be changed without being attached to a computer.

The other thing I like about it is that all the GoPro Hero 3 series can utilize a mobile phone app to control the unit, and see a live feed of what will be captured.
The top of the range Contours also have an app but I found them to be more pricey then GoPro.
I believe the Drift receives all the same details that the apps provide on the small screen on the side of the unit.

To sum up, if you're only after a unit to capture video the Contour is nice an easy to use item, just a slide to switch on or off. The GoPro and the Drift by comparison both have buttons to utilize their functions.

So apart from price these were some of the things I considered before making the choice to purchase the GoPro.

Cheers
Shiney

[Sabie]

Hi Shiney

That's great information mate and just the type I'm looking for. 

[Shiney]

No worries Sabie as I said it's just the information I found when I did my research into video cameras for the bike
I'm sure some of the other guys will be able to provide better real life advice on other things to consider between the brands

[Sicman]

There are so many choices all do the same thing...as well as each other...

I have a GoPro Silver edition, it's small enough to fit in my side compartment thingy

But dont the pictures come out too dark

[Marcus]

 

[ST2UP]

Doh !!!!! 

[Dick B "Yewie"]

Hi Sabie,
We finally got home after a fantastic trip. Thanks again to you and Pauline for your great hospitality. We hope we can return the favour some time. You saw the little video camera I had mounted on my helmet. It is a Replay XD720 (I think it is now only available as the XD1080) and is just a video camera (which is what I wanted). It was about $200 if I remember. The thing I like about it is it is very compact and easy to operate even with gloves on and very stable mounted on my helmet. The GoPro is certainly the state of the art but, aside from the price, they were a bit bulky for my liking and can vibrate on some of the mounts. This is one of the videos we put up in our trip blog

http://youtu.be/uoTDrEkN-Fk

. The quality is actually better on the original raw video but the Windows Live Movie Maker I used to edit and upload to YouTube lowered the quality a little. In case you forgot what it was like, here is the link to the post in our Blog when I first got the camera. http://www.bushellsbikebashes.com/2013/03/11/nearly-there/
I found it was better to take short clips or snippets (3 minutes absolute max) rather than take longer videos and try to edit out the bits you don't want. This would depend on the computer power you have available but our little Netbook really struggled with anything other than short clips and basic editing.
At the end of the day, they are all good, you just need to pick the one that best suits your needs and budget.
Look forward to catching up with you both in Ballarat.
Cheers
Dick B and Ros (STSnuggler)