Action Camera Useage

[eddd]

 

I've been tossing around the idea of getting an action camera. The plan is to use it primarily on my track bike and ATV. I'm hesitating because I can see where the novelty could quickly wear off relegating the camera to the back of a drawer never to be used again.

 

I'm wondering what others have experienced with these camera purchases. Any input is welcome.

[TEWKS]

I've enjoyed using my GoPro the last couple of years. It's been fun learning how to edit footage and trying to improve what and how I shoot.

 

Now looking back at my vids, honestly, they all kinda look the same. I guess your style is your style. I've come to realize that my twenty minute vids are fun to look back at because I was part of the action. Very boring to almost everyone else.

 

Being able to interview someone or take a speaking role would make them a little more entertaining but, that would be terrifying for me.

 

Give it a go, you may be the next Bruce Brown!

 

Pat

[terryofperry]

I've enjoyed using my GoPro the last couple of years. It's been fun learning how to edit footage and trying to improve what and how I shoot.

 

Now looking back at my vids, honestly, they all kinda look the same. I guess your style is your style. I've come to realize that my twenty minute vids are fun to look back at because I was part of the action. Very boring to almost everyone else.

 

Being able to interview someone or take a speaking role would make them a little more entertaining but, that would be terrifying for me.

 

Give it a go, you may be the next Bruce Brown!

 

Pat

 

They are not boring Pat, you do good work, enjoyable to watch.

 

Terry

[TEWKS]

Thanks Terry appreciate that. Oh boy I've got one, now back to the edit room!

 

You know what would be cool and entertaining for most of us on this site. A grand production of the UNRallys. Rides, interviews, dinner, drinks and most of all, names and faces.

 

Pat

[John Ranalletta]

Get a drone with follow me...

 

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01BXY8E9K/ezautofollowdrones-20

 

[Bernie]

I have been using a GoPro Hero4 Silver and I have a similar issue as Pat has. It is very difficult to figure out how to edit the video and be able to show the ride for a certain road. The videos become too long and folks loose interest. Most videos need to be less then 3 minutes, to hold someones attention.

The other problem I have is the incredible huge storage space this videos require.

I think most 12 minute videos are in excess of 4 Gigabytes of storage and this can add up real fast.

I have been mainly recording rides on roads, that are interesting to me, but later reviewing these videos it is quiet boring on the monitor.

I have my camera mounted behind the windshield of the RT and it is difficult to see the lean angle or lane position.

To make it easier to share my videos, I have uploaded most videos to YouTube, which is another time consuming endeavor, but at least there you can share 4K video.

Here are a few examples:

 

or

 

Edited February 18, 2017 by Bernie

[johnlt]

Hi Edddd, I got the smallest GoPro Hero (1 1/2" cube) for my trip to the UN last year. I didn't use it in the video mode but just stills. Mounted it on my helmet when riding up a particularly nice road like Beartooth Pass. I had a remote on the handlebars and I would look in the direction of the scene I wanted to capture and press the remote button. It worked pretty well but battery time was an issue. And, as you said, it is now relegated to the back of the drawer.

[PadG]

I've been tossing around the idea of getting an action camera. The plan is to use it primarily on my track bike and ATV. I'm hesitating because I can see where the novelty could quickly wear off relegating the camera to the back of a drawer never to be used again.

 

I'm wondering what others have experienced with these camera purchases. Any input is welcome.

I had used the GoPro Hero 3 Black for a couple of years, and had mounted the camera on the RT's fairing, and thought I was satisfied with that. Then, I bought the SENA Prism to mount on my helmet (I think that the GoPro looks kinda dorky, IMHO, mounted on the helmet) to record my riding trip going around Scotland a couple of years ago, and now I find that I always ride with the SENA on my helmet all the time! It is quite useful for reviewing any of the rides, and it gives me good record of where I had been and what I had seen. In looking back at all the clips, I find the helmet mount footage to be better (again, IMO) than the bike mounted footage, sine it records everything that I look at.

 

Whether you will enjoy having a camera to record your ride or not has a lot to do with how interested you are with photography and videography! If you have just a slight interest, then there is a good chance that a camera will be just a new toy for you, and it WILL end up at the back of the drawer as you fear! If you go with it, do be prepared to get into video editing, because the raw footage are simply too long and boring if watched in its entirety!

 

Somebody mentioned drone? It just so happen that I had gotten myself one last December! When I go out on my rides, I always have my DSLR in the tankbag, because photography is one of my hobby. Last September, when GoPro announced the introduction of the Karma drone, it caught my attention, just out of curiosity. However, in investigating the whole thing, I ran into this:

 

 

 

I had never even given a thought into drone flying before, but this little thing will actually fits alongside my DSLR in the tankbag! Perfect camera platform that is capable of cinema quality video as well as still photos! This thing is rock stable and very easy to fly, even for a novice like me!! Lots of built-in intelligence that makes the Karma looks like a toy in comparison. I have been flying ths thing, whenever I can, since December now.

[BNA Pete]

I use a Mobius camera mounted behind the windshield on my RT. Good location because it doesn't really need a waterproof case, not so good when the windshield gets dirty or when it's really raining. I also hardwire it so it doesn't go dead on a full day of riding. Having said that, you're really hoping for that one interesting thing worth sharing from a ride, and it doesn't really seem to happen that often. While that twisty road felt exhilarating to you, on video it rarely looks that exciting (unless you're a way better/faster rider than I am). One of my most interesting road videos is when a chicken was standing in the middle of the road - thrilling, right? And they do take a tremendous amount of storage - HD video consumes about 1 GB every 10 minutes. A 32 GB card lasts five hours.

 

I mount two TCL cameras on my GS for dual sport riding, facing front and rear, and also hard wired. Way more "stuff" happens in dual sport riding, at least stuff that other people can be interested in (like your buddy falling in the creek, which you can show everyone at the next club meeting). Two cameras, twice as much storage space needed.

 

No matter what you expect to do with your video, I also like the idea of having evidence at that time a cager ignores my presence (or the rider in front of me) and someone ends up hurt. Nothing beats video in court.

 

In any case, if I remember something interesting I try to edit to a usable clip (less than a minute) as soon as possible. When my 1 TB hard drive starts getting full I just end up deleting everything older than 6 months because I'll never find anything in all that footage anyway.

[RPG]

I agree with the GoPro looking dorky sentiment so I got a Contour camera a few years ago.

 

http://contour.com/

 

RPG

[eddd]

 

Thanks for all the input. I've decided to pass on the idea. Searching through raw video sounds boring enough, and editing even worse. I'm sure I can find a better use for my time.

[Heck]

Thanks for all the input. I've decided to pass on the idea. Searching through raw video sounds boring enough, and editing even worse. I'm sure I can find a better use for my time.

 

 

Like taking a nap??

 

[lkraus]

I keep looking at the Innovv K1 front/rear motorcycle dashcam. Always on, records in chunks of time up to ten minutes, overwrites the oldest chunks unless you press a button to save or a high-G event occurs, GPS to record location and speed, cameras small and easily tucked away. Once installed, no messing with mounts on the dash or helmet, no battery recharging.

 

But, the videos I've seen are a little jerky and a little less sharp than I'd like (usually cannot read license plates).

 

Maybe the next generation will be better.

Edited February 22, 2017 by lkraus

[Indy Dave]

Been following along here, thanks for the thread, uhh... Eddd

 

I, too have been considering this. I suppose like everything, camera choices are fraught with compromises. Storage. Battery Life. Where to mount? What brand? When to film and how much? Add this to keeping your cell and Sena charged, and you can spend every break looking after all of these things. Is it just one more distraction to the ride?

 

 

I've seen some of Bernie's and Pat's videos and I do enjoy them - maybe because I have an interest in the road/riders or terrain. Are they riveting? No, and I'd guess my wife, or non riding friends would tire quickly. Like Bernie and others mention - it is NOT just like being there and it's difficult to tell if one is at maximum lean, etc.

 

I do think that shooting the rider ahead or behind can be quite useful as far as technique and also giving the viewer an idea of lean angles and speed. I like the idea of a helmet mount so what I see is what the camera sees, nice of case of a incident or near miss. Towards that end, I've liked the Sena Prism, but it seems a bit old in the digital cycle and might be due for an upgrade. The Sena is out of the way on the helmet vs pretty much all others.

 

GoPro seems like they nickle and dime you for every little thing. It's versatile (and has higher definition), but in my declining days now, I'm not sure what other activity I'd use it for except monitoring a heart monitor - which seems redundant?

 

There are less expensive options - and BNA Pete has some good ideas with the hard wiring of solid mount cameras that addresses the battery charge issues.

 

EricInIndy has caught two near misses on his cams - one a deer scrambling in front of him.

 

I've thought about the camera option for about 14 days now, and don't feel any closer to a decision - and can understand Eddd's position 100%.

 

I was thinking maybe i should get some molded ear buds instead ......Then the guy I bought my RT from was involved in a hit and run on his bike. He always has his cam on when riding and got the drivers face and license plate. Fortunately, it was a minor impact and he's ok, the camera footage is priceless - more so if this had been a more serious accident. His GoPro is mounted to his helmet, so you see it all unfold. That would not have been the case if the camera was in a 'fixed' position. Prior to this, he would normally post just stupid stuff cagers do on his way to work and back.

 

His experience is the primary reason I'd like the video option. My head starts spinning trying to decide on a implementation path . .

 

[marcopolo]

Now that the OP has made up his mind not to buy a camera, I don't feel bad following along on the tangent the thread has taken. I wanted a camera for my trip to the UnRally last summer, so I checked out the market. I ended up buying the Sena Prism. It's more than adequate for my needs. What I liked was that I could control it by using my Sena intercom (through the phone button, and jog dial). I also was impressed with the number of mounts -- of all descriptions -- that came in the box. I started out using the helmet mount that clamps to the side of the helmet, but before the UnRally I switched to the mount that is affixed with adhesive to the top of my helmet (not nearly as dorky as a GoPro, as the orientation is different, so it's a much narrower profile). I also liked that I can record my voice as I'm riding along, as you can choose to have the camera record to video whatever the intercom mic is picking up (and other riders too, by the way). There's also an external mic on the camera itself, but that's pretty useless when you're riding. In summary, I think it's very good value, given what you get -- and what you don't have to buy (like GoPro) -- and it's really the only one I know of (other than other Sena cameras), that are designed with riders in mind.

 

By the way, you can charge the Prism on the bike (and use it simultaneously), as you're riding, though I bought two spare batteries and a wall charger, so I've never needed to charge it on the fly.

 

As for cameras generally, yes, editing video is a real pain in the a$$.

Edited February 23, 2017 by marcopolo

[PadG]

One very good feature of the Prism is that it uses a lot less power than the GoPro! Case in point - as I have said, I have my Prism on my helmet, but I always (or try to remember to) have it connected to my USB charger that is plugged into the front aux. outlet of the RT. I use a retractable USB cord for this. One day, I forgot to put the USB charger on the RT, and only realized that I had forgotten to plug in my Prism, about 30 miles into my ride! So, I opened up the right tank compartment (when I was stopped, of course) and plugged the Prism to the USB connection there. I know that the connection provides only 800 mA max, but hoped that it would be enough to keep the Prism alive. It was. I had the Prism running for the whole 250+ miles ride.