Cheap(er) camera for your bike.

[sil3nt]

Most people can't afford the $500 price tag of the GoPro HD. So they released the GoPro 960 which will probably retail for around $350 here ($250 NZD ish if you buy online). It is missing a few features like 60fps recording (good for slomos) and 1080p but it still records in HD (960p) and will be perfect for recording anything you do on the bike.

http://www.goprocamera.com/products/hd-hero-960-camera.php

Extremely tempting!

[Headbanger]

Now all they need is image stablisation and a microphone jack.

[slofox]

Extremely tempting!

AAugh! Stop bloody tempting me to spend money I haven't GOT!!!

[BoristheBiter]

check out http://www.launchhelmetcams.ca/
Or check out E-bay

I got the Drift HD170 Full hd for $400,
and a mate got the contourHD1080p with waterproof case and extra battery for $490 delivered.

the big let down of the Go pro is there is only two places to mount, head and tank good size though.

[Juzz976]

Still get 60FPS at 848 x 480 ish which I'd say FPS is more important than res, especially as that res is higher than what nz tv has been broadcasted for many years.

I'll just use a webcam with my little mini laptop thingie.

[slofox]

Now all they need is image stablisation and a microphone jack.

Microphone jack would be good.

My ATC2K gives barely sufficient video quality (on you tube anyway) when helmet mounted. But the wind whistling past the helmet is diabolical. Mount the camera on the bike and the sound is better but video worse. Remote mic would help no end.

I'd never recommend the ATC2K actually...you can do way better

[Eddieb]

check out http://www.launchhelmetcams.ca/
Or check out E-bay

I got the Drift HD170 Full hd for $400,
and a mate got the contourHD1080p with waterproof case and extra battery for $490 delivered.

the big let down of the Go pro is there is only two places to mount, head and tank good size though.

You can get Go Pro clamps for handlebars, crashbars and the like also, they do 2 clamp sizes for different bar thicknesses, and I've found the suction cup will stick pretty much anywhere as long as it's flat.

I've run my Go Pro stuck to my headlight quite a few times and it seems to work ok
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X268K-AMh6U?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X268K-AMh6U?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[BoristheBiter]

You can get Go Pro clamps for handlebars, crashbars and the like also, they do 2 clamp sizes for different bar thicknesses, and I've found the suction cup will stick pretty much anywhere as long as it's flat.



But you have to buy them seperate don't you?
Also you can't rotate the lens can you? like on my gixxr its attached to the mirror as there are not flat surfaces to stick it to and the amount i fall off my XR it needs to be protected.

I wasn't saying it was bad, but IMHO the drift and the contour are better.
and the good thing about the drift is it plugs direct into the TV.

[Headbanger]

Still get 60FPS at 848 x 480 ish which I'd say FPS is more important than res, especially as that res is higher than what nz tv has been broadcasted for many years.

I'll just use a webcam with my little mini laptop thingie.

Wandered into Noel Leemings in the last 6 months?

Damn near every TV screen in on the market in NZ has a higher res then that, and after you have seen some HD home footage on a large HD screen you wont ever want anything less.

The shit quality TVNZ broadcasts at can suck my balls.

[Headbanger]

I'd never recommend the ATC2K actually...you can do way better

I've used my ATC2K just the once, Imo its not of good enough quality to waste me time getting out of the cubby hole I stashed it in.

I'd like to get a GoPro HD, But a few years back I spent a lot of money on a quality system that is now so inferior it hurts my eyes.

http://www.helmetcamera.com/


Pity the damn thing wont break.

Damn it, Think I'll just sell the thing.

[slofox]

Anybody ever heard of THIS (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Wx2-Waterproof-HELMET-CAMERA-Sport-Bike-Moto-Video-Cam-/150492853187?pt=AU_Motorcycle_Parts_Accessories&hash=item230a12b3c3)camera? Wx2?

Looks a lot like an Oregon Scientific...

[BoristheBiter]

Still get 60FPS at 848 x 480 ish which I'd say FPS is more important than res, especially as that res is higher than what nz tv has been broadcasted for many years.

I'll just use a webcam with my little mini laptop thingie.

the only thing 60fps is good for is slow mo. other than that you are just wasting memory.

[slofox]

I've used my ATC2K just the once, Imo its not of good enough quality to waste me time getting out of the cubby hole I stashed it in.



That's about how I feel about mine too...

Every so often I get desperate enough to try it again. Always disappointed with the results...

[Eddieb]

But you have to buy them seperate don't you?
Also you can't rotate the lens can you? like on my gixxr its attached to the mirror as there are not flat surfaces to stick it to and the amount i fall off my XR it needs to be protected.

I wasn't saying it was bad, but IMHO the drift and the contour are better.
and the good thing about the drift is it plugs direct into the TV.

Yes you do have to buy them seperate, but your statement was 'There's only 2 places to mount them', whereas thats not quite correct, Yes it does cost extra money though for the clamps. The Go Pro does come with 4 adhesive bases included so you can set those up in different places to get different angles also.
I've never had a need to rotate the lens, the mounting system is sufficiently versatile to cope with any weird angle I've mounted it at. I think you can flip the picture 180 degrees but I've never tried it. Mine came with a cable to plug it directly into the TV too.

Besides all that, mine is standard res and I wouldn't mind getting a HD camera. The Drift does look pretty cool, it looks a lot smaller than the Go Pro and I like the preview screen and remote which the Go Pro doesn't have.
Can you mount the remote anywhere or do you have to stick it in a pocket?

I've not heard many good things about the Contour.

[BoristheBiter]

Anybody ever heard of THIS (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Wx2-Waterproof-HELMET-CAMERA-Sport-Bike-Moto-Video-Cam-/150492853187?pt=AU_Motorcycle_Parts_Accessories&hash=item230a12b3c3)camera? Wx2?

Looks a lot like an Oregon Scientific...

it does look like it, but no never heard of it.

You guys could always just drop them and claim insurance.

[BoristheBiter]

Yes you do have to buy them seperate, but your statement was 'There's only 2 places to mount them', whereas thats not quite correct, Yes it does cost extra money though for the clamps. The Go Pro does come with 4 adhesive bases included so you can set those up in different places to get different angles also.
I've never had a need to rotate the lens, the mounting system is sufficiently versatile to cope with any weird angle I've mounted it at. I think you can flip the picture 180 degrees but I've never tried it. Mine came with a cable to plug it directly into the TV too.

Besides all that, mine is standard res and I wouldn't mind getting a HD camera. The Drift does look pretty cool, it looks a lot smaller than the Go Pro and I like the preview screen and remote which the Go Pro doesn't have.
Can you mount the remote anywhere or do you have to stick it in a pocket?

I've not heard many good things about the Contour.

First i stand corrected about the gopro.
the drift is the biggest of the lot.
The preview screen is not all that but it lets you see if it it pointed correctly.
there are good points and bad for both but picture wise about the same.
the remote has a velcro strap with it. i put it on my handle bars on the XR but don't use it on the gixxer, but its not water proof (the remote that is).

[Eddieb]

First i stand corrected about the gopro.
the drift is the biggest of the lot.
The preview screen is not all that but it lets you see if it it pointed correctly.
there are good points and bad for both but picture wise about the same.
the remote has a velcro strap with it. i put it on my handle bars on the XR but don't use it on the gixxer, but its not water proof (the remote that is).

Oh ok, it looks pretty small in the pictures. For the preview screen thats all I'd need really. I have had times with the Go Pro, especially when I first got it, that I got an hour of ground and maybe the odd wheel, or headless riders etc. It has a preview window like on old cameras but it's next to useless.

Thats good to know about the remote also, it looks waterproof.

[Techno]

GoPro are supposed to be bringing out an LCD screen that attaches to the back of the camera, apparently it's not yet available for pre-order. I emailed them a while ago about it and they said it was to be released "late Summer/early fall 2010"

Have a look at the bottom of the page for the GoPro HD Camera (http://www.goprocamera.com/products/hd-helmet-hero-camera.php).

[steve_t]

Now all they need is image stablisation and a microphone jack.

+1. Image stabilisation would be number one on my improvements wishlist

[willytheekid]

I use a Tachyon XC POV camera....picture is not that great and the sound....yeah...nothing but wind noise lol (water proof casing muffles everything)
But as for mounts, try 3M Dual lock! (its like velcro on steriods!)
I use the 3m on my helmet and its great! , also have a suction cup mount for the tank that is pritty good...but the guzzi shake kind of screws the picture up.

[roadkillnz]

I've got the GoPro HD. I've had it for about 10 months now.
The cut down 960 version might be tempting, but in 10 years, when 40" HD TV's are priced like a 14" TV's today, I reckon you'll regret not having the higher quality.

It's a great camera.. I wouldn't bother with the 1080p mode, as it's a narrower angle for viewing, and seems to have a slight shimmering effect.. but I prefer the wider angled 1280x720p @ 60fps mode anyhow... great for slow-mo's.

Here's some sample footage... (it's been downsampled greatly, the footage when viewed on an HD TV is way better)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZEmXlTeuNg

Hope this helps.

[roadkillnz]

Ohh yeah, forgot to mention, you'll want to set YouTube's quality to the 720p mode (next to the "view fullscreen" button).

[Kendog]

Just to clarify a few things:

the big let down of the Go pro is there is only two places to mount, head and tank good size though.
There are so many places you can mount the Go pro. A lot of attachments come with the camera, plus numerous additional ones are available.


and the good thing about the drift is it plugs direct into the TV.
The Go pro can plug directly into a TV as well. It also plays from a PS3, with the video able to be saved for later viewing.


the only thing 60fps is good for is slow mo. other than that you are just wasting memory.
60fps is also excellent for creating smooth images when the camera is moving at speed. Played back at normal speed, 60fps video from a motorbike looks awesome. Helps the image look more stable and less wavy as well.

[BoristheBiter]

Just to clarify a few things:

There are so many places you can mount the Go pro. A lot of attachments come with the camera, plus numerous additional ones are available.


The Go pro can plug directly into a TV as well. It also plays from a PS3, with the video able to be saved for later viewing.


60fps is also excellent for creating smooth images when the camera is moving at speed. Played back at normal speed, 60fps video from a motorbike looks awesome. Helps the image look more stable and less wavy as well.

As i said above i stand corrected about the gopro but as the only time i have seen them they are on somones head or gas tank.
Didn't say they couldn't be pulged into the tv said it was good the drift could.

But if you need 60fps to make the 1080p look good then the drift and contour are better then as i have no problem running at full def with no change to picture quailty.
the only thing is as the files are .H264 they need a lot of processer power to run.

Again i was not bagging the gopro i was stating that IMHO the drift and contour are better and if you only want to up load to youtube then why get a HD camera?

[roadkillnz]

Hi BoristheBiter,
Have you seen the sample footage from the contour models? I personally found them to have an unbearable amount of shimmering. Go to http://contour.com/ and look at even the companies sample footage. I found it truely horrible on an HDTV..

It's even more than the GoPro HD's 1080p mode, which is thankfully remedied by going to the wider screen'd 720p @ 60fps mode.

Not trying to put the contour down, it's just my observation.
In saying that, I don't know anything about drift camera's. All I can say is I'm a very happy GoPro HD customer.

As others have mentioned, you can mount the GoPro all sorts of places... I usually mount mine on the front of my armour, as it shows how much the bike moves around. When on the helmet, the ole head works too well to stabiliise it, and it looks like you're riding on tarmac
Here's some footage from the chest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vvJPJzdTAA

Cheers
Troy



As i said above i stand corrected about the gopro but as the only time i have seen them they are on somones head or gas tank.
Didn't say they couldn't be pulged into the tv said it was good the drift could.

But if you need 60fps to make the 1080p look good then the drift and contour are better then as i have no problem running at full def with no change to picture quailty.
the only thing is as the files are .H264 they need a lot of processer power to run.

Again i was not bagging the gopro i was stating that IMHO the drift and contour are better and if you only want to up load to youtube then why get a HD camera?

[BoristheBiter]

Hi BoristheBiter,
Have you seen the sample footage from the contour models? I personally found them to have an unbearable amount of shimmering. Go to http://contour.com/ and look at even the companies sample footage. I found it truely horrible on an HDTV.. Have to agree there, some of that is truly shit but i think that has more to do with editing.

It's even more than the GoPro HD's 1080p mode, which is thankfully remedied by going to the wider screen'd 720p @ 60fps mode.

Not trying to put the contour down, it's just my observation.
In saying that, I don't know anything about drift camera's. All I can say is I'm a very happy GoPro HD customer.

As others have mentioned, you can mount the GoPro all sorts of places... I usually mount mine on the front of my armour, as it shows how much the bike moves around. When on the helmet, the ole head works too well to stabiliise it, and it looks like you're riding on tarmac
Here's some footage from the chest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vvJPJzdTAA

Cheers
Troy

Like you i was not trying to put the gopro down, like you it was observations.

When i was looking to see which camera to get i looked at them all and it came down to the contour or drift. the best i did find was the review and video from action cameras sa. it put the gopro, drift and contour side by side.

I have the drifthd170 and my friend has the contour.
Now with both cameras the raw footage is amazing even is SD both look great, the drift has better colour and light but the contour is sharper.
you can look at both youtube channels but it all comes down to the editing, i'm not that good and it shows.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Boristhebiter?feature=mhum#p/u
http://www.youtube.com/user/Frsotyone

as for what it looks like on a HD TV well I can't say i have seen any of the things you have comented on. the only draw back, and this is where the gopro wins, is the sizes.

Again i was not bagging the gopro but when i was looking, the drift is what suited me the best and after using it i can do nothing but say how good it has preformed and at over 250km on the gixxer it looks pretty good to me, and thats mounted to my wing mirror, just the sound is shit but nothing a good backing track can't fix.

[roadkillnz]

Nice footage on both the links, and your mates bails vid is awesome.. been there and done that lol.


Like you i was not trying to put the gopro down, like you it was observations.

When i was looking to see which camera to get i looked at them all and it came down to the contour or drift. the best i did find was the review and video from action cameras sa. it put the gopro, drift and contour side by side.

I have the drifthd170 and my friend has the contour.
Now with both cameras the raw footage is amazing even is SD both look great, the drift has better colour and light but the contour is sharper.
you can look at both youtube channels but it all comes down to the editing, i'm not that good and it shows.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Boristhebiter?feature=mhum#p/u
http://www.youtube.com/user/Frsotyone

as for what it looks like on a HD TV well I can't say i have seen any of the things you have comented on. the only draw back, and this is where the gopro wins, is the sizes.

Again i was not bagging the gopro but when i was looking, the drift is what suited me the best and after using it i can do nothing but say how good it has preformed and at over 250km on the gixxer it looks pretty good to me, and thats mounted to my wing mirror, just the sound is shit but nothing a good backing track can't fix.

[insane1]

i have the contour 1080p who else has one and how good are they.