Video camera

[UberRhys]

I am looking for a video camera that I can use on the road, one that attaches to a helmet or bike etc... The one I was quite keen on (http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SCX105.../dp/B0007QN8AG) doesn't seem to be availabe any more.

What (if any) do others use to record rides etc...

[deanohit]

I have a small video camera, but the pic quality is just shit, so most of the time I just use my camera. I either duct tape it to my helmet or (preferably) to a cheap tripod I got and mounted on my handle bars. You can see the results here: http://youtube.com/profile?user=deanohit

Transalper has an awesome set up that has a real high quality pic.

[Bike-aholic]

There is this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/COLOR-HUNTING-CA...QQcmdZViewItem

or the more expensive one you are after

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Samsung-SC-X...QQcmdZViewItem

There are so many out there it's just what price and how you want to hook up to it.

[Kendog]

Check out this thread, plenty of info on this topic.

[Dave-]

get a canon digital stills camera with video mode, and a big memory card, the image stabilizer should reduce the viabrations a bit

[UberRhys]

Check out this thread, plenty of info on this topic.

Sweet, thats very helpful.

get a canon digital stills camera with video mode, and a big memory card, the image stabilizer should reduce the viabrations a bit

Nice, is this what you do yourself? What is the quality like and does it have audio?

[BIGBOSSMAN]

I've just bought the Canon S5iS, I'll mount it on my ZX10 very soon and see what the results are like. Video quality is of broadcast TV standard.

[dmoney]

ive got a olympus mju 770 and i mount it on a quad with a mini tripod and the quality is very good and thats riding in forest where the light can change and the camera keeps up well and with all the moving around the image is stable.These cameras are nice and small and are shockproof and waterproof so wet weather isnt a issue. hope this helps

[Transalper]

I've just bought the Canon S5iS...Video quality is of broadcast TV standard.

Who told you that? As far as I can tell the maximum movie resolution that camera records in is more like 640x480 at 30 fps which is only VGA and closer to the American NTSC TV format but quite different to New Zealands PAL system which is 720x576 at 25fps..
It should still give a nice enough picture but I don't think a Television cameraman or technician or who ever would call it broadcast quality. I imagine it would need to drop frames somehow and may stretch/crop or add black boarders to play properly on New Zealand's PAL TV system.
When i mix video recorded in 640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec.) with proper PAL stuff and put it on DVD the 30fps stuff often looks a little odd when it is converted and played on TV. It's not so noticeable on internet movies.

[BIGBOSSMAN]

Who told you that? As far as I can tell the maximum movie resolution that camera records in is more like 640x480 at 30 fps which is only VGA and closer to the American NTSC TV format but quite different to New Zealands PAL system which is 720x576 at 25fps..
It should still give a nice enough picture but I don't think a Television cameraman or technician or who ever would call it broadcast quality. I imagine it would need to drop frames somehow and may stretch/crop or add black boarders to play properly on New Zealand's PAL TV system.
When i mix video recorded in 640 x 480 pixels (30 frames/sec.) with proper PAL stuff and put it on DVD the 30fps stuff often looks a little odd when it is converted and played on TV. It's not so noticeable on internet movies.

Ok ok, it looks like broadcast television on MY old tv! It's pretty good though, I can grab one of the new 1080P consumer cameras from work (I work for Canon) to 'test' I guess, but the quality is not bad considering the S5IS is a still camera first and foremost.

[ZeroIndex]

I really hope this helps Rhys... saw this about two days ago coincidentally
http://www.vespagt.com/handycam.html

[Transalper]

I'd say the 1080p would put my gear to shame and costs as much as my helmet camera and handy cam together. Good to see the 1080p records on to Tape as a lot of people have been fooled in to thinking a camera that records on to DVD is better. It's not. Not only is the picture quality worse than a DV tape recording but it's more expensive buying mini DVDs to record on, and then any knock or big vibration could potentially corrupt the disc buggering your recording where as on tape all you get is a little interference at that moment.

[Dave-]

no i dont have one that's how I'd try it, I dunno if it'd actually work.

transalpine, the S5 IS should do 1024x768 at 15fps too, which is even more useless than 640x480 at 30fps....

there is however the canon FX1 which can do 1080i res....but its like 799 or something.

oh and yes they do stereo audio, but it'll be crap so id turn it off and save space for longer playback, record sound seperatly and edit it togeather, failing that I'd turn it off and just play music over the video.

edit: and transalpine, sony are touting that their DVD cameras wont skip...that's when they work...TVNZ aparently had problems with them when they converted.

[Zukin]

I'd say the 1080p would put my gear to shame and costs as much as my helmet camera and handy cam together. Good to see the 1080p records on to Tape as a lot of people have been fooled in to thinking a camera that records on to DVD is better. It's not. Not only is the picture quality worse than a DV tape recording but it's more expensive buying mini DVDs to record on, and then any knock or big vibration could potentially corrupt the disc buggering your recording where as on tape all you get is a little interference at that moment.

What camera system do you run?
Is is a helmet camera?

Cheers Scott

[Transalper]

My current setup...
Sorry the numbers aren't in order in the picture

1 battery clip, I'm using 8 AA batterys to power the helmet camera. Supposed to use 12volts DC but the rechargables are only about 1.2 volts each, also was told running off the bike may cause interferance with voltage variation through the changing revs etc. (batterys go in plastic waterproof box)
2 Audio plug (goes in plastic waterproof box)
3 Video plug (goes in plastic waterproof box)
4 Remote button plugs in to LANC port on handycam. Hard to get a handy cam that supports the remote.
5 Mic
6 Helmet camera stuck on with 3m Dual Lock Velcro
7 Sony Handycam (goes in plastic waterproof box)

Plastic box usually goes in a bag and inside the box the handycam is wrapped in a bit of padding.
Other camera setups include a bag etc for $600ish. The remote is usually extra.
The Handie cam does the recording and I guess any one with an analogue input will do, but to support the remote the only one I could find recently was a Sony DCR-HC96E costing about $1000 all on its own, then that really needed a longer life battery as well.
Up in the North Island I'd be talking to the guys at http://nzhelmetcamz.co.nz/ in Taupo. I have emailed them on a few things but already had my kit when I spoke to them. I'd like to try them for my next camera but that may be a while away.