Video cameras and bikes?

[woodboats]

I know there are some folks on here who are great with a camera and am hoping to pick your brains a bit.
I have a digital camera but am looking to get some sort of video camera to try some riding shots. Don't want to break the bank with one but any advise would be greatly appreciated. A few questions:
-Type/brand of camera?
- how to either mount on bike or helmet? (at the moment I can only invision lots of duct tape)
-how to get good sound(not all wind noise) when motoring?
-any other hints that may apply
Thank you

[Her_C4]

Talk to Gunner

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/member.php?u=946

[WasPhantom]

Currently I have something fitted very similar to this;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzuk...spagenameZWD1V

Works stunningly well, and means I can attach any type of video camera (or, handily the one I already owned ) to my 'bike.

[zxcvbnm]

Best cheap option at he moment is probably a Oregon Scientific ATC2K.

The standard mount is junk, it works alot better if it's not flapping around. There's a few mods like tape on the battery's to stop them rattling around and I just fixed the mic so it works a bit better now since this vid.



Polystyrene is good and light and doesn't remove body parts if you crash. Heres one I prepared earlier.

[wickle]

Best cheap option at he moment is probably a Oregon Scientific ATC2K.

The standard mount is junk, it works alot better if it's not flapping around. There's a few mods like tape on the battery's to stop them rattling around and I just fixed the mic so it works a bit better now since this vid.



Polystyrene is good and light and doesn't remove body parts if you crash. Heres one I prepared earlier.

Have u seen any reports on ATC3K supose to be release this month, Oregon Scientific have it on they web site.

[fence post]

hey,did u have any problems with ur scientific camera switching off at random?when i had mine at the track i only got a total of 12mins recording time from 4 20mins sessions!brand new energiser rechargable batteries.

[wickle]

hey,did u have any problems with ur scientific camera switching off at random?when i had mine at the track i only got a total of 12mins recording time from 4 20mins sessions!brand new energiser rechargable batteries.

When i work for a Camera shop rechargable battery's for digital cameras were always a problem higher the rating the better. Just before I left we were only reckmending 'AA" rechargable batteries with 2200 or more anything lower did not last,

[zxcvbnm]

hey,did u have any problems with ur scientific camera switching off at random?when i had mine at the track i only got a total of 12mins recording time from 4 20mins sessions!brand new energiser rechargable batteries.

Yea thats what the tape on the batteries fixes, makes them a tight fit in there holes instead of slopping around.

[ACTION CAMZ]

I know there are some folks on here who are great with a camera and am hoping to pick your brains a bit.
I have a digital camera but am looking to get some sort of video camera to try some riding shots. Don't want to break the bank with one but any advise would be greatly appreciated. A few questions:
-Type/brand of camera?
- how to either mount on bike or helmet? (at the moment I can only invision lots of duct tape)
-how to get good sound(not all wind noise) when motoring?
-any other hints that may apply
Thank you

I used to use Video cameras with separate bullet type cameras attached. It was a Canon MV730i, along with spy cameras with a custom housing and mount I made. I also remote mounted a mic to a suitable place where there was no wind noise. These items will be for sale soon Here

The problem with these setups are,
They are bulky and dont like to knocked around too much.
You need to run cables everywhere.
You need 2 power supplies, 1 for your video camera, 1 for your camera.
Finding a suitable video camera with AV inputs, as far as I know they don't tend to make them with inputs anymore.


Cameras like the Oregon or GOPro camera are good but they have their problems.

The mic's are placed inside the camera which is no good for wind noise unless you mount the camera somewhere out of the way of wind and therefore restrict the angles and views you can get.

Play back is via TV or Computer, so checking out whether the footage came out OK is not the easiest. Setting up the shot is also a problem as you have no screen to see where its pointing.


Oregon VS GOPro.
Both are solid state (record onto memory vs tape)
Both self contained units
Both waterproof
Both rugged
Oregon resolution is 640x480
GOPro resolution is 512x384
Both take up to 2gb SD card, Both restricted to around an hours footage
GOPro comes with decent mounts
Oregon's are average
GOPro doesn't seem to have any problems recording or with turning off
Oregon's problems can be easily fixed
Oregon's shape makes its easier to just tape it on or cable tie it somewhere
GOPro's shape makes it harder to mount
Oregon has the higher resolution but does not seem to have a good as camera as in the GOPro
GOPro doesn't handle going from dark to light quickly very well and doesn't like very low light

Oregon $200 VS GOPro $300

I have both and would go for the Oregon over the GOPro any day.


Another option is a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) instead of a camcorder to record the footage, They are generally solid state (some have HDD's). You can still use any bullet or spy type camera on them but you still have to run the same amount of cables. Most have LCD screens which means you can review and delete unwanted videos without the use of TV or Computer.


As far as mounting the camera goes. You will have to see what you can do with the cameras you have. We use suction cup and clamp mounts as well as a type of Duct tape which is stretchy and very strong, its not a cloth type tape like most Duct tapes. Some people call it 200mph tape.

OR

You could hire the cameras off us at your next trackday .

We use High resolution solid state camera setups that are fully water proof and shock proof (each is worth over $1000). We mount them for you and give you a DVD of your footage at the end of the day. All for a fraction of the cost of buying your own.

For videos check out Here, Here or Here

Hope this was of some help.

[surfchick]

I use sony bullet cams into miniDV camcorder -

had to as some of the v-twins engine note interfere at high revs with unshielded video cables at when mounted near the back of the bike

probably the first complaint ever about a ducati engine note.... mohoho

[ACTION CAMZ]

Yea thats what the tape on the batteries fixes, makes them a tight fit in there holes instead of slopping around.

There are 2 types of problems with the Oregon.
1 is the batteries and the other is the SD card

Wrapping tape around the batteries helps as well as pulling the camera apart and stretching the contacts out down the bottom of the battery compartment.
I have mine in so tight you need long nose pliers to pull them out. When storing it away with the batteries in, take the cap off and open the back flap so that the contacts aren't touching the batteries. That way they will last for months when not being used.

When the camera is apart you can also cut strips of insulation tape and put them above where the SD card sits. This will make it hard for the SD card to be pulled in and out, but you can just use the USB able to download instead.
Doing this pushes the card contacts hard up against the cameras contacts and prevents errors in recording.

And the mic, just replace it with another or attach a mic jack into the camera so you plug a external mic in.

[kiwicam]

Depending on how often you intend to do this (the O P) hiring a cam from actioncamz looks like a good option .Getting any kind of decent footage and sound is not as easy as it looks and the vids he has there look and sound good .

[BIGBOSSMAN]

Action Camz, will you be at the MotoTT trackday on saturday? My Archos DVR had landed but the bullet cam probably won't turn up in time (typical). I'd hire a cam off you if you were there (must be self powered I guess).

[Headbanger]

I use a helmetcamera and mounting system from www.helmetcamera.com plugged into a JVC camcorder. When the JVC dies I'll most likely buy the camera they are selling through the above listed site, Depending on quality of footage.

I believe Hitcher has the full setup so I would be interested in what the captured footage looks like.

Anyway, Quality first, which is why I went with a DV plus helmet camera setup, Shes done may hours of offroad and onroad use, Still going strong. I personally wouldn't buy a standalone helmet camera, Never been impressed by the quality.

A couple of my vids, Though bear in mind they can't be compared to the quality of the footage before it was raped and killed for toutube. Both are old, I have been meaning to do more.

[NordieBoy]

Oregon resolution is 640x480
GOPro resolution is 512x384
Both take up to 2gb SD card, Both restricted to around an hours footage

Or at YouTube quality the ATC2K will do just over 3 hours.