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What Camera / Camcorder?


wallboy

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I never really liked the quality from the old gopro hero hd, it was difficult to get crisp video with vivid colors unless the exposure was right, at least compared to the canon HV20 I used before but that one had it's issues as well.

I bought the new one anyway, and it definitely is an improvement, but I haven't had the chance to film much with it yet. Do a search for hero2 on youtube to get an idea what the quality is like.

One of the strong points with gopro is all the different mounts available. It's easy peasy to mount the camera on the helmet for instance. It is also very durable and the case is waterproof and it's easy to film with. Very practical.

The gopro has a wide angle lens that helps to make the picture look more stable, but it does distort the video (the horizon looks bent) some like the effect. some don't.

One of the best quality you can get is to use a dslr camera. Big drawback with that is it isn't user friendly at all. But if you know how to use it some pretty nice video can be captured. Search for canon 550d or similar on youtube. If filming is the main purpose and quality matters this is probably the best choice, if you can accept that it isn't point and shoot. For filming it isn't necessary to have super sharp lenses so it is possible to get away with used one, or cheaper brands. There is a lot of information on how to film with these cameras.

I haven't found the dream camera yet. Almost all cameras today use rolling shutter including the dslr. If the camera has global shutter instead as the old video cameras had it is much easier to get at good result for stabilizing the video in post production. With the rolling shutter the movie gets a slight jello-effect when the filming isn't steady.

One big drawback is that it doesn't use auto focus in film.

I got the canon 7D, heavy and unpractical in the air but shoots lovely photos and the combination of taking pictures when I want to and filming when I want to appeals to me.

Example of the Canon 550D dslr:

[youtubevideo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkoE0kgAGpM[/youtubevideo]

Example of gopro hero2:

[youtubevideo]

[/youtubevideo]
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I'm struggling to get consistently good results with any point & shoot camera (I've now tried 3) in anything except perfect conditions. l'm seriously thinking of trying my DSLR (for stills only) as it's much faster & more responsive but it's going to be a pain to use.

Keen to get any tips from those that have tried it.

My Gopro is fine for video.

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I’ve been looking at this topic too.

I have the gopro and its ok but not that great (getting a little tired of it)

Drift HD Action Camera $298.99

Not good quality and big price but small

1080p High Definition

60fps in 720p

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/25/drif ... am-review/

ContourROAM $189

Quality average water poof to 1 meter

full 1080p

Contour+ Camera $499

Interesting cam good colous and 5meg pictures but big price tag

720p 60 FPS

Really nice comparison video

you will not want to buy the other Contours after watching this

VIO POV.HD Helmet Camera $599

720p 60 FPS

This buy all reviews is the best if you ok to spend the cash

Review

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/pov- ... ra-review/

Skier219 1 year ago

I have tested all of the typical POV cams for shooting extreme skiing, and nothing comes close to the VIO (we have used the non-HD model for years with great results). I don't see how you could even mention the GoPro or Contour in the same sentence -- they are not even close in many key areas.

Three factors that make the VIO superior are it's low-profile helmet mount (we prefer side-mount to the goggle strap), it's remote control that lets you easily start/stop and tag video clips, and it's superior cold weather battery life. There's a benefit to having the recording unit wired separate from the camera head -- you get to keep it and the batteries stashed safely inside a ski jacket where it can stay warm and extend battery life significantly. To give you an idea how much of a factor that is, we routinely saw just 15-25 minutes of battery life (using lithiums, no less) from both the GoPro and Contour non-HD models in cold weather (12-15F). In the same conditions, the older non-HD VIO POV would run 6-8 hours continuously on NiMH rechargeables, with more to spare at the end of the day. That is a huge difference.

Nowadays, the GoPro is the equivalent of a beanie propellor hat for skiers -- strap one on your helmet if you want to look like a dweebish gaper on the slopes. On the other hand, if you're a pro or just want to film like a pro, the VIO is the only game in town. My advice is to take the money you'd spend on a GoPro and put it towards the VIO. Then book keep the savings in battery costs down the road, as it will make up a large part of the difference.

Gopro 2 $299

720p 60 FPS

http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/24/gopr ... -2-review/

Interesting thought

GZ-VX700 Full HD Camcorder

http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?mo ... 71&page=15

236 g

Gorpro 2 is

290g

I'm really thinking of going to a small handy cam. I dont think you can beat the video with a DSLR and POV cam. I have a D90 for my stills but I would like a cam for house and flying.

Anyone interested and starting a cam search?

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For DSLR stills, what I do.

You need to pick up a shoulder strap that attaches to your camera but does not actually connect to the strap. The strap has an attachment that connects to the cam but lets it free slide up and down the actual shoulder strap. does that make sense?

Here is the strap I have (look how the camera is attached to the clip).

http://www.blackrapid.com/product/camera-strap/rs-7/

Now the reasoning behind this is. You don't want a normal neck strap, during running and landing it could jump up and take a few teeth out really easy!

This strap allows the camera to slide down under your coat without issue. There is also a stopper that will not allow the camera to slide right down beside you leg to impair the harness connections or running.

When flying get some height unzip you coat and slide the camera up and take your pictures. lay the cam in you lap fly for a bit take some more. Coming in for a landing drop the cam back in your coat and your set.

This strap will fit any cam with 1/4 attachment (standard tripod)

It took me a black and blue chin to figure all this out!

cheers,

Tom

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For DSLR stills, what I do.

You need to pick up a shoulder strap that attaches to your camera but does not actually connect to the strap. The strap has an attachment that connects to the cam but lets it free slide up and down the actual shoulder strap. does that make sense?

Here is the strap I have (look how the camera is attached to the clip).

http://www.blackrapid.com/product/camera-strap/rs-7/

Now the reasoning behind this is. You don't want a normal neck strap, during running and landing it could jump up and take a few teeth out really easy!

This strap allows the camera to slide down under your coat without issue. There is also a stopper that will not allow the camera to slide right down beside you leg to impair the harness connections or running.

When flying get some height unzip you coat and slide the camera up and take your pictures. lay the cam in you lap fly for a bit take some more. Coming in for a landing drop the cam back in your coat and your set.

This strap will fit any cam with 1/4 attachment (standard tripod)

It took me a black and blue chin to figure all this out!

cheers,

Tom

Just ordered one of these, although I thought £50 is a bit steep for a strap :shock:

Hope it turns out to be good enough for me to forget the price.

Thanks for the heads up on this Tom :)

Dan

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Nothing is perfect but I hope it works for you. This strap is by far the best strap for traveling. When you traveling and walk around you can more the strap so the camera hangs in the mid of your back, so comfortable for a big camera. I have a little giggle when I see people walking around with a DSLR hanging from their neck. Man that has to be uncomfortable. Hiking this strap is not bad as well.

anyway hope it works for you..... yea I paid about the same.

Tom

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