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Author Topic: Bike Mounted Video Camera  (Read 5777 times)

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hard10

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Bike Mounted Video Camera
« on: June 09, 2009, 12:55:23 AM »

I saw MagicRat online yesterday and it got me thinking about a camera again. My buddy Tommy found one about a year ago that looked really cool. I'm looking at several and was wondering if anyone had any input? Pros & Cons? I'm looking for a complete system with a bullet camera and mount, utilizing SD cards for storage.


POV.1 Adventure Video Camera

Twenty20 VHoldR CountorHD

MOTOCOMM DSR-100 Camera and Digital Recorder System


edited to fix links
« Last Edit: June 09, 2009, 06:12:15 PM by hard10 »
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hard10

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2009, 02:07:41 AM »

Here's the POV 1.5 MOTO. This one is $649 w/ free shipping.

Twolanerider

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2009, 02:34:49 AM »

Video from the saddle is something I've never done AJ.  Admired the efforts of others though.  I just keep shooting boring square pictures though.  When you figure out which cool new toy you're going to play with be sure and share the video :2vrolijk_21: .
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hard10

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2009, 03:06:23 AM »

Video from the saddle is something I've never done AJ.  Admired the efforts of others though.  I just keep shooting boring square pictures though.  When you figure out which cool new toy you're going to play with be sure and share the video :2vrolijk_21: .

I'm in awe of some of the videos I've seen. I just thought it might be something neat to do. After I make a discussion, I'll be sure to post.

I just found the new Motocomm DSR-1003G for about $349. A little more reasonable price range.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2009, 06:24:16 PM by hard10 »
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magic-rat

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2009, 08:36:39 AM »

Howdy all.

On bike cams.  It's a matter of personal preference really.

Cost aside, the most important decision you have to make is wether or not you want to make high quality DVDs or just post on the Internet.

High quality DVDs mean you need to film in at least NTSC resolution (720x480 px).  If you just want to post on the Internet, then you can do with less resolution (like 512x384).  Also, you need a camera that is fast enough to keep up with the action, so you need at least 30 frames per second (fps).

ANYTHING LESS THAN 512x384 px and 30 fps is a TOTAL WASTE OF TIME (... and unfortunately that's most of them out there).

So,  my choices are:

For high quality:  POV 1.5 MOTO ... http://www.vio-pov.com/products/pov_15m.php[/url

For Internet posting:  GoPro or GoPro-Wide Motorsports Hero ... http://www.goprocamera.com/index.php?area=2&productid=5

For the money, the GoPro is pretty damn hard to beat.  If you want to film bikes in front or behind you, get the standard GoPro.  If you want to film you on your bike going down the road (eg., speedo shots, hand shots, butt-cam, face cam), then get the "wide" version.

... or just get both.  LOL.  Cameras are like Pringles ... you just can't get away with just one.


« Last Edit: June 09, 2009, 10:13:15 AM by magic-rat »
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mrmagloo

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2009, 10:31:08 AM »

If you have a 'modern' camcorder, which most are rather small nowadays, you can use a Techmount. I normally use the Techmount for my Valentine 1, but it does have the screw fastener thingy and hole for mounting any kind of camera or camcorder. Even through the windshield it's pretty good, as long as you set the focus to manual - infinity. Sure beats buying a bunch of new equipment if you already have a camcorder.
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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2009, 10:38:32 AM »

Cool New Toy!  It would be cool to have mounted for trips!  It would also be a neat idea to film the mods that are being done to the bike - that might even be a business idea. 

It would add a whole new dimension to the GREAT MEMORIES our bikes/rides bring us. :2vrolijk_21:
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hard10

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2009, 11:02:31 AM »

Cool New Toy!  It would be cool to have mounted for trips!  It would also be a neat idea to film the mods that are being done to the bike - that might even be a business idea. 

It would add a whole new dimension to the GREAT MEMORIES our bikes/rides bring us. :2vrolijk_21:

 :huepfenlol2: Maybe we can get a discount?  :huepfenlol2:

If you have a 'modern' camcorder...

That's just it, I don't hence the need for this type.

While the GoPro Wide looks good, I'm leaning towards the Motocomm right now.

magic-rat

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2009, 03:03:16 PM »

FYI.  The MotoCom has only "320x240 at 30 Frames per Second Resolution" ...
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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2009, 03:51:19 PM »

Anyone interested in on-bike-video should take a look at this thread http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=33975.0 .
I think he has it figured out quite well.

Ride safely,
Louis
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hard10

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2009, 06:13:17 PM »

Anyone interested in on-bike-video should take a look at this thread http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=33975.0 .
I think he has it figured out quite well.

Ride safely,
Louis

He is using the second one in my list: Twenty20 VHoldR CountorHD

hard10

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2009, 06:26:48 PM »

FYI.  The MotoCom has only "320x240 at 30 Frames per Second Resolution" ...

Well I guess that changes things.

Sklywag

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2009, 07:37:55 PM »

Check out this post on Pashnit.

The GoPro HERO Vid Cam.  And Tim is selling them at a discoiunt on Pashnit

http://www.pashnit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21832
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magic-rat

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2009, 09:32:32 PM »

He is using the second one in my list: Twenty20 VHoldR CountorHD

Yup, that's a 320X240 video.  For posting to the web, that's OK ... but bigger is better.

Why?

Well, because you can go from a big picture to a small one and retain quality.  But, you can't go from a small picture to a big one and keep quality.

You have probably seen this type of phenomonon with pictures on your computer.  If you have a small lo-res picture and you try to make it bigger, it gets blurry and loses quality.  But, if you have a large hi-res picture and shrink it, the quality is preserved.

Golden rule:  you can make a big image/video smaller ... but you can't make a small image/video bigger

So, with standard video, the magic numbers for resolution are 720x480.  That's the minimum for what I will call broadcast quality video.  Below those resolutions, you will have problems trying to play back on television sets and with DVDs ... and with editing in general.  Almost all the video editing programs I know of are set-up to use 720x480 as optimum settings.

If you can't get 720x480, the next best setting is 640x480 ... and then 512x384 ... and then 320x240.

Trust me on this.  If your videos are good, people will ask for copies.  The conversation usually goes like this:

   "hey, that was a great video, can I have a copy"

   "sure, I can give you a downloadable file (at 320x240) that you can play on your computer"

   "well, I wanted a DVD I could play in my DVD player"

   "I can do that, but it's going to be like watching the video from the bottom of a swimming pool."


Higher resolution is better ...

I shoot everything at 720x480 ... and then compress my videos to smaller size for posting on the Internet.  That way I can make DVDs, downloadable files, or streaming flash videos ... all with good quality.

The lowest resolution I can reasonably use is 512x384 ... and that is pushing it.  

So, if you plan to spend $179 or more, that's why I feel the GoPro line is better than most of the others ... you get substantially higher resolution.

Here's RAW 512x384 from a GoPro ... note the black border around the picture ... that's the delta from true NTSC at 720x480.  The file is 229MB (huge), so "Right-click" on the link below and choose "Save Target As...".  It will take about 15 min to download, but you'll be able to see the size quality that comes out of the camera.

http://www.magicratvideos.com/Temp/OneLap/OneLap.avi

Here's the same file, but compressed to .wmv format ... it's only 22MB.

http://www.magicratvideos.com/Temp/OneLap/OneLap.wmv

Be sure to stretch the videos.  Make them bigger and smaller and see what that does to the quality.  Then try that with the 320x240 video from the other post.  Pay attention to the size of the windows when the file is open.  
« Last Edit: June 09, 2009, 09:39:35 PM by magic-rat »
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hard10

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Re: Bike Mounted Video Camera
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2009, 09:42:01 PM »

Rat, you seem to be favoring the GoPro for obvious reasons. Would you go Standard or Wide? Are they both 720x480? Is there an option of adding a remote bullet camera later? I ask because I'm thinking of where to actually mount the camera.
Thanks, AJ
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