Go Pro Testing and reports

Just the sounds of the machine

This one is for you Billy. Sans music, or much of anything else, just the sounds of banging through the dirt.

Enjoy.

[video=youtube;D88VgeQu0jU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D88VgeQu0jU[/video]
 
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Boy Lee! You have some mighty awesome places to play around in! There's not another soul to be seen. Great video. I can't wait for one of your more "scenic" rides! Thanks pal!

Funny how a city of over a million can still have places where you don't see anyone around. I was only 5 minutes (south) from my house in an area being developed for a subdivision. Another year and it will be all houses and parks. Nice soft ground to practice off road skills, wheelies, etc.

I still prefer the helmet cam for it's stability, even though it is harder to watch. I may try a chest harness next weekend to see if that gives a nice happy medium for point of view versus stability and sound.
 
Depending on cash flow this year I am honestly thinking about a set of Excel Rims to put the "summer" tires on, Then using the stockers for a studded set of tires to use in the snow and ice. My co-workers think I'm nuts (but they ride Harleys).........

The only thing studded on a Harley are the assless chaps :rofl:

assless-chaps-man.jpg


Sorry for that, but I had to do it :p :nothing:

Have you tried a tank mount for the camera? I always enjoy seeing the speedo and tach in the bottom edge of the frame for an added bit of perspective.

Thanks for the videos. I hope to get a GoPro HD2 some day. I'm looking to learn how to use it.
 
Damn Troy that's just so wrong in many ways! Is that a parade pic from your locale? (yes, I know Austin has a parade in June too :nothing: )
 
I like it! The music is perfect!


There is another video on my YouTube channel but it has a Song the prevents it from playing in some countries (apparently the US). I like what YouTube does up here. They realize that I am not profiting by the use and so just put a link up for iTunes that lists the Song and artist and allows the artist to make money(via iTunes) if someone likes the song. Now that makes sense to me!

My GoPro videos - YouTube

[video=youtube;R3QzSl1o6hQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3QzSl1o6hQ&feature=share&list=PL590C8F21F%20EA74A8F%22%5DWasatch%20Forest,% 20Utah%20-%20YouTube[/video]
 
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Tomorrow

Another 990 rider wants me to go riding tomorrow so I will try out the full HD settings. It is cold here again today, it SNOWED again last night:shaking head: but the sun is shining today at least.:shine:

I dread to think what a full HD recording will take to upload. I'll make it really short and sans-music.
Stay tuned....
 
Full HD on the way

As my under 2 minute HD recording processes on YouTube for the last hour and a half I will start the post. While experimenting with extra mounting positions for the one mounting tab that I have yet to use, I decided on the inside top edge of the windshield. This allows me to record myself (how vain) or with the extension arm face the camera forward by the top of the screen giving a true riders view. It still vibrates but captures a little more of the bike engine sound this way.

MessinwiththeGoPro.jpg


This is a shot with the 11mp camera still, done by accident while I tried to change settings with the camera mounted upside down facing me. :retard:

Parking Lot Practice - YouTube


I just clicked on fix shaky video on YouTube so hopefully that doesn't Fak it up.

[video=youtube;l3gAhJGNm3c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3gAhJGNm3c[/video]

The video was shot at 1920 x 1080p and 30fps.
 
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Looking Back

Here is another short, full HD recording with a different angle again. It picked up engine noise a bit better.

[video=youtube;LvVI0DlUEsk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvVI0DlUEsk[/video]
 
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Hero 2 GoPro Camera

My impressions thus far:

The unit is very easy to use in all respects. The case is very weatherproof as far as water, dust, etc. It has had water (rain), snow dirt and bugs on it.
It is very easy and versatile to mount and can either be set to invert the picture (or that can be accomplished during editing without loss of quality) should you need to mount it upside down. The external buttons on the case are easy to use with gloves and the audible as well as visual indicators make it easy to tell what is going on with the camera. The locking slide in clip that is standard with the unit is solid, makes a positive lock, and is easy to handle with gloved hands. I do see that it could bind (eventually) after being removed and remounted repeatedly in dusty dirty conditions, as it is only plastic and subject to wear. Time will tell.

The camera in good light (sunny) conditions works amazingly well and the picture quality for both video and photos is great. It is a miniature camera and this shows when the light conditions are less than ideal, for example; cloudy, or dark, which does not show colors quite right (blue in sky is washed out in partly cloudy weather), much like cheaper point and shoot cameras. Low light will how the cameras sensors limitations. In sunny conditions though it is hard to beat.

Downloading the files off the unit is easy with the mini USB to USB 2 plug included with the kit. It does require a fast processor and large amounts of storage capacity if using the HD settings of the camera. I have been using a 16GB SD card in the unit and either the 1920 x 1080, or 960 x 720 p settings @ 30 frames per second. With the longest recording session being 42 minutes. So far 12 files on the card, 4 being pictures (11mp, jpegs) The other 8 are videos of various lengths, at least 5 minutes in length minimum.

Battery life with the lithium Ion battery that is included is sufficient for what I have done so far. Based on a full day of riding with about 1, ½ hours of recording time, the battery should last over 3 hours. This was in cold (near zero) temperatures. Warmer weather may extend that longer and I will be able to report on that in a couple of months.

The camera is sensitive to high frequency vibration if mounted solidly to hard parts on the bike. This causes a wavy look to the picture, which varies depending on the vibration (changes with engine RPM and road surface).

I have been experimenting with various locations but always with a RAM mount arm (long). You also have to be careful not to have the case itself in contact with the bike (notice the vibration in the Parking lot maneuvers video) The windshield was contacting the case.

Facing backwards seems to lesson the wind noise versus facing forwards and closer to the side or front of the bike. At lower mounting locations, it picks up engine noise better (if that is what you are looking for). Helmet mounting gives a great view but is more difficult to watch (for some) due to head movements. It also picks up a lot of wind noise and very little bike noise from this location. The plus side is you get none of the vibration that bike mounting picks up.

This is still a work in progress and I will add any pertinent info as I continue to use the unit. Overall I think this is a great system and very user friendly, even for older less tech savy riders. I would recommend this system for anyone interested in recording your antics for later viewing or sharing with the world.
 
so far my testing has been limited to a trackday and have shot a commuter trip to work...I did use a small HD Samsung cam on the bike but the framerate per second is higher on the Hero2 than the house-cam...thus far i can state the quality of the vid in normal daylight is superb...also using a 16Gb card, but acquired me another 32Gb (to have enough memory when filming the Transfaragasan :) )
Overall I can say so far very happy with this little cam...Still need to further find and use some different fixing positions on both the FZ1 and Gixxer to have some different angles of view...
 
My impressions thus far:

The camera is sensitive to high frequency vibration if mounted solidly to hard parts on the bike. This causes a wavy look to the picture, which varies depending on the vibration (changes with engine RPM and road surface).

Are you playing back the video on an HD tv or on a computer? The HD video file is a huge resource user and almost all computers are going to choke on the file and will give various symptoms while trying to play it.

If you use the Hero to input directly to a flat panel tv, you may find big differences in the playback quality. Or, maybe not. My computers often have some playback issues but the TV just plays it as it is.

As a guy that was a slave to film cameras for most of my life, I've learned how to live with wide angle lenses and the easiest way is to make it not so wide for average use.

Ultra wide angle lenses will give you a lot of depth of field but they will distort too much for most uses and you will find your horizon either bent way up or way down and that will depend upon where you aim your camera.

If the horizon is at the bottom of your field of vision, your horizon will be low in the center and rising rapidly to the edges of the field and opposite if your horizon is high in the field of vision. The horizon will be curved downward at the edges.

I've played around quite a bit and settled on R5 (resolution setting number 5) for my normal use. It gives true HD in a 16/9 ratio and reduces the wide angle distortion as it narrows the field of view. Even then, try to center the horizon near the middle of the field of view.

Even then, the wide angle does it's thing. I did a video on Ranch Road 337, one of the famed Twisted Sisters, and didn't ride very much above the posted speed limit but with the wide lens picking up the rock walls going by on my right, in the corners, it seems like it is much faster.

A 30 mph 270 degree curve with rocks going by the handlebars looks a lot harrier than it really is, even with the lessened field of view.
 
Are you playing back the video on an HD tv or on a computer? The HD video file is a huge resource user and almost all computers are going to choke on the file and will give various symptoms while trying to play it.

If you use the Hero to input directly to a flat panel tv, you may find big differences in the playback quality. Or, maybe not. My computers often have some playback issues but the TV just plays it as it is.

I have yet to play any of the footage on the TV. I am planning on burning a DVD with all the videos and will see if it shows any differently on the big screen.

Thanks for the info.
 
More off pavement Videos

A couple more Videos:

[video=youtube;puT6jwedaR8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puT6jwedaR8[/video]

Taken last Saturday

[video=youtube;KhQX0X6OE2g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhQX0X6OE2g[/video]

Experimenting with a tripod.
 
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