Topic: RE: Cheap Go Pro setup

[chewbacca5000]

Can anyone give me advice on buying a cheap and easy to operate go pro?  Thanks!

[flybox1]

they're all easy to operate...lol
I'm about to go with a refurb'd one.  $150 + a 1 year warranty

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GoPro-HERO3-White-Edition-Camera-Manufacturer-Refurbished-/321740231852?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

[theslayedsaint]

i'll have to say they are easy to use. but there not really that great.
I bought the gopro hero 4 the other week went on a trip with it and didn't use one of the videos or photos I took for really anything other then to just look at. The quality of the photos are really #$%*y, my iPhone takes way better photos and it has a hard time focusing while your riding. as for the video it was way better but for me it just seemed useless. i spent more time trying to get shots then just enjoying the ride. but I would say look at the suction cup go pro sells, i mounted it on my gauge and it never came lose at speeds around 70 mph they also sell a pole mount that worked really well to get the some shots that you cant get with your helmet. the other thing to know is that the helmet mount is permanent witch i find annoying when i spend $500 on a helmet i don't want some stupid gopro thing stuck to the top forever. anyways i returned it so... i maybe the wrong person to answer but who knows i may rebuy it latter.

heres some un GOPRO edited photos and videos

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I have seen really amazing and really crappy GoPro footage.  The super high def 2K and above advertising clips that GoPro runs are filmed on the highest resolution settings and professional post produced.  I have never seen an amateur get that level of result in color and clarity. 

That said, you can get some results without a post-production crew, OR you can get some crappy stuff too.  Where and how you mount the camera is key, as well as the settings you use.  Many people film to document in case of an accident, so production values for that use are not a high priority.  My motocycling buddies who are not very tech savvy tend to produce stuff that is very flat (color-wise), low res and jumpy.  Another friend of mine just made a killer movie of his houseboating trip to Lake Powell.  A third techy friend makes films from his drone that are cinematic and jaw-dropping. 

I am finally on the cusp of buying a GoPro myself after seeing some decent amateur footage.

[chewbacca5000]

Is this a realistic expectation?

[chewbacca5000]

This guy gopro on a stick

[Duanob]

i'll have to say they are easy to use. but there not really that great.
I bought the gopro hero 4 the other week went on a trip with it and didn't use one of the videos or photos I took for really anything other then to just look at. The quality of the photos are really #$%*y, 

Probably because its attached to BMW!  Just kidding! Nice bike and familiar scenery. John Day?

they're all easy to operate...lol
I'm about to go with a refurb'd one.  $150 + a 1 year warranty

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GoPro-HERO3-White-Edition-Camera-Manufacturer-Refurbished-/321740231852?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

Let me know how it works out. I was thinking of going that route. I'm not a big videographer so forking our $300+ for somehitng I may not use that much is out but for $150 if it works, posting ride vids of awesome scenery could be fun.

[mrfish2]

Gopro isn't the only action camera out there either, I've been looking at getting a Sena Prism or Drift Ghost to attach to my helmet when i ride.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Is this a realistic expectation?

Yes, that video was filmed on 1080 at 30 frames per second.  All of the GoPros in the last 2 years have that capability.  At the high end, the Hero 4 Black can do 4K at 30 fps -- 4 times 1080.

[chewbacca5000]

Here is a Chineese knockoff of the gopro3.

Pretty shameless, but at $70 it is hard to BMG.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080p-12MP-Sport-Action-Helmet-Cam-4-waterproof-as-GoPro-Hero-3-black-/252001890523?hash=item3aac7bb0db

[PeWe]

I have been thinking about a cam too.
This one, very slim and rather good. http://www.replayxd.com/product/prime-x/

[theslayedsaint]

Is this a realistic expectation?

Yes, that video was filmed on 1080 at 30 frames per second.  All of the GoPros in the last 2 years have that capability.  At the high end, the Hero 4 Black can do 4K at 30 fps -- 4 times 1080.

Yeah but at that rate you may get 30min of run time before battery dies or run out of memory

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Is this a realistic expectation?

Yes, that video was filmed on 1080 at 30 frames per second.  All of the GoPros in the last 2 years have that capability.  At the high end, the Hero 4 Black can do 4K at 30 fps -- 4 times 1080.

Yeah but at that rate you may get 30min of run time before battery dies or run out of memory

Agreed.  Quality vs. quantity.  Now I know the kind of girls you like! 

[przjohn]

Is this a realistic expectation?

I could only make it thru 3 1/2 minutes of that, BORING. Where was that filmed, Flatlandia?  They got a decent corner or maybe 1 % incline anywhere? Gee I've never seen Suburbia with stop signs like that. I know I left too early but did he ever make it to the mall? That is why when someone wants to show me their Gopro footage it brings ma back to my childhood when Uncle Hank and Aunt Shirley would bring over their slides from Florida. Gopros have produced some excellent footage, but most is just like a boring slide show of somebody's 70's vacation.

[Bailgang]

I've got a cheap Chinese spin off of an early go-pro called a gear  pro. I bought it because it was cheap and I pretty much got what I paid for. It works OK at best but it does work, just don't expect pro quality vids even in it's so called "HD" mode and it's battery takes what seems like forever to fully recharge. I'd only recommend it to absolute penny pinching tight wads otherwise save your $ and get something better. http://www.amazon.com/Gear-Pro-High-Definition-Action-Wide-Angle-Camcorder/dp/B00CDTAA1A/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1441230634&sr=1-2&keywords=gear+pro+accessories

[chewbacca5000]

$50 gearpro in action

Think I am getting sea sick.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

$50 gearpro in action

Think I am getting sea sick.

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

[chewbacca5000]

How much to decent video that is not so shaky?  What causes the shake.  Does higher end stuff have image stabilization, or a way to cancel the vibrations?

[chewbacca5000]

I wonder how many gopros, and hours of video editing it took to make this 15 minute movie.

[Bailgang]

How much to decent video that is not so shaky?  What causes the shake.  Does higher end stuff have image stabilization, or a way to cancel the vibrations?

I'd be inclined to say it all comes down to how the camera is mounted and where it's mounted. In the vid the cam is mounted on the handle bars on what sounds like a thumping V-twin so if the author of the vid used the rigid mount that comes the the gear pro then any vibration going through the bars is going to be seen in the vid. I mount mine on the bars of my 83 Interstate too but I don't get that shake seen in the vid ....... however an 1100 flat 4 GL runs a lot smoother than a V-twin but my vids will get shaky if I'm on a bumpy road, even my sons go-pro hero will get the shakes if improperly mounted. Also note in the video that the gear pro audio sucked, it does sound better when not mounted inside it's clear protective case but it still sucks, my gear pro also has issues when it transitions from a shadowy area to a bright area. Like I said before, my gear pro does "OK" but there are definitely better vid cams to choose from. There are all kinds of mounts to choose from for any vid cam you choose so you can experiment on how and where you want it mounted to eliminate those shakes, I imagine a good video editing program helps too.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I agree.  Mounting and inherent vibration are one factor, resolution of the camera is another and editing is a third.  A 720 resolution video will not play back as sharp as a 4K.

I still cannot believe that it was a guy 4 years younger than me at my college that founded GoPro.  He made a deal with his parents that he'd get a 9-5 job if he was not a successful entrepreneur by age X.  He did it!  GoPro was originated for amateur athletes wanting footage to help them go pro with sponsors.  He started by working on mount and case systems for existing cameras then began acquiring camera technology to integrate the whole package together.  F'ing brilliant!

[evanphi]

I love my GoPro (Hero 3 White). I mostly record in 720/60 for decent resolution and smooth framerate for capturing offending motorists. I have it mounted to my helmet. I also have a suction cup mount that I can stick on my tank, windscreen of my car, boat, etc... Buy the highest level you can reasonably afford if you want perfect picture clarity and hot colours. Buy the lowest price one to just get a dash-cam, for recording incidents, etc. The editing software that GoPro puts out is pretty sweet, too. There are other options for action cameras... Contour and Sony make good ones. You could also buy a REALLY cheap chinese knockoff, and replace it each year when it goes kaput.

Helmet mount

Suction cup, top of tank

Suction cup, side of tnak

[BobbyR]

My friend and I have bee fooling around with his GOPRO. He posted a couple of our rides. It looks good on youtube. He also gave me a thumb drive of the high res output from the camera. It is amazing. I don't think this site will handle full res or I would show you and example.

[chewbacca5000]

Thanks Evan,

That is super helpful!  I laugh ever time I watch that supermarket video.  Hilarious!  Bobby just post the youtube video your using youtube's bandwidth not sohc4.net.

[FunJimmy]

There are lots of mounting options that can produce good interesting videos. Location is important and influences perspective. Keeping a bit of the bike in the frame will make video appear steadier too.
Key is to have fun and blend several view angles together for greater viewer interest.

Here are a couple of attempts I e tried.