It doesn't appear to have a viewfinder, so when you mount it to your car/bike/helmet/whatever, how do you know that it is aimed properly? Do you just point and guess? Is the add-on LCD screen essential?
The HD Motorsports Hero is on sale, and the price is right, so I am thinking about buying one. Any cautions, suggestions or hints from those who use them?


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[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 05-30-2011).]

I'm wondering about this too.

I've not used that particular camera, but I would suspect the lense is quite wide-angle which makes perfect aim not all that critical.

I've played around with cheap spycams such as the one I mentioned Here. Lots of fun at the autocross track.

The three main HD helmet cams are the GoPro, Contour and Drift 170. I bought the Drift 170.

All three make great HD videos. As you found out, the GoPro has no view finder and neither does the Contour. Also, you will find that the GoPro's user interface consists of two buttons and a small digital display that you have to decrypt its meaning. The Contour has a record/stop slider and that is all. The Drift 170 has a small digital display with menus to set everything on it. It also comes with a remote control to start and stop recording. Also, the drift lets you rotate its lens perspective. Even though I have it mounted on top of my helmet, I just rotate the lens 90 deg and now all of the video I shoot is of the correct aspect.

Because of the user interface, I bought the Drift. I think GoPro is feeling their sales drop as word of the Drift is getting out and so they dropping their price.

Here is a very informative site that has a comparison chart and video:

http://www.actioncameras.co..._helmet_cameras.html

Thanks, very useful info. I will check out the Drift before I buy.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Here is a very informative site that has a comparison chart and video: http://www.actioncameras.co..._helmet_cameras.html

Quite a colour variation between the three cameras...

quote Originally posted by williegoat: It doesn't appear to have a viewfinder, so when you mount it to your car/bike/helmet/whatever, how do you know that it is aimed properly? Do you just point and guess? Is the add-on LCD screen essential? The HD Motorsports Hero is on sale, and the price is right, so I am thinking about buying one. Any cautions, suggestions or hints from those who use them?

Get the high def model.
Like somebody else said, the wide angle is so wide, you don't have to worry about centering it.
This is a pic from the HD Hero.

does anybody know anything about Oregon Scientific ATC9K?
this looks like what costco sells and was thinking of getting one.
edit: found a couple of youtube reviews of it, sounds promising.



i'd really like a system that i can monitor, start/stop recording. i know DIY_Stu had a camera system that he used on our Spring Fling III cruise, his was hooked up to his laptop.



i found these system Rear View Safety but they don't look like their in HD.

Thanks...

[This message has been edited by Tom Slick (edited 05-30-2011).]

Mine wasn't HD at all it was a 480 CCTV cam that I just threw together with a Capture device hooked to USB 1.1 it really didn't have a chance at looking all that great, but it was still fun to have.

When I do it again I'll be using a Small TFT screen hooked to a hacked 1080p or 720p camcorder. which ever gets the better framerates. For speed of movement framerate is your friend. Most HD camcorders require the viewfinder to be open. the simple trick to it is to remove the magnet inside the viewfinder. then it won't know and you have to use the power button. Second is the record button. I'll then open the main case and solder into the record button to hook to a custom cable. Then is the Power. Most allow for a 5V input this will also extend the delayed shut down. But in the case it does shut down the last connection will be to the viewfinder open/close switch. A simple press of a button will tell the camera you've closed then opened the viewfinder and it will once again power back up and be ready to record.

I have recently purchased a Sanyo, and my wife may just kill me if I hack it so I may be looking at the lesser expensive pistol grip cameras to start with. Same modifications will be performed.

Edit: looks like the sale ended.

[This message has been edited by Tom Slick (edited 06-01-2011).]

make sure the memory card is class 4 or higher . i routinly run mine on my bike and use it extensively for snowboarding

Here is a video I took last Saturday during a 100 mile bike ride with my drift. At the end of the ride it started raining. The camera held up a lot better than my body. I down converted the video from 1080 to 720 to upload to Youtube. I am new to video editing so the edits are horrible and there are no effects, just FYI.

[This message has been edited by Doug85GT (edited 06-01-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Here is a video I took last Saturday during a 100 mile bike ride with my drift. At the end of the ride it started raining. The camera held up a lot better than my body. I down converted the video from 1080 to 720 to upload to Youtube. I am new to video editing so the edits are horrible and there are no effects, just FYI.

here is a video i made my my gopro... on the aveo haha. i uploaded mine @1080p and youtube had no problem with it. took a looong time to process to 1080p.



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First LX9 Fiero GT, 1987 | My Fiero Fuel Economy | MPG Display for OBD I
Youtube Videos of My GT | modernize your fiero with technology!
If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem
Fiero's are people too. We pay just as much attention to them, if not more than our loved ones
screw paying those bastards. im not going to become rich by paying for things.....

since i seem to be getting so many PM's about my hitch, ill answer right here
the trailor hitch/bike rack hitch jack, lifting and resting points...

[This message has been edited by americasfuture2k (edited 07-15-2011).]

go pro has a display . look at the website gopro.com

I picked up a gopro hero from best buy. The best way to know what your shots will look like is to mount it and or simulate the position take a quick 5 second vid to se how it looks and go from there. Here is a vid i did with my gopro on my ar15.




The display mounts to the back but i don't think you can close the case up that actually has the mount points on it. The gopro has a wide field of view so you'll get alot in the shot.
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ARCHIES JUNK IS FASTER THAN SHAUNNA'S JUNK
12.3 is faster than a 13.2

[This message has been edited by FIEROPHREK (edited 07-15-2011).]

The company is down the street. I've been wanting to go and check the store since I first saw the product at a SEMA convention. They usually knock off $100 bucks or so during the show, but I held out-wanting to check for more info.

quote Originally posted by timmer: go pro has a display . look at the website gopro.com

Its a 75 dollar add on. I have the Hero and its awsome. Sound is great for what it is. Pics and video are awsome and the battery lasts a long time. Use the open case when you can as the sound is alot better.

Having used all three, the hd hero had the best quality video output. The drift was really washed out and the contour video was muddy. After using the gopro for a few hours, I just "know" where it's aiming now. I bought the battery bacpac rather than the LCD, figured I wouldn't use the LCD much. You can get a portable DVD player or portable tv with video in and hook that up to the gopro.
For video samples you can hit my YouTube YouTube.com/fierostetz
Let me know if you have any questions

Next camera is going to be the contour+ - 2.8 aperture and a real lens! The contour gps and contour+ can be paired with an iPhone and the iPhone will function as a viewfinder.

well i was able to find the OS ATC-9K at costco, i think it was a left over cause the price was right and i snatch it up. i finally got a chance to use it on NTFC Fall Fun Run. i'm quite impressed with it, the screen on the back is nice to help align to where your shooting but my bad eyes have a hard time reading the text on the screen. here a couple of youtube videos i shot, the quality on youtube is not what you really get when attach to computer or tv.




thanks

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www.northtexasfieroclub.org

I bought a GoPro about two weeks ago at BestBuy for $299. It has the wrist, chest, helmet, and other devices to mount on various surfaces. I plan on using it in the chopper.

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"Friends don't let their friends drive stock."

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 12-02-2011).]

i just sold mine to a friend and am in the process of buying the goprohd2 . $300 . plus i have a 20% off coupon with them . it has an 11 mp camera and the burst mode looks sweet , 10 pics in 1 second at 11 mp wow

Yeah, I like the idea of the GoPro2 with WiFi and remote. Maybe next year.

From their web site:

quote When paired with the Wi-Fi BacPac, the HD HERO2 also supports live video streaming and remote control via smart-devices, computers and the Web wherever Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot is present. Record one video stream to your HD HERO2′s SD card while sending a second video stream via Wi-Fi to your smart-device, computer or the Web.

A lot of r/c flyers are using this keychain camera.

http://chucklohr.com/808/C11/
Scroll down for videos

http://www.rcgroups.com/for...91099&postcount=7352

[This message has been edited by texasfiero (edited 12-02-2011).]