Originally Posted by
canklecat
Drift Ghost X may be the best value in a no-frills ride documentary video camera. I've been using a pair for more than two years (might be three years in December, I'd need to check my purchase records). No complaints.
Thanks for bringing this up. I'm going to look at this again. I need to come up with a better solution for rear facing than I currently have now (Cycliq 6)
Originally Posted by
tempocyclist
The newest generation Cycliq Fly6 has a shorter battery life. They shrunk the overall size of the unit, but that meant using a smaller internal battery. I struggled to capture a full 4 hour ride.
A GoPro is probably the "gold standard" for video quality. Battery life is way down though. We're talking an hour or two tops. With a GoPro you really do need an external battery pack plugged into it. A GoPro Hero would make a very good front or rear camera if you don't mind also having the battery packs strapped to your bike.
I've never really bothered with a front mounted safety camera. The new Cycliq Fly 12 Sport looks good though.
I have the Cycliq 6 prior to the version that they just released a year ago. I don't use it because the light is pretty inadequate and because I use a Varia Radar for rear facing. I have found the front facing Fly12 CE to work pretty well and I've used it to get drivers up close and personal with law enforcement on countless occasions. I think it works pretty well although - to your point - having both would be the best solution. I've also found it's extremely successful with commercial drivers when the video goes to their internal safety management.
The Cycliq stuff is so "almost there" that it's frustrating. The company has just terrible tech support and warranty support. The lighting on both the front and the back is just marginal. And then they decide to go with a copy of a Garmin mount that is incompatible. I'd rate the new version of the Fly12 as a better but I think the new version of the rear light is as step backwards. Unfortunately they are pretty much the only game out there now. The Garmin solution isn't there yet in terms of either video quality, size or mounts but I suspect they will refine that in future versions. I just wish they'd hurry up.
Right now, I wouldn't buy the Cycliq rear light but I would buy the front light and run it under an out front computer mount. The rear light is not adequate IMO for a rear facing day light flasher. So I'm thinking that a high and tight GoPro mount under the saddle with maybe the Drift Ghost camera with a real taillight/radar below would be useful. The idea that Garmin has where they automatically only record when the radar sees something is a good one that I hope they expand in future versions.
Originally Posted by
texbiker
I use a GoPro 10 mounted on my handlebar for YT video. I also own a Drift Ghost XL that I sometimes use for longer rides. The battery life on the Ghost is 8+ hours but the image quality does not come close to the GoPro. I had not thought of mounting the Ghost as a rear facing camera. You would need to engineer a mount but I adapted it to connect with a GoPro type mount. Sound is another issue with the Ghost. The builtin mic does not pickup much sound. Motorcyclists mount the Ghost on the side or top of their helmets.
This, IMO, is what it always comes down to - the mounts. It's an aggravating problem to the point where I've spent a lot of time scouring the 3D printing marketplaces for user designed parts to buy. There is always something that comes close but doesn't solve the problem in entirety. Between this and a couple of other issues, I'm entertaining the idea of getting a cheapish 3D printer and having a go and designing what I need.