Reviews of Video Cameras for Cycling
08-31-15, 09:43 AM
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I've been going here for reviews - there were some cameras I was considering before I saw that they're not very good at capturing license plate data under less than ideal lighting conditions, and you can see it in the video reviews. Just paste the name of the camera you want to check out in the search box.
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Techmoan - Techmoan
08-31-15, 11:04 AM
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I have not found ANY cameras that can reliably capture license plate data on most of my route. When a car is passing you at 60 MPH, it's just moving too fast and the plates are always a blur, even in direct full sunlight. The closer they are to you, the worse it is. I can capture plate data on pretty much any camera at lower speeds (in town speeds of 30 MPH or so).
I am going to try 720p in 30 and 60 FPS and see if it's any better than 1080p. Less resolution but more bits to go around between the pixels, may result in more readable plates.
Both are true of every camera I've owned:
808 #16 keychain camera, Sony Actioncam (the first one they put out), Contour Roam, GoPro Hero3 White, SVC200, Chinese "action cam" (easily the best optics of them all, but it was huge), RD32II, MD80, Mobius
I am going to try 720p in 30 and 60 FPS and see if it's any better than 1080p. Less resolution but more bits to go around between the pixels, may result in more readable plates.
Both are true of every camera I've owned:
808 #16 keychain camera, Sony Actioncam (the first one they put out), Contour Roam, GoPro Hero3 White, SVC200, Chinese "action cam" (easily the best optics of them all, but it was huge), RD32II, MD80, Mobius
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08-31-15, 11:48 AM
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I am very lucky to not have to ride on any roads that I have to share with cars going 60 mph. On the roads I regularly ride on, I don't think any car goes much faster than 35 mph. During my commute rides, the traffic density is usually high enough to force motorists to drive more slowly than they would like.
Last edited by GovernorSilver; 08-31-15 at 12:00 PM.
08-31-15, 01:43 PM
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I have not found ANY cameras that can reliably capture license plate data on most of my route. When a car is passing you at 60 MPH, it's just moving too fast and the plates are always a blur, even in direct full sunlight. The closer they are to you, the worse it is. I can capture plate data on pretty much any camera at lower speeds (in town speeds of 30 MPH or so).
I am going to try 720p in 30 and 60 FPS and see if it's any better than 1080p. Less resolution but more bits to go around between the pixels, may result in more readable plates.
Both are true of every camera I've owned:
808 #16 keychain camera, Sony Actioncam (the first one they put out), Contour Roam, GoPro Hero3 White, SVC200, Chinese "action cam" (easily the best optics of them all, but it was huge), RD32II, MD80, Mobius
I am going to try 720p in 30 and 60 FPS and see if it's any better than 1080p. Less resolution but more bits to go around between the pixels, may result in more readable plates.
Both are true of every camera I've owned:
808 #16 keychain camera, Sony Actioncam (the first one they put out), Contour Roam, GoPro Hero3 White, SVC200, Chinese "action cam" (easily the best optics of them all, but it was huge), RD32II, MD80, Mobius
The current generation HD Hero 4 cameras have the 3rd generation 12 Mpix sensor. But more importantly, they have far higher bit rates than your old Hero, let alone most of the other cams you are looking at, and also have a "ProTune" setting that allows even higher bit rates and less compression at many resolutions. (TANSTAFL, where you get the higher bit rate at a given resolution, you'll lose a bit of battery life with ProTune.)
Amazingly, Metric Man captured a license plate at 65 mph with a rear mounted Gopro 3 Silver (second gen 11 Mpix sensor) at 1080p@30fps.
(But the conventional wisdom here is that Go Pro is all about marketing, rather than engineering. I disagree, it's about engineering, and marketing, but mostly engineering. You might find the form factor awkward for cycling, but....)
If that's *still* not good enough for you, then you'll be looking at something like the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera coming out next month, but you can get a good deal on a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. Bring your own lenses.
-mr. bill
08-31-15, 02:14 PM
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I use the Rideye front and back. The Rideye operates like an airplane's 'black box': it continually records, and when storage is full it deletes the oldest recording to make room for a new one. It stores videos in 5 minute portions. It's available in 8gb (1.25 hours of 1080p video) and 32gb models. You can also record at 720p to store more video.
Design:
- The Rideye is a safety camera. It detects when your bicycle has tipped (i.e. when you've been involved in an accident) and automatically marks the last, current, and next 5 minute segments as read-only so they can't be overwritten. You can also manually mark segments to be marked read-only by pressing the button while you ride. For this reason, you shouldn't turn the cameras on until you're ready about to climb on to the saddle, and should turn them off immediately after you climb off the saddle. You don't want your storage to fill up (especially on the 8gb model) with read-only segments of your bike tipping as you move it by hand.
Battery life:
- Advertised as 15 hours for 720p. I record at 1080p, have gone on 4+ hour rides, and the power indicator still tells me '50% full', so I figure about 8 hours at 1080p.
Rear mount:
- All my bikes but one have 'normal' round seatposts, so I bought a Rideye seatpost mount for each. To install, you remove the seatpost, slide the Rideye mount over the seatpost, and replace the seatpost. The camera can then be mounted right side up or upside down (the camera's firmware detects when the camera has been mounted upside down and rotates the image 180 degrees on playback). I prefer the Rideye over the Fly6 because with the Rideye I don't lose my saddle bag (not enough room on my seatposts, except for one bike with a sloping top tube, for both the Fly6 and a saddle bag). Besides, the Fly6 is only 720p.
- I have one bike with an aero seatpost, so I bought the Rideye GoPro adapter and an aero seatpost mount for GoPro cameras. Again, I get to keep my saddle bag.
Front mount:
(not explicitly stated in the 'Rear mount' section, so I'll say it here, what you read will make more sense: one of my cameras has the rubber handlebar strap, the other has had the strap removed and replaced with a GoPro adapter)
- For my bikes with 'normal' round seatposts, I purchased Chinese knock-offs of the K-Edge 'out front' GoPro mount. Some I've mounted right side up, others upside down, depending on the bikes cabling. The camera with the GoPro adapter goes here, and the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes around the Rideye seatpost mount.
- For my bike with the aero seatpost, the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes on the front, and the camera with the GoPro mount goes on the back.
Video quality:
- I'm satisfied. I can 'freeze frame' and pick up most license plates. Sometimes the light isn't right, sometimes the license plate is covered by a plastic cover, etc. but that's not the camera's fault.
Summary:
- It's like insurance. You hope you'll never have to use it, but it's there if you need it. I've never been hit, but if/when the day comes, the video will eliminate 'he said/she said'.
Design:
- The Rideye is a safety camera. It detects when your bicycle has tipped (i.e. when you've been involved in an accident) and automatically marks the last, current, and next 5 minute segments as read-only so they can't be overwritten. You can also manually mark segments to be marked read-only by pressing the button while you ride. For this reason, you shouldn't turn the cameras on until you're ready about to climb on to the saddle, and should turn them off immediately after you climb off the saddle. You don't want your storage to fill up (especially on the 8gb model) with read-only segments of your bike tipping as you move it by hand.
Battery life:
- Advertised as 15 hours for 720p. I record at 1080p, have gone on 4+ hour rides, and the power indicator still tells me '50% full', so I figure about 8 hours at 1080p.
Rear mount:
- All my bikes but one have 'normal' round seatposts, so I bought a Rideye seatpost mount for each. To install, you remove the seatpost, slide the Rideye mount over the seatpost, and replace the seatpost. The camera can then be mounted right side up or upside down (the camera's firmware detects when the camera has been mounted upside down and rotates the image 180 degrees on playback). I prefer the Rideye over the Fly6 because with the Rideye I don't lose my saddle bag (not enough room on my seatposts, except for one bike with a sloping top tube, for both the Fly6 and a saddle bag). Besides, the Fly6 is only 720p.
- I have one bike with an aero seatpost, so I bought the Rideye GoPro adapter and an aero seatpost mount for GoPro cameras. Again, I get to keep my saddle bag.
Front mount:
(not explicitly stated in the 'Rear mount' section, so I'll say it here, what you read will make more sense: one of my cameras has the rubber handlebar strap, the other has had the strap removed and replaced with a GoPro adapter)
- For my bikes with 'normal' round seatposts, I purchased Chinese knock-offs of the K-Edge 'out front' GoPro mount. Some I've mounted right side up, others upside down, depending on the bikes cabling. The camera with the GoPro adapter goes here, and the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes around the Rideye seatpost mount.
- For my bike with the aero seatpost, the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes on the front, and the camera with the GoPro mount goes on the back.
Video quality:
- I'm satisfied. I can 'freeze frame' and pick up most license plates. Sometimes the light isn't right, sometimes the license plate is covered by a plastic cover, etc. but that's not the camera's fault.
Summary:
- It's like insurance. You hope you'll never have to use it, but it's there if you need it. I've never been hit, but if/when the day comes, the video will eliminate 'he said/she said'.
08-31-15, 08:59 PM
#31
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So, your HD Hero 3 White had the first gen HD Hero image sensor (5 Mpix), but in an HD Hero 3 body.
The current generation HD Hero 4 cameras have the 3rd generation 12 Mpix sensor. But more importantly, they have far higher bit rates than your old Hero, let alone most of the other cams you are looking at, and also have a "ProTune" setting that allows even higher bit rates and less compression at many resolutions. (TANSTAFL, where you get the higher bit rate at a given resolution, you'll lose a bit of battery life with ProTune.)
The current generation HD Hero 4 cameras have the 3rd generation 12 Mpix sensor. But more importantly, they have far higher bit rates than your old Hero, let alone most of the other cams you are looking at, and also have a "ProTune" setting that allows even higher bit rates and less compression at many resolutions. (TANSTAFL, where you get the higher bit rate at a given resolution, you'll lose a bit of battery life with ProTune.)
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08-31-15, 09:27 PM
#32
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I use the Rideye front and back. The Rideye operates like an airplane's 'black box': it continually records, and when storage is full it deletes the oldest recording to make room for a new one. It stores videos in 5 minute portions. It's available in 8gb (1.25 hours of 1080p video) and 32gb models. You can also record at 720p to store more video.
Design:
- The Rideye is a safety camera. It detects when your bicycle has tipped (i.e. when you've been involved in an accident) and automatically marks the last, current, and next 5 minute segments as read-only so they can't be overwritten. You can also manually mark segments to be marked read-only by pressing the button while you ride. For this reason, you shouldn't turn the cameras on until you're ready about to climb on to the saddle, and should turn them off immediately after you climb off the saddle. You don't want your storage to fill up (especially on the 8gb model) with read-only segments of your bike tipping as you move it by hand.
Battery life:
- Advertised as 15 hours for 720p. I record at 1080p, have gone on 4+ hour rides, and the power indicator still tells me '50% full', so I figure about 8 hours at 1080p.
Rear mount:
- All my bikes but one have 'normal' round seatposts, so I bought a Rideye seatpost mount for each. To install, you remove the seatpost, slide the Rideye mount over the seatpost, and replace the seatpost. The camera can then be mounted right side up or upside down (the camera's firmware detects when the camera has been mounted upside down and rotates the image 180 degrees on playback). I prefer the Rideye over the Fly6 because with the Rideye I don't lose my saddle bag (not enough room on my seatposts, except for one bike with a sloping top tube, for both the Fly6 and a saddle bag). Besides, the Fly6 is only 720p.
- I have one bike with an aero seatpost, so I bought the Rideye GoPro adapter and an aero seatpost mount for GoPro cameras. Again, I get to keep my saddle bag.
Front mount:
(not explicitly stated in the 'Rear mount' section, so I'll say it here, what you read will make more sense: one of my cameras has the rubber handlebar strap, the other has had the strap removed and replaced with a GoPro adapter)
- For my bikes with 'normal' round seatposts, I purchased Chinese knock-offs of the K-Edge 'out front' GoPro mount. Some I've mounted right side up, others upside down, depending on the bikes cabling. The camera with the GoPro adapter goes here, and the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes around the Rideye seatpost mount.
- For my bike with the aero seatpost, the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes on the front, and the camera with the GoPro mount goes on the back.
Video quality:
- I'm satisfied. I can 'freeze frame' and pick up most license plates. Sometimes the light isn't right, sometimes the license plate is covered by a plastic cover, etc. but that's not the camera's fault.
Summary:
- It's like insurance. You hope you'll never have to use it, but it's there if you need it. I've never been hit, but if/when the day comes, the video will eliminate 'he said/she said'.
Design:
- The Rideye is a safety camera. It detects when your bicycle has tipped (i.e. when you've been involved in an accident) and automatically marks the last, current, and next 5 minute segments as read-only so they can't be overwritten. You can also manually mark segments to be marked read-only by pressing the button while you ride. For this reason, you shouldn't turn the cameras on until you're ready about to climb on to the saddle, and should turn them off immediately after you climb off the saddle. You don't want your storage to fill up (especially on the 8gb model) with read-only segments of your bike tipping as you move it by hand.
Battery life:
- Advertised as 15 hours for 720p. I record at 1080p, have gone on 4+ hour rides, and the power indicator still tells me '50% full', so I figure about 8 hours at 1080p.
Rear mount:
- All my bikes but one have 'normal' round seatposts, so I bought a Rideye seatpost mount for each. To install, you remove the seatpost, slide the Rideye mount over the seatpost, and replace the seatpost. The camera can then be mounted right side up or upside down (the camera's firmware detects when the camera has been mounted upside down and rotates the image 180 degrees on playback). I prefer the Rideye over the Fly6 because with the Rideye I don't lose my saddle bag (not enough room on my seatposts, except for one bike with a sloping top tube, for both the Fly6 and a saddle bag). Besides, the Fly6 is only 720p.
- I have one bike with an aero seatpost, so I bought the Rideye GoPro adapter and an aero seatpost mount for GoPro cameras. Again, I get to keep my saddle bag.
Front mount:
(not explicitly stated in the 'Rear mount' section, so I'll say it here, what you read will make more sense: one of my cameras has the rubber handlebar strap, the other has had the strap removed and replaced with a GoPro adapter)
- For my bikes with 'normal' round seatposts, I purchased Chinese knock-offs of the K-Edge 'out front' GoPro mount. Some I've mounted right side up, others upside down, depending on the bikes cabling. The camera with the GoPro adapter goes here, and the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes around the Rideye seatpost mount.
- For my bike with the aero seatpost, the camera with the Rideye handlebar strap goes on the front, and the camera with the GoPro mount goes on the back.
Video quality:
- I'm satisfied. I can 'freeze frame' and pick up most license plates. Sometimes the light isn't right, sometimes the license plate is covered by a plastic cover, etc. but that's not the camera's fault.
Summary:
- It's like insurance. You hope you'll never have to use it, but it's there if you need it. I've never been hit, but if/when the day comes, the video will eliminate 'he said/she said'.
09-03-15, 12:46 PM
#33
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All of the nicer cameras basically spit out the same image quality. Some handle low light better and others handle looking directly into the sun better, but otherwise, 1080p resolution is going to look pretty good from any camera, even some of the cheaper ones. You would have to run all of the sample cameras on your handlebars at the same time, then edit them in frames side-by-side to notice the difference. That is beyond the capability of probably everybody here, although it has been done. Just do a Google search. People who get paid to review cameras do these sorts of comparisons every year or so.
Last edited by sumbikerguy123; 09-03-15 at 12:55 PM.
09-03-15, 01:40 PM
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Anyone tried front & rear Mobius cameras?
How did it work?
The Mobius takes good video, is compact, light, has a waterproof case available, but only covers the front area.
Considering bikers ride on the right side or with the flow of traffic, a rear camera would be helpful to collect evidence of a collision. Safety is more important than catching action or scenic stuff.
Be nice if Mobius could make a F/R camera setup system where you could turn both cameras on & off from the handlebar area.
Battery lasts about 1.5 -2 hrs. I'm guessing one could purchase a spare battery and change it while on the road? But not sure how this would work?
Can you hook up a external battery pack for the Mobius?
How did it work?
The Mobius takes good video, is compact, light, has a waterproof case available, but only covers the front area.
Considering bikers ride on the right side or with the flow of traffic, a rear camera would be helpful to collect evidence of a collision. Safety is more important than catching action or scenic stuff.
Be nice if Mobius could make a F/R camera setup system where you could turn both cameras on & off from the handlebar area.
Battery lasts about 1.5 -2 hrs. I'm guessing one could purchase a spare battery and change it while on the road? But not sure how this would work?
Can you hook up a external battery pack for the Mobius?
09-04-15, 08:06 AM
#35
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The Mobius will indeed run from external power. It's probably the most configurable camera available. The manufacturer is highly responsive to requests from users for new features. The battery life on the new model with the 820mah battery is listed as > 2 hours, a friend is getting 2 hours, 20 minutes.
I just switched to a Mobius pointing forward. I use a Fly6 on the back, I think it's pretty much the ideal rear-facing camera, with a huge disadvantage that it has very limited (IE none) options for mounting - it goes on a seat post, period. If you have anything mounted behind your seat post, too bad.
I don't thing that turning the cameras on from the handlebar would actually be an advantage. I've been using front and rear cameras for years and turning them on at the camera is not a problem.
Besides, unless you're talking about running actual wires to the camera, in order for a wireless "start/stop" system to work, the camera will be draining its battery when it's not running, because it has to be running a radio receiver to listen for the "start recording" signal, and typically that will run the battery down pretty fast. I'd rather just push a button on the camera.
I just switched to a Mobius pointing forward. I use a Fly6 on the back, I think it's pretty much the ideal rear-facing camera, with a huge disadvantage that it has very limited (IE none) options for mounting - it goes on a seat post, period. If you have anything mounted behind your seat post, too bad.
I don't thing that turning the cameras on from the handlebar would actually be an advantage. I've been using front and rear cameras for years and turning them on at the camera is not a problem.
Besides, unless you're talking about running actual wires to the camera, in order for a wireless "start/stop" system to work, the camera will be draining its battery when it's not running, because it has to be running a radio receiver to listen for the "start recording" signal, and typically that will run the battery down pretty fast. I'd rather just push a button on the camera.
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09-04-15, 09:58 AM
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My cameras embed timestamps with the video. Even if the timestamps don't match exactly (and I'm pretty sure they don't - 30-60 seconds difference, most likely), should I ever need the video footage, the video will trump the timestamps. Start with either camera (front or rear): "here's the first image of the vehicle". End with the other camera (either front or rear): "and there they go". The timestamp difference is easily explained - it's approximate, not exact.
09-04-15, 10:03 AM
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As long as they both have timestamps, it's not particularly relevant if they're matched. It's a trivial matter to synchronize them, just look for an instance of hitting a bump in the road or some event that will register on both cameras, and you have your synchronization correction.
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09-04-15, 10:05 AM
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As long as they both have timestamps, it's not particularly relevant if they're matched. It's a trivial matter to synchronize them, just look for an instance of hitting a bump in the road or some event that will register on both cameras, and you have your synchronization correction.
09-04-15, 04:01 PM
#39
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As long as they both have timestamps, it's not particularly relevant if they're matched. It's a trivial matter to synchronize them, just look for an instance of hitting a bump in the road or some event that will register on both cameras, and you have your synchronization correction.
09-05-15, 03:26 PM
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Garmin Virb Action
Garmin Virb Action Is on sale at Amazon for $122.40. What do you think of this for a forward facing camera? Thanks.
09-05-15, 04:28 PM
#41
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What kind of camera do you use? GoPro Hero 4 Sessions
How much did you pay for it? $400 at REI
How do you mount it? Helmet and wrist
What is the battery life like? Not sure yet, I think 4 hours
What software do you use to upload your videos? GoPro Studio
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use? Yes. It's OK, but not great.
Pros/ cons of camera? I like the small profile, I've used a Hero 2 for years, so I know GoPro and Studio. It is an expensive camera, cheaper cameras are out there.
The purpose for buying this camera was to have a compact camera I can use with any of my six bikes. I use the helmet mount for mountain bike rides, however, when riding road bikes like to use the wrist mounting option (new road helmet doesn't have a mount on it).
Examples:
Reported this to local PD, this is the wrist mount (GoPro The Strap) - note, I didn't fall, that's me waving my hand around after the dangerous pass with the camera mounted to my wrist:
Helmet mount riding some single-track:
How much did you pay for it? $400 at REI
How do you mount it? Helmet and wrist
What is the battery life like? Not sure yet, I think 4 hours
What software do you use to upload your videos? GoPro Studio
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use? Yes. It's OK, but not great.
Pros/ cons of camera? I like the small profile, I've used a Hero 2 for years, so I know GoPro and Studio. It is an expensive camera, cheaper cameras are out there.
The purpose for buying this camera was to have a compact camera I can use with any of my six bikes. I use the helmet mount for mountain bike rides, however, when riding road bikes like to use the wrist mounting option (new road helmet doesn't have a mount on it).
Examples:
Reported this to local PD, this is the wrist mount (GoPro The Strap) - note, I didn't fall, that's me waving my hand around after the dangerous pass with the camera mounted to my wrist:
Helmet mount riding some single-track:
09-05-15, 08:17 PM
#42
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To avoid damaging my cameras with road vibration I'll probably buy the lightest, cheapest P&S digicam with HD video I can find. Smartphone cameras have undercut the market for teensy sensor P&S digicams. For $100 I could buy three or four decent pawn shop puppies by Canon, Fuji, Sony, Olympus, Nikon, etc. Olympus water-resistant "tough" cameras would make decent all purpose mobile video and tourist snapshot cameras.
What kind of camera do you use?
Ricoh GX100 (2008 still camera with 640x480 video)
How much did you pay for it?
I think it was $100 used in 2012? I replaced it with a Nikon V1 for snaps, so the GX100 wasn't seeing much use anyway.
How do you mount it?
Farm-rigged combination of lightweight fully articulating plastic ball head bolted to front reflector mount on handlebar. Backed up with a safety leash. Not bad. The plasticky rig absorbs most vibrations so the videos aren't any more terrible than most bike videos.
What is the battery life like?
Not good, the old DB-65 battery needs to be replaced. Maybe an hour of continuous video. About as long as I can ride now anyway.
What software do you use to upload your videos?
Windows Live Movie Maker, if I bother to edit or add captions. Otherwise I just upload directly to YouTube and use their editor.
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use?
N/A, I use whatever comes with Windows 7. I tried Kate's video tools, Avidemux and other freebies, but none worked any better than Windows Movie Maker for simple quick edits.
Pros/ cons of camera?
Pros:
- I already had it.
- Video quality and auto-exposure adjustments are satisfactory for 2008 era 640x480 tech.
- 1/1.7" and similar teensy sensors ensure deep depth of field, even with lens nearly wide open, minimizing focus errors. With some cameras you can use manual focus to prefocus on a zone to ensure everything stays reasonably sharp.
- Simple controls all visible on top plate.
- Adequate live view on rear LCD.
- Zoom can be set to 5.1mm (24mm equivalent in 35mm film/full frame terms). Decent coverage without needing a fisheye or ultra-wide attachment.
- Sturdy body*
Cons:
- Only 640x480 resolution.
- 4:3 aspect ratio, takes in more sky/ground than needed for this usage.
- Audio is muffled (later Ricoh GRD4 has far superior audio, but same video resolution).
- A little larger and heavier than most current HD video cameras.
- *While sturdy overall, probably won't last long with road vibration. Those telescoping lenses often used delicate plastic rack and pinion gears.
- No effective image stabilization.
09-06-15, 02:32 PM
#43
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Location: Michigan
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The loop video function is just a crazy implementation. When they say 5 minute loop video, what everyone else on the planet means is record 5 minute segments, keep going until the card is full, then erase the oldest segment on the card and continue filming, repeat as necessary. What Garmin thinks it means is "record 5 minutes, at 5:00 erase the segment and record another 5 minute segment" - so it's completely useless for use as an evidence camera. You have to leave it in normal recording mode and remember to erase the card every day or two.
Also, I hit the same problem that many people have reported; the camera would shut off with a low battery notification when it still claimed that the battery had a lot of power left (like 30% left). Multiple charge/discharge cycles didn't fix it, a new battery didn't fix it. I was only getting about 60 to 70% of the claimed battery life even when it was brand new and in warm weather, so I decided to bail while I was still in the returns period for Amazon.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
09-10-15, 08:14 PM
#44
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Location: South Central PA
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Quick followup on the BulletHD. I just popped it and a 4000mah power pack into a clean bottle so that I don't have to deal with wires. Just need to get a GoPro handlebar mount to set the lens up. Bad pics but you get the idea.
09-11-15, 09:12 AM
#45
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I have a silicone hood for the Mobius that's supposed to make it rainproof. It's being delivered today. I'm sure this fall will provide ample opportunity to test the waterproof claims. So far the battery life is acceptable at > 2 hours, and I'm not sad about switching to a camera that weighs 40 grams. If I need more battery power I can just use a USB power source.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
09-15-15, 12:40 PM
#46
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Location: Alexander City, Alabama
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What kind of camera do you use?
2 Contour Roams with updated firmware to run like a Roam2
How much did you pay for it?
$129.00 each
How do you mount it?
Front head mounted. Offers the best stable mounting position to capture license plates, IMO.
Rear, mounted right below the seat post on the left side.
What is the battery life like?
2.5 hours on a good day. Great for "short" rides but I regularly go over 2 hours and they tend to run out.
What software do you use to upload your videos?
I don't software to upload videos. I hook the cameras up to the PC then drag and drop from folder to folder.
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use?
Story teller software came with the camera.
Pros/ cons of camera?
Pros:
Small profile, rotating lens cover, 1080p resolution possible, 60 fps possible, nearly indestructible, water proof down to 3 meters and nearly infinite mounting possibilities. You can actually hear my voice on the audio when I wear the camera on my helmet.
Cons:
Can't replace the batteries in this model. Battery life isn't long enough for anything over a 40 mile ride. Only accepts 16 gig memory cards. I can get longer times from the card when running at 720p. Loop recording would be nice.
2 Contour Roams with updated firmware to run like a Roam2
How much did you pay for it?
$129.00 each
How do you mount it?
Front head mounted. Offers the best stable mounting position to capture license plates, IMO.
Rear, mounted right below the seat post on the left side.
What is the battery life like?
2.5 hours on a good day. Great for "short" rides but I regularly go over 2 hours and they tend to run out.
What software do you use to upload your videos?
I don't software to upload videos. I hook the cameras up to the PC then drag and drop from folder to folder.
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use?
Story teller software came with the camera.
Pros/ cons of camera?
Pros:
Small profile, rotating lens cover, 1080p resolution possible, 60 fps possible, nearly indestructible, water proof down to 3 meters and nearly infinite mounting possibilities. You can actually hear my voice on the audio when I wear the camera on my helmet.
Cons:
Can't replace the batteries in this model. Battery life isn't long enough for anything over a 40 mile ride. Only accepts 16 gig memory cards. I can get longer times from the card when running at 720p. Loop recording would be nice.
09-16-15, 08:21 PM
#47
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I have had the BulletHD running for a few rides now. My overall review is that it has fantastic video quality and I am easily able to read license plates from cars passing at speed. With a 4000mah battery pack, 4+ hours of record time seems reachable. After two hours, my pack was showing half full. There is also a built in 850mah battery to last an hour or so if needed. I have a few questions for the vendor about the G-Sensor and maybe a missing file or two and will report.
Here is some video from yesterdays ride at Gettysburg: https://youtu.be/CYi1R23x9_A
Here is some video from yesterdays ride at Gettysburg: https://youtu.be/CYi1R23x9_A
Last edited by Number400; 09-16-15 at 08:39 PM. Reason: Spelling
09-16-15, 09:40 PM
#48
Non omnino gravis
What kind of camera do you use?
Sony HDR AS100V
How much did you pay for it?
About $190
How do you mount it?
Has a std. 1/4" bayonet mount on the bottom. I use a generic bar mount to mount the camera on the handlebar. Can be used with or without the case, is splashproof without.
What is the battery life like?
2+ hours
What software do you use to upload your videos?
Editing through iMovie, direct upload to (yech) YouTube, complete with over-compression and loss of quality.
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use?
There was Sony software included, I haven't fiddled with it, at all. I used iMovie with the Contour GPS prior, and the GoPro 960 before that.
Pros/ cons of camera?
Positives:
--Active image stabilization
--absolutely tiny size. In the case, weighs less than 4oz.
--inline form factor, no brick shape.
--stereo mics, very sensitive.
Negatives:
--pricepoint is into GoPro neighborhood
--less aftermarket doodads available
This is the initial video test when I got the bar mount, 720p @ 60fps with stabilization on. Zero editing done, file was taken off the memory card and uploaded directly to youtube. Fairly significant quality loss during upload, the raw file is crystal clear-- you can read plates on this pretty easily, but they're crystal clear off the original file.
Sony HDR AS100V
How much did you pay for it?
About $190
How do you mount it?
Has a std. 1/4" bayonet mount on the bottom. I use a generic bar mount to mount the camera on the handlebar. Can be used with or without the case, is splashproof without.
What is the battery life like?
2+ hours
What software do you use to upload your videos?
Editing through iMovie, direct upload to (yech) YouTube, complete with over-compression and loss of quality.
Did it come with the camera/ is it easy to use?
There was Sony software included, I haven't fiddled with it, at all. I used iMovie with the Contour GPS prior, and the GoPro 960 before that.
Pros/ cons of camera?
Positives:
--Active image stabilization
--absolutely tiny size. In the case, weighs less than 4oz.
--inline form factor, no brick shape.
--stereo mics, very sensitive.
Negatives:
--pricepoint is into GoPro neighborhood
--less aftermarket doodads available
This is the initial video test when I got the bar mount, 720p @ 60fps with stabilization on. Zero editing done, file was taken off the memory card and uploaded directly to youtube. Fairly significant quality loss during upload, the raw file is crystal clear-- you can read plates on this pretty easily, but they're crystal clear off the original file.
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10-25-15, 01:05 AM
#49
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Its great to read all these reviews. I'm still on the fence for my first cam-- I guess I should just pick one and go with it
10-25-15, 02:05 AM
#50
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This is the initial video test when I got the bar mount, 720p @ 60fps with stabilization on. Zero editing done, file was taken off the memory card and uploaded directly to youtube. Fairly significant quality loss during upload, the raw file is crystal clear-- you can read plates on this pretty easily, but they're crystal clear off the original file.