Happy days. The Missus just bought me a Gopro Black edition, didn't see it coming, I thought it was a box of chocolates and left it until after dinner before I opened it!
Questions:
1. Helmet mount: what is general concensus on the supplied helmet mount:is it vulnerable or is it dangerous? How many people loose a Gopro in a tumble?
2. What software is most convenient to use to process the video? I notice Gopro have their own: but often there is cheaper or a more effective alternative..
3. For snowsports: Skeleton back or waterproof?
4. How the hell do you get into the waterproof case??
and any other handy tips?
Thanks,
Iain
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Happy days indeed. Helmet mounts are popular, although there is some debate about whether they weaken the helmet and poss increase danger (schumacher rumours etc).
I use the basic Movie Maker supplied with Windows - good enough, although if you really want to pimp them up, many other options available.
Not sure what the skeleton back is, so I would say waterproof case, which is what I use.
Can't quite explain that do you - just unclip it!
Enjoy!
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
You don't say which model, Black or Black+ as they have a slightly different case catch design?
Mounting - There are lots of options adhesive mounts on the helmet, boots, skis, vented or elasticated head strap, chest strap (forward or backwards, hand held, pole or spin mount or just mounted on a ski pole. The key is to vary the shots and create an edited montage that has a theme/story if possible. 2 hours of going up lifts and down pistes just get so boring. That being said if that's what you want to capture then thats okay too.
Editing, lots of 'paid' for editors with heaps more functionality than most people use and the cineform editor free from gopro is more than enough for most jobs.
Skeleton housing gives you better sound quality, though not as good as the 'frame 2.0' mount. but you lose protection with either of those choices. With the skeleton back door You will lose waterproofing (obviously) but will still be safe for most snow action. The frame you get no water protection and no lens protection, so if you go down that route get a clear lens cap.
Oh and Your probably going to need a bigger PC/Laptop/Mac than you already have to edit and store the stuff.
Paul @ hobbymounts give the forum a discount on most things drop him a PM for details.
I got a gopro for my birthday but I'm having a problem publishing the edited content from movie maker.
I've converted the GOPRO files from MPEG4 to WMV and then editted it in movie maker. However in publishing mode when it gets to about 30% encoded, it falls over and I get an error message. There is loads of space left on the hard drive so any idea what to try next ?
I really dont want to have to import it all in another format and have to edit it all over again (hours of work for 10 min video). I've tried switching off the .ax codecs..... : but no joy ?
'cannot print to specified location, check source files are available, check location has capacity'.
Can only think that the 10 min video is so big it makes WMM fall over when I try to publish it ?
Previewing it in moviemaker is quite jerky and some sequences hang, which may suggest the computer is struggling with the file size but i've set the accelerators low and tried everything I can find online.
I use movie maker because it is very simple and i find it logical. Perhaps its an issue with my PC ? I carnt publish to the desktop, DVD or flashdrive?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I would guess your file system is limited to fat, which has a 3.7gb file size limit and this is the issue and or can't span. Actually the gopro has the same issue which is why you will see a single video is automatically split into chapters. I don't use movie maker so don't know if it's an option or restriction on that or in windows.
Have you tried rendering in cineform?
After all it is free
After all it is free
(1) Mostly useless for snowboarding. If you mount them according to the instructions they are very solid. There's some thread there as a safety too. I have only even seen one (very rich) guest lose a GoPro, and he was holding it on a pole.
(2) GoPro's software is free. There is nothing cheaper. More effective? Depends what you mean. I use Premier Pro although I can seldom spell it right. If you're asking, you don't want it.
(3) Most cameras work just fine in snow, even using them every day. I've only used GoPros in their housing because earlier there wasn't much alternative. I'll be using the 4 with the "frame" mount from now because I don't need that much protection.
(4) Open it. ?
Strax wrote:
and any other handy tips?
a) Set it on "one button" mode and turn it off if you have nothing worth shooting.
b) Take small clips, not long ones.
You do not want to have to spend weeks trawling through hours of useless footage looking for the good stuff. When you find the good stuff, you're unlikely to use a single clip more than about 10 seconds long, so you don't need or want long clips.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Get spare battery/ies
Get the best SD cards you can afford 32gb class 10 preferably (I've had several corrupted )
Get an external hard drive for storing raw footage
Give your clips lengthy descriptive titles as you preview them.
Publish your finished footage on Snowheads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
oh go on then FranzClammer if you insist
Heres my first effort with mine from last winter (complete with cheezy apres music), its only a rough edit but Ive never had time to go back and do it properly. A few experiments with different mounts from ski mounts to pole mounts and head strap. Some worked well and others not so well.
Id say for head straps / helemet mounts you want it pointing a little further down than I had it so you can see more of the skis.
Over the shoulder shot would work better with a longer pole adn the problem with the front facing ski mount is that it just got covered in snow very quickly.
Id definatly second the advice to get spare batteries as it eats them up pretty quickly.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
[How do you embed stuff/use HTML on here BTW?]
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
iainm wrote:
[How do you embed stuff/use HTML on here BTW?]
use the URL tag around your erm URL
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I think they launch the new GoPro 4 next week.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
launched last week, ships early next week. On order already
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Does anyone have specific recommendations based on first hand experiences as to what video format settings to run when shooting on snow using a Hero3+ Black Edition, 32Gb class 10 SD card; resolution, frame rates, these kind of things etc?
Also, I plan on mounting a camera to the tips of one of the skis using something similar to a Quiver Killer insert into which I can mount and unmount the GoPro flat mount rather ; does this sound feasible and/or are there other ways to achieve the same thing?
Thanks in advance,
Nick
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Firstly not all class 10 cards are equal, plenty are hooky and will cause the camera to lock up or fail, and even genuine ones (certain SanDisk cards) have their data rate limited by the camera. Speak to pail @ HobbyMounts he will make sure you are good to go.
Settings, unless you plan to do lots of post processing. Protune off, 1080p 60fps will do for most stuff. Use 1 button mode to both limit the amount of rubbish you capture and also save on battery.
Mounting on the ski works, either facing forwards or backwards/up towards yourself. Be aware facing forwards the camera will pick up snow pretty quickly, but it's a good shot to cut into am edit. Get lots of different angles and positions don't just stick to a 15 minute one shot video as the output. Look to tell a story and capture and edit to suit that.
NB if you want to reduce the snow pickup when shooting from the ski forward then use an extended bar to raise the cameras height.
Above all concentrate on the skiing and not the videoing.
Get more batteries and SD cards, you will need them.
Experiment with camera angles so you get what you want.
Set up on correct frame rate and size etc for what you want.
Set up wifi so you can adjust angles correctly.
Use different positions. best is on head as body takes out most shock and vibration. Most difficult is mounted on ski, but can give an amazing view front or rear.
Not a big fan of using a stick to hold camera but if by self maybe no alternative.
Avoid filming own shadow.
Film in short bursts 15-20 seconds unless you wish to grow old editing and trawling through it.
Basic editing programs like Go Pro and Movie maker are perfectly adequate unless you have hours and hours.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
)
Cheers
