As above, which is the best place to mount the cam?
I will be using it to video my 4 year old son and wife. And hopefully for some off piste stuff.
I am assuming a chest mount gives the most 'involved' type view?
Ta
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@FunkyDunc, I had a helmet mount last season and got really naffed off with it banging on ski lifts, have bought a chesty for this season, I've decided that the helmet mount is going to be avoided from now on if I can get good footage from chesty view. I'm also considering buying one of the big bulldog clip mounts and fastening it to my rucksack strap, I really don't like looking like a telly-tubby either!
You can lose the black dodgy looking thing and mount the camera straight onto the bulldog clip thing (see photo on the link) works well, a mate has one. Looks a bit wacky but does the job!
If I was taking vids of others, ie kids etc I'd get a hand held mount too, good for taking action shots of them rather than chesty and jaws thing above which are mainly for videoing where one is skiing rather than viewing others (if that makes sense)?
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?
If you've already got the camera, just do a few test videos at home using some tape to hold it in place against your chest and see what you think about the field of view. If your arms and legs get in the field of view, they tend to look a bit weird due to perspective, moreso than a head mount. It also avoids any potential safety issues with attaching stuff to helmets, if that matters to you.
For videoing other people though, handheld is definitely the best (assuming you don't want to faff about with tripods), so pick up a grip of some kind regardless of what else you use.
If videoing your son and wife what about a pole mount you can get closer to them than using a chest mount plus easier to change angle ie shoot from front, rear, side and even low down shots.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
DCrainmaker was raving about this mount as his favourite "go to" mount
Each to their own. I don't ski, but people I ride with who do... well the most common for skiers is the helmet mount, make of that what you will.
Skiers I know who shoot other people with a GoPro just use a pole they already have handy. Most skiers carry a couple of poles around anyway. All you need is something to lash the camera to the pole. I'm sure you can spend more money and carry more stuff, but I'm unconvinced it helps. Better to use what you already and always have.
The best use of point of view cameras is in fact point of view though - they're not great at shooting other people. You will need to get very close, which requires some skill and finesse. Standard video cameras are easier to use as camcorders, but then that's spending more money and carrying more stuff.
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.
My daughter had a pair of 2 part adjustable Leki ski poles when she was still growing. When she wiped out spectacularly and snapped one her brother nabbed the handle half and turned it into a hand held GoPro mount. It's great cos it has a good handle, it's short enough to fit easily inside a rucksack when he's not using it, and he can get all sorts of interesting shots with it.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I have said this before. Take an old ski pole, cut it off below the handle and then arraldite a gopro extension arm into the resultant hole. The perfect hand held mount with a wrist strap.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
how about not at all?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I personally find the helmet mount to give a much steadier and more pleasing end result. The chest mount footage can look a bit weird because you get a lot more of your arms and knees in the frame. Also if you're getting some good angles and turning regularly it can be quite motion sickness inducing for people watching. Plus its a faff to use with a rucksack and you also need to have it tight enough not to wobble like crazy so it's not amazingly comfy.
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
Hope OP doesn't mind if I slightly hijack this thread slightly. I have a chest mount, but I want a helmet mount too to keep my options open. Question is front of helmet or top? Last year I had it at the front, and while I liked that it didn't stick up so high and that I could point the camera downwards at myself if I wanted to, I didn't like that I had to take the camera off to rest my goggles on my helmet. What do you consdider the optimum mount point on a helmet?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
head for ski
chest for mtb
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@PollSki, I think front gives the better footage, it feels more present and less like you're riding on a giant. Particularly if you use the SuperView modes.
Comparison for non-SuperView/SuperView... obnoxious music warning.
@meh, thanks for that. I do prefer the front mount view. Looks like I'm going to have to get used to taking the camera off before pulling up my goggles.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Ive tried most mounts for go pro head is good but if you keep turning your head its bad, chest ive found is good but again too much movement!
One mount that i found really good is a pole mount (handlebar mount) or a wrist mount!
The wrist mount can be moved around freely just point it in the direction you want to film and keep skiing freely
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?
@calders89, sorry I have to disagree. For skiing, can comment on snowboarding, and most other pov the wrist mount is pretty rubbish.
@ansta1, i guess its personal preference i prefer the wrist mount or handlebar mount round a ski pole
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My buddy Don uses the ski pole thing when he has to ski. It works pretty well for skiers I think.
This video is an advert, and I do have a minor commercial interest, but I'm posting it because it shows how well the ski-pole mount works for third-person stuff. The mount shadow can be seen at 1:07. At around 1:22 you can see the whole thing and how it works. Pole + stretchy ski strap, that's it.
Nice skiing and nice vid, and just a little comment there are one or two bits where the audio recorded from the gopro comes through that i think you may want to lose. Not all of them just the odd one.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The head mount has a couple of advantages, firstly the human head is self stabilising, secondly you know that wherever you are looking so is the camera, lastly you get a viewpoint from a height that feels right to the viewer. the disadvantages are that it will feel a little odd having the camera on a headmount and it may cause additional damage in an accident (it may also be more likely to be damaged in a fall than a chest mount).
Think I'd be tempted by the pole mount simply because its potentially more versatile
After all it is free
After all it is free
What is a good pole mount to get?
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.
This is the PITA with the GoPro - lovely internals, let down by awful, awful design. Personally, I like the head mount for filming other people, as has been said you can get in close with a bit of practice (but let them know you're doing it and where you are...) and your head is self stabilizing and you can frame your shot properly. I've got a pole but not done much with it yet, and a board mount for loooow shots which are great for faking how fast you really are, and gratuitous selfie mode... Which reminds me - need to get some more sticky mounts for the Contour...
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Have to be honest have to agree about Go_Pro lovely internals, great footage but let down by practicality of mounts.
I have quite a few friends with Go-Pro helmet mounted, and maybe they have improved design recently but most of them seemed to spend most of their time videoing their feet or the top of their helmet, the little knurl nut seems to work loose really easily and the camera nose dives.
Conversely bought my wife a Contour 3 years ago, and its does a fantastic job and we love it. So much so we just bought a second one for this year, 2 camera shoot here we come.
I would put some footage up but it all contains are daughter and I am not comfortable with that in public(ish) forum.
We both already have helmet mounts as we used to take turns with the camera depending on what we were doing, but I have also bought a poll mount so we get another option with the second cam.
There is no chest mount for contour (I am aware off) however a friend of mine had it last year, and I have to say with a rucksack on it seemed like a massive faff. He was not massively happy with it either.
G
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Going to resurrect a "retro" post here.
Want to move from the camera I have to a GoPro and I'm starting to think using a chesty is the way to go.
If you look at this old footage from 2015 (this was my first black in a good 10 years when I filmed this), you can see the mount on top. Too much movement and its not as wide angle as I would like. This is the camera I have today but I want to switch to something smaller. The shadow on my head should provide an idea of the size of what I use. Looks kind of goofy.
Thoughts ? What about what model? Considering the GoPro HERO5.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I have rigged my cam (cheapo copy but same shape and mount as a Gopro) onto my rucksac strap. Fit one of the multipurpose flat mount plates to the strap with velcro straps. The camera sits about shoulder height and doesn't get blocked by arms etc.
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
So, interesting... I have a new backpack that I plan on using while skiing... do the chestie and the backpack "clash" when both worn? OR... as you've done, what can you do to rig something on a backpack?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It still makes me wonder why you want that perspective, but different strokes and all that.
In 2019 things have moved on a bit. 360 cameras are, in my view, the way to go - eg the Rylo as already discussed.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
That is the advantage of the backpack strap mount, no extra guff to wear.
when you see footage like this it really shows the art of the possible with cameras....
Maybe art of the possible, but not there yet. I really dislike the jerky, “hunting” nature of that footage. Every time the boarder turns, the camera tries to track, resulting in a really twitchy looking clip. No idea how these things work, but the drone / camera needs to be less sensitive to rider movement so the rider moves within the frame, rather than the camera twitching all over the place.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@kitenski, that gave me motion sickness!
I have rucksack strap, helmet, chest and boot mounts.
Helmet mount definitely gives the best footage, with boot clip a close second (especially looking backwards when snowboarding). Chest is good when skiing but needs excellent technique (no good if your upper body isn't always facing downhill) and Rucksack strap is like chest, but not as stable.
I haven't tried a pole mount but would think the effects were only as good as a helmet mount, but with a high risk of camera damage.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
That's great footage... I think I'm sold on getting something but now am leaning towards an Insta 360 One X. I'm blown away by what you can do with those cameras.
After all it is free
After all it is free
The newish DJI Osmo Pocket is worth a look, getting some very good "first looks" from some review sites...
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.
I experimented with putting mine onto a pole (could well be a ski pole) and holding it at different aspects...
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
