Video from Santa for the Beast (Goprocamera or Hero camera review)

[Beast Rider]

Munch....You can set mine to shoot every 2 or 5 seconds , your choice....and have a look at my mounting system that I just finished....it's on the first post on this thread. Also there was a vendor on this site that was selling them cheaper but they were not the wide angle lens ....best I could figure was "MX South" in Florida...price $179....no shipping cost and no tax. Web site for them is www.mxsouth.com

[munchmeister]

BR: Thanks. Really looks like da bomb.

Re your current mounting: did you use one of the GoPro sticky mount things and stick that to the RAM flat plate? That would make sense to me. That would make it easy to take off, put on. I've already got the RAM mount on my handlebars and would only need to get a longer RAM arm like you've got plus the camera and sticky mounts to get to the same setup on my 1150GS. I googled and found this place which has 5% off and a 2 gig SD card in package deals for a pretty good price: http://helmetcameracentral.com/

Thanks again for posting.

[The Yeti]

Is this not the same GoPro Hero:

B&H linky

If it is, it's the cheapest I've seen.

[Beast Rider]

Yup...that looks like the best price and it includes shipping....it did not say however that it included the suction cup mount that I use on my Dual Sport....but that is only about $30....so still a good price ...especially if you did not want the suction cup mount....

[munchmeister]

B&H is great, has great prices. I buy all my DSLR equipment there. But the place I listed, http://helmetcameracentral.com/, which I found by Googling, lists the basic 5mp wide GoPro for 139.99 and includes a 2 gig card, 5% off, and free shipping. Pretty hard to beat that, but I have no experience with the vendor. May be that the little guy is just trying harder. Can't knock that, especially with that deal. YMMV.

[Beast Rider]

Munch, Yup if you look really close on my first post in this thread, I just added pics of my mounts, you will see I indeed did put the stick on clamp thing that came with the camera onto the flat plate from RAM. Works great you can just snap the camera on or off as you like.

[BCC]

It looks like the one with the 5 mounts is $199.99 many places, including http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...em=TUC_42-4298

Thanks for the reviews!

[Twistn'roads]

I'm very interested in getting one of these cameras for my AK trip this summer. My biggest concern is keeping it powered on the road. From everything I've read, this little guy chews up batteries pretty quick. I've read somewhere that lithiums will only provide about an hour of shooting, rechargeables, not so good. I was hoping that rechargeable batteries would provide better performance. I could keep some on a charger in my tankbag at the ready. Lithiums are a bit pricey to be going through a set every hour of recording.

What are you guys doing to keep the Hero powered?

~TR~

[Beast Rider]

Twistyn, The Litiums give me about 2 hours of continuous video...but you are correct....for a long trip, little pricey. I plan to use the rechargables and have a set ready to go in my tankbag.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by munchmeister

B&H is great, has great prices. I buy all my DSLR equipment there. But the place I listed, http://helmetcameracentral.com/, which I found by Googling, lists the basic 5mp wide GoPro for 139.99 and includes a 2 gig card, 5% off, and free shipping. Pretty hard to beat that, but I have no experience with the vendor. May be that the little guy is just trying harder. Can't knock that, especially with that deal. YMMV.

Price musta went up, it's $189.99 now....

Linky

[munchmeister]

They, http://helmetcameracentral.com/, have several "kits" of the GoPro, one of which has the helmet mounts but just the camera is still $139 I believe, and their discount is 5%. You can buy an accessory pack of some mounts for $19.99. Just depends on your mounting needs.

As for the battery issue I, too, have read several places that the somewhat pricey lithium AAAs are the only way to get enough juice to power it long enough to fill the capacity of a 2gig SD card. Sounds like a problem begging for a solution from some creative type who can rig up a power supply. Many of the other helmet cams have such power supplies so it would not take someone with some skills long to hack together a longer lasting power supply. Maybe GoPro is listening. FWIW, you can still use a MiniDV camera, e.g., Sony, Panasonic, with the MiniDV tapes pretty cheap on ebay. These use rechargeable batteries. On a long trip, you could have 2-3 and charge them up in the motel while traveling. The GoPro's advantages seem to be its simplicity both in use and in mounting. May not be what you'd want for your personal version of a Long Way 'Round.

Remember to dispose of your used batteries properly folks !!

All batteries - AAA, AA, C, D, button cell, 9-volt and all others, both rechargeable and single use - are classified as universal waste, which cannot be disposed of in the trash. Many electronics stores and "battery stores" as well as county recycling centers accept your batteries. I just toss mine in a small bucket and when it's full, I take it to them.

[bluepoof]

I used two AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries and they were still alive after the 2 gig SD card was full. I recharge them after every use and it works really well.

[munchmeister]

The type of rechargeables can make a difference, as can the type of charger. Best to have 2 to 4 times as many as you'll need (i.e. 4 to 8 batteries for the GoPro) charged and ready to go, which is what a lot of photographers do, as they can burn through them in flash units very quickly. Here's a quote on some research I did for photography use.

Comparison tests show that the Energizer 2500 batteries outperform the Duracell 2650 NiMH batteriesinfo (*Est. $15 for four AAs) - but the difference in performance isn't enough to justify the higher price. These Duracell rechargeable batteries are only available in AA and AAA sizes, but that's the size most fast-draining devices use anyway. The Duracell CEF90NC kitinfo (*Est. $20) includes a 30-minute charger plus four AA batteries. A 15-minute charger is also available, but battery experts suggest that quick chargers shorten battery life and cost more. Chargers that take two to five hours are the most cost-effective solution.

Maha Powerex 2700 NiMHinfo (*Est. $13 for four AAs) batteries earn first rank in comparison tests at Rechargeable-Battery-Review.com, and earned a 2004 Editors' Choice award at PC Photo magazine. They now carry a five-year warranty. Maha chargers also get top ranking at Steve's Digicams. The Maha MH-C204F (*est. $20) charges both AA and AAA batteries, and the Maha MH-C204F-DCinfo (*Est. $23) (*est. $23) includes adapters for both AC and 12-volt DC outlets.

If you don't buy your batteries with an included charger, be sure to match the type of charger to the battery. Using a higher-capacity charger for higher-capacity batteries will cut down on the length of charging time. Be sure you're getting a charger for NiMH batteries; Bill Howard of PC Magazine warns that "NiMH batteries are sensitive to overcharging and require closer monitoring by the charger; plug NiMH batteries into a charger designed for NiCads and you may overcharge and damage them." NiMH chargers will automatically shut down or provide only a trickle charge when they sense the batteries are fully charged.

Experts are mixed on whether rapid chargers are a good idea. These claim to recharge a four-pack of NiMH batteries in only 15 minutes. However, experts caution that the batteries are only charged to about 80 percent capacity at that point. It would take another hour or two to reach fully charged status. Rapid chargers can also be harder on batteries and reduce their lifespan.

Use the good rechargeables, put in a set of freshies at a gas stop, save the environment.

[Garand]

The batteries are definatly the weak link in the GoPro system.. but you can still manage to have some fun with the time lapse settings.

Here is my 1st attempt of a time lapse. the pics are actually pretty high quality before they had to be compressed for the video....

[munchmeister]

Love the time lapse.... One of the things that appeals to me about the GoPro is the time lapse capability. I want to mount it on the moto and run it on time lapse and see what I get. Could be a fun movie.

I wonder if that would take more... or less battery power?