Got a second
Drift Ghost X video camera. Got the first in September. Tried it for awhile before committing to another, after being disappointed in the GoPro knockoffs.
The Ghost X is an outstanding value for a bike traffic/documentary video camera. I've been running 'em front and rear on my Trek 5900 and Centurion Ironman for awhile.
Lots of little features that make it better than the rest for this narrow niche purpose:
- Rotating "lens" (probably the sensor that rotates) so the camera can be mounted at any angle and preserve the full size and desired aspect. Some cameras that offer flexible mounting do it by reducing the image size or forcing a weird format.
- 1080p at up to 30 fps or 720p at up to 60 fps. Pretty basic but good to have.
- Choice of recording modes. I mostly use DVR looping with 5 minute segments. Some users prefer the tagging mode but that requires manually pressing a button and being conscious and having the use of a hand. For real emergencies, that seems unwise.
- 5 hour run time on the standard battery. And it really lasts that long. There's an optional 8-hour battery for about $30. I use only 32GB media cards and those have been good enough for three of my usual workout rides, or a long casual group ride with friends before it loops around and records over the earliest segment. An 8-hour battery and 64GB card would probably last most commuters a week between charges.
- No need to delete existing videos -- it'll loop around endlessly. But I'll occasionally wipe both cards so it's easier to sync the front/rear videos if something sketchy happens on my ride.
- Weather resistant. I've been caught in the rain. No problems. There's a waterproof case but I haven't bothered.
- Buttons are easy to reach, with audible confirmation. Good for helmet mounting.
- Speaking of helmet mounting, the Ghost X is very low profile, much better than the typical GoPro type black box.
- Good mounting options for almost any conceivable angle.
- Good Android app for controlling the camera, near realtime viewing while recording, reviewing videos and easier setting of options than using the tiny utilitarian LCD on the camera (no preview/review screen on the camera). I've used the app to show a school district bus supervisor a dangerous stunt by a driver minutes after it occurred. I just asked them to review and observe safe driving, not to punish or fire the driver. He cut diagonally across a wide curve, drifting into my lane head-on and nearly forcing me to ditch, when the lanes were more than wide enough for two buses to pass safely. Lots of cyclists use that route, and there's relatively little traffic otherwise, so there's no need for any drama.
- Very good dynamic range, resolution and clarity for a camera in this price range. Not bad at night either.
Neutral stuff:
- The included mounts are intended for sticking to motorcycle helmets, using heavy duty 3M adhesive tape. They might work on Bern or Nutcase type hipster helmets but not on typical vented road helmets. I built up a thick mounting platform using Blu Tack gum and similar putty from 3M. Works fine. But I mostly mount the cameras on my bike. An old neck injury makes it painful to carry much weight on my noggin for long, so I use helmet mounting only on my commuter/casual ride helmet and hybrid bike rides.
- Plastic bolt on mounts cost extra, but are decent. I got one for handlebars, another for "roll cages". The only difference is the roll cage mount has a slightly larger aperture and longer bolts. I use it on the stems or head tubes of my road bikes. The handlebar mount actually goes on my seat posts -- the shorter screws don't protrude enough to snag my legs. I might need to file down the plastic thumbscrew knobs a bit, though.
- There's an eyelet on the mounts for a safety leash, but not on the camera body itself.
- No built in anti-shake/vibration sensor. But a sturdy mount minimizes problems. I see more rolling shutter jello effect on the front mounts than rear. Not sure why. I've swapped cameras, mounts and even bikes around trying to minimize the problem. Presumably the front end just vibrates more with both the steel and carbon fiber bikes.
Negative stuff:
- Needs an eyelet on the camera body for a safety leash in case the mount fails.
- Some mode combinations disable the date/time stamp. Other reviewers noted this. I couldn't get a date/time stamp in 720p at 60 fps.
- Camera modes/options can be fiddly with just the camera, tiny LCD utility screen and three buttons. No worse than most devices with multi-function buttons though. The app makes it much easier.
- While the dynamic range is very good, US license plates are too small for any HD camera to reliably record at night. The plates tend to be blurry or blown out. Until the US switches to European style plates (which will never happen), we'll need better dynamic range and resolution to reliably record license plates. Assuming cars even use them. Texas permits cars to run without front plates, reducing the effectiveness of a rear facing camera.
- Built in mic picks up a lot of wind noise, depending on where it's mounted. Most of the wind noise is turbulence from the bike or helmet. I may try a stick-on wind muffler doodad. If a commuter relies on shouting out license plate numbers to record dangerous situations, the mic might not pick it up.
- There's an optional external mic for the USB port, but this leaves the port uncovered and vulnerable to rain. The external mic would still need a wind muffler.