Camera recommendations
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
other functions of the Polaroid I like is burst mode (10 frames pr second w the push of the still image button) still experimenting with this. helpful when you try to capture an exact moment but not sure when to press the button. you kinda ballpark it, then hope you get the frame you were looking for
& time lapse. you set the setting with your computer then start it using the still image button (I usually use 1 pic every 5 or 10 seconds when I am inspecting my gutters)
here it is mounted on my roof rake pole w a light for when the ambient light is fading
time lapse is also fun from a kite. it's kinda heavy for hanging from a kite, but it you get a strong wind at the beach, it gets airborne
& time lapse. you set the setting with your computer then start it using the still image button (I usually use 1 pic every 5 or 10 seconds when I am inspecting my gutters)
here it is mounted on my roof rake pole w a light for when the ambient light is fading
time lapse is also fun from a kite. it's kinda heavy for hanging from a kite, but it you get a strong wind at the beach, it gets airborne
Last edited by rumrunn6; 03-01-18 at 09:02 AM.
#53
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Posts: 12
Bikes: Scott Team Cyclocross, GT Transeo 3.0, 80's Bianchi Classica, Motobecane Jubilee 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I got a SJCAM M20 for Christmas. So I'm still learning how to use all of the options. Right now we are essentially a one income family so I completely relate to your spending limit. I knew that if I was going to get an action camera. I needed to beg for the one with the most options per $. I narrowed it down to this one based on several factors... 1) It came with a plethora of camera mounts that also work with goPro mounts including a waterproof case. 2) It has built in digital image stabilization and motion sensor. 3) It can shoot 4k video (mpv 7 mov) and 16mp stills (jpg and raw). 4) It is super small. 5)It has built in wifi. 6.) It has an adjustable field of view, and digital anti-fisheye correction 7.) The phone app that works with it got higher than 3 stars (check this because almost all of the goPro knock off cameras have 2stars or less. The SJCAM app allow me to connect to it via wifi with my phone and use my phone as a display monitor and a remote.
I've been taking morning commute photos and posting them for a few years now. I've just started taking photos with my SJCAM recently.. and mainly use it for still's only. For me its been a huge learning curve.. that is learning the best angles to use takes advantage of the fisheye type lens. Currently I am completely satisfied that I have the most options for the least out of pocket expense.
I'm new and don't have enough posts for them to allow me to past a link so here's the address of my instagram account.. check out the photos i've taken so far with the camera. www.instagram.com/savannahbikecommuter/?hl=en
Here is the address for the camera on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Original-SJCAM...1&keywords=M20
I've been taking morning commute photos and posting them for a few years now. I've just started taking photos with my SJCAM recently.. and mainly use it for still's only. For me its been a huge learning curve.. that is learning the best angles to use takes advantage of the fisheye type lens. Currently I am completely satisfied that I have the most options for the least out of pocket expense.
I'm new and don't have enough posts for them to allow me to past a link so here's the address of my instagram account.. check out the photos i've taken so far with the camera. www.instagram.com/savannahbikecommuter/?hl=en
Here is the address for the camera on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Original-SJCAM...1&keywords=M20
Last edited by Caddywumpus; 03-01-18 at 12:21 PM.
#54
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
the kite? yeah until it comes down. can be tricky in gusty wind. rigging it was a fun challenge. needless to say zip ties & tape were involved. I also rigged a zip line cam situation at a family party. got a little dicey over the fire pit, but it survived
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
#56
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
the iON Camera 5007 Mount Pack includes these items. I bought it for the circled items only
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
#57
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,965
Bikes: Specialized Roubaix, Canyon Inflite AL SLX, Ibis Ripley AF, Priority Continuum Onyx, Santana Vision, Kent Dual-Drive Tandem
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 886 Post(s)
Liked 731 Times
in
438 Posts
FWIW - got my new quick release helmet mount, mounted. only had white zip ties the right size. was getting ready for the last blizzard when I installed it, so the helmet cover ... looking forward to this mount because 1) it's lower & 2) provides the quick release I like so much for occasional hand holding. same easy in, easy out as the OEM Polaroid QR mount. I'm sure I will still feel ridiculous w the stupid thing on my head
#58
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
quality was pretty good, unfortunately not good enough to capture the license plate & you can hear .mov audio by using the free VLC media player on PC/Linux.
thanks for the application info, but I really just want to get a MAC laptop! ;-)
I really like the videos I get from the helmet perspective because you can turn your head, etc. but on smooth roads I prefer the bars, like you
let me know if you have any questions about the cam. here's a tip: don't delete still images from the card. leave the card untouched until sort of full, then either reformat it or store it & start a new card. I have found that when I start deleting images (to make more room on the card) the camera starts acting up, needing to be reset after every clip (meaning sticking paper clip in "reset hole") I now use only 8gig cards so I can start new cards more often. it makes searching for clips & pics faster than on a giant card. another thing I do is start the cam, let it record for a while, then after some event like a road crossing or a stop, or anything really, I stop it & restart it within a cpl seconds. this way I don't have to scroll thru one long clip to see something in particular. I just have to skip from clip to clip to find it. anyway I can go on & on about using it, just ping me any way you want w/ a question ... have fun with it, it's pretty darn versatile!
FOUND IT - see post #48 in this thread
Weeks Since Your Last Hostile Driver?
Last edited by rumrunn6; 03-16-18 at 04:46 PM.
#59
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
you can hear .mov audio by using the free VLC media player on PC/Linux.
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,965
Bikes: Specialized Roubaix, Canyon Inflite AL SLX, Ibis Ripley AF, Priority Continuum Onyx, Santana Vision, Kent Dual-Drive Tandem
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 886 Post(s)
Liked 731 Times
in
438 Posts
You're welcome, glad to help. One thing I haven't figured out is whether VLC or some other player can step through video frames. Cars keep going through the turn-only intersection by my house every time I cross, kind of think I can barely make out license plate letters except can't control the playing fine-grained enough. Would switching from video to stills make for clearer pictures? I usually hit the light when I get there so I would have time to change recording mode.
#61
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
You're welcome, glad to help. One thing I haven't figured out is whether VLC or some other player can step through video frames. Cars keep going through the turn-only intersection by my house every time I cross, kind of think I can barely make out license plate letters except can't control the playing fine-grained enough. Would switching from video to stills make for clearer pictures? I usually hit the light when I get there so I would have time to change recording mode.
about stepping thru frames I think the quicktime player can do that with .mov files
#62
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,208
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 410 Times
in
236 Posts
Recently I got a second camera for the rear. Pretty simple with a mount I already had. The camera is upside down, but it has auto rotation, so it works pretty well.
IMG_0276.jpg
I am still not trusting the mounting holes on the bottom of the camera to hold, so I've got some elastic bands holding it in place just in case the mount fails.
IMG_0276.jpg
I am still not trusting the mounting holes on the bottom of the camera to hold, so I've got some elastic bands holding it in place just in case the mount fails.
#63
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
#64
Señior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
On VLC, pause then use the E key to single step. Look in the help and menus, there are a lot of controls.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#65
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
#66
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
#67
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,208
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 410 Times
in
236 Posts
just watched 2 youtube videos w DIY fixes. both are pretty crude, bulky & ugly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVTEEpgyRw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue1Wb-BTJEg
I think the easiest solution would be to glue one of these in place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVTEEpgyRw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue1Wb-BTJEg
I think the easiest solution would be to glue one of these in place
#69
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
#70
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,208
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 410 Times
in
236 Posts
Yeah, I thought about doing that too. I'm going to wait until the warranty expires before doing that...just in case.
#71
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,592
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5234 Post(s)
Liked 3,609 Times
in
2,357 Posts
#72
☢
Pros on gopro style cameras
1) convenient form factor
2) first in class accessories
Cons
Not good for handheld photography/video
1) convenient form factor
2) first in class accessories
Cons
Not good for handheld photography/video
#73
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Cambridge UK
Posts: 1,667
Bikes: Trek Emonda SL6 .... Miyata One Thousand
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 29 Times
in
22 Posts
Garmin Virb Ultra 30 .... connected to a small powerbank that sits in a top tube bag .... get the remote control switch that mounts on your handlebar. Get a 128 GB Micro SD card and you can record in HD for 17 hours before it starts looping (thats what I've been told, but not 100% sur of the 17 hours).. you also need the other cage ( VIRB Ultra Cage) so as to connect to the powerbank
plus:
when it rains, you cannot connect to the powerbank, as you need to use the waterproof cage (which comes supplied with the camera when you purchase it)
(on the back, I use the Cyclique Fly 6 camera (6 hours battery life, but the newest version can connect to a powerbank)
I use Sony Vegas Pro software to combine the fly 6 and Garmin Virb videos
I also use the K-Edge Garmin Go Pro Mount (my Garmin Edge 1000 ontop, and below, the Garmmin Camera:
Last edited by dim; 03-30-18 at 05:46 AM.
#74
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Mid Atlantic / USA
Posts: 2,115
Bikes: 2017 Specialized Crosstrail / 2013 Trek Crossrip Elite
Mentioned: 43 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1002 Post(s)
Liked 237 Times
in
155 Posts
That's what she said.
Also you're right. The screw hole can be made tighter (I'm dying here...dying!!! ) with either glue or a matchstick. Cut a matchstick in half longways so it's a thin strip of wood, put it along the threads and tighten the screw and it'll add enough resistance that it'll be nice and tight. You may have to go thinner than half a match width, but you get the idea.
I use this trick on loose screws all the time. Never did it on a bike, but it's been holding a door hinge on my bedroom door for 12 years now.
Also you're right. The screw hole can be made tighter (I'm dying here...dying!!! ) with either glue or a matchstick. Cut a matchstick in half longways so it's a thin strip of wood, put it along the threads and tighten the screw and it'll add enough resistance that it'll be nice and tight. You may have to go thinner than half a match width, but you get the idea.
I use this trick on loose screws all the time. Never did it on a bike, but it's been holding a door hinge on my bedroom door for 12 years now.
#75
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,208
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 410 Times
in
236 Posts
Yeah, right! I could use the recent receipt and the older camera...nah. I thought about returning it when the thread stripped last June, but after mounting it on the helmet with the zip ties I thought it worked pretty good, and the quality of the footage was good, and the battery was decent, and the price was good. So I decided not to. It's been working fine for almost a year now.