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gopro or similar?

murphysf

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Eric267

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If your just looking to grab some mellow videos you can mount an iPhone to your helmet on the cheap. Best if you have an old one sitting around that still works. Looks stupid but gets the job done
https://www.amazon.com/GoPro-Camera-iPhone-Samsung-Galaxy/dp/B018A7B0EE

If your looking to spend $$ I have the GoPro hero 4 which is pretty nice for a base model at around $175-200. Would recommend!
 

Primoz

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What's best? Most likely Gopro Hero 6 at the moment. But then again, this thing costs around 400-500eur, and question is, is it really worth that much. Honestly, I doubt. In next few weeks, I should be actually able to test Hero6 side to side with camera that costs about 150eur and is based on specs only pretty much on pair with Hero6. But specs are one thing, real life video/photo from camera is the other thing. But until I really try it myself, I won't say if Hero6 is really 3 times better then much cheaper competition. Promo videos for either cameras are useless, as you never know with what they were really made... even majority of Gopro promo videos were shot on Arri or Red and not on Gopro so... ;)
 

surfsnowgirl

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Not sure what's best but I love my go pro hero 5. I use a chest strap and the speaking commands make it easy hands free to operate. Plus it's a good tool for squaring off my shoulders to the fall line as it also makes for better video.
 

Dwight

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Go pro is the market leader, not necessarily the best. The session works very well and is around $100. I have tried the knock offs but didn't go very well.

I like the Sony and TomTom Bandit footprint better. I used to use a Cannon hand held powershot with decent results too.
 

Alba Adventures

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Having a ton of experience at this - we think POV cameras are good though, prefer a typical point and shoot over a the action cams. GoPro is great - though pricey - you can get the firefly 6s which is fantastic for the price and uses a sony sensor. These costs about 60 - 100 dollars. The camera question is one that should be decided based on the type of video you want to shoot . Are you looking at more POV type shooting or are you looking to show more than your POV. Obviously you can shoot anything with your action camera and its application is broad.
 

Alba Adventures

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Another factor is to decide, what conditions do other than skiing do you want to shoot in with the action camera. In the end, if the story is good, the video could look terrible and you will have a pleasant experience. Check out some of our work her in PugSki to get a sense on what we do to see if this translates in what you are hoping to do.
 

PeterMN

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Check out the Rylo. It has the most incredible image stabilization yet, as well as a host of other cool features (follow me feature is cool). It uses a dual camera set up that captures all angles and you select what you want to watch after recording... and after the image stabilized by software using the horizon...

see link here
www.rylo.com/

also review here

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/review-rylo-is-a-360-camera-done-right
 

Alba Adventures

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Check out the Rylo. It has the most incredible image stabilization yet, as well as a host of other cool features (follow me feature is cool). It uses a dual camera set up that captures all angles and you select what you want to watch after recording... and after the image stabilized by software using the horizon...

see link here
www.rylo.com/

also review here

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/review-rylo-is-a-360-camera-done-right
Yes, the RYLO - great camera and i think its also HDR and 360 video. The issue you might have is editing 360 video. You will need a NLE that supports it. Final Cut and Premiere do, though many cheaper alternatives don't. Though I am sure that given the rise of 360 video - there will more and cheaper ones out there. I feel though with a 360 camera - its harder to tell a story - so you have to go with a more of a realistic FPV . Hoping next season to play with one in some our of our work.

R
 

James

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Really depends on what one wants. Pov has it's uses, but if one wants to capture a kids skiing then the ability to zoom and look through an eyepiece is worthwhile. It's bright out, and screens are hard to see.
If going helmet mt, try to get one that takes stills. I've seen this by someone who did it skiing with a guide. There really wasn't time or a safe way to take a photo in some spots, but he took stills with a the helmet cam which were quite good. Don't know the cam.
 
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murphysf

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Hello Everyone

Thanks for all of the replies.

I am looking to get something to put on my kids (aged 6 & 8) helmet.

I don't need the latest and greatest nor do I need 4K, in the SF bay area (Peninsula and South Bay) there are tons of GoPros on craigslist and they don't seem to be selling?

Would this be a good starting point? Pickup a used Hero3+ or a different model? Or should I go with a smaller Session.
 
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murphysf

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I just found this in the GoPro Forum, thought it would be useful to add to this thread and could help others out in the future.
*****
If you're not in a rush, it's rumored that GoPro is going to be releasing a budget version of the Hero5/6 cameras at the end of the month. I'd personally wait for that instead of going the used route. If you need something right away, then the Session is the next best budget camera. Target, Walmart, and B&H are still selling them. For just fun shooting that is easy and convenient, the Session is the best camera IMO. It's small, discrete, super durable, and takes good video and audio. You don't need 4K unless you are doing editing on your computer.


Cameras to avoid:

Hero3 Black/Silver/White: Poor battery life, limited resolution/frame rates, old style Protune offering fewer options and requires color grading in post editing.

Hero3+ Silver/White: Basically just the Hero3 Black and Silver. (Hero3+ Black is OK)

Hero, Hero+, Hero+LCD: These were basically throw away cameras permanently infused into the waterproof housing killing any hope of decent audio. Not terrible but once you have an issue or problem there is absolutely nothing you can do. Scratch the housing lens and that's it. A common reported problem was when the housing mounting arms would break making the camera unable to be mounted. Since the camera was stuck in the housing, you couldn't replace it.

First release Hero5 Session (used models only): The first batch of Hero5 Session cameras had a higher rate of complaints from freezing/overheating. If someone is selling their Hero5 Session, chances are they have one of these.

Top to Bottom Best cameras:
Hero6 Black - far and away the best GoPro camera. If you get this camera you will use this camera in ways you aren't thinking of now. Beautiful picture, amazing stabilization, great photos, time laps, night photos, night laps, ZOOM, fast video transfer to mobile devices, Quik Story compatible, Auto cloud uploading, very good low light (with latest update), wide range of resolution/frame rate possibilities, voice activation, good audio, waterproof without a case, GPS, selective light metering, Auto burst photo mode, Auto shutter with ISO 100, and with a clear, easy to use rear LCD. You pay more, but you end up getting a camera you can actually use for more than just your ski trips.

Hero5 Black - Similar to Hero6 Black with many of the same feautres, BUT... Video quality is not as good, less resolution/frame rate options, 2 axis stabilization that is good for shake but nothing close to the Hero6, no Auto Shutter with ISO100, no Auto Burst mode, fewer voice commands, slower Wi-Fi transfer of media, slightly less responsive LCD touch screen, poorer audio, no ZOOM, and some reported complaints of waterproofing without case giving out.

Hero5 Session - Great little camera that is durable, discrete, and gives wide range of resolutions/frame rates including 4K/30. Earlier batches seemed to have more reported issues but later runs seem fine. I use this camera almost as much as my Hero6 Black. Great waterproofing and nearly indestructible. It also works with QuickStory for the mobile app and has Auto Cloud updating.

From here it depends on your wants/needs. For a simple no frills camera that is durable and gets good audio and video, the Session (Hero4) is great and my number 4 favorite and used camera.

For very good video and audio with the camera out of the housing, not waterproof and vulnerable to damage, then the Hero4 Black. Great camera if you know how to use Protune and use outside the waterproof housing or in the frame. Inside the waterproof housing audio is unusable.

Hero4 Silver: Basically a Hero3+ Black with a rear LCD. Same issue of needing to be out of the housing for decent audio. Most frequent complaint is a helicopter "thumping" noise that comes through in the video recordings when Wi-Fi is used.

The Hero3+ Black: A great camera for it's time but there are much better options at around the same price. You have to use it in a housing if you want to keep it safe, which completely ruins audio and the video quality isn't as good as the Hero4 Black.

Mostly, when looking on sites like Craigslist you are going to see cameras from the do not buy list. There is a reason for this. Most of the cameras on the Best cameras list can be found, but not at cheap prices. There is a reason for this as well.

If you want to keep your camera safe, only use GoPro mounts and accessories. The 3rd party brands are cheap junk and break easily.

Hope this helps.
 

tball

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I am looking to get something to put on my kids (aged 6 & 8) helmet.
I prefer the camera on my helmet. I want to see the video of my similar age kiddos, not their POV. In 10 or 20 years I think I'll be really glad I have that footage of them.

I like my POV video and just turn it on at the top and off at the bottom of each run and follow them around or ski backward in front of them. Don't really care much about the quality. I've got a 3-4-year-old Garmin VIRB and it's fine. I'll occasionally pull out my phone that has an awesome camera for pictures and video if I want to zoom or better quality.

Something to think about is what are you going to do with all that video. I shoot so much I don't even have time to look at it. I just upload it automatically to Google Photos and it automatically picks the best clips and makes a couple minute video for each of our days of skiing. Very nice to have with zero effort, or you can edit a bit if you like.
 
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murphysf

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I prefer the camera on my helmet. I want to see the video of my similar age kiddos, not their POV. In 10 or 20 years I think I'll be really glad I have that footage of them.

I like my POV video and just turn it on at the top and off at the bottom of each run and follow them around or ski backward in front of them. Don't really care much about the quality. I've got a 3-4-year-old Garmin VIRB and it's fine. I'll occasionally pull out my phone that has an awesome camera for pictures and video if I want to zoom or better quality.

Something to think about is what are you going to do with all that video. I shoot so much I don't even have time to look at it. I just upload it automatically to Google Photos and it automatically picks the best clips and makes a couple minute video for each of our days of skiing. Very nice to have with zero effort, or you can edit a bit if you like.
thanks for the reply

I also have canon vixa hand held video camera that takes excellent quality video and I have them wait for me to get a bit down the run and then I video them coming down. I archive and have two different external hard drives so I have all my photos and videos on three drives. The photos and videos will be priceless some day. I bought my first canon camcorder video camera in 2010 when my daughter was born and have been shooting in 1080 since, I now have a newer model.
 

SSSdave

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...I also have canon vixa hand held video camera that takes excellent quality video and I have them wait for me to get a bit down the run and then I video them coming down...

I also have the Vixia HF R700. As for Action POV cameras in general, they are great versus traditional handheld camcorders because one can record while solo or skiing behind others so don't depend on someone capturing the skiing that is not part of the action. They also provide a unique following perspective dropping lines and getting air. On the negative, they are wide angle by necessity without being able to zoom in or is so inadequately, so the perspective is quite size distorted at varying distance versus what our eyes see. Objects or skiers at increasing distance quickly become weirdly small. I personally am bored watching anything but short POV captures though understand why such is much more interesting to the person doing the video capture because it is sort of a record of what they personally experienced.

Personally I much prefer capturing skiing the traditional way just like you mentioned with a digital camera with video or better a dedicated camcorder where one can much better zoom in and out from a static location toward target skiers. The main problem is that needs at least two people who have bothered to figure out how to use a camcorder, have worked out a signalling process at a distance to control action, and are willing to take the extra time to video each other versus spending more time just enjoying skiing. And the latter is the primary reason why Action cameras have been so successful. One cannot simply go up to friends that don't have a signalling plan and capturing plan even if they know how to minimally operate a camcorder and get consistent results. But if two people or a group has done their homework, the traditional way of capturing skiing action IMO results in much more interesting videos because the results are similar to what we see when looking at others skiing.
 

patmoore

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I have a GoPro Hero 3+ Silver and a Session 5. One of the issues with any GoPro is that you have to be right on top of the action or your subject appears far off in the distance. You can be creative by mounting the camera in non-traditional ways:

 

tball

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Bump for any suggestions for a relatively inexpensive action cam to mount on my helmet to video our kiddos. My first gen Garmin Virb seems to have died after five years.

I don't need anything fancy or super high quality. I'd buy the same stone age Virb or get mine fixed, but they are long gone and no longer replaceable by Garmin's out of warranty repairs.

I was going to buy a refurbished $100 GoPro Session but saw a bunch of reviews saying it's terrible in the cold. Same with the previous generation Garmin Virb X/XE's that are still available for $160. The batteries are reportedly really bad in the cold.

I want to be able to use it all day skiing, turning on at the top of a run and off at the bottom. My old VIRB did that great but sounds like some of the newer cameras struggle in the cold.

Now I'm looking at the $50-100 knock off's on Amazon if anyone has any suggestions.

What I really want is the VIRB 360, but it's $799, so I'm thinking a cheapo to hold me over for a while until the price is more reasonable after the next generation is out.
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/05/garmin-virb-360-action-cam-review.html
 

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