I would like to see a GoPro or probably a general POV camera forum. They are used so frequently now that I think that a forum would be good. Thanks!

Anybody else for GoPro?

Can't name it GoPro, just name it General POV camera forum (Don't neglect Sony or Panasonic's AVCHD additions)

Anybody else for GoPro?


Sure, i'm up for GoPro... I have 5.

(a generic POV camera forum is OK too I guess... :-) )

Now I feel inadequate...I only have two GoPro HD Hero cameras.
;-)

As popular as these cameras are, there is bound to be an expansion in the market so seems reasonable to me to have a forum for inexpensive wide angle, fixed focus cameras. Not a big deal, but I'm not all that fond of the term POV; they tend to be marketed and often used that way, but you can be a lot more creative with these cameras than just that...maybe something like "Point n Shoot Video" or to hearken back to my youth "Instamatic Video?" But again, just thinkin' (with a Shiner Bock in hand, after a hard day of yard work).

Now I feel inadequate...I only have two GoPro HD Hero cameras.
;-)


Yeah, well...three of mine are SD...I got the two HD models and I only use the SD models for continuous still images of something, etc...

If you know anybody interested in two SD Wide Heroes and a...not wide SD Hero, send 'em my way.

By the by...the waterproof housings...are really waterproof...

Lake Superior Shipwreck Footage-GoPro Camera on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/6062204)


:-)

Very cool video, Tim. I grew up in Northern MN and was a diver, but never dove the Big Lakes.

Yep, Woody the Swimming Dachshund can confirm the GoPro case is waterproof, although he prefers to stay at the surface (1080p30 frame grab)! Also attached is a GoPro video frame grab in a documentarian setting (720p60 frame grab; June 2nd crew extraction of the 21 Soyuz crew returning from the International Space Station).

But we digress...Chris, I guess we need a forum for this stuff!

Yep, I'm interested. I have a GroPro HD, not super impressed but it definitely has it's uses and if used in the right conditions captures events well.

Al

me too - got mine for some surfing footage for an upcoming short - havent' really had time to play with it yet,

+1. Still dubbing to bouy one. GoPro HD or ContourHD, that's the question....

GoPro for sure. The Contour is very soft around the edges, and the audio is poor (both are really, but the GoPro at least gives you something to work with that somewhat useable),

I have a big camera, but most of the stuff I've been filming lately has been with the GoPro such as this type of water based activity:

YouTube - Kona Red (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWUxaQpytUY)

It's light weight and fun to get in the water with it.
Last week I put together two 30 minute films that look great using all GoPro water footage.
However, there are some questions I have that only a forum with other users experiences may be able to answer.

Definitely want a GoPro or POV section here. I've just bought my GoPro HD and wanted to plug into the usual DVinfo.net hive mind whilst learning the ropes.

POV is IMHO probably a better title just in case something better pops up, though the GPH does seem to be the best in town at the moment.

Mine's going on a kite!

For those of you who subscribe to HD Video Pro Magazine, I am working on a feature article about POV cameras. Testing the Go Pro, Panansonic, Sony and Iconix. Any requests for specific information beyond the obvious or tests you would like to see?

Dan

All cameras on a color chart test. Man the GoPro is brown. Vibration issues, say in a car on on a bike. Soft edges test. Wide angle test and fish-eyeing.

oooohh... and I know it's not the main factor, but a comparison of audio would be nice.

I would love a gopro forum here, I do read the official go pro forum site but having one here would be great. I just bought the flat port version of the housing to correct the out of focus problems when shooting underwater that myself and many others were having and it does work much better now..all and all a fun little cam.

Dan,

When will it be coming out?

Is there an online link?

Mounting options across the units would be nice to know.

Type of / any iris control for each unit.

Compatibility (file output type) with editing programs, I've found GoPro to be awkward.

Al

Really? I was able to import the MPEG4 clip right into AVID, no problem.

Now, .MTS files out of the Canon Vixia AVCHD...what a nightmare...and one I still haven't solved.

Are you testing the Contour as well?

I agree the audio is a good factor to test.

I haven't noticed any vibraton issues on my GoPros...I do lots of car mounts.

...and I never put them on a chart...for 295.00 US, I really didn't expect to replace my XDcam gear with them... :-)

...but testing them on a chart to compare them is a great idea.

I think I'd like to see the mounting gear associated with all these cameras. I've been particularly pleased with GoPro's form/weight and mounting hardware...especially on an expense/performance basis.

...but I'm always interested in all the options.

Compatibility (file output type) with editing programs, I've found GoPro to be awkward.

Al


It drops into a DSLR sequence in Premiere Pro CS5 seamlessly...no trouble...very fast.

Great suggestions everyone, I will see how many of them I can address in the article.

Alan, it will be the November/December 2010 issue. No on-line, subscription only HD Video Equipment - HD Video Tips - HD Video Technique | HDVideoPro.com (http://www.hdvideopro.com)

I agree with Tim, so far the GoPro clips seem easy to work with, I am just converting them to Pro Res and they work fine.

Dan

GoPro clips crashed Vegas 8c. I upgraded to 9 and it works just fine.

I agree with Tim, so far the GoPro clips seem easy to work with, I am just converting them to Pro Res and they work fine.

Dan

Just to be clear...I'm not transcoding...just dump em on the timeline and go...like 5D or 7D clips.

Right, but you are using a MODERN ;-) editing app, CS5. FCP is behind the times.

Although to be fair, the new Canon EOS Plug-In for FCP makes the process of editing H.264 clips from the Canons less painful than it was before. Same with the AVCHD, the transcode/re-wrap isn't too bad, but the way CS5 handles these new formats is definitely more streamlined and effortless.

Dan

Hehe...

...not really my intent to start an NLE flame war here...just trying to get the idea across about the ease of editing that the GoPro files do have out there...they act like DSLR files really...

FCP is a fine product from a fine company... Post production is a horses for courses thing.

Let's all hold hands....

'kumbaya....hmmm, hmmm"


:-)

+1 on the GoPro forum. Nice little camera.

This is a good site for Gopro accessories, they have stuff I have not seen anywhere else..

Eye Of Mine Homepage (http://www.eyeofmine.com/)

Here is a little clip I put together of myself from this past winter at my local surf spot. This was all shot in 60p, using Cinema Tools to conform to 23.98. Yeah, there is a little jello in a few shots, but, hey, growing up as a kid surfing we would dream about stuff like this.

I love it. Got a trash the dress shoot coming up and you better believe this will make sure some great shots of the bride surfing with her dress on.

http://vimeo.com/9948459

enjoy!
bp.

Some really nice stuff there. Thanks for sharing it, I feel like my hair is all wet now. ;-)

Dan

So... what is the consensus on a POV or Fixed Focus wearable or whatever you want to call it forum. Sounds like most of us own a GoPro or something like it. Sounds great to me.

FCP is behind the times.

Well, it's like the early days of HDV - I prefered AIC until the hardware caught up. And even then, all renders were in ProRes.

I'm treating GoPro footage like HD-DSLR footage by taking it through MPEGStreamClip to get ProRes LT footage from the get-go, with an occasional dip into Cinema Tools to get things from 50 or 60 fps down to 25. Ditto for timelapse sequences.

Right now, I'd rather edit, process and transcode from ProRes LT fottage, and retain the flexibility of shooting slomo than to be forced into editing H.264. And of course your mileage may vary - not wishing to impose my workflow on anyone, just saying there's different strokes.

....I'd rather edit, process and transcode from ProRes LT fottage, and retain the flexibility of shooting slomo than to be forced into editing H.264.


I'm not sure I understand this statement. Does shooting H264 somehow prevent you from doing slomo?

Nope - just my unclear prose style. It's QuickTime being so very helpful.

If I take 720p60 H.264 movies and put them into a 720p25 sequence, FCP will, because of its QuickTime roots (albeit hastily bolted on roots), drop frames from the 60fps movie to make it the same duration as it would be at 60fps so as to match the audio, and thus the sequence.

Edit: That last sentence is even more unclear. So: 10 sec shot at 60fps - duration 10 secs, 600 frames. Put into FCP sequence that's 25fps, frames are dropped so the duration is still 10 secs, but there's only 250 frames in that shot, doing a fairly intelligent job of which frames to drop to retain smoothness, but not perfection by any stretch of the imagination, and it's not slomo.

QuickTime movies contain a bit of metadata which lists the fps or frame duration. Therefore, whatever the FPS, QuickTime will always play it back at the correct speed (which is why it's QuickTIME - as in time based media - not QuickVIDEO). But I'm rambling.

The point is, Cinema Tools can change that data so forcing the movie shot at 60fps to play back at 24fps or 23.97 or whatever. Once you've done your H.264 or transcoded movie to your desired frame rate, it will import into FCP as slomo. No dropped frames.

I think I'm making matters worse....

No...I have it now.

Isn't there something in FCP like "interpret footage" in PPro?

I can right-click and tell the clip to change its framerate in the bin...so, if I have my 720p60 "overcrank" GoPro clip (did this just recently actually) and want to place it on a 24p timeline, I just tell the clip that it is now 24 fps...voila...overcrank.

Can you access the clip parameters in the bin somewhere?

Yes, you can get clip properties, but FPS is fixed. You can look but can't touch.

Unless, of course, I am missing something... And that's happened before.

Actually I did a web search, and it appears that most tutorials on doing this involve Motion or Compressor, and are really slomo-interpolation kinds of operations, not setting framerate for the "overcrank" scenario we've been discussing.

I've only used FCP a couple times, so I'm interested in its capabilities...but every once in a while i get an FCP user who tells me about the "toy" editor I use... and yet, I keep running into scenarios like this.

No perfect solution i guess.

I do read the official go pro forum site...just bought the flat port version of the housing to correct the out of focus problems when shooting underwater that myself and many others were having and it does work much better now..all and all a fun little cam.John, two questions:

I don't see that GoPro has its own official forum, although by searching the net I found a privately owned GoPro Users forum, run by a guy who calls himself Rambo, that is allowed to use their logo. Is that what you are referring to, or does GoPro have a well-hidden forum of their own somewhere?

Is the flat port an official product from GoPro, or a home-brew work around, as described in the privately owned user forum?

I have two GoPros...Amazing little cameras for the price. We just came back from Italy where we shot over 200M of driving shots (obviously as B-roll). Installed correctly, it will give you great smooth footage. We use it primarly in 720p 60fps. 172 angle of view, to me the overall picture quality is better than 1080p. Look at the example we shot in Italy of this cool BMW "fully enclosed" scooter! at The Santa Fe TV Show (http://www.santafetvshow.com).
The video is in the front page and it is called: AN ITALIAN BUSINESS MAN IN A HURRY. WE used a commercial grade suction cup and we attached it to the HUGE windshield of this odd looking (but cool!) scooter...
In a few days I will post some off-road footage shot here in New Mexico. Again, placed correctly, the video you can get out of it is simply amazing considering the price point!

We even shot underwater footage. We, by our mistake, also got water in to the camera (salty Mediterranean water)...Let it dry for a few days, and, camera came back alive again!

And by the way, the GoPro should get its own forum here, at DV Info.

Carlo Zanella
The Santa Fe TV Show (http://www.santafetvshow.com)

If I take 720p60 H.264 movies and put them into a 720p25 sequence, FCP will, because of its QuickTime roots (albeit hastily bolted on roots), drop frames from the 60fps movie to make it the same duration as it would be at 60fps so as to match the audio, and thus the sequence.

Edit: That last sentence is even more unclear. So: 10 sec shot at 60fps - duration 10 secs, 600 frames. Put into FCP sequence that's 25fps, frames are dropped so the duration is still 10 secs, but there's only 250 frames in that shot, doing a fairly intelligent job of which frames to drop to retain smoothness, but not perfection by any stretch of the imagination, and it's not slomo.

As it SHOULD be. A 10 second clip SHOULD run 10 seconds in ANY timeline it is dropped into as a default. I WOULD however agree that an easier way to reassign frames for slow or fast motion WOULD be welcomed - for example, in the Speed setting, it would be nice to have a tick box saying "Use all available frames of Source Material" or something RATHER THAN having to manually remap AN ENTIRE CLIP in Cinema Tools - WORSE YET, you remap the underlying MEDIA so all iterations of that clip become changed.

John, two questions:

I don't see that GoPro has its own official forum, although by searching the net I found a privately owned GoPro Users forum, run by a guy who calls himself Rambo, that is allowed to use their logo. Is that what you are referring to, or does GoPro have a well-hidden forum of their own somewhere?

Is the flat port an official product from GoPro, or a home-brew work around, as described in the privately owned user forum?

yes that is the forum I refer too, run by Rambo. also the flat port is a third party work around that actually does work..if you search on youtube there are some videos that show you how to make you own if you want to.

Really? I was able to import the MPEG4 clip right into AVID, no problem.

Now, .MTS files out of the Canon Vixia AVCHD...what a nightmare...and one I still haven't solved.

Bill,

I was trying to get it into Adobe CS4, had to open with Quick Time then save it as a .MOV file in order to get CS4 to 'see' it. Time consuming....maybe I'm doing something wrong.....wouldn't surprise me!!!

Al

It drops into a DSLR sequence in Premiere Pro CS5 seamlessly...no trouble...very fast.

Tim,
Thanks for the tip, I have CS4, I'll try it on Sunday...... and hope all will be :)

Al

I would like to see a generic POV section
I am especially interested in the HXR-MC1 and Nanoflash combination

... then maybe we could convince the wonderful GoPro people, through sheer consumer-power, to

i) Supply the little chrome nuts (the domed ones) separately

ii) Glue the bolts into the plastic knurled knobs, and probably ditto on the nuts above

iii) Supply the tripod adaptor as standard in the bigger 'kits'

But maybe that's a subsection of a PoV section.

I glue all my little chrome nuts into the fittings, have lost some trying to change fittings while kayaking down a river or something similar..

Another vote for a Gopro/POV forum.

Tim,
Thanks for the tip, I have CS4, I'll try it on Sunday...... and hope all will be :)

Al

I have CS5...DSLR is native in CS5.

Digital Single Lens Reflex video got going after CS4's release (the Canon 5d wasn't released until 6 weeks after CS4 was...)

So, you need CS5...or MPEG Streamclip to convert for CS4...

for that Tim. Story of my life....one step behind the 8 ball..... :)

MPEG streamclip it'll be!!!!

Al

My vote is for a generic forum for POV cameras. I use the Sony and the Contour cameras.

My vote is for a generic forum for POV cameras. I use the Sony and the Contour cameras.

I think even those of us who use GoPros would agree with you Chris... There were points in the thread where a few of us got a little cheeky... :-)

I think most of us love GoPros because they're so inexpensive that you can do crazy stuff with them without worrying about their possible destruction...and yet GoPro sells all the parts to rebuild them too...

However, I'm still curious about the other options...a GoPro would not be appropriate in some situations where a higher-end camera with more lense control, etc, would be needed.