Fix for shakey footage at DVinfo.net

Bryce Comer · December 29th, 2011, 11:51 PM

Hi all,
So i have treated myself to a new GoPro2 cam & have been out today testing. Problem i have is with the footage being quite shakey. Is this normal, or am i doing something wrong? I have the camera mounted on top of my helmet filming skiing. Admitedly the conditions were not ideal today, but certainly not that bad that i would have expected the footage to be as bad as it was. There doesn't seem to be anything loose with the connection. The camera itself seems tight inside the housing. My helmet may be a little loose perhaps, but i wouldn't have thought there would have been as much shake in the shots as there is.
When i look at all the footage on the internet, it all seems so incredibly stable. I guess it must be my set up. I will try some different settings in the camera like 720/60 to see if that will make a difference, also changing it from the wide to medium FOV to see if that will make a difference. I was just wondering if anyone else has had the same problems i have, & been able to fix them & get the footage that is so prevalant on the internet with the GoPro.

Thanks in advance,
Bryce

Michael Kraus · December 30th, 2011, 10:58 AM

The medium field of view should be shakier than the wide field of view

Ian Newland · December 30th, 2011, 04:49 PM

720p 60 will make a huge difference, but so will a tight helmet strap and no movement in the quick connect mounts which have a a fair amount of play in them. Use a piece of electrical tape inside the quick connect to eliminate the movement.

Also the position of the camera on the helmet affects shakiness. Top will be most shaky, side mounted next to the ear the least.

Skiers get good results from the chest mount as well mounted high up level with the shoulders. They also use 50% slow mo to mask the shaky motion.

Good luck with the next shoot.

R

Bryce Comer · December 30th, 2011, 11:34 PM

Excellent suggestions guys, thank you very much. I will check all the parts to the mounts (i was hearing some noises in the playback that sounded like there was movement in the mount) & also try a mount on the side of the helmet. Sounds like 720/60P in the widest mode will be the best recording option.
Again, thanks for the input, i will let you know how i get on.

Regards,

Bryce

Michael Horn · December 31st, 2011, 07:12 AM

If you have adobe after effects you can use the warp stabilizer effect to smooth out your footage. It won't be perfect, especially if the footage is very shaky, but it will help a lot!

Cole McDonald · December 31st, 2011, 10:41 AM

Being setup for capturing action, the shutter speed is quite high on these little gems. Not sure if there's a way to reduce the shutter speed, but if you can get it closer to the "180 degree" point (30p = 1/60th), some of the strobiness will go away. Adding weight to the camera will help the inherent shakiness go away as well. Lighter things are more prone to sudden micro-movements as they don't have the static inertial mass to resist the movement.

Ian Newland · December 31st, 2011, 07:39 PM

There is no shutter control on POV cams and 1/60 would not be suitable anyway, too much motion blur with a camera that is subject to lot's of movement. If the camera is mounted to something like a car window and filming ahead, sure, a few ND's to bring the shutter down will blur the road surface and scenery as it passes and the center of the frame will be sharp. Otherwise POV mounted cameras are best with high shutter. and is preferred if you are going to use stabilizing software like Mercali etc.

R

December 29th, 2011, 11:51 PM	#1
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Fix for shakey footage Hi all, So i have treated myself to a new GoPro2 cam & have been out today testing. Problem i have is with the footage being quite shakey. Is this normal, or am i doing something wrong? I have the camera mounted on top of my helmet filming skiing. Admitedly the conditions were not ideal today, but certainly not that bad that i would have expected the footage to be as bad as it was. There doesn't seem to be anything loose with the connection. The camera itself seems tight inside the housing. My helmet may be a little loose perhaps, but i wouldn't have thought there would have been as much shake in the shots as there is. When i look at all the footage on the internet, it all seems so incredibly stable. I guess it must be my set up. I will try some different settings in the camera like 720/60 to see if that will make a difference, also changing it from the wide to medium FOV to see if that will make a difference. I was just wondering if anyone else has had the same problems i have, & been able to fix them & get the footage that is so prevalant on the internet with the GoPro. Thanks in advance, Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

December 30th, 2011, 10:58 AM	#2
Michael Kraus Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Denton, TX Posts: 232	Re: Fix for shakey footage The medium field of view should be shakier than the wide field of view

December 30th, 2011, 04:49 PM	#3
Ian Newland Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 319	Re: Fix for shakey footage 720p 60 will make a huge difference, but so will a tight helmet strap and no movement in the quick connect mounts which have a a fair amount of play in them. Use a piece of electrical tape inside the quick connect to eliminate the movement. Also the position of the camera on the helmet affects shakiness. Top will be most shaky, side mounted next to the ear the least. Skiers get good results from the chest mount as well mounted high up level with the shoulders. They also use 50% slow mo to mask the shaky motion. Good luck with the next shoot. R

December 30th, 2011, 11:34 PM	#4
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Re: Fix for shakey footage Excellent suggestions guys, thank you very much. I will check all the parts to the mounts (i was hearing some noises in the playback that sounded like there was movement in the mount) & also try a mount on the side of the helmet. Sounds like 720/60P in the widest mode will be the best recording option. Again, thanks for the input, i will let you know how i get on. Regards, Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

December 31st, 2011, 07:12 AM	#5
Michael Horn New Boot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Meriden, CT USA Posts: 20	Re: Fix for shakey footage If you have adobe after effects you can use the warp stabilizer effect to smooth out your footage. It won't be perfect, especially if the footage is very shaky, but it will help a lot!

December 31st, 2011, 10:41 AM	#6
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	Re: Fix for shakey footage Being setup for capturing action, the shutter speed is quite high on these little gems. Not sure if there's a way to reduce the shutter speed, but if you can get it closer to the "180 degree" point (30p = 1/60th), some of the strobiness will go away. Adding weight to the camera will help the inherent shakiness go away as well. Lighter things are more prone to sudden micro-movements as they don't have the static inertial mass to resist the movement. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

December 31st, 2011, 07:39 PM	#7
Ian Newland Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 319	Re: Fix for shakey footage There is no shutter control on POV cams and 1/60 would not be suitable anyway, too much motion blur with a camera that is subject to lot's of movement. If the camera is mounted to something like a car window and filming ahead, sure, a few ND's to bring the shutter down will blur the road surface and scenery as it passes and the center of the frame will be sharp. Otherwise POV mounted cameras are best with high shutter. and is preferred if you are going to use stabilizing software like Mercali etc. R