Anyone using a HD1/HD2 as an action POV?

[Wayne Morellini]

Without me downloading over my modem, can you briefly describe any improvements?

[Alan Galbraith]

Originally Posted by Matthew Johnston

I have some footage. I do not understand how anybody is making this usable. Any amount of vibration ruins the footage, and I have found it impossible to elimate ALL vibration. It seems the combination of vibration + movement overwhelms the codec, and it all goes to crap.

I have taken some clips to show here, to see if anyone can help me. First, I have two framegrabs. One with the camera mounted to the hood of a vehicle on a solid suction cup mount, first shot is with the car stationary, no vibration. Shot #2 is with the car in motion, look at the drastic degradation of quality due to camera vibration and action. This is a smooth road, 15mph.

Still:

http://www.mattjohnstonrally.com/top.../Hd1aStill.png

In Motion:

http://www.mattjohnstonrally.com/top...HD1aMotion.png

And here is a 90meg video clip. I did nothing to it except chop it shorter.

http://www.mattjohnstonrally.com/top...StickyTest.mp4

If you are getting decent results, I would love to know how. I really want to mount this to rally cars, and that is one of the roughest, vibration prone environments around. Unfortunately right now, a ebay bullet camera looks lightyears better than my HD1a.

wow... that is HORRIBLE.

Pretty near unusable in my book.

Anyone have HD2 footage? is it the same?

Right now I'm REALLY glad the order I placed with WiseTronics turned out to be a bait and switch scam and I didnt end up getting one of these cameras (and didnt get charged for one).

[Alan Galbraith]

Originally Posted by Michael Lenzi

Here's a short clip of some motorcycle footage I took with the HD1a:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TTM6MA1W

Set to "sport" mode
white balance set to "sunny"
focus set to "infinity"
image stabalization "off"
image mode "normal"
recording at SHQ
49mm filter ring adapter w/ enhancement filter and MC UV filter w/ lens hood

Clip trimmed with AVS trial version software (hence watermark). (If someone knows a better/another mp4 editor, let me know.

T-Hill !!!! yea-ha !!!

Now that footage didnt look bad. A little softish but bearable and MUCH better than the blocky compression of the previous footage.

[Michael Lenzi]

I'll post some footage that is not against the sun. I think it looks great for what it is, and much better than any SD camera I have seen. Next will be to compare the 60fps setting, albeit it's in SD.

[Matthew Johnston]

Originally Posted by Alan Galbraith

T-Hill !!!! yea-ha !!!

Now that footage didnt look bad. A little softish but bearable and MUCH better than the blocky compression of the previous footage.

My shots without foliage and lots of stuff in the frame dont look bad either. When I strap it to my car and blue sky it looks ok (see my other post). When I'm in the tree's, it goes to crap.

Unfortunately, not many rallies take place where there are no trees :(

[Wayne Morellini]

Eventually downloaded, and got player working better (after either k-codec or Cine-form Neo player codec pack). Yes, workable, but still needs, probably, 18mb/s.

[Kosta Atanasov]

Hey guys, first post here. I'm really interested in seeing that motorcycle footage Michael Lenzi posted, but Megaupload doesnt work for me - cannot download from that site. Can anyone help out and upload somewhere else? Thank you in advance,

Kosta

[Scott Turkington]

Originally Posted by Matthew Johnston

I have used it in car, vibration can be a problem.

I need to get a mount that has less flex. Or strap the camera down some other way.

I am also afraid the plastic tripod socket is going to strip, and I'm gonna get hit in the face with a camera while driving, so I've wrapped a strap through the wrist strap hole as well. Although the idea of the camera floating willy nilly by my safety strap a couple miles into a 20 mile rally stage still freaks me out.

I am going to try strapping it to my helmet (Mountain bike) here soon, vibration should be less. I will upload footage.

Oh, the other bummer is the LCD HAS to be flipped out, so on a MTB bike or something it is going to get torn off at some point, or poked by branches and things..

I too have been using lipstick cams, and will continue to do so because they are so light and small. The only problem is integrating their 4:3 picture with my other 16:9 stuff.

I don't own this camera but I saw in a video review that you can flip the LCD around and then tuck it back against itself so that the LCD is now facing outward instead of inward. Wouldn't this keep the power on and allow you to keep recording. You could then just tape up or cover the LCD somehow so it doesn't get scratched. At least that way it will be tucked against the body and not sticking out?

[Graham Jones]

Alan, it's only really good when most of your composition isn't moving and it's terrible when it's moving a great deal.