Which Video Camera?

[Daboo]

I'm looking for suggestions on a new video recorder. I've been using a Sena 10C for the last couple years. Recently, it has begun needing to be reset each day. Today was the straw that broke the camel's back. We're heading north back to Washington and rode through the Tetons. I had lots of video and still snapshots...I thought. Only to find the camera didn't take any at all.

It might be just a firmware issue. I'm waiting for Sena's response. What I like is the ability to take 5 minute loop videos. It'll keep doing those all day long till the memory card is full, then it overwrites the oldest files. With a 32GB memory card, that's at least a full day's recording. It'll also take still shots while recording video.

I'm not sure I'll find anything that'll have those capabilities, but I thought I'd ask.

Chris

[notacop]

I had a cheapie Bresser, Don't recommend that at all.
What about Go Pro? Isn't that the industry standard?

[Snowy]

Not sure if NextBase is a brand that is in the U.S., they do a bike specific one - Ride - had mine about a year, always on, ignition switch and auto starts, SD card, loop records 3 min files unless impact or manually marked they get overwritten as you describe when SD full.
Only issue is not on-board stabilisation, but results suit me:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6wrtqvovwu...2_228.MOV?dl=0

Heard about issues with GoPro and battery life, no experience, but can vouch for mine.

[notacop]

Ebay shows the Nextbase motorcycle device for $153, free shipping.

[Daboo]

I had a cheapie Bresser, Don't recommend that at all.
What about Go Pro? Isn't that the industry standard?

It might be the "industry standard", but who wants a box sitting on top of their helmet?

Chris

[notacop]

I've seen guys with multiple mounts for the vid toys. I can't see the mount on the helmet though I've seen it regularly.
Mine was mounted to the dash of the bike.
A lot of vids I've seen the rider never varies the view. Never looking right or left. My head swivels like and owls.

[Daboo]

I'll be interested to see what Sena says. It'd be nice if they could repair it and get it back to me before I leave for Spearfish, SD and the NT-Owners rally there. If not, then I think I'll buy another. My cheap soul rebels against the idea, but if something broke on my car, I'd pay whatever it cost to fix it.

I have two riding friends who bought Sena BT units just to talk with me while riding. So I'll still want a Sena BT headset. The ironic thing is that I bought the camera headset on a whim. I didn't see myself using it much. But I use the camera every day.

Most of the time, is just as a dash cam in case someone runs me off the road. But times like today where we were trying to put some miles behind us, it was really nice to take snapshots as we rode along and save the movie footage to pull pictures from later.

So...if I have a Sena BT hanging off the side of my helmet on the left side where it is really convenient to reach...where do I put a separate camera and have the versatility I've found in the Sena 10C? I'm not finding easy answers.

Chris

[danham]

I have an older GoPro and it has performed really well, once I bought a decent aftermarket battery. Personal preference, but I dislike helmet-mount because of the editing nightmare it can cause (head checks galore). Best location I've found is on the left fairing, with the excellent GoPro suction mount.

From reviews I've seen, you can get more camera for less $$ than GoPro, but for me the GP was a low-hassle easy way to get into bike video without a lot of fiddling with the hardware.

-dan

[Daboo]

Dan, thanks for the suggestion. I think if I was to go with a non-helmet system, I'd look seriously into one of these.

Sykik C6 Motorcycle Biker Action Video Camera Set w/ DVR + 2 HD 720p Cameras NEW
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sykik-C6-Motorcycle-Biker-Action-Video-Camera-Set-w-DVR-2-HD-720p-Cameras-NEW-/112046223283
There's a higher definition version of this for not much more. Same concept though.

It is permanently mounted and similar to a system webBikeWorld reviewed. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...ovv-k1-review/
The cameras are mounted both on the front and rear of the bike. You get a control box to mount on your handlebars. The cameras are powered through the bike's electrical system, so they go on and off automatically.

I find my desire for a video camera to be two-fold.

1. I use it as a dash cam for 95% of the time. If someone cuts me off and I'm lying in a ditch afterwards, hopefully, I'll get his license plate in the video.
2. For the rest of the time, I want it to pick up some footage to share on a forum or with friends. I tried video editing, but that can be really time consuming, plus you need a place to keep it online to be viewed, like on YouTube. But taking the video is a great way to take individual camera shots to share online.

Chris

[Daboo]

FWIW, I may have "fixed" my Sena 10C. (I still haven't heard back from the Sena Support people.)

Here's what I did. Time will tell if I fixed it, or if I just had a lucky day yesterday.

• I loaded the earlier version of the firmware. I hadn't had problems when using that. Were my problems caused by the new firmware?
• I did a Factory Reset. Not just pushing a paperclip into the rear of the unit, but the full Factory Reset.
• I formatted the SD card within the Sena 10C, instead of formatting it on another device like my laptop.

I was able to record the full 6 hours of riding from Clarkston, WA to Lynnwood without any problems. No movie files were corrupted, and this is the same SD card as when they were. I turned off the Sena 10C when I stopped and it restarted flawlessly.

If it continues to work, I'm a happy camper.

Chris (keeping his fingers crossed)

[danham]

Chris,

When you used your laptop to format the SD card, did you use the operating system's built-in formatter? If so, that could be the problem. SD cards are very fussy about formatting and the very best methods to avoid trouble are either use the device they'll live in (as you did), or use this (free) software:

https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/

-dan

[Daboo]

Thanks! I bookmarked it.

Chris

[danham]

I learned about SD card formatting when I was responsible for digital cameras in a newsroom. Card failure in the field was not an option. Routine formatting using the software you've bookmarked was the most reliable way to keep the cards happy. What makes them get unhappy is lots of deleting (directory gets fragmented and sometimes corrupted), which by definition a loop setting will do. Building in a regular schedule of reformatting keeps the card healthy.

-dan

[padaek]

It might be the "industry standard", but who wants a box sitting on top of their helmet?

Chris

Then don't mount it on your helmet

When you mount a video camera on your helmet you don't get the same impact of your bike leaning into corners. This is because when you lean your bike your head stays straight, eyes horizontal. Mount your camera on your bike. I have my GoPro mounted to my clutch lever mount. What's also important is you have some part of your bike in shot. I have part of my bike's screen in shot. This allows a bit of reference and depth to the video.

Also, the wider you shoot, the faster you appear to be going. Shoot narrow and you have the opposite effect. I've also been playing around with a 'chesty' where you mount the camera on your chest via a couple of straps. Seems to work well. It's just a pain in the bum putting the thing on and taking it off. You get some funny looks walking into a petrol station wearing a chesty and Gopro. A chesty seems to quell the vibrations you get from mounting your camera to your bike, also.

[Richard230]

In some jurisdictions it is illegal to mount anything to the outside of your helmet. My recollection is that this is the case in California. However, I don't know how often this law is enforced. Perhaps only when you get stopped for some other infraction. But I am pretty sure that helmet manufacturers recommend against that practice.

[Daboo]

One of the best locations I've seen for mounting a video camera was on the right fairing with a view of the front fork. As padaek wrote, you get the full impact of the bike leaning. What really impressed me though was being able to see the front suspension working with the bike staying calm and steady.

Chris

[padaek]

In some jurisdictions it is illegal to mount anything to the outside of your helmet. My recollection is that this is the case in California. However, I don't know how often this law is enforced. Perhaps only when you get stopped for some other infraction. But I am pretty sure that helmet manufacturers recommend against that practice.

The nanny state of New South Wales Australia has made helmet mounted cameras legal just a year or so ago.

[ccramerusc]

I know it's not exactly the same thing, but I mounted my "dash cam" under the headlight. I drilled a couple holes in the black plastic and bolted it on upside-down. Seems to work well for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Daboo]

This is from a Halocam M1 dash camera. Not really an "action camera", but it is mounted where you were saying as an example of what the perspective is there.

Chris

[padaek]

Gopro mounted on clutch lever mount. I quick ride through the beautiful Jamberoo valley 15 minutes from home..

https://vimeo.com/194149832

[padaek]

Jamberoo Valley again.

https://vimeo.com/226539334

[Bogbody]

My SJcam (gopro clone) is mounted just above the headlight, stuck to the screen using a sticky pad.
Mounted centraly it gives a much better view of road positioning. The pad (despite having 3M adhesive) lasts about 6 months before coming loose.
Consequently I have a lanyard attached to it, tied to the mirror.
It is in a waterproof case, the vetsion that allows it to be bike powered. Its on "record on pwer up" and "loop".
Yes, the micro-sd card needs reformatting now and again.