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Gopro set up
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Wondering how people have set their gopros up to record footage .I got a hero 3 silver for Christmas of the wife and while its great seeing the ride footage when I compare it to footage on YouTube it's no we're near as good .Thinking we have the settings wrong just seems to fast when watching back and to wide any help would be great
Thanks
Duncan
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Most of that difference is down to multiple takes, multiple angles, hours spent in post-production enhancing and editing.
I don't bother so much these days.
Ugg, hawkeye speak the truth...
It should be on 1080p 30fps when you first turn it on, make sure its still in that.
The other thing is that it could just be very shaky, avoid mounting it to handlebars, or anywhere behind the seat tube if you're riding a hardtail.
chest mount is ideal, favourite mount.
EDIT
could also be the computer you're viewing it on if you have a really old computer, or are veiwing it on your phone or the LCD backdoor.
ive got a hero 2 on 720 x 60fps and i use the chest mount - no shake, no vibration and you get a really good angle for perspective and just general trail riding. You can see the bars, trail and ahead of the bike.
Jono.
Hi All,
Just a question about the chest mount, how do you guys have it set up
ATM I have mine upside down on the mount but after filming im seeing im getting a lot of my legs and frame into the picture so im unsure what sort of angle I should have it set up as to get mostly handlebar and trail
Cheers all
Ive got the chest mount and also have it upside down but as a rule of thumb its not really at any angel the back of the go pro is square with the mounting plate and thats pretty close to perfect - you still need to play around but from what i can remember that puts the bars in the middle of the frame.
Hope that helps,
Jono
Go to YouTube
Look for Mic Bergsma.
He specialises in GoPro set up and has over 1000 easy to follow videos. If you need advice on resolution set up then you should be able to find it. He also has a great deal of other info and tips.
That said, some things I've learned are if you're using a helmet mount, you need to have the helmet done up tight. I pull my chin strap firm, then when I start filming, I drop my jaw to tighten it further. It works very well.
If you have the Chesty mount, do it up as tight and firm as possible.
Handle bar mounts are almost useless for proper MTB as they give too much play.
Use the white/yellow rubber thing to dampen vibration further.
Don't be afraid to experiment. I have a couple of the vented helmet straps and find they can be used for a lot more than just the helmet (knee, wrist, side of bike, underside of saddle F+R facing etc.
The same point of view for the whole film is dull. Sorry but unless you're doing some serious Freeride or DH, it gets dull watching your view through the bush after around 20 seconds.
FWIW, if you want to assemble something more than just a POV recording, get someone else involved. It saves a huge amount of time and makes it more interesting if you film them and vice versa, have them filmed in front of you, behind you etc. having the camera static on the ground whilst you ride past looks good with the right positioning and that second person can save you a huge amount of time with set up angles.
One of my favourite GoProers is Andrew Whiteford. He has some great MTB stuff on Vimeo and is mostly self filmed. His film "Leaf peeping on Lithium" shows what you can do with limited resources (although I will grant you, he does use up to 4 cameras at a time). "Almost Spring" is another good one.
"Dub Tales ep5: Last Pass Lap" shows how much better things look when you have another rider in the view.
My biggest issue however is putting together the footage on a decent and easy to use editing suite. All I have so far is iMovie.
And re the comment on getting the chest mount angle correct, you need to get the GoPro app on your smart phone. It allows you to preview what the camera is seeing on your phone so that you can get the right angles before you hit record. The app is free.
Chest mount angle depends on the angle of your torso as you ride but aim to start at the vertical and adjust from there.
But as mentioned, it will be boring all from one angle. Have a look at any car race and time how long they stay on any one camera angle. That will give you a bludy good indication for maximum clip length when you edit your footage.
I have used chest, helmet heli mount, down tube, seat post and chain stay (both facing front and back), all for the one ride. Then a few hours editing. Good videos require effort.....as Hawkeye said.........
I'm on a Mac.....
... but it depends on how strong your mount is.
If you use the flexy and failure-prone plastic rubbish supplied by GoPro your footage will be unusable. Mostly from camera shake but also because you'll have soon lost your camera somewhere out on the trail.
However, machined billet alloy mounts like the K-Edge bar and seat rail mounts are super stiff and virtually eliminate camera shake. And they are a lot more reliable - no breaking off unless you crash (badly).
A mate has a pair of them and they produce better more stable footage than my Chesty mount.
Re: angling of the camera on the Chesty mount, I do the same as others here and mount inverted and angle it forward so that it's pointing horizontal when I'm in riding position.
One tip is to place one (two at most) layers of Nitto electrical tape on the base of the bayonet mount. Use a hobby knife to cut around the centre rib. This stops the loud rattling which may lead some to confuse your soundtrack with fireworks at Chinese New Year.
Here's something I prepared earlier
http://youtu.be/X9vvn0qofnY
I use Adobe Premiere Elements on PC but I'm pretty sure there is a Mac version.
upside down with the quick release J hook buckle (the one the chest mount comes with) and three fingers between the gopro and the chest mount, it may seem like too much but i assure you its the perfect angle, especially for downhill sections
To stop the vibrations I use a stubby screwdriver to tighten it right up. Trying to tighten it up with your fingers will never be enough over rough sections.
I have the chest mount and have is setup off the j mount with 2 of the adjuster arms holing the camera. I put the tightening handle against the chest mount and have it a mm or two away from the chest mount plate. Then from memory angle the camera back till its almost touching my chest, works a treat for me
Definitely chest mount for the MTB.
Me and a mate were messing around with some weird mounting positions last week in Japan skiing, including pointing backwards.
Got some fun results, including a nice crash!
http://youtu.be/3JxPeKX26cM
Hi guys, I too just got a Go pro, and am mucking around with first few recordings.
I just bought a chest mount, and quickly figured out the camera needs to be upside down to capture anything more than thighs and knees (haha).
Dumb question I am sure - but how do I invert the footage once I have downloaded it to my computer?
Thanks folks!
You invert the setting on the camera itself. Takes about 6 or maybe even 7 seconds.
Then start recording.
cheers mate, ive mostly been riding without lately but ill get on the trails tomorrow with it and try the 3 finger rule, I had previously had a small gap but was still capturing mostly knees, so that bigger gap only makes sense
Once again thanks