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Go Pro or ???

N

Neal Trombley

Well Known Member
I love all the RV Shots with the go pros and wanted to start investing into a camera or cameras for my build and flying.
I see knockoffs out there with good reviews etc...

are you guys using suction cups for wing mounting or mechanical fastening
looking for tips etc

if in wrong area or not allowed please Delete..
 
I used the standard sticky pad to attach mine to the VS, nothing more. So far it has lasted upto around 200SMPH IAS. I ran a 5m USB extension cable down the tailcone to power it beyond its' battery endurance.

I have a GoPro Hero3+ Black and would only consider a Garmin Virb as an alternate. If you're wanting quality, IMHO, better to stick with the majors for that kind of endeavour. More attachments & parts too!
 
I have a lot of GoPros, my 360 camera uses 6 plus several others I use for other types of filming. I have to say the quality is very disappointing for gear that cost so much. A number of them have a failure in one form or another (random shutdowns, won't power on plugged in, wireless not working, random lockups, can't firmware update, etc)

Searching online I'm not the only one. Curious as to alternatives as I hesitate to recommend them to people.
 
SJ4000

Look for SJ4000 or SJ5000 series of cameras, I have 3 sets and they take some cracker footage for only $130 you cannot go wrong.
 
I've tried GoPros and just hated a few aspects - especially the very short battery life and the cases.
Over the years I've instead used the Contour+ and later the Garmin Virb - both have the advantage of recording a lot of data in their sensors in addition to just video, have an image quality comparable to the GoPro (some will argue the GoPro is better at this - maybe they're right), and a much longer-lasting battery.
 
I wouldn't hang a $400 camera on the exterior of a plane from a suction cup. The radar detector in my truck falls from the windshield about once every 3 months and it sees no wind load at all.

The standard adhesive mounts work great for me.

As for the camera itself, the video is great as long as you isolate it from vibration to avoid the "jell-o" effect.

Operating the camera can be a little quirky at times - the remote control is unreliable in flight, the battery life is short, and my GoPro 3 will overheat and lock up if you try to use the higher res settings inside of a skeleton case.

I've also used a Mobius Action cam. At a fraction of the GoPro price, it shoots pretty darn good video. Unless you are making high end video presentations, it probably fills the bill nicely for the weekend air to air missions.

I just recently traded my GoPro3 for a 4+ (black edition) for compatibility with my drone gimbal. I don't have enough miles on it to know if it performs any differently.

Don
 
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AJ85WA said:
Look for SJ4000 or SJ5000 series of cameras, I have 3 sets and they take some cracker footage for only $130 you cannot go wrong.
Click to expand...

Also in the market and see that there is a SJ7000 now available on Amazon for $67.
 
I can't in good faith recommend GoPro cameras anymore. Maybe they have cleaned up their act in the last few years but unfortunately I am the proud owner of three different GoPro cameras that have been bricked in various ways, all unrelated to use/abuse. Of course they all failed outside of the warranty period (just barely outside it).

I have two HD Heros (older model) that had firmware issues and then both had failed battery connectors on the main board. As they were out of warranty I was on my own. I managed to solder the connector on both of them but they continue to fail regularly. On the one camera I gave up because the solder pads eventually delaminated from the circuit board after about 5 repairs. The other one still runs but I have to handle it very gingerly for fear of breaking the battery connector again.

I also have a Hero 3+ that quit with an unrecoverable firmware problem just after the warranty ran out. This is a well documented issue online but to my knowledge GoPro has never offered to make it right for the large number of customers affected.

I will not be able to justify spending any more money with GoPro unless they undergo some serious change. $300-$500 is just way too much for a lightweight brick.

Neal Trombley said:
I love all the RV Shots with the go pros and wanted to start investing into a camera or cameras for my build and flying.
I see knockoffs out there with good reviews etc...

are you guys using suction cups for wing mounting or mechanical fastening
looking for tips etc

if in wrong area or not allowed please Delete..
Click to expand...
 
I ordered two firefly 7s cameras from gearbest.com. $68 each, the video from them looks great and if one blows off the plane, oh well.
 
Go Pro

I concur with above. I have 3 Go Pro cameras and although the video quality is superb I have major headaches with battery life. I like to record real time cockpit audio into the videos and sometimes the battery won't even last a flight. I've tried the extended battery packs and the only way to make them work is to manually start the recording before you strap in. Forget about using the WIFI control- this mode saps battery life extra quickly. Not only that, the WIFI freezes most of the time in flight. Don't know if the radio transmissions or the transponder or something else is interrupting the WIFI signal. Have tried using 3 different cameras in 3 different locations and the only way I get them to work is manually hitting the recording button before climbing in. And then they don't always last a flight.

I have been looking at the new Garmin VIRB Ultra 30. Uses Bluetooth and I can control it from my Garmin Aera 660 GPS. And it can use all the Go Pro mounts so don't have to shell out more $$ for mounts. Will wait a bit on reviews to see how their batteries last........
 
Garmin has a new camera called the Virb Ultra 30 that seems like it may be a good option. I've always liked the image my go pro hero 4 black renders better than my Virb XE. But the new Garmin camera does 4K so I'm thinking it's going to be quite a bit better. It also has 3 axis stabilization which will no doubt help.

gallery-virbultra-2.jpg
 
FWIW
From the 2016 edition of Aviation Consumer:
For aviation purposes, "Action Cam Trials: VIRB Ultra Crushes It"
 
Dreamin9 said:
FWIW
From the 2016 edition of Aviation Consumer:
For aviation purposes, "Action Cam Trials: VIRB Ultra Crushes It"
Click to expand...

That's going to be my next action camera purchase. The Hero 3 black that I have now will go out on the wing tip with a huge aftermarket battery on it, and the Virb Ultra will be a cockpit cam. With 4K, I'm hoping that I'll be able to capture the entire panel and out the front windscreen, and still be able to zoom into the EFIS screens.

Additionally, I supposedly can get wireless cockpit audio to the Virb from my Garmin audio panel! One less cable in the cabin, and hopefully no audio feedback noise on the video.
 
NovaBandit said:
Additionally, I supposedly can get wireless cockpit audio to the Virb from my Garmin audio panel! One less cable in the cabin, and hopefully no audio feedback noise on the video.
Click to expand...

It works! Problem I have with it is the bluetooth turns on the camera when I turn on the panel even if its just in my flight bag. Probably a setting I haven't found..
 
Has anyone used the DJI Osmo 4K camera and gimbal? It has two unknowns - one the camera features and performance, the second is how to interface with the gimbal mount. It could be fantastic for a wing mount if the gimbal could be controlled from the cockpit. Apparently it was used to make the factory video of some air-to-air. Maybe it would allow video and pictures without the airframe in the view area, and for multiple perspectives in one flight.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...tux29ACFQuSaQod9GYC2A&c3api=0272,159790318987
 
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