1080P mini cams, alternatives to expensive GoPro

There’s many 2D and 3D axis gimbals which do a great job of image/camera stabilization. Companies such as DJI (Inspire/Phantom manufacturer) bringing out handheld versions too.

I made poor man’s version from cheap $40 eBay 2D gimbal - [youtube]xt7KMMyrCWw[/youtube]

Here’s a test run of the same gimbal on a Phantom P1 - [youtube]lwetFsEswZU[/youtube]

Buddy who makes golfing videos bought one of these which steadies iPhone nicely - http://www.istabilizer.com/products/istabilizer-gimbal-smartphone-video-stabilizer?gclid=CKTayMud8MwCFYQfhgodsA0KkQ

The downside with all of these things is that they’re still using basic automatic cameras with fixed lens. For pro results you need something capable of swinging SLR camera.

But for handy home video, powered gimbals can make a tremendous difference.
 
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ematic-HD-Car-Dash-Camera-2.5-Swivel-LCD-Screen-720p-Video-5MP-Camera-1-4-CMOS-Night-Vision-USB-High-Speed-Rec/44703717

$18.62 at WalMart, with tax that'll get you around $20 even. If you've seen the commercials for the DashCam this is it, whether it's the original or a knockoff. I just love that monitor.

fcf44250-9bd1-4e51-ac5e-577d2ba05f67_1.3d22a939724c15215650419b958bcf4b.jpeg
 
Dauntless said:
Vanarian said:
Dauntless said:
The reason there are so many fakes is because people are content with fakes. Such as with the fact that even a GENUINE SJ5000 is a fake. Oops.
Click to expand...

Please note that there is no genuine SJ5000 but there is a genuine SJ5000+ !
Click to expand...

Or how about that there's no genuine SJ, but there IS the genuine GoPro. . . .
Click to expand...

Haha you got me there ! Well I'd say half yes, half no! Idea and size remain the same than original GoPro format, so accessories are compatible, but still SJ doesn't try to advertise "GoPro" on their cameras, plus you get integrated screen from the go.

Where you get plenty of SJ copies actually putting SJ on the camera... copy being copied, looks like a mess is born :lol:

If IP is respected and quality is met, I don't see the bad point in having more options to buy though :) What bothers me more is when copycat companies want to appropriate the product from the creator AND they also do shit quality and mess with the reputation of the product.

BTW I agree, we really need stabilization on our cams!
 
Yes I think the SJ is a great alternative to expensive gopro if you make sure to get the genuine one with novatech chipset etc. From there most of it comes down to stability imo.

The most stable 1st person vids from bikers, in the roughest conditions, always seem to be the helmet cam ones. Best vantage for the fisheye lense too. I made a mount for my baseball hat, but it's just not the same :|

It sure would be fun to play around with a drone programmed to record and follow but I'm not planning on that in this lifetime . . . at least not voluntarily :lol:
 
And if you want an alternative to the more expensive cameras for shooting 4k, etc., There's the X Camera E1. (Kickstarter funded.) My 5D S with a zoom lens cost over $4k, but the body alone of this is on sale I think just this weekend for $500, normally it's $700. The smaller micro 4/3rds lenses are cheaper, here's a $199 zoom possibility. A fixed focus pinhole type lens is also an option, for me this is supposed to be all around better than the others so I want a better lens too. Basically this should be the best picture you can get out of an actioncam, though this is a bit beyond the normal for an actioncam.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1203955-REG/z_camera_e1cam3a701_e1_mini_4k_video.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827291-REG/Olympus_V315030BU000_40_150Mm_F_4_5_6_R_M_Zuiko.html
 
So it was a rough day, I'll find out next week if there was at least a mixed blessing. But I came home to find my Z Camera had come. Dang, that lens is tiny compared to DSLR lens, but its huge on the GoPro size camera.

With my AT&T DSL out AGAIN (Just keeping there name out where it belongs) I had a night with nothing to do but walk around with a tactical led flashlight and this. Which at least got my mind off things. I little disappointing in low light as I had plans in that direction; there's this $20k Canon camera that's beyond belief, but then again you're probably not so interested.

It reminds me of fantsirs around the Bell & Howell Eyemo, if you're familiar. If not, it was an old 35mm movie camera that you could wind up or put a middriveotor on like an ebike, to shoot real theater sized film. Of course once I've bought the cheap used camera I need the $40-50k to shoot a low ratio feature. An average film shoots 40-60 miles of film to create the 2 mile long finished film. 'Terminator 2' shot over 200 miles. I'd have tried to keep it to 6. If I had the money.

Once I had a micro SD card and a portable drive, I could shoot over 200 hours like 'Terminator 2' (An house of film is around a mile long) without it costing. And the is theatrical 4k, unlike your television that claims to be.

Ah well, enough typing with my thumbs for one night.
 
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Carrying-Case-GoPro-Large/dp/B00PMMB4X8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1480228357&sr=1-3&keywords=gopro+case

That case belongs here where people will be looking for such things. There's other interesting things you can get for your GoPro or imitation. BackBone has ways of putting other lens on, including 360 lenses. https://www.back-bone.ca/product-category/360-vr-2/ Just during the week I found an old 'C' mount zoom that's mostly useless, but I might like having it on a Go Pro.These guys have a way of mounting them.
 
Ch00paKabrA said:
Just an FYI:

The SJ4000 is on sale starting june 8th for $66.00 for non wifi and $77.00 for wifi.
Click to expand...

Even if it's not still on sale i think i might get one of these, and possibly three more if the first one works alright. :mrgreen:
I have been saving up for a GoPro but i want 3-4 cameras for different angles, that's like 1,200 bucks with GoPro!
 
What? No no, not only does the Hero start at $199 but it's likely to come with more parts than a knockoff. We'd need some people to explain what was in their package. How much more reliable the original is would be another good question.

http://shop.gopro.com/cameras/hero-session/CHDHS-104-master.html

Oh yeah, some of the older versions are still on the market for less. The SJ4000 is what? The GoPro 2?

https://www.amazon.com/GoPro-CHDHA-301-HERO/dp/B00NIYNUXO
 
I've migrated over to Runcam HD cameras. I've yet to use any wifi which wasn't PITA to maintain repeated connections so I'm happy with the older Runcam for about $60. Good low light and a very nice image. Only 44 grams too.
 
Ive just had arrive one of these.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KSUSCLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Only paid the princely sum of £19.99 (about 24usd) , also got a cheap chest harness at the same time, so hopefully i will get to test it on a bike run this weekend to see how bad the shaking image is whilst off-roading. Got this to try out before investing in a better model if i tend to use it regularly enough. I suspect the 900mah battery wont last too long :roll:
 
brumbrum said:
Ive just had arrive one of these.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KSUSCLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Only paid the princely sum of £19.99 (about 24usd) , also got a cheap chest harness at the same time, so hopefully i will get to test it on a bike run this weekend to see how bad the shaking image is whilst off-roading. Got this to try out before investing in a better model if i tend to use it regularly enough. I suspect the 900mah battery wont last too long :roll:
Click to expand...


Here's my review of the above camera.....

Minus points.
The top OK button rattles, which is amplified by the microphone and becomes the loudest sound in recordings.
I overcame this by puuting an elastic band around the outside of the camera which sits on top of the OK button as passes by. This is enough to stop most of the rattle and not to activate the button.
Could not operate the OK button with the waterproof case on, the pin on the case button would not reach the OK button when pressed.
Dark picture with high contrast when filming outdoors on dark cloudy day.
Barely audible sound with waterproof case on, so muffled its practically silent.
No good as an action camera being worn on a person actively moving around. For instance being used on a bike , as the picture is very 'jolty' and hard to watch.

Plus points.
For the price... I paid £20, excellent accessories bundle, picture quality very good. Sound is fine without case on.
Overall, if you want this for an action camera you will be disappointed. If you want it just as a video camera its good, but you might as well stick to your phone, unless you want waterproof in which case you will have very little sound.
 
tm_PF-3323_1.jpg


So I see these supposed 1080P cameras around $10, but I note the specs don't mention that 1080P resolution.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-1080P-Night-Vision-Car-Video-Recorder-Camera-Vehicle-Dash-Cam-DVR-G-sensor/282167852981?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40130%26meid%3D1e9a2cc2a8714cddb88a8316157766ea%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D192115612476

This one even has 1080P plastered onto it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1080P-HD-Car-DVR-Camera-Dashboard-Video-Recorder-Dash-Cam-G-sensor-Night-Vision/192115612476?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40130%26meid%3De792f1c477634729a996dfcc322f0048%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D192138498671
 
RunCam HD looks like its a good one. http://shop.runcam.com/runcam-hd/
Mobius as well but a little more coinage - http://www.dx.com/s/mobius
and Xiaomi
 
markz said:
RunCam HD looks like its a good one. http://shop.runcam.com/runcam-hd/
Mobius as well but a little more coinage - http://www.dx.com/s/mobius
and Xiaomi
Click to expand...
I don't use my Mobius any more but I still got it.. Haven't been recording much stuff, I don't use one while riding at the moment..
I guess for ebiking the Mobius was great as you could put it in your pocket and forget about it because it was so tiny.

I got the Xiaomi Yi sports camera as an upgrade and the picture quality is definitely better as its more of a next generation level product, but it is larger then a Mobius but still lighter and smaller then a Gopro.

I randomly picked some seller URL on the Xiaomi sports camera..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-Original-XiaoMi-Yi-1080P-Ambarella-A7-16MP-WIFI-Sports-Mini-DV-Action-Cam-/131500030165

Just looking around on the web I noticed there is the Mobius2 now..
https://www.mobius-actioncam.com/packages/mobius2/

Wow it can record in H.265 HEVC, thats truly next gen.. read about HEVC here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Video_Coding
Or learn about it from this geeky looking guy here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fawcboio6g4

Just thinking about 265 codec, the problem would be that you would have to convert your videos if you want to upload them to youtube because its too advanced/google has its VP9 (HEVC) and they probably don't want h.265 to become the standard, so they probably see merit in deliberately never supporting a video codec that gives twice the detail for the same storage size.
https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5fr6ac/when_will_youtube_support_hevc_x265_formats/

I think if I was looking for a sports camera now I would probably want one that just recorded in Googles VP9 off the bat, would be quite convenient.
 
I think when riding in city traffic, a two camera setup is the best. The rear one could easily fit on the rear rack, because under the seat your coat could obscure the video.

For the front camera, might be best to put it on your helmet (if you ride with one), my head is huge, and I bought a Giro that fits the skull, but chin straps are tight. The shop I have been to, they said I have to pay upfront for them to ship it in, and if it doesnt fit I am stuck with it. Perhaps if it doesnt fit, why cant they just ship it back? frock I'd pay for that if its not too pricey.
 
I've been using this type.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Outdoor-1080P-HD-Mini-Sport-Helmet-Camera-DV-Action-DVR-Video-Camcorder-Recorder-/282424732716?hash=item41c1d36c2c

cheap, light, easy to fit and has a auto on function that starts it when powered up, but has only 32gb max storage so will loop after about 3 hours so you'll loose the early stuff recorded unless you swap the card out
 
The price of cheap recording gadgets is cheaper than ever now, been thinking of "dash caming" my ebike.
The thing I have found amazing is that after I wrapped sticky tape over my $10 ebay light no one touched it or stole it again (its my 3rd).
It's just as removable as the other two but this time around just looks like a piece of garbage that is barely holding together... (because of the sticky tape)
I think I could mount a small camera and wrap it in sticky tape so it just looks like another piece of garbage on my ebike and no one would want it...
I already have 5 volts going to my front bars from my ebike pack to power the light so adding a dash-cam seems like the next logical thing to do.
I want one that I will never touch, so loop recording and wifi access for playback via mobile phone as I will never be removing the memory card, removing memory cards is just too fickle and is kind of old school tech now as its wireless or nothing these days.

Looks like these could do the job.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mini-Full-HD-1080P-DV-WIFI-Sports-Action-Camera-DVR-Recorder-Camera-AU/173887119101
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ablebro-MINI-WIFI-Sport-Action-Camera-APP-Control-Camcorder-Loop-Record-Waterpro/123781384158

I am tempted to get a regular car dash came that has two cameras, one for the front and one for the back, but would be more effort of setting up and I don't know how well a dashcam that's meant to be inside the car would last outside..
 
You know, this thread seems like a joke now. 4K cameras for $50, except of course we don't know how good they really are. I bought one for $70-80 a few years ago and nope, this wasn't good enough for the purpose. You guys might actually be semiprofessional, youtube videos and the like, so you agree there's a minimum standard. But I got started using $40k cameras that weren't as good as that $50 junk.

But I'm snooty. It has to be 4k or I don't think it's worth my bother.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1444213-REG/dji_cp_zm_00000097_0_1_osmo_pocket_gimbal.html
 
Video mage stabilization is here. Well, it's been here for a while, but I just discovered it.

I noticed last year when I bought an iPhone 12 (replacing an Android phone I bought in 2015) how the video image stabilization made videos look professional, like you were using a SteadiCam. I tried to make time lapse bike videos in the past with my GoPro Hero 2, but they really looked like crap.

This is my commute home from a couple years ago, when I lived in the foothills east of here, captured with a Hero 2 and sped up 2x in Kdenlive (camera is mounted on my helmet, which should have provided smoother footage):

[youtube]SBQrEeDAGuA[/youtube]

This week I got my hands on a GoPro Hero 8 (I think they are up to 10 or something, but the 8s are still available for less money). Starting with the Hero 7 or Hero 8, they have a feature called Timewarp, which is a combination of image stabilization with time lapse. The result is an unbelievable smooth time lapse, like you are flying. This was my ride home from work on Friday, again at 2x speed (I now live in town, and ride the opposite direction) (camera is mounted on the handlebar with this):

[youtube]rfI_XK64nOs[/youtube]

The difference is simply amazing.

What a time to be alive!
 
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