The all GoPro models discussion thread

[JonRB]

GreigM said:

I'm wanting to smooth out some of the track day footage so some sort of stabilising device would be ideal. It could either be some sort of gopro mount or a more traditional camera mount. I see a few options, but they all seem to be handheld and not mountable.

Quite a few of the video editing suites can do this in software post-production, albeit with a small loss of FoV. Might be worth investigating that before spending a shedload of cash on a hardware solution.

[red_slr]

GreigM said:

Is there such a thing a steadycam/gimbal type mount which I could attach to the car?

I'm wanting to smooth out some of the track day footage so some sort of stabilising device would be ideal. It could either be some sort of gopro mount or a more traditional camera mount. I see a few options, but they all seem to be handheld and not mountable.

Get an RC type Go Pro gimbal. Then find some way to mount it.
RCTimer is a good place to start or Hobby King.

[audi321]

Help - I've recorded a load of videos today on my GP4 black, but when I've imported them onto my macbook air (using image capture) and I play them with Quicktime (this is what the machine defaults to) it plays fine for the first and last few seconds, but the middle part of all the videos is in slow motion! No matter what I do I can't seem to stop this???

Any ideas folks? If it helps, I may have had the setting on the video as 'Video and Photo" which I have now rectified for tomorrow, but was this it and can I correct todays?

[GreigM]

audi321 said:

Help - I've recorded a load of videos today on my GP4 black, but when I've imported them onto my macbook air (using image capture) and I play them with Quicktime (this is what the machine defaults to) it plays fine for the first and last few seconds, but the middle part of all the videos is in slow motion! No matter what I do I can't seem to stop this???

Any ideas folks? If it helps, I may have had the setting on the video as 'Video and Photo" which I have now rectified for tomorrow, but was this it and can I correct todays?

What frame rate are you recording at? Sounds like the software is getting confused by the frame rate and playing 60fps back like it was recorded at 30fps or similar. Why it starts this part way through I've no clue, but could be it the photo function is doing something funky with the timecode when it takes a picture.

I'd suggest trying the files on a different machine or install GoPro Studio and playback/convert through that first.

[audi321]

GreigM said:

audi321 said:

Help - I've recorded a load of videos today on my GP4 black, but when I've imported them onto my macbook air (using image capture) and I play them with Quicktime (this is what the machine defaults to) it plays fine for the first and last few seconds, but the middle part of all the videos is in slow motion! No matter what I do I can't seem to stop this???

Any ideas folks? If it helps, I may have had the setting on the video as 'Video and Photo" which I have now rectified for tomorrow, but was this it and can I correct todays?

What frame rate are you recording at? Sounds like the software is getting confused by the frame rate and playing 60fps back like it was recorded at 30fps or similar. Why it starts this part way through I've no clue, but could be it the photo function is doing something funky with the timecode when it takes a picture.

I'd suggest trying the files on a different machine or install GoPro Studio and playback/convert through that first.

I recorded it at 1080p and 120fps (I think - but the settings could have been different when I've changed it to 'Video and Photo'.

This is the line which appears in Quicktime and I've not seen it before. The initial and final part are the normal speeds and the middle part is the slow motion part. I can slide the sliders along and get rid of the slow motion and then save it, but when I open it again it's all the same as before......gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[audi321]

This is getting really frustrating now. It turns out that only Quicktime has this problem with these clips. If I try any other video player it seems not to have the first and final bits in normal speed, but the whole video is in slow motion!

It must be something to do with it being shot in 120 fps.

I'm loathed to use this Gopro suite as the files I'm getting off the Gopro with image capture are the raw files I believe in MP4 so why would I need to touch this suite software?

[JonRB]

I agree with Greig - it looks like there is something in the encoding that is not identifying it as 120fps and the players are playing it back at a lower framerate which makes it run slow.

To fix this particular video, you'll probably need to run it through a video editing suite and transcode it, maybe downsampling to 60fps.

For future though, you'll want to identify if it your camera or your computer that has done this. So try taking a few more videos and see if it does it again. If possible, try playing the file on different computers with different operating systems if you have access to them.

Also, I'm presuming you have your GoPro flashed to the latest firmware?

Edit:

audi321 said:

I've imported them onto my macbook air (using image capture)

This could be the culprit. The importing process may be at fault. Have you tried playing the raw file directly? Or does Mac force you do import & convert?

Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 31st December 09:12

[Shaoxter]

Or maybe it's getting confused because you don't have a 120Hz monitor?

[xjay1337]

Just got an original GoPro HD Hero from my Mrs for Christmas
Done a few tests and seems great so far, quite happy with it for what I'd use it for.

Although I do have a question RE external microphones, I can only find ones for later models, these use the MicroUSB port on the back, seems this is not possible for the original GoPro Hero 1 to get an external mic input?

Aside from that, love it just a bit of a guess figuring out where the camera is pointing haha.

[audi321]

JonRB said:

This could be the culprit. The importing process may be at fault. Have you tried playing the raw file directly? Or does Mac force you do import & convert?

Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 31st December 09:12

I'm really confused with these files that the Gopro produces. I mean I drag the file off with image capture and it's around 300mb for a 2 minute clip (as an MP4) which I would say is about right for a 1080p video. I can play this file in Quicktime and it plays fine (other than this slow motion issue which I think was a glitch yesterday as it's fine today) I can't play the .mp4 file in anything else like VLC etc as it just won't play smoothly.

What is this Gopro Studio all about? I import the same file into that and run the conversion and it chucks out a .mov file of 2gb! Surely the raw .mp4 file direct from the camera is the highest quality I can get as it hasn't been through any software yet?

[audi321]

Jesus - I haven't sorted the slow motion bit in the middle of the clip! Tried it again just now.

Could someone else with a GP4 and a mac try to record a minute video on 1080, 120fps and import it and see if when they play the file with Quicktime they get this slow motion middle section of the video on playback??

Just for my own sanity!

PS - It makes no difference how I import it (ie with image capture or the Gopro importing) it's still the same

[audi321]

Stop the press - Just got off the phone with Gopro support (who were very good BTW).

This is a known problem with Mac's. You cannot record at 1080p and 120 fps and play it back in Quicktime as it brings up these slow motion markers. They haven't a solution yet (other than record in lower than 120 fps) but the guy logged my issue and said he would email me when they had a fix.

It seems to be just Quicktime. However unfortunately for me this is the only software which can play 1080p smoothly on my Macbook Air! Catch 22!

[Bobafett]

GreigM said:

Is there such a thing a steadycam/gimbal type mount which I could attach to the car?

I'm wanting to smooth out some of the track day footage so some sort of stabilising device would be ideal. It could either be some sort of gopro mount or a more traditional camera mount. I see a few options, but they all seem to be handheld and not mountable.

What a great idea. I am rather tired of trying to find a solution to 'rolling shutter' which is casuing a jello effect with any serious in-car footage. Doesn't help with a rock hard suspension setup on the track. Even tried a polarising filter to slow down the shutter, hopefully future GoPro's will have the ability to manage shutter settings.

In the meantime RC type Go Pro gimbal might indeed work

[Pooky67]

I'm looking into getting a GoPro to play about with.

I am no BASE jumper/surfer/free runner, it will currently only get used for 'family' things. I have a 6 month old boy and currently just want to film him on the swings, wheely toys etc. But the future will no doubt bring RC cars, water-parks, kayaking etc.

Will the simple Hero suffice? Or will I get frustrated without the LCD screen and Wi-Fi capabilities of the Silver?

How would using the Hero (without LCD) work in real life on say a trip to the park?

Position camera, plonk boy in swing, start recording, swing boy, stop recording.
Position camera, plonk boy on see-saw, start recording, see-saw boy, stop recording etc etc
Get home, assess footage, find it's wonky, cry.

Whereas with the screen I feel I can check that it's ok as we go.

Little help?

[JonRB]

Pooky67 said:

it will currently only get used for 'family' things. I have a 6 month old boy and currently just want to film him on the swings, wheely toys etc.

Surely a traditional hand-held camcorder would be better for that kind of thing, rather than an action camera?

This kind of thing:



(Note: Not an endorsement for that particular model - I selected the pic at random)

[GreigM]

Bobafett said:

In the meantime RC type Go Pro gimbal might indeed work

Only problem I see with them is getting them mounted (I can't be bothered engineering a solution, would rather buy something ready to go) and all the gimbal type solutions I see don't allow you to use the case with the gopro, which on a trackday in an open-top car would quickly see the gopro destroyed.

[CoolHands]

Bobafett said:

What a great idea. I am rather tired of trying to find a solution to 'rolling shutter' which is casuing a jello effect with any serious in-car footage. Doesn't help with a rock hard suspension setup on the track. Even tried a polarising filter to slow down the shutter, hopefully future GoPro's will have the ability to manage shutter settings.

In the meantime RC type Go Pro gimbal might indeed work

hobbyking sell one for £122; probably about the cheapest there is.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/52136DYS_Smart3_3_Axis_GoPro_Gimbal_with_AlexMos_Control_Board_BaseCam_.html

[Pooky67]

JonRB said:

Pooky67 said:

it will currently only get used for 'family' things. I have a 6 month old boy and currently just want to film him on the swings, wheely toys etc.

Surely a traditional hand-held camcorder would be better for that kind of thing, rather than an action camera?

This kind of thing:



(Note: Not an endorsement for that particular model - I selected the pic at random)

No, I definitely want a GoPro. I like the size of it, the ability to clamp it to random things (swings/wheely toys) for interesting perspectives and not having to worry about knocks etc.

Also I was hoping the GoPro editing software was worth forking out for one too...

[V8A*ndy]

Anyone else with a Gopro 4 and audio problems when recording with the wifi app?

There is a low frequency motorboat/chopper sound in the audio. I emailed gopro and got the standard response to update the firmware. It's still not working properly.

Still waiting for a reply.

[TheRainMaker]

Pooky67 said:

JonRB said:

Pooky67 said:

it will currently only get used for 'family' things. I have a 6 month old boy and currently just want to film him on the swings, wheely toys etc.

Surely a traditional hand-held camcorder would be better for that kind of thing, rather than an action camera?

This kind of thing:



(Note: Not an endorsement for that particular model - I selected the pic at random)

No, I definitely want a GoPro. I like the size of it, the ability to clamp it to random things (swings/wheely toys) for interesting perspectives and not having to worry about knocks etc.

Also I was hoping the GoPro editing software was worth forking out for one too...

Totally up to you, but a GoPro doesn't have

Zoom, Focus, Good Audio, Steady Cam all features you really do need to get good all round footage.

GoPros and the like were only supposed to be used as a secondary or in most cases a third camera.

Jon is on the money IMO

Edited by TheRainMaker on Tuesday 6th January 18:34