seeking GoPro advice please...V7R, helmet?

[lucydad]

All,

My daughters gave me a GoPro Hero+ for Christmas.  Lovely daughters indeed.  Anyway, I finally got a microSD card (64 GB) and now can start using the system.  Questions please for the GoPro owners:  1)  do you mount on your helmet?  If so, where:  side or top?  I have the curved stick on mounts, but I am concerned about helmet drag at high speed and where to mount (side, top, front) on the Shoei.  2) what is your preferred on the motorcycle mount location, and type of mount?  There are a lot of options.  3) finally, how do you store/view/edit your videos?  GoPro comes with free edit software.  Do you put videos on YouTube, or elsewhere? 

Thanks for any advice.  I am a fairly low tech device kind of guy.  Fortunately my youngest daughter is still here, and she is a professional motion media/art person.  My plans are for motorcycle riding videos, bicycle videos, poodle walks, and later this year travel and hiking in Colorado, Wyoming and Alaska.

Sun finally came out here, no major wind/rain damage in Sugar Land.  My heart goes out to those north of us dealing with the tornado/flood aftermath.

Thanks in advance! 

[jlburgess]

The curved mount is very solid and won't come off the top of a helmet at less than ludicrous speed.  I have a flat mount that I put on the brake master cylinder cover that works well too.  If you position it right you might get the instrument panel in also.  The suction mount if it came with one shouldn't be trusted.  A friend lost one on a track day at 150 mph.  The camera didn't fare so well but the image right before it fell off was awesome! Have fun!

[blackcat]

I mounted mine on the side of the helmet which gives a view of the bike.

[neverquit]

I stuck together a crude mount that allows me to fasten it to the chest pocket in two of my riding jackets.  I don't like the helmet mount because the video looks strange when you swivel your head around.  The chest mount, in my opinion, offers the best perspective.  I set it up so that the handle bars and instrument cluster are captured in the bottom of the frame.  I like to put the horizon about half way up on the frame.  My mount broke on the last ride of the season so this winter I hope to make a better mount that will be easily adjustable.

[kirb]

I've set one up on the bike, crash bar, helmet, etc...

Helmet gives POV of the rider, but the view goes wherever you turn your head. No vibration concerns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Vu2ximVUQ
Chest is a split between POV and mounting on the bike...with no vibrations...provid ing your chest gives a clear view

Bike mounting is tricky. I've mounted mine low on a KTM crashbar- looks awesome, but the speed of the ground going by will blur in photos. Mounting to the bike will almost always get some ghosting in the frame. This is a wave that moves up and down due to engine vibes. Sometimes you can cure this with 1080 quality and/or higher frame rates.

I like bike views and often set the unit up for photos instead of videos. I take 30 second shots, go through them after, ditch 90% of the ones it took. I just don't use video all that much...paintball was fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPWTzrGxkw

[Zinfan]

I like the chest strap for a view of the bike


I also have a RAM ball mount (can be seen on the pic above.) on my old mirror mounting point as I've moved the mirrors to the bar ends.  The videos from that mount can be a bit viby.  The helmet mount is good as well but I am always moving my head around when I ride and the resulting videos aren't the best.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  The synthetic booger stuff on the stick on mounts holds very well to my sidecars no matter the bounce or wind.
 I have not exceeded 125 mph so I can't say if it will still hold at that speed but it probably will.
  I used to have a dirt bike with it on the plate above the headlight and I couldn't shake it off there either.

[Green1000S]

Mine is mounted on top of the helmet, which is calmest place on a bike. You can stand, hit potholes and it films where you are looking at. Like last year when we saw 2 bear cubs with mom only few yards on side of the road.
I use suction cup mount for panniers, gives more of a exhaust sound and cool view of bike, including your braking boot or shifting boot.
Lastly I used a old aluminum lacrosse stick, where I mounted the GoPro backwards. Shoot yourself in unusual angles. The stick is also handy against assholes you sometimes meet on the road... or taking underwater film while canoeing.



Here's the stick attached to panniers:




and a handy stick image:



I know nothing about editing, since I don't post my videos....

However if you have nothing to do for the next 9 minutes and want to see a cool motorcycle trip made with GoPro video, this one from ADV forum.
Gives you a good idea of chest strap, helmet mount, stick on helmet mount, tripod and long stick use!  Well worth the 9 minutes!! Stunning scenery.

https://youtu.be/85VErvTqgWc

[malik]

I'd like to see how you plan to mount it on the poodle. Bounce may be a problem, too.

Mal

[fotoguzzi]

chin, chest and a little platform mounted to the bars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3Loc0q-J4

[rob-mg]

Hi Lucydad,

Every motoblogger on YouTube, which is where they hang out, has published a video on GoPro/Drift placement - chin of helmet, right side of helmet, left side of helmet, chest.  It really comes down to what point of view, and how much of the bike, you want your viewers to see.

The bigger question is what field of view you want to set up your GoPro for. This can range from really wide/fisheye to wide to moderately wide.

The even bigger question, if you want to record sound, is how to do it. Most motovlogers have opted for an external microphone placed within their helmet and plugged into their GoPro. A few, such as Royal Jordanian, use an external recorder, but he records only the sound of his bike and does not record commentary while he is riding.

Also, Sena makes a product that relies on a GoPro camera with Sena audio. Sena audio uses noise cancellation, which results in very clear commentary, but it sounds tinny and tends to cancel out the sound of the bike. Motovlogers who have tried it seem largely to have rejected it.

If you don't know who these people are, I'd be happy to provide a list. As I said, every one of them has created at least one video dealing with camera placement and sound recording.

[John Warner]

Do a Google image search for 'Gopro Helmet Mount' for all the possibilities.

One thing I will say, is that mounting one on the side of a Helmet is much more difficult than it should be!
Top mounting requires just one clamping knob (mount-to-Camera).
Side mounting needs three, because you need two adaptor pieces.

[rob-mg]

Do a Google image search for 'Gopro Helmet Mount' for all the possibilities.

One thing I will say, is that mounting one on the side of a Helmet is much more difficult than it should be!
Top mounting requires just one clamping knob (mount-to-Camera).
Side mounting needs three, because you need two adaptor pieces.

As far as I know, there is not a single popular motovloger who is mounting his/her camera on top of the helmet. It creates point of view problems, especially given the GoPro's wide field of view.

The real choice is between side mount, chin mount and chest mount.

We are now seeing the introduction of gimbals with brushless motors, which makes mounting on the bike itself (e.g. handlebars) feasible from the point of view of bike vibration/camera shake. These gimbals are adapted from drones, and some motovlogers are experimenting with them. They keep the camera completely level, even in turns, which some people like, and some people don't. Also, they can create a kind of robotic looking image. Some of these gimbals are GoPro specific, and they are clearly the future.

[flip]

I use RAM mounts that replace part of the front brake and clutch lever mounts. I've been thinking of adding RAM mounts to the engine crash bars and try a camera there.

[rob-mg]

Here's a new video by a fairly popular motovloger from Austria named Schaff using his action camera with a brushless motor gimbal: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYwYC8GItA

Although some people who have seen this kind of stabilization object to it on the ground that it detracts from seeing the rider's point of view, the comments below his video are almost uniformly positive.

[rob-mg]

Here are my personal views on motorcycle video and audio recording...

Cameras
Everyone is using a GoPro or equivalent. The footage all looks the same. Meanwhile, there are cameras that don't cost much more that will provide footage of higher quality and are multipurpose.

Sound Recorders
Most motovlogers, including those who are using external mics, are recording sound on their GoPros. It is a no-brainer to use a dedicated recorder. The analogue (mic) to digital converters in cameras, including the GoPros, are junk. That statement is filmmaking 101. A Zoom or a Tascam is a big step up in quality.

Microphones for speech
Motovlogers say that they are using mics costing 99 cents off E-Bay to $50. It sounds like it. But hey, having spent $15,000 on your bike, why would you spend more than $20 on your microphone in order to become YouTube famous, let alone $500 for a lavelier mic that any serious sound professional would use.

Protecting microphones from wind hits
This is a fundamental issue. Motovloger tutorials demonstrate no understanding of this, which goes a long way to explaining, apart from using cheap mics and third rate in-camera analogue to digital converters, why the sound is uniformly awful.

That said, apparently the millions of people who follow these vloggers are not only prepared to put up with low sound quality, but consider it a mark of authenticity. It's rather like deciding that sub-MP3 is the norm, and MP3, let alone CD quality, is somehow inauthentic.

[LowRyter]

So could anyone give a link to the "best" motorcycle mount?

[rob-mg]

N�rdliche Zweir�der shows what one can do if one is serious about sound:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oFIXA6OY1hQ

As far as I am concerned, it is the only serious recording of a Moto Guzzi on the internet. I don't know what he used to record the sound - he may even have recorded it to his camera - but the recording is clearly done by someone who knows what he's doing.

P.S. My apologies for being unable to replicate German orthography on this forum. The first error is an "o" umlaut, and the second is an "a" umlaut.

[Damnyankee]

I also mounted mine to the side of the helmet but I've also used the suction cup on the tank. The camera in wide mode has such a large view it almost doesn't matter where you mount it. I like it on the helmet for convenience. I also use the wifi back and wrist control.

https://youtu.be/iO7rXXNMyz4

[rob-mg]

However if you have nothing to do for the next 9 minutes and want to see a cool motorcycle trip made with GoPro video, this one from ADV forum.
Gives you a good idea of chest strap, helmet mount, stick on helmet mount, tripod and long stick use!  Well worth the 9 minutes!! Stunning scenery.

https://youtu.be/85VErvTqgWc

Wow, I had never heard of Alex Chacon, but if you check out his most recent November videos they are completely out of touch with where YouTube is going, and hit you over the head with advertising. He isn't even subtle about it. Really conventional, boring filmmaking: https://www.youtube.com/user/chaiku232/videos

In comparison, this is Ben Brown, also in November, with support from BMW South Africa:

Riding Through Lightning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikow4RxTABA
Off-road Motorcycle Riding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00m3kpdNYaE
Fall Off, Get Back On, Repeat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_9AI8lQNI0
1200GS Through Water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4DJZCQt51s

Brown, by the way, is widely regarded as one of the people who is influencing where YouTube is going.

[redrider]

Finding a vibration free position was impossible on the V11 so I made my own. KAPSCO MOTO sold me a mount that attaches to the fill cap. I insulated it with O-rings and washers along with some slightly longer Allen Heads. Guzzi and Benelli were not listed but knowing cycle parts are  generic, I ordered the one for a Triumph/ Aprilia. Perfect fit. I also use a Drift external microphone routed to the tail section. With the foam wind sock the exhaust sound recording is great. Youtube 89MilleGT channel. VIO POV system. (The same one used for the  Prometheus movie)

[Green1000S]

Sorry, not interested of the advertising part. More about the GoPro mounting options as requested by original poster, who just got his first GoPro.
When a person does not know WHERE to mount a GoPro to begin with, it might be more useful for him to see these options first, before going into "world class audio recordings" etc...
Not interested where You tube is going either.

Wow, I had never heard of Alex Chacon, but if you check out his most recent November videos they are completely out of touch with where YouTube is going, and hit you over the head with advertising. He isn't even subtle about it. Really conventional, boring filmmaking: https://www.youtube.com/user/chaiku232/videos

Brown, by the way, is widely regarded as one of the people who is influencing where YouTube is going.

[lucydad]

All,

Profound thanks for sharing, wisdom and experience!  What a fine group of video fans!

Experimentation sounds like my pathway.  That is good as the girls say I need more mental stimulation in retirement, and they are likely correct.  This morning I may strap the GoPro on my head for the poodle walk.  Gigi (Standard Poodle) is plenty large for a traveling poodle cam although I worry about her leaping and shucking the camera into a pond.

I will digest and process your many fine recommendations.  Eventually I hope to share some video results by posting on Youtube.

cheers!

[RayB]

LD,
I just got a GoPro for Christmas too. I wouldn"t have bought a camera myself but it was a gift so I need to be gracious about it. I had the same question you did.

I did notice that there are kits with all different kinds of mounts like chesty, head mounts, etc all bundled in a single kit. They are on Amazon. It will be 3 months before I can try mine out on the EV. So when you experiment with yours pass a link onto us so we can see what you produced.

Ray

[LowRyter]

Well Ray, looks like 3 of us.

I did see one for a handlebar mount.  But I am confused to what is available and what is best.

[tiger_one]

This is a nice example of on top of helmet mount.  Johnny Walker winning Erzburg Rodeo 2014.  Too long to watch all, but even in racing he remembers to clean the lens when given a chance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j6dyAMrPZU

[tiger_one]

Riding Through Lightning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikow4RxTABA
Off-road Motorcycle Riding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00m3kpdNYaE
Fall Off, Get Back On, Repeat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_9AI8lQNI0
1200GS Through Water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4DJZCQt51s

Brown, by the way, is widely regarded as one of the people who is influencing where YouTube is going.

I don't have interest in the offroad school, or BMWs, but the story telling of the whole trip and experience using video with superb editing with background music was very well done and kept my attention even tho I had no interest in the subject.  Perfect length to the sessions.
Very good example how to blog on a trip of any kind.

[johnr]

I've set one up on the bike, crash bar, helmet, etc...

Helmet gives POV of the rider, but the view goes wherever you turn your head. No vibration concerns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Vu2ximVUQ

I watched this video right through. It looks like a very pleasant ride and reminded me of a number of roads in my own country.

[John Warner]

. . . they are clearly the future.

Actually, Lily is the future (and I have one ordered!). 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vGcH0Bk3hg

[tiger_one]

Cool, take the work out of flying the drone, great pictures.