I'm now a member of the camera commuter fraternity!!

[Jezston]

I think you're safe - my commute run is normally pretty boring and I don't think I'm gods gift to cyclists!!

You know you don't actually have to read every thread on this forum, nor watch every video linked in them, right?

EDIT Sorry SquareDaff my reply was supposed to be in response to Skol's 'contributions' to this thread.

 

[Jezston]

have you "played up" to the camera yet most people do

Taypet and TesterAnimal are not 'most' camera users.

You know how ignorant people say stuff like most cyclists are red light jumping highway code breaking lycra lout hooligans? Yeah, dwell on that for a bit.

 

[jonny jeez]

Is it just me or do drivers seem to be giving me a wide berth now I have a camera? Maybe all cyclists should stick a black tube on top of their cycling helmets?

its not you...I used to ride frequently with the cam mounted but not charged (or full) if you catch the eye of a driver "about" to do something daft, they definitely see the camera as a deterrent ...IMHO

 

[Boris Bajic]

Since I got my Contour HD, I have had very few instances where I have posted them on the internet. I still keep my own records, but I am now posting things which people might enjoy (other cyclists doing good, etc).

For some deeply troubling reason, this read to me like an advertisement for some sort of shape-enhancing undergarment....

Even when I re-read it, I still had that lingering doubt.

Although why people would want to post footage of people in undergarments on the internet I do not know...

Sorry, I drifted a little there....

 

[Jezston]

Although why people would want to post footage of people in undergarments on the internet I do not know...

You must be very new to the internet.

 

[Boris Bajic]

On a more serious note, I too am thinking of a simple, cheap camera.

Not for setting up my own channel and turning into Shouty-Camera-McMessiah on acid.

More because I've seen too many troublingly close passes on my beloved children, whom I follow on training rides.

This is out on fast A Roads (A438, A417, A449, A40 etc) where pantechnicon and artic drivers seem sometimes to forget the length of their vehicle and so swing in perilously early after a pass...

Or they simply pass very, very close - which can be unnerving at high speed.

I'm not decided yet on whether to get one, but it's starting to nag at me that there may come a time when I'd like to present some footage to the local Heddlu.

I hope there isn't, but with age comes a level of fear and apprehension that was foreign to me in my youth.

 

[jonny jeez]

StoryTeller is pants, I use PowerDirector and I have read that some others use Sony Vegas but there are a few others.
For simple editing you can use VirtualDub, if you follow the instructions on this website precisely,
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/e...-videos-eg-kodak-zi8-directly-virtualdub.html

Windows movie maker on windows 7 will work for pretty good editing and captions etc.

if you are not on windows 7 (the windows movie maker on earlier editions of windows doesnt seem to handle HD files) then there are many options:

For free basic editing (cropping, trimming rotating and the like) I use MPEG streamclip

http://www.squared5.com/

...its a free download and pretty capable...if basic. The major plus is that any edited vids retain their original quality (or so close as to be indistinguishable) when rendered**.

if you want to splash out I use sonyvegas (comes in many flavours and price points)...its tool rich and very capable BUT I have yet to find a render option that matches the original quality or frame rate of the go pro that i use grrrr.

**PS...rendering is the "saving" bit that you do once you edit your vid, the software literally reprocesses all the clips and adds the changes that you have made (up until this point you have only really been working on a ghost copy)...hence why rendering is so crucial to retaining original quality.

 

[jonny jeez]

On a more serious note, I too am thinking of a simple, cheap camera.

Not for setting up my own channel and turning into Shouty-Camera-McMessiah on acid.

More because I've seen too many troublingly close passes on my beloved children, whom I follow on training rides.

This is out on fast A Roads (A438, A417, A449, A40 etc) where pantechnicon and artic drivers seem sometimes to forget the length of their vehicle and so swing in perilously early after a pass...

Or they simply pass very, very close - which can be unnerving at high speed.

I'm not decided yet on whether to get one, but it's starting to nag at me that there may come a time when I'd like to present some footage to the local Heddlu.

I hope there isn't, but with age comes a level of fear and apprehension that was foreign to me in my youth.

cams start for as little as £20. and some are so tiny you can literally clip them on your lapel. So you don't need to look like some urban warrior if you want to record rides.

I really enjoy the process of making films, and my channel now includes footage of skiing, cycling, motorcycling and even a few loops around the rides at chessington. so a head cam can provide lots of uses not just for riding.

 

[jonny jeez]

Other observations - a) I seem to be going really slow, even when I know I'm doing 30+mph.

the lower you mount your cam the greater the sense of speed (and probably more realistic). So it depends what and why you are filming.

 

[Matthew_T]

I use Windows Movie Maker. It handles HD videos well, but I have found that it does something called "preparing" the video. For a 10 minute vid, it takes about 2 hours to prepare. After this though, it works fine, and the quality of the video is not ruined when you edit it. However, Youtube seems to make everything blurred when you upload it (problem with Youtube).

I have not yet found a video editing software that I have wanted to purchase. I can manage fine with WMM.


I have tried Storyteller, but it is extremely limited to what it can do (cannot add captions or change the size of a file). It is good for editting the functions on your Contour though.

 

[Matthew_T]

People behave differently, just because you wouldn't behave in the same way doesn't mean that they are playing up to the camera

I saw a cyclist this afternoon take to the pavement as a set of traffic lights. He got to where I was (behind two cars in the ASZ), and ended up blocking himself from returning to the road. He had to trackstand and wait for all the traffic in his lane (I was turning right) to go so he could rejoin the road. At no point did I think he would have done something that silly just to be on film.

PS: I will post it on Youtube for another Silly cyclist moment for you Gaz.

 

[guitarpete247]

I got one of these for Chrimbo. It is a copy of this Veho Muvi but with the Groupon was much cheaper. It's not the most brilliant quality and doesn't show number plates well but I thought that if needed I could just shout out the number plate as others do. I couldn't find a way of mounting it on my helmet so it's mounted on my bars (in the middle).

Does Squared 5 work with these cameras too and is it worth downloading the beta version for Youtube?

I have taken it out on most of my rides since having got it but after watching the first couple of rides for novelty value I've deleted every recording as nothing exciting has happened .

Shhhh !!! Don't tell anyone but after having a problem with the first one I got they sent out a replacement. I then bought a micro SD card from Sainsbury's and now have two cameras. I now want to make a mount for the seat stay.

 

[johnnyh]

I've used my new Dogcam HD Wide for just over a week now, and it is kinda fun to watch parts of my 16 mile commute. Especially the bits where I cycle past stacked up traffic gloating to myself

On a serious note, it has highlighted a couple of points where I am in danger from close passes due to the road layout, and I have worked out a way to change how I ride at these points to make it safer.

It also gave the family an insight into what happens when I leave the house

 

[jonny jeez]

I got one of these for Chrimbo. It is a copy of this Veho Muvi but with the Groupon was much cheaper. It's not the most brilliant quality and doesn't show number plates well but I thought that if needed I could just shout out the number plate as others do. I couldn't find a way of mounting it on my helmet so it's mounted on my bars (in the middle).

Does Squared 5 work with these cameras too and is it worth downloading the beta version for Youtube?

.

I used a Veho muvi for a couple of years (still have it today), and windows movie maker worked fine with it, so there shouldnt be a need to download streamclip from squared 5.

its only limitation was it lack of waterproofing (no rainy rides for you!) otherwise its low light capability and general quality ws superb...for mthe price.

be sure to get a high performance flash card ...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Transcend-Secure-Digital-Capacity-MicroSDHC/dp/B0013DXVYK/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
as the cam can write quicker than some cards can and you get some wobble/compression type issues.

 

[jonny jeez]

I couldn't find a way of mounting it on my helmet so it's mounted on my bars (in the middle).

.

you'll be needing the helmet mount then
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002CS8V...nd=2140233371817969379&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

does this