Video camera not as good as it should be?

[simon.r]

I bought one of these a few weeks ago - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Veho-VCC-003-Muvi-Micro-Camcorder/dp/B0029631VI - and have been playing around with it on the bike. I'm well aware of the arguments for and against, but if I'm going to use it I see one of the advantages as being able to record details of cars

The attachment is a screen shot from the video of Saturday's ride. As you can see, the car's plate is practically unreadable. Am I doing something wrong, or am I just expecting too much from a cheap camera?

(N.B. - no issue with this car, just using it as an example).

 

[simon.r]

It'd help if I attached the screen shot...

 

[User33236]

There is quite a wide dynamic range in the example you show between the very bright sky and the darker shadows. It looks very much like your camera has set it's exposure for the highlights. Even very expensive camera are unable to 'see' as wide a range as the human eye but some do allow you to adjust how the camera meters.

I have a cheap Chinese copy of the same camera and, as far as I can make out from the poor manual, there is no way of adjusting how it meters it's exposure.

 

[MikeW-71]

I have a Veho Micro, and that's exactly what I get from it. Image quality is not spectacular.

 

[topcat1]

I think that's why the "camers" call out the reg no when there's an incident

 

[BSRU]

I think in general you get what you pay for, more expensive cameras produce a better quality images.
I started off with a cheap Veho camera but quickly realised it was not up to the task I wanted it to perform.

 

[Frood42]

I have a Contour ROAM 2, not bad picture quality, but it does cost £160... good for recording rides, but I generally don't take it out on the commute anymore.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEwPDpoTE5k

.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

I agree with posters above with regards to the quality - this is what I used to get from my Veho. It's why I moved on to a Contour Roam so it would pick out the numberplates if I couldn't shout in time.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Yep, you definitely get what you pay for where bike cams are concerned. I have a Garmin Virb Elite and it's amazing the way it adjusts to the light and the range it can cope with.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

I'd say they are not bad for £30. As Scottish Geek pointed out, that shot would be a pretty challenging exposure for a higher end camera to cope with - considering the size of the lens and the chip on the Muvi, I reckon its done a pretty good job of it

 

[PaulB]

I've got two of them to double the amount of time I can get from them. Picture quality is acceptable providing you're not planning on broadcasting your sojourns.