Got some helmet cam footage of YOUR commute?

Archcp · May 2007

Cheers! Glad it's not just me with the slow thing...

Will readjust the fitting for my ride this afternoon, and see what I can do. It seems nice and solid as I have it now, but I have to loosen the strap to get the camera out... I look forward to seeing your attachment...[;)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Archcp · May 2007

Ah, just had a play and think I've sussed a better way to fix the velcro strap...

Really, must do some work...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

BentMikey · May 2007

Hi Sue,

I got spare mountings from Bunker bound on 08701 624952. Nice customer service from Oregon Scientific, they got back to me with these details very quickly.

Yes, as far as I know you can use any std USB cable with the correct connector. I don't bother though, it's much quicker to put the SD card in a USB2 reader and download the video that way.

Cheers,
Mikey.

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BentMikey

Hi Sue,

I got spare mountings from Bunker bound on 08701 624952. Nice customer service from Oregon Scientific, they got back to me with these details very quickly.

Yes, as far as I know you can use any std USB cable with the correct connector. I don't bother though, it's much quicker to put the SD card in a USB2 reader and download the video that way.

Cheers,
Mikey.

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Cheers for that. I'll see how often I think I'm going to want to swap it over, and give them a call if it's going to be all that often. Just that the rubber strap will fit better for the horse helmet... One the other hand, the picture may be a bit bouncy...[;)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

magnatom · May 2007

You could of course buy a second camera, one for the bike and one for the horse.....[:p]

Ghost Donkey · May 2007

At last my replacement camera has arrived after waiting on stock for a replacement after the original was fault. I managed to strap mine to the right hand side of the helmet but never really got chance to check the piccies as the camera wouldn't work with sd cards [V]. Now I have the replacement I'll try the left to get the angle across to the right as preference to the top. I have to find the SD cards I bought as well. I left them somewhere safe so I wouldn't lose them, which means I don't know where they are anymore.

magnatom · May 2007

As promised, here is a picture of my helmet camera attached to my helmet. (The CD is very well protected!)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/5094 ... 92e6_b.jpg

Ghost Donkey,

Glad to hear you got a replacement. What was wrong with your original? (you may have posted it but I missed it of you did)

Archcp · May 2007

Cheers for the pic, that does help..

Right, well, after a couple more rides across town yesterday, helmet mounted and one this morning, bar mounted, I think I'm getting the hang of it. A few thoughts, to see if you've all had the same and have any thoughts, and to help anyone who might be thinking of getting one...

In the middle on top of the helmet is OK, but it means it's a fair way above my eyeline, so when I look at something (like the Beemer that nearly pulled out on me yesterday or the pedestrian who nearly walked under a turning van when crossing a road against the red man - it was my "Stop!" that halted him...) I get a picture of the space above it. But if I angle it down more, I'll end up with the tarmac shot again when riding. So I can see that mounted like Magnatom's, at the side of the head might improve that, being nearer my eyeline. Or I have to get a set of those half moon reading glasses and practice looking over the top of them like a schoolmistress, got my head at the right angle...[;)]

If I mount it on the side, I'm going to need new pads in my helmet, or a new one that fits better. The weight is pulling the helmet to one side and it doesn't fit as snugly as it should, so it moves about and the strap isn't a great one for tightening up easily, so is a bit loose. Something to pick up at the York Rally...

Handlebar mounting is OK, but more rattly, of course. Interesting video effect, it makes the buildings seem to shimmer up and down - a bit like in that Fiat ad on TV where the skyscrapers go up and down like a graphic equaliser... Would that anti-shake software help with that? Also, it looks scarier from the bars - being lower down, vehicles look more intimidating.

The slowing the action down thing is really noticable. All the pedestrians look like they're doing a slow march. Seems too much to be an illusion - could it be that it really is recording at (let me get this right...) more FPS than it's playing at... Also, something that ties in with that, the sound seems to play at the right speed, so that it gets out of synch. I can just hear my "Oi, watch it" directed at the beemer driver, some time before it actually happens in vision... And the soundtrack is running out before the end... Can I correct that in Moviemaker perhaps? Is not a huge issue, as mostly I want to make films with music dubbed over, but it could be important one day.

It's funny how things look different on film. There have been a couple of cars in shot that seem to be passing pretty close, but I don't recall anything particularly bad yesterday. I suppose because the camera doesn't have the all round senses we do, things come as more of a suprise... Traffic jaming does seem more crowded on film that it does for real...

All in all, I'm really pleased with it - once I've sorted out the angles and stuff, it'll be great! And the picture is much better viewing on my laptop than on Youtube.

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Ghost Donkey · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by magnatom

As promised, here is a picture of my helmet camera attached to my helmet. (The CD is very well protected!)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/5094 ... 92e6_b.jpg

Ghost Donkey,

Glad to hear you got a replacement. What was wrong with your original? (you may have posted it but I missed it of you did)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

My old camera was intermittent at best when using SD cards. Two different models of sandisk card which worked in everyhting I tried them in failed so it went back and wiggle recognised it as faulty.

It looks like you have the same lid as me, only mine's silver/carbon, so I shall be copying your mounting technique (oo-er).

Greenbank · May 2007

Mine:-

http://www.greenbank.org/misc/helcam.jpg

It was a bit wobbly, and no matter how tight I made the mounting it still rattled forwards and backwards. So I jammed the clasp of the Petzl headtorch (see here before the helmet was attached):-

http://www.greenbank.org/misc/petzl.jpg

under the camera mounting and put in a couple of zipties to keep the two together. Since then it's been fine. Rock steady and points in the right direction.

Just remember that if you do need to capture anything specific (such as a number plate, someone's face, etc) you'll need to point your head down and look up.

And everything really does look closer than it was in real life, but that adds to the effect!

--
If I had a baby elephant signature, I'd use that.

Ghost Donkey · May 2007

I'm off down to aldi to buy one of there cheap 1 gig cards to tide me over until I can find my sandisk ones. As the most disorganised person here I have the camera but I'm all talk and no commute footage. Boo.

Archcp · May 2007

It seems the slowing down effect is cured when watched in Moviemaker - maybe it was because I was watching it straight off the card before...?

Still have to work on the angle. Actually, it's hard even when you hand hold the camera - I used it this morning to take some film of the TV filming happening outside my flat, and missed a lot of action because I wasn't quite pointing the camera at the right angle...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

magnatom · May 2007

I think it took me about a month of fiddling to get the angles just right. However, once you get it right it provides decent coverage.

One of my main gripes about the camera is that it films a narrow angle. It could do with a wider angle lens fitment which would reduce the pointing issues.

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by magnatom

I think it took me about a month of fiddling to get the angles just right. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

As the bishop said to the actress...[;)]

Yeah, it's trial and error I guess. Still, I'm getting used to the weight on my head. And people looking at me funny as I go by... A chap was so busy looking at me the other day, he nearly crossed the road in front of a van - whereupon it was lucky he was looking at me, because I was able to stick a hand up and shout "stop"! But I'd rather he'd been looking for traffic...[:0]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Crooky · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by magnatom

I think it took me about a month of fiddling to get the angles just right. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

As the bishop said to the actress...[;)]

Yeah, it's trial and error I guess. Still, I'm getting used to the weight on my head. And people looking at me funny as I go by... A chap was so busy looking at me the other day, he nearly crossed the road in front of a van - whereupon it was lucky he was looking at me, because I was able to stick a hand up and shout "stop"! But I'd rather he'd been looking for traffic...[:0]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
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As it's something different it might have the added effect of making you more conspicuous as it will grab the motorist's attention. They might end up driving into another cyclist or car as they watch you but if you're wearing the camera you'll be fine.

I want one.

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Crooky
As it's something different it might have the added effect of making you more conspicuous as it will grab the motorist's attention. They might end up driving into another cyclist or car as they watch you but if you're wearing the camera you'll be fine.

I want one.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

There was a coach driver yesterday definitely noticed it as I was stopped at lights and he was coming past the other way. And I'd just caught on camera his colleague in the coach in front driving one handed and doing a commentary on a microphone held in the other... Sure that can't be legal... Haven't got round to editing it up yet...

Found another 'angle' issue yesterday. Needs adjusting for rain, when I ride with my head down more than usual...

I haven't deluged YouTube with dull films - I think I might wait until I have a selection of noteworthy/comic moments and do it then...

But I'm loving having the camera...[:)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

magnatom · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch

There was a coach driver yesterday definitely noticed it as I was stopped at lights and he was coming past the other way. And I'd just caught on camera his colleague in the coach in front driving one handed and doing a commentary on a microphone held in the other... Sure that can't be legal... Haven't got round to editing it up yet...

Found another 'angle' issue yesterday. Needs adjusting for rain, when I ride with my head down more than usual...

I haven't deluged YouTube with dull films - I think I might wait until I have a selection of noteworthy/comic moments and do it then...

But I'm loving having the camera...[:)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Glad your enjoying the camera! I must admit I've never had the angle problem in the rain. We must just be that wee bit tougher further up north, although it was a gorgeously sunny cycle into work this morning for me.... [:D]

I should probably post todays commute on the web as the perfect commute . For some reason there were hardly any cars on the road........oh yes it's a bank holiday....for most people [:(]

Charlotte_Newbie · May 2007

Cant wait for your videos Arch![8D][;)]

Im really tempted to buy the camera!.....or should i be more "senseable"?[:p]

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Charlotte_Newbie

Cant wait for your videos Arch![8D][;)]

Im really tempted to buy the camera!.....or should i be more "senseable"?[:p]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ooh, I feel all under pressure now to make them interesting...[;)]

I did think about buying it for a long time - œ100 is a lot of money for me. In the end it was partly retail therapy, but partly knowing I'd got nearly that much saved up in 5p pieces in a big jar at home! So maybe think about it for a bit, get people to give you money for your next birthday or something, and then splash out!

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

ChrisKH · June 2007

After the events of the last couple of weeks I'm seriously tempted to get a Cam sorted out. Am I going to have to sift thru' 8 pages of posts to find out where to buy one or can someone give a summary of what I'll need and a good supplier website? Many thanks. I'm just taking delivery of a new computer so on the IT front it's all sorted.

Baby elephants are so last year, darling.

Archcp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ChrisKH

After the events of the last couple of weeks I'm seriously tempted to get a Cam sorted out. Am I going to have to sift thru' 8 pages of posts to find out where to buy one or can someone give a summary of what I'll need and a good supplier website? Many thanks. I'm just taking delivery of a new computer so on the IT front it's all sorted.

Baby elephants are so last year, darling.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The easy way to do this is for me to say: Google for ATC2000 helmet cam. You'll probably want a 2Gb Sd card, to give you up to an hour of footage - the internal memory is a bit tiny. Most sites that sell the camera also sell the cards. I got mine from Shinyshack.com, for œ95, plus about œ15 for the memory card. oh, and AA batteries.

http://www.shinyshack.com/product.php?p ... ra-ATC2000

But there are loads of sites that sell it (including Wiggle), and it's usually about œ100. It's completely self contained and waterproof. If you don't have a card reader, you might want one to download, as the USB download direct is apparently quite slow.

If you want more detail, the alternative is to get a camcorder and a 'bullet' cam, or a system called Archos (if I remember right) which is perhaps better quality, and the bullet cam is lighter in weight, but you need more bits and pieces, and needs to be connected by a wire to the recorder carried in a bag or something, and costs more... (is that a fair assessment guys?)

Patrick, in my 'Polite' HiVis waistcoat and blue helmet, and if I'm riding the blue and yellow hack, I think that might be taking impressionism over into imitation...[;)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Dale 1 · June 2007

Come on Arch, !
when are we going to see your footage of the lovely streets of York ? [:)]

Archcp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dale 1

Come on Arch, !
when are we going to see your footage of the lovely streets of York ? [:)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

But so far, it's all so dull! A good reason to get a camera perhaps - you itch for something to post and nothing happens! Or maybe one close passing car in 5 or 10 minutes of film - and it takes a while to edit the little bits together, just because of importing speed into Moviemaker...

No really, this weekend, I will try to to cobble a few clips together.

It doesn't help that my commuting times are normally just before and just after the main rush times - so the streets aren't packed...

Of course, these may be famous last words. Keep your fingers crossed for me on the way home...[;)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Dale 1 · June 2007

Thats more like it !
You could always do a tour / show of all the cyclist friendly pubs, as we discussed in cake stop ?, i think that could be interesting.

Dale.

Archcp · June 2007

Ok, I didn't have as much time as I hoped at the weekend (well, I gave myself minor sunstroke on the allotment on Saturday, so spent most of the afternoon napping...), so the funny shots of pedestrians a-scurrying out of my way etc will have to wait, but here's some silly cycle lanes, with appropriate soundtrack...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9onKKAnzhOU

I'd not been down that last one before, but a friend told me about it... Classic. And that's not a bad adaptation of an existing junction, that's all BRAND NEW ROAD! Imagine what'll it'll be like once the road to the left is open, and there are pedestrians on the crossing...

Magnatom's idea of a website is a good one. I suppose the Warrington Cycle Campaign site is similar, but that's photos only isn't it?

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

ChrisKH · June 2007

Nice one Arch. Camera advice I mean (footage as well, of course). I've just got some money for my birthday (and new laptop with entertainment capabilities) so guess what's coming! Now I won't have to worry about the bloke who runs over me and changes his story (as he has).

Baby elephants are so last year, darling.

magnatom · June 2007

Arch,

That video is great, especially the comments!! [:0][:D] Yes I had wondered about contacting the nice people at the Warrington Cycle campaign to see if they would maybe provide links to videos on their web site to add to the photos they have. I'll e-mail them today and see what they say. Of course if anyone from the campaign is reading this thread.....[:D]

ChrisKH · June 2007

Now I'm in a bit of a quandry. 9 out of 10 times I commute with a rucksack with a very convenient top pocket the size of my digital camcorder. And the bullet cams are waterproof and have waterproof connectors for easy disconnection which would be very handy for the train. Decisions, decisions. I presume Arch's camera doesn't have audio. Do I want my expletives aired around the world? [:D]

Baby elephants are so last year, darling.

magnatom · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ChrisKH

Now I'm in a bit of a quandry. 9 out of 10 times I commute with a rucksack with a very convenient top pocket the size of my digital camcorder. And the bullet cams are waterproof and have waterproof connectors for easy disconnection which would be very handy for the train. Decisions, decisions. I presume Arch's camera doesn't have audio. Do I want my expletives aired around the world? [:D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It does have a microphone (I have the same camera as Arch), although it isn't the best, although you can improve it with a small modification, which I need to find some triangular headed screw drivers for!

I think a microphone is useful, for example when you have a chat with pavement cyclists....[:I][:D]

ChrisKH · June 2007

But can you run it on Vista? Only appears to be Windows 2K and XP compatible..........

Baby elephants are so last year, darling.

Got some helmet cam footage of YOUR commute?

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