Gopro or similar recommendation?

[Texas82GP]

here is a comparison between the two...

I think I like the SJ4000 better. Thanks for posting that Steve. That was very helpful.

 

[Texas82GP]

How are you guys setting up the camera in the back seat for the ride along?

 

[ldr]

I'm thinking about one of these for power tour this year.

 

[Kwik_Cutty88]

I got the video to work. Rather than press the play button, press the 'Holeshot win' at the top. Good quality video. I'm really impressed that it isn't overwhelmed with wind noise when the car gets up to speed.

There is a little graphic on the back of the go pro. For speeds less than 100mph you can use the back door that has little openings in it. Over 100mph and there is a back door that is totally solid. It does help a lot with wind noise.

As for in car shots I used the suction cup mount and just stuck it to the suroof upside down. You can flip the video in the go pro settigs. I guess if you had a hard top car you could try suction cupping it to the inside of the back glass.

 

[L92 OLDS]

I think I like the SJ4000 better. Thanks for posting that Steve. That was very helpful.

Hey Jared, For whatever it's worth I have been using several different SJcam models for years and they work great. I currently have 3. Saturation (exaggerated color) is a little on the high side compared to comparible HD Canon and Panasonic camera's I own but that's ok as it can be corrected with editing. I travel to China 2-3 times a year and buy them there for next to nothing ($30). The SJcam kits come with waterproof and open enclosures that are almost an exact copy to the GoPro. The kit includes mounts, brackets etc. everything you need for making car and other sport related videos. Keep in mind that audio for SJcam and GoPro is mono and generally sucks compared to a good pro-sumer hand held camera. Also stabilization is not as good on the SJ cams....this is very important if you only plan to buy one camera for all your needs.

 

[Texas82GP]

There is a little graphic on the back of the go pro. For speeds less than 100mph you can use the back door that has little openings in it. Over 100mph and there is a back door that is totally solid. It does help a lot with wind noise.

As for in car shots I used the suction cup mount and just stuck it to the suroof upside down. You can flip the video in the go pro settigs. I guess if you had a hard top car you could try suction cupping it to the inside of the back glass.

Thanks for your input. It's very helpful.

 

[Texas82GP]

Hey Jared, For whatever it's worth I have been using several different SJcam models for years and they work great. I currently have 3. Saturation (exaggerated color) is a little on the high side compared to comparible HD Canon and Panasonic camera's I own but that's ok as it can be corrected with editing. I travel to China 2-3 times a year and buy them there for next to nothing ($30). The SJcam kits come with waterproof and open enclosures that are almost an exact copy to the GoPro. The kit includes mounts, brackets etc. everything you need for making car and other sport related videos. Keep in mind that audio for SJcam and GoPro is mono and generally sucks compared to a good pro-sumer hand held camera. Also stabilization is not as good on the SJ cams....this is very important if you only plan to buy one camera for all your needs.

Thanks for weighing in. I appreciate the input.

 

[Opie Knievel]

I use my dad's GoPro Hero 3 Silver from time to time, it is a great camera. The versatility is amazing. You may be able to find a used Hero 3 or 4 for quite a lot cheaper than the Hero 5. You should also look into the Hero Session which is quite a lot cheaper. Not as many features as the more expensive models, but who knows, you may never use them. I personally have been looking into getting a Hero 5 for the performance data overlay feature it offers.

I've been very impressed with the GoPro that i've used. I enjoy the variety of attachments and mounts you can get as well (both through go pro and the aftermarket). I also enjoy the fact I can control the camera from my phone, and also link multiple cameras together to record. Battery life is a negative for me, especially if you have the WiFi feature turned on. Depending on what video quality you select, battery life will be different. Sound quality is good, but it largely depends on what "back door" of the case you use (if you use any at all). I know you can get external microphones that offer better sound quality.

Here is a video I shot at the track over the weekend, this is in 1080 quality.

I hope that helped you a little.

In the intro to my video where I was walking around the house and garage, I was using my phone, a Galaxy S7. The in car video and the drive by's were shot using my base model GoPro Hero 3. It doesn't have a screen or Bluetooth capability to use your phone as a viewfinder. It's basically point and hope. Lol. That's why you couldn't see much of the road in the first ride along segment. I had the camera mounted on my head. I didn't know till afterwards that it was too high. The second ride along with the better view was shot with the camera mounted on one of those extendable selfie stick type things made for the GoPro. I just wedged it in between the split in the bench seat. It worked ok but that's one of the reasons for the noise.

I had the waterproof back on the case which kills sound quality. Next time I'll try to remember to put the back on that has holes in it.

The drive by shots were with the back of the case opened to pick up sound better. It makes a big difference.

The GoPro I have was a gift. If I had picked it out I would have gotten one of the models with a screen or Bluetooth. Not having any kind of viewfinder does get annoying sometimes but the GoPro's have a really wide angle lens so with a little practice you can figure out how to mount it to get the view you want.

I'm wanting to get a suction cup mount for the GoPro so I can do videos with it mounted to the outside of the car.

I'm glad my video has inspired you to make some of your own Jared. I'd love to see your GP in action when you get it going. I'm thinking of doing some videos of working on the car as well. You've still got some things left to do you your car so I'm thinking you might do those kind of videos too?

Good luck with your camera search.

 

[pontiacgp]

There is a little graphic on the back of the go pro. For speeds less than 100mph you can use the back door that has little openings in it. Over 100mph and there is a back door that is totally solid. It does help a lot with wind noise.

As for in car shots I used the suction cup mount and just stuck it to the suroof upside down. You can flip the video in the go pro settigs. I guess if you had a hard top car you could try suction cupping it to the inside of the back glass.

thanks for the ride.....🙂

 

[Texas82GP]

In the intro to my video where I was walking around the house and garage, I was using my phone, a Galaxy S7. The in car video and the drive by's were shot using my base model GoPro Hero 3. It doesn't have a screen or Bluetooth capability to use your phone as a viewfinder. It's basically point and hope. Lol. That's why you couldn't see much of the road in the first ride along segment. I had the camera mounted on my head. I didn't know till afterwards that it was too high. The second ride along with the better view was shot with the camera mounted on one of those extendable selfie stick type things made for the GoPro. I just wedged it in between the split in the bench seat. It worked ok but that's one of the reasons for the noise.

I had the waterproof back on the case which kills sound quality. Next time I'll try to remember to put the back on that has holes in it.

The drive by shots were with the back of the case opened to pick up sound better. It makes a big difference.

The GoPro I have was a gift. If I had picked it out I would have gotten one of the models with a screen or Bluetooth. Not having any kind of viewfinder does get annoying sometimes but the GoPro's have a really wide angle lens so with a little practice you can figure out how to mount it to get the view you want.

I'm wanting to get a suction cup mount for the GoPro so I can do videos with it mounted to the outside of the car.

I'm glad my video has inspired you to make some of your own Jared. I'd love to see your GP in action when you get it going. I'm thinking of doing some videos of working on the car as well. You've still got some things left to do you your car so I'm thinking you might do those kind of videos too?

Good luck with your camera search.

Thanks Opie. Very helpful feedback.