I've wanted a good quality on board for some time and as some of you may know I've tricked around with different cheap models only to realise the truth of the old proverb "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."

On recommendation from a Electric Monk I spoke to RF Concepts and bought this model for £129


It comes with two batteries and a variety of mounting accessories.

For a trial I mounted the camera wide angle lens here....


I ran all the cables back to the glovebox where I also have a 12 socket....

I velcroed the remote fob to the handle bars for ease of access...


All in it is very discreet and the quality is very good. I had it set to record in vehicle mode 5 min clips, which in full HD seem more like 2 mins. The mounting location has led to the slight bleaching and if it was mounted higher up would do better I think.

I tried to get some footage of the Irish Eccentrics riding on St. Partick's outing but the settings weren't correct. So as a sample here's some footage on one of my favorite roads from my run home.....

..


more updates will follow as I try different mounting positions and editing etc.

looks good so far will

looks like you need a shoulder mount or something ( there is high anxiety about helmet mounted cameras out here )
it is quite amazing how much vibrations that the body absorbs especially when making films ....
or maybe some fluid levelling mount for vibration isolation ??

going well ol mate

keep at it !!!!

Looking good!
Sounding good too the old girl.

I have the GoPro hero 3 black. I find that the best place to mount it is on me as I seem to absorb the vibrations that I get when bike mounted. I have the little stick on mounting clips fitted to the top of my helmet and to a few places, including just in front of the headlight.

well done Will. be interesting to see the results of a chest mounted camera. not sure that there is any examples here on the forum.
keep experimenting.

Thanks all - helmet mounting hasn't worked well for me in the past as I am a veritible nodding dog on the bike. I like the idea of a shoulder mount. Will look into that!

88KE thanks for this post. It is good to get an impartial review. The picture quality looks pretty good and I like your set up with the camera under the headlight and the remote control velcro'd to the handlebars. A RAM type mounting might help improve the vibration damping.

I am still toying with getting a camera on my bike, but the choice and price range is pretty confusing. I don't like helmet mounts (I think Herr Schmacker's skiing accident has highlighted the dangers of transmitting impact load through the helmet) so am torn between shoulder mount (hassle with shoulder harness?) and fixed bike mount.

I note this camera is loop recording - does that mean that it will only record up to a maximum of 30 minutes before over-writing? Is it possible to record for longer? Also, does it record and save at the same time? One camera I've looked at seemed to record and then save every 5 minutes - during the save, recording was interrupted - sods law says that's exactly the moment that you will want the camera to be recording!

Final question - how does the camera perform in low light conditions (for those gloomy winter days)?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm definitely with you on the you get what you pay for thing - but am also wary about buying something that mightn't do what it says on the tin.

I look forward to hearing the results of your on going experimentation.

Hi Will, 

Looks good and Bike sounds great

Pat

PaulLipscomb wrote:88KE thanks for this post. It is good to get an impartial review. The picture quality looks pretty good and I like your set up with the camera under the headlight and the remote control velcro'd to the handlebars. A RAM type mounting might help improve the vibration damping.

I am still toying with getting a camera on my bike, but the choice and price range is pretty confusing. I don't like helmet mounts (I think Herr Schmacker's skiing accident has highlighted the dangers of transmitting impact load through the helmet) so am torn between shoulder mount (hassle with shoulder harness?) and fixed bike mount.

I note this camera is loop recording - does that mean that it will only record up to a maximum of 30 minutes before over-writing? Is it possible to record for longer? Also, does it record and save at the same time? One camera I've looked at seemed to record and then save every 5 minutes - during the save, recording was interrupted - sods law says that's exactly the moment that you will want the camera to be recording!

Final question - how does the camera perform in low light conditions (for those gloomy winter days)?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm definitely with you on the you get what you pay for thing - but am also wary about buying something that mightn't do what it says on the tin.

I look forward to hearing the results of your on going experimentation.

Hi Paul - I have grappled with all the issues you raise and do not bu any means claim to have resolved them. I used the camera again today on different setting and, although I have not yet had time to post the clips.

The ones already post were recorded at the smallest file size for HD and 30 Frames Per Second. I believe this is the reason for the slightly jerky quality and lower resolution. I set it to the highest file size and 60 FPS for the return trip this afternoon in drizzle and at dusk . On the auto exposure (white balance) setting it works very well in low light and
at night under street lighting. It doesn't see too well on the rural roads on dipped beam and is just about useable on high beam.

I have decided to use this position for dash cam/blackbox recording but will play with other mounts for make videos of road trips etc.

You are correct about the loop recording at the lowest resolution a 4GB micro SD card stores about i hours worth of 5min clips and at the highest def 720/60 FPS the card stores 30mins worth of film. No recording is lost on this model when saving the clip so the can be stitched back together flawlessly with free editing software.

Capacity of course can be extended by simply buying a bigger card, which I will be doing myself (at least 16GB). most of my runs naturally involve stopping every 90 mins or so and at a quick coffee break its easy to bring the box and mark the files you want to save so they won't be written over and delete the others individually or in one fell swoop to clear the card (makes it easier when you get to PC).

Hope to post the other clips tomorrow and look for ward to the feedback.

Will

88KE wrote:

PaulLipscomb wrote:88KE thanks for this post. It is good to get an impartial review. The picture quality looks pretty good and I like your set up with the camera under the headlight and the remote control velcro'd to the handlebars. A RAM type mounting might help improve the vibration damping.

I am still toying with getting a camera on my bike, but the choice and price range is pretty confusing. I don't like helmet mounts (I think Herr Schmacker's skiing accident has highlighted the dangers of transmitting impact load through the helmet) so am torn between shoulder mount (hassle with shoulder harness?) and fixed bike mount.

I note this camera is loop recording - does that mean that it will only record up to a maximum of 30 minutes before over-writing? Is it possible to record for longer? Also, does it record and save at the same time? One camera I've looked at seemed to record and then save every 5 minutes - during the save, recording was interrupted - sods law says that's exactly the moment that you will want the camera to be recording!

Final question - how does the camera perform in low light conditions (for those gloomy winter days)?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm definitely with you on the you get what you pay for thing - but am also wary about buying something that mightn't do what it says on the tin.

I look forward to hearing the results of your on going experimentation.

Hi Paul - I have grappled with all the issues you raise and do not bu any means claim to have resolved them. I used the camera again today on different setting and, although I have not yet had time to post the clips.

The ones already post were recorded at the smallest file size for HD and 30 Frames Per Second. I believe this is the reason for the slightly jerky quality and lower resolution. I set it to the highest file size and 60 FPS for the return trip this afternoon in drizzle and at dusk . On the auto exposure (white balance) setting it works very well in low light and
at night under street lighting. It doesn't see too well on the rural roads on dipped beam and is just about useable on high beam.

I have decided to use this position for dash cam/blackbox recording but will play with other mounts for make videos of road trips etc.

You are correct about the loop recording at the lowest resolution a 4GB micro SD card stores about i hours worth of 5min clips and at the highest def 720/60 FPS the card stores 30mins worth of film. No recording is lost on this model when saving the clip so the can be stitched back together flawlessly with free editing software.

Capacity of course can be extended by simply buying a bigger card, which I will be doing myself (at least 16GB). most of my runs naturally involve stopping every 90 mins or so and at a quick coffee break its easy to bring the box and mark the files you want to save so they won't be written over and delete the others individually or in one fell swoop to clear the card (makes it easier when you get to PC).

Hope to post the other clips tomorrow and look for ward to the feedback.

Will

Was looking for some mounting stuff for my GPS but came across a camera called Epic Longrun. Price looks reasonable. Not sure about the specs.

Hi Paul - I have grappled with all the issues you raise and do not bu any means claim to have resolved them. I used the camera again today on different setting and, although I have not yet had time to post the clips. wrote:
The ones already post were recorded at the smallest file size for HD and 30 Frames Per Second. I believe this is the reason for the slightly jerky quality and lower resolution. I set it to the highest file size and 60 FPS for the return trip this afternoon in drizzle and at dusk . On the auto exposure (white balance) setting it works very well in low light and
at night under street lighting. It doesn't see too well on the rural roads on dipped beam and is just about useable on high beam.

I have decided to use this position for dash cam/blackbox recording but will play with other mounts for make videos of road trips etc.

You are correct about the loop recording at the lowest resolution a 4GB micro SD card stores about i hours worth of 5min clips and at the highest def 720/60 FPS the card stores 30mins worth of film. No recording is lost on this model when saving the clip so the can be stitched back together flawlessly with free editing software.

Capacity of course can be extended by simply buying a bigger card, which I will be doing myself (at least 16GB). most of my runs naturally involve stopping every 90 mins or so and at a quick coffee break its easy to bring the box and mark the files you want to save so they won't be written over and delete the others individually or in one fell swoop to clear the card (makes it easier when you get to PC).

Hope to post the other clips tomorrow and look for ward to the feedback.

Will

Hi Will,
Thanks for the additional info - very helpful. Certainly for the price, it looks like a really good value camera. Judging by the number and variety of action cams on the market, this is clearly a growth area and that will spawn even better cameras at even better prices in time. At the end of the day, my main wants are picture quality and long recording time - and this camera seems to be able to deliver that. I see no point in buying something that gives a crimewatch type blurry picture.

I am also still very drawn to the Garmin Virb Elite camera - it is pricier (about £275 from Amazon) but adds speed and altitude to the recording which makes it even more useful for use as a blackbox recorder. I asked Garmin a specific tech question about the camera, but was pissed off with the goon's email that failed to answer my question and provided a completely irrelevant answer. I have since found my answer via someone else's review! The major benefit of this camera is that it doesn't need hard wiring into the bike, which makes it more flexible for also using it as a dash cam in the car or for skiing.

If I do opt for the Garmin, I will be sure to post my review on here.

Got some hard thinking to do - having had a no fault accident on my last bike (fortunately it was very clear that it was not my fault and there was no arguing) I am very mindful that even a camera at £275 is still less than my insurance accident excess and would probably be money well spent - if the quality is good enough!

Klamityboy - thanks for your link to the Epic camera too. I've had a look on line at that too now. You link goes to the non HD version which only has a 45 deg lens and probably isn't suitable for mounting on a bike. The HD version is mentioned and has a 160 degree lens which is far closer to the human eye field of view so would be a better option. I think the price of the Epic HD is $290 - substantially more than $80 for the basic Epic. As ever, you usually get what you pay for but I think the HD cam has only just been released, so isn't widely available yet.

Finally getting around to uploading some more test clips...

#4 is recorded at 1920x1080 30 FPS. It seems smoother and quite clear despite the low light and misty conditions. White balance was set on auto. (I also increased the duration of the clip). Each 5 min clip is approx .55 MB. 



#5 is recorded at 1280x720 60 FPS. It is surprisingly jerky and the recording seems to skip a bit periodically as it saves the clip. White balance was set on Cloudy.




I also recorded a clip at night in town and was at the same setting as #4 and was impressed with the performance except for the blurring caused by the rain spots.

hope this helps some of you following the thread.

Will

Will,

Good results. Thanks for posting your additional footage. It looks as if the 30fps shoot is the best option.

I have taken the plunge and gone for the Garmin Virb Elite after all - the inbuilt GPS swayed it for me, although that adds significantly to the price. I will post my first attempts as soon as I can upload them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYkuYg5qvPI

Have a look at this, don't know what camera it is but it can take a beating and survive.Terrible riding though plus he loads it up on the net.


 

Great clip!!

GO Pro camera - according to the You tube title. 
Good quality and a good reason to buy an action camera - something to watch in your hospital bed!

Double white lines are there for a reason (usually) - this guy also proves the three strikes and you're out rule.

There's no shortage of people out there will to share their bad riding though...





The amazing thing is that they all survive!