Go Pro or ???

[Neal Trombley]

I love all the RV Shots with the go pros and wanted to start investing into a camera or cameras for my build and flying.
I see knockoffs out there with good reviews etc...

are you guys using suction cups for wing mounting or mechanical fastening
looking for tips etc

if in wrong area or not allowed please Delete..

[KRviator]

I used the standard sticky pad to attach mine to the VS, nothing more. So far it has lasted upto around 200SMPH IAS. I ran a 5m USB extension cable down the tailcone to power it beyond its' battery endurance.

I have a GoPro Hero3+ Black and would only consider a Garmin Virb as an alternate. If you're wanting quality, IMHO, better to stick with the majors for that kind of endeavour. More attachments & parts too!

[snopercod]

I am mostly happy with my two Garmin Virbs - one in the cockpit and one underneath the tail. Short sample video:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qtkhjfq92i...ttern.mp4?dl=0

[mbuehler]

I have a lot of GoPros, my 360 camera uses 6 plus several others I use for other types of filming. I have to say the quality is very disappointing for gear that cost so much. A number of them have a failure in one form or another (random shutdowns, won't power on plugged in, wireless not working, random lockups, can't firmware update, etc)

Searching online I'm not the only one. Curious as to alternatives as I hesitate to recommend them to people.

[AJ85WA]

Look for SJ4000 or SJ5000 series of cameras, I have 3 sets and they take some cracker footage for only $130 you cannot go wrong.

[rdamazio]

I've tried GoPros and just hated a few aspects - especially the very short battery life and the cases.
Over the years I've instead used the Contour+ and later the Garmin Virb - both have the advantage of recording a lot of data in their sensors in addition to just video, have an image quality comparable to the GoPro (some will argue the GoPro is better at this - maybe they're right), and a much longer-lasting battery.

[dtw_rv6]

I wouldn't hang a $400 camera on the exterior of a plane from a suction cup. The radar detector in my truck falls from the windshield about once every 3 months and it sees no wind load at all.

The standard adhesive mounts work great for me.

As for the camera itself, the video is great as long as you isolate it from vibration to avoid the "jell-o" effect.

Operating the camera can be a little quirky at times - the remote control is unreliable in flight, the battery life is short, and my GoPro 3 will overheat and lock up if you try to use the higher res settings inside of a skeleton case.

I've also used a Mobius Action cam. At a fraction of the GoPro price, it shoots pretty darn good video. Unless you are making high end video presentations, it probably fills the bill nicely for the weekend air to air missions.

I just recently traded my GoPro3 for a 4+ (black edition) for compatibility with my drone gimbal. I don't have enough miles on it to know if it performs any differently.

Don

[Raymo]

Originally Posted by AJ85WA

Look for SJ4000 or SJ5000 series of cameras, I have 3 sets and they take some cracker footage for only $130 you cannot go wrong.

Also in the market and see that there is a SJ7000 now available on Amazon for $67.

[rleffler]

You may want to take a look at these, sold by a fellow RV'er.

http://planearound.com/GOPRO-series-...NDLE-GPBND.htm

[1001001]

I can't in good faith recommend GoPro cameras anymore. Maybe they have cleaned up their act in the last few years but unfortunately I am the proud owner of three different GoPro cameras that have been bricked in various ways, all unrelated to use/abuse. Of course they all failed outside of the warranty period (just barely outside it).

I have two HD Heros (older model) that had firmware issues and then both had failed battery connectors on the main board. As they were out of warranty I was on my own. I managed to solder the connector on both of them but they continue to fail regularly. On the one camera I gave up because the solder pads eventually delaminated from the circuit board after about 5 repairs. The other one still runs but I have to handle it very gingerly for fear of breaking the battery connector again.

I also have a Hero 3+ that quit with an unrecoverable firmware problem just after the warranty ran out. This is a well documented issue online but to my knowledge GoPro has never offered to make it right for the large number of customers affected.

I will not be able to justify spending any more money with GoPro unless they undergo some serious change. $300-$500 is just way too much for a lightweight brick.

Originally Posted by Neal Trombley

I love all the RV Shots with the go pros and wanted to start investing into a camera or cameras for my build and flying.
I see knockoffs out there with good reviews etc...

are you guys using suction cups for wing mounting or mechanical fastening
looking for tips etc

if in wrong area or not allowed please Delete..