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Trying a Ghost-S HD camera on my RV-7A

Thanks for posting that. I've been wanting to shoot some video, but my handheld camcorder has some limitations due to its size and weight. I have never been impressed enough by the GoPro to buy one. Hadn't checked out Drift's line in several years -- in fact, I had forgotten about them.

The color looks a little better in the Drift video. I noticed some vibration in the GoPro image. Was that because it's mounted up higher off the wing? Are you able to attach a ND filter to the Drift so avoid the swirly-blade prop phenomenon?
 
Very Nice Units!!!

......Over the last few years we have purchased 22 cameras and countless accessories to use in our testing and product videos. Every time a new or different camera is offered up on the market, we purchase a few of them to test and compare. After the tests, we just sell them on E-Bay and move foreword. The Ghost S cameras are hands down, the superior product in virtually every respect. Just our opinion. We also tested the camera mount shown in the preceding video, along with several others. We found it not stable enough for us, and consequently we made our own, eliminating all the shake a adverse effects associated with vibration and very high air speeds. This camera is very aerodynamic in comparison to all the others we tested and this translates to less camera movement as well. We love these and can't imagine going back to Go-Pro or any of the others! We have manufactured mounts, and adapters, allowing the use of standard, available filters, and some aftermarket lenses. Most of the videos you see on line of our products and services were shot with these superior cameras. Thanks, Allan...:D
 
I noticed some vibration in the GoPro image. Was that because it's mounted up higher off the wing? Are you able to attach a ND filter to the Drift so avoid the swirly-blade prop phenomenon?

Funny that you mention the vibration in the GoPro. I've had that camera housing out of the left wing for over a year, and even when doing my acro videos, i've never had any vibration before. Made me wonder if the screws on its mounting might need tightened up a bit.

Yes, they also have filters for the camera. I haven't tried them out yet to know how they work, but they appear to be 'disposable' and stick onto the camera.
Here's a picture of what I got from them.

small_821-filters.jpg


-Gene
 
tell us more!!!

......Over the last few years we have purchased 22 cameras............ Most of the videos you see on line of our products and services were shot with these superior cameras. Thanks, Allan...:D

Allan, can you at least tell us a few of the common ones you've tried?
( a full report of course would be verrrrrrrrrrry interesting!)

I have the SONY AS-15, and think it shows promise.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HDR-AS15-Action-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0090EC5MS
the older models seem to be a very good deal!
A lot of the 'useability' of these things is whether the accessories work, not so much the colour or picture quality, as we tend to view them on low-res devices most of the time anyway!
For instance, the Blueteeth for my cam is line of sight, so I can't turn it on & off when it's mounted underwing. it IS handy to properly frame the mount orientation when you first screw it in place.

as far as aerodynamics, I agree, the old GoPro case seems poor, but if you point the cam anywhere but straight ahead, it's less of an issue.
OF course, GoPro came out with that little cube thing ( session) for the guys that just have to mount 5 of them everywhere!

I just use my iPhone in the cockpit...but still haven't optimized the battery life issue, I only got :45 last time, (and it was too jiggly to watch, so gotta work on that!)
 
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Hi Allan: are any of your mounting solutions available to purchase (or copy!)? Thanks for your post. Few of us have such experience to draw on...
 
Mount

I agree that the ghost is a great camera. I have found that the camera mount is just as important as the camera. I have used the flight flix vibration mount and love it. It is different then the mount shown in the first video of this thread. I started with the GoPro and the jello was bad. I mounted it all different places and it didn't help. I got the vibex mount and it was a night and day difference. I even have a mount on the top of the engine pointed back and even with all the prop wash it is still solid smooth video.
 
I agree that the ghost is a great camera. I have found that the camera mount is just as important as the camera. I have used the flight flix vibration mount and love it. It is different then the mount shown in the first video of this thread. I started with the GoPro and the jello was bad. I mounted it all different places and it didn't help. I got the vibex mount and it was a night and day difference. I even have a mount on the top of the engine pointed back and even with all the prop wash it is still solid smooth video.

Good points Mike! We also got a Vibe-X mount to test, and I'm planning on demonstrating how well it works in a future video.

Gene
TheHDPilot
 
Hi Gene have you tried to mount the camera in a position where airplane is not in the camera view?
 
view options

on many cams, from the same mount, you can get a different perspective by setting the resolution ( HD, 720 etc.) or aspect ratio, (16:9, or 3:4) resulting in a 170 degree view( fisheye-like) or 120 ( more like your eyesight, and may crop out some of the aircraft structure) for more of a 'free-flight' effect.
 
on many cams, from the same mount, you can get a different perspective by setting the resolution ( HD, 720 etc.) or aspect ratio, (16:9, or 3:4) resulting in a 170 degree view( fisheye-like) or 120 ( more like your eyesight, and may crop out some of the aircraft structure) for more of a 'free-flight' effect.

Good answers Perry, those where exactly what I was going to reply with. With a GoPro, the aspect ratio (they refer to as Field of View) is the settings of Super-Wide, Wide, Medium and Narrow. The Ghost has its settings in degrees; 160, 127 and 90. Those settings help with width, to get the cowl out of the shot.
Along with cropping that Perry pointed out, it also helps out a little by slightly pointing the camera up and out. With a wide field of view it's not really noticeable that the camera isn't pointing exactly in the direction of travel.
The only mounting point on my low wing RV to even hope to get the plane out of the shot is out on the wingtip.
-Gene
 
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