Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
03-07-2012, 10:39 PM
#1
Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
Hello guys,
I'm mounting a Contour HD 1080p video camera on my float plane, my first time Aerial Video. I'm running an YS 91AC four stroke engine. I've mounted the camera on top of the wing of a J-3 Cub so to have good view of flying over our near by lake. The biggest problem I'm having is finding a good program or website where I can upload, edit & add music to my video. The glow engine is causing some distortion to the video, but it's not all that bad. Not sure if I can do better with a four stroke engine, prop is balanced about as good as I can get it. I have the camera mounted on foam, I wounder if having the engine mounted on rubber motor mounts would help? Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I haven't flown the plane with the camera yet, I've been experimenting with the best mounting I can come up with. I'll take some photos of the mounting and post it. Happy flying guys!
Gerry
I'm mounting a Contour HD 1080p video camera on my float plane, my first time Aerial Video. I'm running an YS 91AC four stroke engine. I've mounted the camera on top of the wing of a J-3 Cub so to have good view of flying over our near by lake. The biggest problem I'm having is finding a good program or website where I can upload, edit & add music to my video. The glow engine is causing some distortion to the video, but it's not all that bad. Not sure if I can do better with a four stroke engine, prop is balanced about as good as I can get it. I have the camera mounted on foam, I wounder if having the engine mounted on rubber motor mounts would help? Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I haven't flown the plane with the camera yet, I've been experimenting with the best mounting I can come up with. I'll take some photos of the mounting and post it. Happy flying guys!
Gerry
03-14-2012, 05:03 PM
#2
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RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
The ContourHD and Contour GPS cameras by Contour are the most popular helmet camera systems currently o. This number one high definition helmet camera allows for easy recording of your extreme sports by simply sliding the large rubber switch at the top of the camera. Once you have finished recording video with your Contour GPS camera you can view your footage on any PC or MAC and start editing it with the supplied video editing software.
03-15-2012, 07:49 AM
#3
RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
Thank you Megancheung,
I know all about the Contour HD video camera & how it works! My problem is mounting it on my plane and not get disstortion from vibration. I had it mounted on top of the wing, behind the engine, I didn't like the disstortion from the vibration from my fourstroke engine. The prop is balanced about as good as I can get it and the camera is mounted on foam. Now I moved the camera under the left wing just outside the struts, the video is better but still have some distortion. I've seen video's on gas engine planes where the GoPro video camera's ($299.00) were used and the picture is really good, hardly any distortion. Did I buy the wrong camera? The Contour HD Video Camera 1080p ($169.00 on sale) seems to be very sensitive to vibrations. I have the camera, I'm not happy with the results of the picture. I have the camera mounted on good foam, I don't know what more I can do. Most videos I've seen on YouTube are GoPro, Canon, hardly any Contour. If there's any, they're mounted on electric planes. I don't know if anyone has used the Contour camera with good success? Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I would like to hear any input on this camera. I like the camera because of a great picture when there's no vibration involoved, the the shape of it, the GoPro is boxie and I would think causes a lot of drag. Am I wrong? I guess you get what you pay for!
I know all about the Contour HD video camera & how it works! My problem is mounting it on my plane and not get disstortion from vibration. I had it mounted on top of the wing, behind the engine, I didn't like the disstortion from the vibration from my fourstroke engine. The prop is balanced about as good as I can get it and the camera is mounted on foam. Now I moved the camera under the left wing just outside the struts, the video is better but still have some distortion. I've seen video's on gas engine planes where the GoPro video camera's ($299.00) were used and the picture is really good, hardly any distortion. Did I buy the wrong camera? The Contour HD Video Camera 1080p ($169.00 on sale) seems to be very sensitive to vibrations. I have the camera, I'm not happy with the results of the picture. I have the camera mounted on good foam, I don't know what more I can do. Most videos I've seen on YouTube are GoPro, Canon, hardly any Contour. If there's any, they're mounted on electric planes. I don't know if anyone has used the Contour camera with good success? Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I would like to hear any input on this camera. I like the camera because of a great picture when there's no vibration involoved, the the shape of it, the GoPro is boxie and I would think causes a lot of drag. Am I wrong? I guess you get what you pay for!
03-15-2012, 08:54 AM
#4
RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
I hope this works, here is a test video using the Contour HD Video Camera 1080p. This is where the camera is mounted under the wing with foam under the camera mount and engine running!
http://youtu.be/sRHTUWKMl0E
http://youtu.be/sRHTUWKMl0E
03-16-2012, 10:08 AM
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RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
Hi Wetbird,
With a fourstroke, you need to mount your camera on a *lot* of foam to reduce vibrations. Also make sure you don’t mount it too tight; those are some sturdy rubber bands you’ve got there (first picture). The camera needs to be mounted loosely. Finding the right balance can be quite tricky, and I think you will have to accept a certain degree of distortion with a fourstroke. Of course, the more foam you use, the more drag there will be. Obviously, with a Cub on floats, you already have a considerable amount of drag, and adding more isn’t necessarily a great idea. On the other hand, pushing the envelope can be a lot of fun. I’ve done dozens of flights with a big digital camera mounted on top of the wing of an old trainer. The camera was mounted on lots of foam. Talk about drag - the trainer only just managed to stay airborne! Safe? No. Lots of fun? Yes! I have long since abandoned the digital camera in favour of a GoPro Hero, which gives less drag, but more distortion than my old Kodak V530. I have yet to see a better camera (for aerial footage) than my Kodak.
With a fourstroke, you need to mount your camera on a *lot* of foam to reduce vibrations. Also make sure you don’t mount it too tight; those are some sturdy rubber bands you’ve got there (first picture). The camera needs to be mounted loosely. Finding the right balance can be quite tricky, and I think you will have to accept a certain degree of distortion with a fourstroke. Of course, the more foam you use, the more drag there will be. Obviously, with a Cub on floats, you already have a considerable amount of drag, and adding more isn’t necessarily a great idea. On the other hand, pushing the envelope can be a lot of fun. I’ve done dozens of flights with a big digital camera mounted on top of the wing of an old trainer. The camera was mounted on lots of foam. Talk about drag - the trainer only just managed to stay airborne! Safe? No. Lots of fun? Yes! I have long since abandoned the digital camera in favour of a GoPro Hero, which gives less drag, but more distortion than my old Kodak V530. I have yet to see a better camera (for aerial footage) than my Kodak.
03-16-2012, 12:34 PM
#6
RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
Thank you for your advice, and I know your right about anchoring the camera down too tight. I didn't think it was all that tight, but at the same time, I'm afraid of losing it..my wife would kill me :/ But your right! I have it mounted under the wing and I think I'm going to fly it there. I will loosen it up, put more foam under it, I know that's part of the problem. Can you tell me if the distortion is the same in the air as on the ground? I kinda thought about that, because of the vibration being solid to the ground as when it's sitting on water or in the air, it's just a thought! The GoPro camera's look kinda boxy and would really creat drag more then an Contour Camera. That was one reason I went for the Contour and not the GoPro and of course the GoPro was about a $100 more. I think next year, I'm going to try the GoPro, it is more popular then anyother camera. I hope to fly my plane with camera mounted next weekend (weather permitting), if I do I'll be posting the results!
Thanks again for your help!
Gerry
Thanks again for your help!
Gerry
03-16-2012, 12:55 PM
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RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
ORIGINAL: wetbird
Can you tell me if the distortion is the same in the air as on the ground?
Gerry
Can you tell me if the distortion is the same in the air as on the ground?
Gerry
04-01-2012, 10:17 PM
#8
RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
This is my first flight with camera mounted on top of wing of my cub. Couple of things that about this video. I run my engine at different speed at home the day before going to the lake, I had just the right amount of foam, the video was good, very little distortion from vibration. Once we got to the lake, I did two test flights without the camera mounted, but did have the bracket mounted to see how the plane would handle. I had to make some adjustment to the control surfaces, fueled up, attach the camera and took off. The flight lasted just over 19 minutes, boat cruising 30 mph, headed down wing. Once the plane ran out of fuel, landed and back on the boat. I took the camera & downloaded the video on my laptop to check it out to see how it looked. I was a little disappointed in the distortion the video ended up with. Turned out, the motor mounts at the firewall were coming loose, could have been before I mounted the camera at the be gaining. So that was the end of flights that day.
When I got home, I edited 8 minutes off the video, downloaded it at YouTube. Youtube ask if I would like them to fix the movement (distortion) that they notice on the video, I said; yes. I think that was a mistake. If you watch the video, at the be-gaining of the takeoff, into the wind, but facing the sun, the video turns black and fuzzy. As I turned away from the sun it clears up, but still not as clear as the original video. The distortion is less, but I don't think it was worth it, the video isn't as clear.
Has anyone ever notice after YouTube fixed some of the distortion on your video, if you ever had them do that, that the video isn't as clear as the original video? I think if I left it as is and just downloaded it, it wouldn't have that black be-gaining on takeoff. I now have the camera mounted on an 360 servo mounted on top of the wing, I'll post photos of that tomorrow, I'm taking the plane out this Easter weekend for more video flying. I'll be posting that too. Check out the video and let me know what you think!
http://youtu.be/B6tu7KkQLa8rton Lake Ca. flying my Cub with the camera mounted on top of the wing.
04-03-2012, 08:08 PM
#9
RE: Questions on the Contour HD video camera?
If anyone is interested! After that one flight at Millerton Lake, I could see I needed to do more. So I took an standard servo, made it into an 360 degree servo. I mounted it on top of the wind of my Cub. It's mounted inside the wing so if I wanna fly without the camera attached I can. Here are some photos. I hope the video of the rotating camera comes out. I'm taking her flying this Easter weekend, I hope to be posting that video!
http://youtu.be/L-rd-7h8iII
http://youtu.be/L-rd-7h8iII
