GoPro advice

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JOhnH

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My wife would like me to get a Go Pro to record our Alaska trip next month. I no nothing about Go Pros so I would like some advice on what to get. I'm not even sure what questions to ask, except for how best to mount it? So how about some general tips for a beginner, (or a not-even-a-beginner yet)?

edit to add: We will be in a Bonanza V35.
 
JOhnH said:
My wife would like me to get a Go Pro to record our Alaska trip next month. I no nothing about Go Pros so I would like some advice on what to get. I'm not even sure what questions to ask, except for how best to mount it? So how about some general tips for a beginner, (or a not-even-a-beginner yet)?

edit to add: We will be in a Bonanza V35.
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Get a Hero 5 Black or Hero 6 Black, makes for great shots.
 

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My landings aren’t the greasiest, but this is with a Hero 5 Black
 
I've been quite happy with my Hero 5 Session. Ideal if you can keep it connected to USB power, the battery life is not all that great at 1080 with image stabilization.
 
Power is pretty easy, just buy a 10,000+ mAh battery pack - $20 and a USB cable will keep it in power for a very long time. Mine is 10,000 and it will keep my iPad alive for longer than I can fly.

Anything that is a Hero4 and after is reported to have fixed the wavy jello effect that comes from using a rolling shutter.
 
I have a panel mounted dual usb jack so I should be ok there. I would probably mount it inside. I would t trust an external mount when my first trip will be 8k miles or more.
 
JOhnH said:
I have a panel mounted dual usb jack so I should be ok there. I would probably mount it inside. I would t trust an external mount when my first trip will be 8k miles or more.
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I’ve used my panel USB before. It can get pretty hot charging in the sun. Look at Flight Flix for some really solid external mounts
 
I've heard great things about the Garmin Virb. It does speed and GPS overlay. Not sure about image stabilization.
Go Pro makes top notch stuff, but lots of good competition.

Also, you may want the option of a less ultra wide lens.
 
JOhnH said:
My wife would like me to get a Go Pro to record our Alaska trip next month. I no nothing about Go Pros so I would like some advice on what to get. I'm not even sure what questions to ask, except for how best to mount it? So how about some general tips for a beginner, (or a not-even-a-beginner yet)?
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Best advice: Don't do it. Shoot with your phone and point it at interesting things, rather than with a gopro mounted somewhere and the many, many hassles that result (e.g. batteries, huge amounts of storage, having it not pointed at where the action actually is, the fact that no one wants to watch hours of static footage, etc...)

If you have the ambition to be an aviation filmmaker, watch every FlightChops and Trent Palmer video. By the end, you will have a good foundation on which to build. You will also realize that to do something you (and maybe others) will want to watch, you will need 3-5 cameras and an impeccable sense of story telling.

G-Man said:
I've heard great things about the Garmin Virb. It does speed and GPS overlay. Not sure about image stabilization.
Go Pro makes top notch stuff, but lots of good competition.
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GoPro also has GPS overlay now. It's a mostly terrible feature that few use, for a good reason. :)
 
172andyou said:
Best advice: Don't do it.

Shoot with your phone and point it at interesting things, rather than with a gopro mounted somewhere and the many, many hassles that result (e.g. batteries, huge amounts of storage, having it not pointed at where the action actually is, the fact that no one wants to watch hours of static footage, etc...)

If you have the ambition to be an aviation filmmaker, watch every FlightChops and Trent Palmer video. By the end, you will have a good foundation on which to build. You will also realize that to do something you (and maybe others) will want to watch, you will need 3-5 cameras and an impeccable sense of story telling.
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That is actually what I wanted to hear. Thanks.
 
172andyou said:
You will also realize that to do something you (and maybe others) will want to watch, you will need 3-5 cameras and an impeccable sense of story telling.
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I'll bet a single camera plus good editing trumps a multi-camera setup. I think you nailed it on the story telling part, though.
 
JOhnH said:
My wife would like me to get a Go Pro to record our Alaska trip next month. I no nothing about Go Pros so I would like some advice on what to get. I'm not even sure what questions to ask, except for how best to mount it? So how about some general tips for a beginner, (or a not-even-a-beginner yet)?
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Don't bother with an actual GoPro - There are a ton of knockoffs that are about 90% less expensive that do just fine, especially for your first try. I think most of the knockoffs are pretty much identical, it's a matter of what comes with them. @SixPapaCharlie recommended this one, and I recently found another one on clearance for $30 at the local big box home store (Menard's) as well, and the two of them are damn near identical - They even use the same app! The one from Amazon came with a carrying case and two batteries, the one from the box store came with an 8GB micro SD card, and both came with a ton of mounting hardware.

edit to add: We will be in a Bonanza V35.
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Well, so much for the tail mount. ;)

asicer said:
I'll bet a single camera plus good editing trumps a multi-camera setup. I think you nailed it on the story telling part, though.
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Multi camera, or one camera at multiple times, is the key to having something worth editing. Since he's only taking the trip once, two or three of the cheap GoPro knockoffs will make it easier to find good shots of things. Preferably, find a place to mount one or two outside. The one thing GoPro does do very well is the sticky mounts.
 
Wade said:
Anybody have any insight on what t o buy to use this camera for recording cockpit audio?
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IMO, the best is to not buy anything at all. People buy expensive adapters to plug the camera into the audio panel, but then you only hear things that go through the audio panel, and it kind of removes the full experience and dries it out.

You want to hear what you actually hear. So, find some decent ear buds - I use the ones that came with older iPhones/iPods (when they were still circular) and they work quite well - And plug them into the mic port (you may need an adapter if you're using a GoPro type camera). Then, put them into the earcups of a headset. I usually just use my headset, but if you're in the video frame or you just don't want the cords coming out of your ear cups, you can use a spare headset plugged in in the back seat, and maybe use some big rubber bands to put the ear cups together.

Do that, and you'll get GREAT audio that sounds exactly like it sounds when you're flying - Power changes, a little bit of engine noise, and nice clear radio/intercom communications.
 
Magnus P.IFR said:
Call me cheap, but I just ordered this...https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXXP4EC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Wow, you're cheap ;)

Let us know how it works. I've always been suspicious of the knock off cameras because I think they're old technology. They're knock offs, probably copied by disassembling someone else's camera and reverse engineering it, then filling in the gaps, sometimes badly. Not that I think overseas companies would do that at all, no sireee.
 
Get an ND filter. It'll be imperative if you shoot through the prop disc. Experiment with the FOV settings to see what you prefer. I use RAM mounts and prefer the camera outside the plane on a wing strut. Your choices are different. Maybe sacrifice an inspection cover and attach a mount to one of those?

Get a good camera and take lots of snapshots. You'll enjoy those much more than editing through hours of boring video.
 
JOhnH said:
I have a panel mounted dual usb jack so I should be ok there. I would probably mount it inside. I would t trust an external mount when my first trip will be 8k miles or more.
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I use a tail mount ($49)...it uses clamps with pins, so it really can't come off. Gopros can be turned on/off with an app on your phone...My mount:

upload_2018-5-15_8-4-58.png

I use iPhones and a (relatively) cheap Canon for interior stuff...example:

 
asicer said:
I'll bet a single camera plus good editing trumps a multi-camera setup.
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Boy, there is so little editing that can be done single camera. It's really just removing dead space. I challenge you to show us a single camera aviation video worth watching.

bflynn said:
Let us know how it works. I've always been suspicious of the knock off cameras because I think they're old technology. They're knock offs, probably copied by disassembling someone else's camera and reverse engineering it, then filling in the gaps, sometimes badly. Not that I think overseas companies would do that at all, no sireee.
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GoPro is an overseas company also, and have the technology mostly right. China can, and does, make some amazing things.

But that wasn't your main point, I get it.

GoPro, in head to head evaluations, always beats the knock offs. They are simply better. Now, whether they are worth the price tag, is a different subject that might vary by individual. But the top of the line GoPro compared to the best of the knock offs (which, BTW, will not be $30, but $200) always has the GoPro winning.

I would be *very* interested in seeing test footage from $30 knock offs that people think are great. I occasionally do have situations where I want to put a camera in places where it might be broken and having a camera cheap enough to treat as disposable would be a good compromise for quality in those instances.

Stewartb said:
Get an ND filter. It'll be imperative if you shoot through the prop disc. Experiment with the FOV settings to see what you prefer.

Get a good camera and take lots of snapshots. You'll enjoy those much more than editing through hours of boring video.
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Yes. Yes. Yes. No.

Some people really, really enjoy the editing process. I suspect you are right in this specific instance, since the OP has clearly never done this kind of thing before, but my FIL spends dozens of hours after trips doing editing (and has done so back to the slide-show era) because he loves reliving the trips and solidifying the memories as he documents them. Only family ever watches his videos, but he doesn't care. He's really doing it for the love of the game.

tawood said:
Gopros can be turned on/off with an app on your phone...
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I haven't tried it with the current generation, so maybe it's changed, but in the past the app was *not* the way to go. It was just as power hungry as if you were actually shooting video. The way to go was to use the keyfob, which could be on standby literally for days. Can anyone comment on whether that's still true for GoPro 5's or 6's?
 
172andyou said:
...I haven't tried it with the current generation, so maybe it's changed, but in the past the app was *not* the way to go. It was just as power hungry as if you were actually shooting video. The way to go was to use the keyfob, which could be on standby literally for days. Can anyone comment on whether that's still true for GoPro 5's or 6's?
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Just start the video, then shut the app off. To end the video, turn the app back on, and shut it down...a slight pain, I know, but I find the app actually freezes up at times if I don't shut it down and back. I've never tried the keyfob though, because it isn't enough of a pain (to shut the app down) for me to get one.
 
tawood said:
Just start the video, then shut the app off. To end the video, turn the app back on, and shut it down...a slight pain, I know, but I find the app actually freezes up at times if I don't shut it down and back. I've never tried the keyfob though, because it isn't enough of a pain (to shut the app down) for me to get one.
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I would be fine with that scenario, but with the older gear that wasn't sufficient. The camera kept eating battery even when it wasn't recording. Can you try the following:

1) use the app to start a video
2) use the app to stop the video and note the battery level
3) walk away for four hours
4) use the app to start a video and note the battery level
5) report the battery levels in steps 2 and 4 here

If the levels in steps 2 and 4 are essentially the same, then they have fixed the issue in later models.
 
172andyou said:
I would be fine with that scenario, but with the older gear that wasn't sufficient. The camera kept eating battery even when it wasn't recording. Can you try the following:

1) use the app to start a video
2) use the app to stop the video and note the battery level
3) walk away for four hours
4) use the app to start a video and note the battery level
5) report the battery levels in steps 2 and 4 here

If the levels in steps 2 and 4 are essentially the same, then they have fixed the issue in later models.
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Oh I thought you meant iPhone battery...I've never noticed the gopro battery depleting any faster than normal, but next time I use it, I'll check.
 
My older GoPro batteries died quickly in the wifi mode. I bought a smart remote with the 5 Black and never have tried the app.

Do they even make the Session anymore? Cool size but I didn’t see them last I looked. My G3X will control a Virb Elite or Virb Ultra. I have an Elite and like it. I may pick up an Ultra soon. I’m less interested in travel videos and more interested it technical/performance views. Seeing yarn tufts on the wing through the G3X would be cool.

I still have a Contour HD, 3 Drift HDs, a GoPro 4, GoPro 5 Black, a Virb Elite, and I want an Ultra? Action cam marketing works. Release a new model and guys will buy them!
 
tawood said:
Oh I thought you meant iPhone battery...I've never noticed the gopro battery depleting any faster than normal, but next time I use it, I'll check.
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The issue with it is that the GoPro has to have WiFi on to "hear" the signal from the phone, or at least my Hero 4 Black does. I don't see how the phone could talk to it any other way, but maybe they've figured out a better way to have WiFi take less battery.

FWIW, the $55 knockoff I linked to above does include the remote.
 
tawood said:
Oh I thought you meant iPhone battery...I've never noticed the gopro battery depleting any faster than normal, but next time I use it, I'll check.
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Nah, the iphone can run off ship power, so that's a solvable problem for the vast majority of people (and most importantly, me).

FWIW, you don't have to wait until you use it next to run the experiment. You can do it on your desk. You could do steps one and two in the morning. Step three could be eight hours while you are at work. Then do steps four and five when you get home.
 
Strap one of these to your headset :D
 

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172andyou said:
lol! I stand corrected!

So, @JOhnH, if you are planning an emergency, a single camera would be enough to hold peoples attentions.
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I knew what you meant...from a production value standpoint, the single view is pretty boring! :)

Typically, I'll fly to my destination with the camera in one place, then change it before I fly back.
 
I second the option of the cheaper cameras. No need to pay 10x for the same quality of manufacture, video and programming.
Depending on what extra batteries you buy for your camera, it can run 90 minutes or longer with ease. Or as pointed out, you can plug it in and record as much as your SD card lets you.
 
BigBadLou said:
I second the option of the cheaper cameras. No need to pay 10x for the same quality of manufacture, video and programming.
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That's the rub though. In head to head comparisons the knock offs are *not* the same quality of manufacture, video and programming. The ones that come closest are $200, not $30. Do a youtube search for "gopro knock off comparison" and check for yourself. There are literally 13,400 hits. If you find a sub-$100 that is close to the video quality of the gopro 6 ($400) I would be *very* excited to hear about it. Hell, if you could find one for less than $200 I'd be pretty excited.
 
172andyou said:
That's the rub though. In head to head comparisons the knock offs are *not* the same quality of manufacture, video and programming. The ones that come closest are $200, not $30. Do a youtube search for "gopro knock off comparison" and check for yourself. There are literally 13,400 hits. If you find a sub-$100 that is close to the video quality of the gopro 6 ($400) I would be *very* excited to hear about it. Hell, if you could find one for less than $200 I'd be pretty excited.
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I dunno, it seems from videos like this that some other cameras have some strengths over GoPro. And for the price difference, you could buy five of them, try them out, buy three more of the best one, and still have enough money left over to go fly with them.

Only a "pro" needs a GoPro.
 
Keep in mind that GoPro is now forcing you to create an account and be logged in when using the GoPro app to control or record using the app! This really changed my thoughts about GoPro.. There is a work around that involves shutting off any internet connection when starting the app , but what a pain..

Read what the GoPro licensing says about what they can and want to do with this information..

I think this is a very good reason to consider the other brands.
 
Thanks for the heads-up iflyatiger.... rules out GoPro for me permanently. Sick to death of 'need an account/Internet access' apps on the computer and elsewhere. The flight sim world is rampant with it.

Jim
 
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