A Snow and ski forum. SkiBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » SkiBanter forum » Skiing Newsgroups » Snowboarding
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Anybody video as they board?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 28th 06, 11:38 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
***DRAMA***
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default Anybody video as they board?

I was wondering if anyone has ever used a helmet-cam or something? I know
it's silly but I just feel like trying it to film my friends as they go
ahead of me. Any advice other than 'Get a life?'



Ads
  #2  
Old July 31st 06, 11:43 AM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Switters
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 151
Default Anybody video as they board?

On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:38:53 GMT, "***DRAMA***"
allegedly wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has ever used a helmet-cam or something? I
know it's silly but I just feel like trying it to film my friends as
they go ahead of me. Any advice other than 'Get a life?'


It's not so easy to get nice smooth shots if you're hand-holding. You need
to turn on the onboard stabalisation, but some work better than others.
The Sony Steady-Cam is better than Panasonic's OIS (which is next to
useless in these situations). You need to pre-focus and keep the camera
out of the spray of the snow to stop droplets getting on the lens. You
also need to practice lots.

Helmets cams can work better as the head stabaliser, but you then need to
be looking at the action rather than where you are riding. Depending on
the terrain, this may be a problem. Also, helmet cams are all (so far)
standard definition and full screen. If you have a high-def and/or wide-
screen camcorder, then your helmet stuff isn't going to match your normal
stuff.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/
  #3  
Old July 31st 06, 05:35 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Sean C
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Anybody video as they board?

I have a helmet cam that I have used a couple of times on the slopes.
Originally purchased for use while riding enduros and hare scrambles on my
motorcycle, I took it to the mountain to see what the results would be. It
works well, but don't expect any depth of field or much peripheral view.
Dave is correct that it is standard def and full screen.

The camera itself is a bullet-style, no larger than a fat Sharpie and mounts
easily on the top of the helmet, connecting via a special a/v jack into a
handheld which I keep in a backpack (ziplock baggie wrapped in a old T). I
haven't taken a backside fall with the pack, but I would imagine that it
would be painful so I limit use to those days when I am following the
toddlers down and leisure boarding. The kids love to see themselves on
video...

I was a bit suprised with the quality, even at standard definition. It is
also very surpising just how still you keep your head, whether it be on a
bike or a board. I find the motorcycle footage in the woods to be much more
true to the experience, as you have the trees to give the perspective of how
much speed you are carrying. It is a little deceptive on snow; without any
other skiers/boarders in the frame it appears that you are going much slower
since the low def prevents you from seeing much of anything below your feet
other than white. Again, Dave is correct that it helps to focus on the
action rather than just looking down your lines the entire
time......otherwise, you will have an 8 mm full of monotonous footage to
pour over for only a few good clips. I will say that at times, I have left
it on for candid moments on the lift or at the top of the slope. The pickup
mike works well capturing audio, but one you head down it is full wind noise
unless you have the mic buried in your jacket.

Good luck, web address for the model I purchased two years ago is
helmetcamera.com.

Sean

PS - I am by no means an audio/videophile...so please excuse my lack of
vocabulary on this subject!



"Switters" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:38:53 GMT, "***DRAMA***"
allegedly wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has ever used a helmet-cam or something? I
know it's silly but I just feel like trying it to film my friends as
they go ahead of me. Any advice other than 'Get a life?'


It's not so easy to get nice smooth shots if you're hand-holding. You need
to turn on the onboard stabalisation, but some work better than others.
The Sony Steady-Cam is better than Panasonic's OIS (which is next to
useless in these situations). You need to pre-focus and keep the camera
out of the spray of the snow to stop droplets getting on the lens. You
also need to practice lots.

Helmets cams can work better as the head stabaliser, but you then need to
be looking at the action rather than where you are riding. Depending on
the terrain, this may be a problem. Also, helmet cams are all (so far)
standard definition and full screen. If you have a high-def and/or wide-
screen camcorder, then your helmet stuff isn't going to match your normal
stuff.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/



  #4  
Old August 1st 06, 04:49 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Octessence
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Anybody video as they board?

***DRAMA*** wrote:
I was wondering if anyone has ever used a helmet-cam or something? I know
it's silly but I just feel like trying it to film my friends as they go
ahead of me. Any advice other than 'Get a life?'



A friend has, but he was rubbish so he only ever got us disappearing
into the distance . It was a good idea though because he had enough
space and power to leave it on all day so if anything good happened, he
would get it on film. The down side is that you need to be very close
otherwise you can't really see what's going on.
  #5  
Old August 1st 06, 04:49 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Octessence
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Anybody video as they board?

LeeD wrote:
Tried a deep pow day thru trees with digital video cam....
Need some kind of steady cam setup, as up and down, besides sideways
on each turn, has you dizzy watching the vid.


Can you not get steady-ing software? I would have thought so.

Maybe it works in groomed cord, but not much action there.
Notice cam work on half pipes, cameraman is snowplowing his skis down
the smooth center.

  #6  
Old August 5th 06, 04:58 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
***DRAMA***
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default Anybody video as they board?

Thanks for the feedback. I've been to a couple of sites showing the
helmet-cam and it looks pretty decent. I do a lot of production so I can
always add a 'film' or slight grain look to compensate for resizing it up. I
tried the handheld last season and it looked like I was in an earthquake -
completely unusable but did give the feeling of impending disaster, which
can always be kinda fun.

I guess I'll go helmet-cam and try that. Looks like it should work ok. My
only problem is that I'm tired of waiting for the snow already...this Texas
heat is enough already!


"Octessence" wrote in message
...
***DRAMA*** wrote:
I was wondering if anyone has ever used a helmet-cam or something? I know
it's silly but I just feel like trying it to film my friends as they go
ahead of me. Any advice other than 'Get a life?'



A friend has, but he was rubbish so he only ever got us disappearing into
the distance . It was a good idea though because he had enough space and
power to leave it on all day so if anything good happened, he would get it
on film. The down side is that you need to be very close otherwise you
can't really see what's going on.



  #7  
Old August 14th 06, 03:31 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Octessence
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Anybody video as they board?

Ed Chilada wrote:
On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:49:55 +0200, Octessence
wrote:

LeeD wrote:
Tried a deep pow day thru trees with digital video cam....
Need some kind of steady cam setup, as up and down, besides sideways
on each turn, has you dizzy watching the vid.

Can you not get steady-ing software? I would have thought so.


It doesn't work so well because the camera is travelling - it can't
figure out what's a wobble and what's simply the subject moving
closer. Steadycam after effects work far better when it's a case of
the guy with the camera being fixed, pointing at the same subject, but
wobbling a bit.


Possibly, but i would have thought writing an algorithm to determine
what's a jitter could be done. For example the shape of someone won't
change much from frame to frame, but their position would translate to
somewhere else and back again for a jitter. Also, the vast majority of
the picture (i.e the background) would not be moving at all so there
would be fixed points of reference everywhere. May not be perfect but
I'm sure most jumpy videos could be improved quite a bit by the right
software.
  #8  
Old August 14th 06, 03:35 PM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Octessence
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Anybody video as they board?

Ed Chilada wrote:
On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:49:55 +0200, Octessence
wrote:

LeeD wrote:
Tried a deep pow day thru trees with digital video cam....
Need some kind of steady cam setup, as up and down, besides sideways
on each turn, has you dizzy watching the vid.

Can you not get steady-ing software? I would have thought so.


It doesn't work so well because the camera is travelling - it can't
figure out what's a wobble and what's simply the subject moving
closer. Steadycam after effects work far better when it's a case of
the guy with the camera being fixed, pointing at the same subject, but
wobbling a bit.


There you go there's a plugin for VirtualDub (freeware) called Deshaker:

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/ar...e.htm#Download
  #9  
Old August 15th 06, 11:12 AM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Switters
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 151
Default Anybody video as they board?

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:31:21 GMT, Octessence
allegedly wrote:

Possibly, but i would have thought writing an algorithm to determine
what's a jitter could be done. For example the shape of someone won't
change much from frame to frame, but their position would translate to
somewhere else and back again for a jitter. Also, the vast majority of
the picture (i.e the background) would not be moving at all so there
would be fixed points of reference everywhere. May not be perfect but
I'm sure most jumpy videos could be improved quite a bit by the right
software.


There's plenty of software around to correct camera shake during the edit
phase, but it ranges from cheap stuff with poor results, to expensive
stuff with reasonable results.

It sounds simple in theory to get right, but it's more complicated in
reality. Consider a camera just wobbling left to right only. Now to get
a still picture, you have to cut off the left and right edges to the point
where the objects always remain in frame. Extend this to up and down as
well, and you're effectively cropping each frame resulting in a lower
resolution picture.

I use it when I have to, and even then sometimes it just can't work out
what's right, especially if you (the camera holder) are moving or panning
as well.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/
  #10  
Old August 15th 06, 11:13 AM posted to rec.skiing.snowboard
Switters
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 151
Default Anybody video as they board?

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:35:43 GMT, Octessence
allegedly wrote:

There you go there's a plugin for VirtualDub (freeware) called Deshaker:

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/ar...e.htm#Download


Deshaker is pretty good... it's certainly exciting (to a point watching
it analyse the vectors and show the areas of motion. It's certainly one
of the better ones, but again cannot cope in all situations. I'd
recommend it, but wouldn't rely on it.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
new board time? Yup Snowboarding 6 May 21st 05 07:30 PM
Board spec question and the Burton Baron Frank L Lynn Snowboarding 2 April 11th 05 05:42 PM
advice on board? Mario Snowboarding 10 January 11th 05 01:00 AM
Board flex and fast powder turns id Snowboarding 10 December 14th 04 03:08 PM
Burton Dominant Sizing------Please help Lee Snowboarding 5 November 21st 03 06:22 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:43 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SkiBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.