The wife has informed she is going to buy me a new GoPro as an early birthday present (so I can use it at the track weekend right before my birthday).
Before she buys it, are there any other options I should consider?
The wife has informed she is going to buy me a new GoPro as an early birthday present (so I can use it at the track weekend right before my birthday).
Before she buys it, are there any other options I should consider?
The Contour cameras have better mounts. To the point where a few "professionals" prefer them solely over the GoPro's for that reason. The GoPro's are the most compact and durable cameras money can buy at the moment though.
Love my GoPro for the nice video and low cost but if there is an optional competitor with a remote start/stop feature you can put on the steering wheel... do that.
Nothing is more irritating than sitting on the grid all strapped in and then remembering you forgot to start the camera before cinching the belts and nets. More than once I've hollered to one of the people who help grid us up to please "push the front button once and then the one on the top... no I can't see your hands... the one on the top though, thanks!"
I missed my 100mph backwards off in the left coming out of Thunder Valley at Mid-Ohio because they managed to turn on the camera but not to hit record. DOH!
The new "Black" edition or whatever has a WiFi remote. Figured I could mount it on the dash or center panel.
Ceiling mount. 
I love the black edition that I got. But I did find a flaw. They advertise the ability to do pass-thru power. IOW, plug in the cigarette lighter adapter, plug the USB from it into the battery backpac, and now you should be able to record, only limited by the size of your sd card, with no battery concerns. A nice bonus for endurance racing.
Except it doesn't work. I complained and they apparently were able to duplicate that no, it doesn't work. They said maybe in a future firmware release. Damn marketing people and engineers not talking. 
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Love my GoPro for the nice video and low cost but if there is an optional competitor with a remote start/stop feature you can put on the steering wheel... do that. Nothing is more irritating than sitting on the grid all strapped in and then remembering you forgot to start the camera before cinching the belts and nets. More than once I've hollered to one of the people who help grid us up to please "push the front button once and then the one on the top... no I can't see your hands... the one on the top though, thanks!" I missed my 100mph backwards off in the left coming out of Thunder Valley at Mid-Ohio because they managed to turn on the camera but not to hit record. DOH!
I lost a bunch of stages for the Targa for this reason. However, our video crew liked GoPros for the simple reason that they're essentially disposable. If one comes off at 120 mph on a bumpy stage, well, so be it.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Love my GoPro for the nice video and low cost but if there is an optional competitor with a remote start/stop feature you can put on the steering wheel... do that. Nothing is more irritating than sitting on the grid all strapped in and then remembering you forgot to start the camera before cinching the belts and nets. More than once I've hollered to one of the people who help grid us up to please "push the front button once and then the one on the top... no I can't see your hands... the one on the top though, thanks!" I missed my 100mph backwards off in the left coming out of Thunder Valley at Mid-Ohio because they managed to turn on the camera but not to hit record. DOH!
Wi-Fi backpack. Its got a small remote, like a key fob. I have one, but haven't really used it, other than testing it out in the living room. You also get an app for smartphones that will work with the backpack. I believe it also has the ability to control multiple cameras synched.
z31maniac wrote: Before she buys it, are there any other options I should consider?
Get your girlfriend to buy you one too? 
Much cheaper, much smaller, and better true 720p HD: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1556994
Downside is only about 1 hr of record time on one battery. Plus side is that it is about 5 grams, easy to use, and has a ton of open-source support.
A side-by-side comparison of the two cameras. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEp_pOT0Kik
For christmas I received a Veho Muvi. Its a small video camera and the best part is that it is only $26. I used it to shoot some footage when I was snowboarding in montana and the video is decent. For the price of a meal at a restaurant I think it is worth the chance. The downside is that the mounting is based on clips and I dont think it is the best strategy.
I have some crappy clip-on cameras for the Back 40 runs. I'm thinking of adding a go-pro to the mix. I got the cheap ones for like $10 a piece.
I do 5 20 minute sessions a day at the track. Anything less than 2 hours per charge/battery is unacceptable.
goes to check GoPro battery life
z31maniac wrote: I do 5 20 minute sessions a day at the track. Anything less than 2 hours per charge/battery is unacceptable. *goes to check GoPro battery life*
I agree.... so take the 3-oz weight penalty and use the car charger from your cell phone to run the camera.
The ridiculous amount of features that keychain camera has is not enough to keep me from enjoying it. There are tons of options for keeping it running - USB power source, larger external battery, or just plug it in to any USB 5v source.... like a cell phone charger in a cigarette lighter plug.
I bought one and I plan on buying more. Picture quality is on par, features STOMP the GoPro, the price is unbeatable, and if you don't like the short battery life, get a charger. I bought my 808 #16 for $68 shipped and it came with all the applicable accessories and included a 32gb card.
I understand the lure of the GoPro, but paying that much more for something 20x heavier, 10x larger, and with fewer features didn't interest me.
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