What are the pros using for POV?

[dfinn]

Went to the premier of the new MSP movie last week and was blown away by the quality of POV video. Are they using off the shelf cameras like a Go-Pro and their editing is that much better or do they using something higher quality / more expensive?

MSP is partnered with Countour and this:

http://www.pitchengine.com/contour/contour-announces-partnerships-with-matchstick-productions-poor-boyz-productions-films/120631/

says they are shooting with the ContourGPS.

Is it just that they aren't having to compress to be viewed online?

[advres]

No, it's that they work with it at the highest quality codecs all the way to print and they know how to post-process and grade footage. This is the difference between someone who knows what they are doing and the hobbyist.

[skifishbum]

pm skidog he blows pros on the go

[EVC_CO]

i noticed some pros using modified gopro cases, i assume to incorporate filters??
i think this is Pollard on the right with one.
http://c0003976.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BCak-600x337.jpg
who's got the skinny?

[Atrain505]

Most of the pov footage in MSP's film that they actually used was from Heimer. And Heimer invested in the sony pov cam a couple years ago which produces much cleaner footage than any consumer pov cam. It's a couple thousand bucks. With that said ditto to what advres stated. That is a big part of it.

[zeroforhire]

As far as adding different filters to gopro cams, one of these would work.

http://www.snakeriverprototyping.com/products.html

I am thinking about getting one for spear fishing videos, but it looks like they work great out of water as well.

[kidwoo]

http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1702/st_tvbigmoments8_f.jpg

[JRainey]

No, it's that they work with it at the highest quality codecs all the way to print and they know how to post-process and grade footage. This is the difference between someone who knows what they are doing and the hobbyist.

How are they getting a higher quality codec out of a gopro or a contour. Are they manufacturers giving them different firmware to keep up their rep? Or are you just saying that they aren't fucking up what they have in the interim, post processing steps?

[Crampedon]

We all use gopro HD. Now in 3d!

[.simonb.]

MSP was sponsored by GoPro when they made The Way I See It and used a ton of helmet cam shots in the movie. This year they were sponsored by Contour and used maybe 2 shots in La Nina. That should tell you which one to buy.

[JimmyCarter]

MSP was sponsored by GoPro when they made The Way I See It and used a ton of helmet cam shots in the movie. This year they were sponsored by Contour and used maybe 2 shots in La Nina. That should tell you which one to buy.
Or it might mean that more POV in a film titled "The Way I See It" makes logical sense...

At $125 is there any reason not to buy a contour hd (aside from the fact that no one would want to see my footage)?

[grskier]

Or it might mean that more POV in a film titled "The Way I See It" makes logical sense...

At $125 is there any reason not to buy a contour hd (aside from the fact that no one would want to see my footage)?

Great price point.. narrow point of view ;)

[advres]

How are they getting a higher quality codec out of a gopro or a contour. Are they manufacturers giving them different firmware to keep up their rep? Or are you just saying that they aren't fucking up what they have in the interim, post processing steps?

It means transcoding it to a lossless or very semilossy codec and editing it that way. Many amatuers are editing in h264 (mistake) and exporting it h264 which again compresses the video. You take the best quality raw you can get and work with it all the way through and export it uncompressed. And again, post process work ie, color matching, grading, sharpening and noise reduction goes a long way.

[kidwoo]

At $125 is there any reason not to buy a contour hd (aside from the fact that no one would want to see my footage)?

because it's got by far the worst rolling shutter artifacting of any of these cheapo cameras.

[SaSSafraS_LTK]

As far as I know there are only three options beyond the consumer-level GoPro/Contour/etc.

The VIO POV.HD (http://www.vio-pov.com/products-all/pov-hd.html), the Sony HXR-MC1 (http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-HXRMC1/), and the Panasonic AG-HCK10G (http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=370997&surfModel=AG-HCK10G) + AG-HMR10 (http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=370993&catGroupId=34402&surfModel=AG-HMR10) combo.

Of the three the Panasonic combo seems to have the best image quality, but it is the most expensive, at around $2800 for both pieces (although there is a $1000 combined rebate going on right now). It also has optical image stabilization!

The Sony also seems to have pretty good image quality, and is much cheaper at around $2000. Both it and the Panasonic have wide range optical zoom lenses.

The VIO is much cheaper ($600), smaller, with a much smaller and lighter head, but it does not have an optical zoom. Also the LCD on the control unit is a lot smaller, but it does have a wireless remote. Also, it's head is waterproof and there is a waterproof pouch for the body, so you could potentially use it for surfing/kayaking/etc.

[JimmyCarter]

because it's got by far the worst rolling shutter artifacting of any of these cheapo cameras.

Random video know-nothing question, but would artifacting be more prominent in 1080p vs 720p or at 30 vs 60 fps?
Basically if I have neither the need, or hardware capacity, to shoot/edit in 1080, would it still be a significant issue?

[kidwoo]

Resolution has nothing to do with it. It's a sensor thing.

The gopros do it as well.

http://vimeo.com/21376043

ANY CMOS camera, including the exalted RED cameras do it. Contours are about the worst.

[JimmyCarter]

Resolution has nothing to do with it. It's a sensor thing.

The gopros do it as well.

http://vimeo.com/21376043

ANY CMOS camera, including the exalted RED cameras do it. Contours are about the worst.
I see...I think. So resolution aside, even if the "shutter" is rolling/refreshing faster or slower, it's the rolling process in general that causes the issues?

[kidwoo]

I see...I think. So resolution aside, even if the "shutter" is rolling/refreshing faster or slower, it's the rolling process in general that causes the issues?

'refreshing' is the same thing as shutter speed. The more motion coupled with a slow or 'long' shutter speed, the more skewing you'll get but that's irrelevant with these cameras anyway because it's set automatically. In snow, they'll set to a fast shutter speed to limit exposure anyway.

Here's a pretty good explanation.

http://www.dvxuser.com/jason/CMOS-CCD/


Just trust me. I've edited video from gopros, contours, vios, and drifts. The countours are the worst.

[JimmyCarter]

'refreshing' is the same thing as shutter speed.

Here's a pretty good explanation.

http://www.dvxuser.com/jason/CMOS-CCD/

Thanks (particularly for putting up with the "google is your friend" line of questioning)

[kidwoo]

The more people know about rolling shutters, the bigger the push will be for a "CMOS sensor with global shutter" movement :D


I throw my cameras on cables, cranes, steadicams..........I hate that shit.

[grskier]

I hate that vio went away from it... it's like more resolution, worse technology...

That said, I think a new gopro is in my future.

[shasti]

anybody know how people do the pole mount and backpack telescope mount? And is front center of the head the best position for helmet mount ?

[kidwoo]

This year they were sponsored by Contour and used maybe 2 shots in La Nina.

Finally saw this last night. I think you need to watch that movie again. There is TONS of pov footage in that flick.


That said, most of it looked nothing like contour footage. It was actually pretty good. I guess that sony is legit.

[kidwoo]

anybody know how people do the pole mount and backpack telescope mount? And is front center of the head the best position for helmet mount ?

http://gopro.com/camera-mounts/handlebar-seatpost-mount/


Front center head is what I do for any eyeball perspective. Either that or I've got an old roost guard I bolt it to.

[HVskier]

Or it might mean that more POV in a film titled "The Way I See It" makes logical sense...

At $125 is there any reason not to buy a contour hd (aside from the fact that no one would want to see my footage)?

I bought one at $150 and sent it back....I was not impressed with the mounting system and I could find maybe one contour video that I thought actually looked good. I think the gopro 960 is the best value option.

[shasti]

http://c0003976.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BCak-600x337.jpg
So he's got the head strap OVER the helmet?


http://gopro.com/camera-mounts/handlebar-seatpost-mount/
Front center head is what I do for any eyeball perspective. Either that or I've got an old roost guard I bolt it to.

Thanks kidwoo. What is the old roost guard you speak of?

I have a smith variant brim and I don't think the curved adhesive helmet mount will allow me to place the mount directly above the brim unless I epoxy it. The curvature of the helmet right above my brim is smaller in radius then the curvature of the mount, so I think the purchase would not be tight and the mount could fall off on a big landing. Anybody try the adhesive mounts? Pollard's system? Results?

[kidwoo]

I never mount a camera to anything with something other than a bolt.....helmet included. I turn cameras on because I want the footage from it. Not to entertain the clerks in the lost and found kiosk :D

[EVC_CO]

So he's got the head strap OVER the helmet?


No, look at the lens cover on the gopro case, it's much wider and flatter than the standard one.

there is no way he could get away with just a strap mount on the helmet.