froggy47

The best mounting for the view I want is inside the car & inverted (PanaVise mount off the rear window)

I need some editing software that will flip the image back. What came with the camera is basic & does not have that feature.

What do you guys use if you have that issue?

Falcon

Windows Movie Maker will flip it.

froggy47

I have the latest Vista ver. of that, but it won't read HD.



I do see the "effect" that rotates 180.



Maybe if I record in mp4 it'll read it.

No, tried an mp4 file & movie maker will not import those either.

Scooter70

What camera? GoPro and Contour both have "inverted" settings. If your camera does it, it would be easier doing it that way vs in software later.

TheKomoman

I invert my GoPro HD. The on-camera interface is a mess, but it's do-able after your eyes uncross from reading the instructions.

Movie Maker was fighting me so I tried this one:

http://www.serif.com/free-video-editing-software/

You have to shell out a few $ (like 8) to get the codec pack that includes mp4 support though. I wound up re-installing Windows on my laptop (I'm a computer geek so this happens semi-regularly regardless) and went back to Movie Maker because it worked again.

I've read a lot of good things about Race Render as well.

http://www.racerender.com/RR2/Features.html

froggy47

Canon Vixia HF R30, no camera setting to do it. I ck'd with their tech support.

Han Solo

Sony Movie Studio will do it. I have version 8 and have used it for that purpose. The software is not intuitive at all but works decent after you wade through how to use it.

I've heard windows 7 users can download a free upgraded version of Movie Maker that actually works but I don't have 7 at home and have not tried it. The XP version of Movie Maker should have not been released it sucks so bad.

If you have any Apple products I've seen good results from i-movie even from the i-phone app. It won't run on the older less powerful laptops though cause I tried buying one of those and it just sat there thinking.

Man that camera sure has some bad reviews. Have you tried the software that came with it? Better yet have you tried to run a session with a camera people are saying only last 15 minutes on the battery charge?

You might want to look into a 808 #16 keychain camera. If you can mount it within reach they are dynamite little cameras for under $50.

BryanPendleton

Racerender: http://www.racerender.com/RR2/Features.html

Its not the most polished package, but it is flexible and powerful. And for a measily $35, its tough to beat the value. You can combine multiple data sets, audio and video feeds, etc, into 1 compiliation. Custom layout, graphics, PIP, dash elements, etc are all possible.

Here is the first and only video I have compiled so far. I have since added OBD2 data logging and a fancy pimpin Corvette themed dashboard for my videos.

crease-guard

I use a go pro inverted as well. To keep things simple at the track, I have everything preprogrammed into the camera and it starts recording when it's turn on and stops when I turn it off. Any other way you end up fumbling around and you never know if you really turned it on or not.

I also use RaceRender, simple, cheap and very customizable. My COTA video that's posted here is a RaceRender/GoPro vid.

BryanPendleton

Keep in mind that my video is pretty much using the "out of the box" dash elements, iphone data, iphone video and GoPro video. With a little time customizing the dashboard, Racerender can yield some very professional looking videos.

crease-guard

I don't see a link to the vid.

Legacy Z06

I use Sony Vegas pro. Lets you do nearly anything you want... Invert, mirror image etc. This way I don't need to mess with each cam device and waste time. Just record the adjust all video at once when editing.

BryanPendleton

Hmmm, I embedded a YT video, but of course my work block YT, so I can't see it anyway.

Here is link:

BryanPendleton

alright, that is just weird. When I use the YT embed code, nothing shows up, but when I add the URL to the video the board embeds the video.

froggy47

I like it so far, but yes, the provided battery sucks big, I ordered 2 1800 mh (if that's right) batteries for 30 bucks off Amazon so I think that's an easy fix.

I like a camcorder that has a view screen and this one also has touch screen menus.

I could not for the life of me read the freaking screen on GoPro without digging out reading glasses so thats a no starter.

From what I have figured out so far, most full size camcorders are head & shoulders above the GoPro type camera with one big exception. They are not armor plated. So if you are going to mount the camera under your car & take pictures of your suspension working, by all means, get a GoPro.

But for inside the car stuff & having a nice camera to shoot other family & friends stuff, I like the real camcorder.

2 cents.



PS I found "Free video flip and rotate" and it works great to fix my initial issue, I recommend it to anyone.

BryanPendleton

My 2 cents regarding the GoPro.

Video Invert. The GoPro allows you to invert the video before recording.

Video Quality. As for video quality, I simply cannot image why you would need more video "quality" than a GoPro Hero 2. I know there are better quality cameras. I don't even bother with 1080p, because i feel its just a waste. I record in 720p and the playback results are fantastic for 20" monitor playback. They even look stellar on my 42" LCD, which I do not play back on often.

Wide Angle Lens. Another feature I like about the GoPro is it selection of wide angle points of view. This allows you to capture alot of the cabin event when closely mounted.

Mouting Flexibility. The GoPro has a nice selection of mounts for a variety of mounting options, activities and uses.

Durability. These things have fallen off cars at the track and are eventually picked up by corner workers and are still recording.

Good Battery Life. We can usually get about 3 hours out of our camera. I would like to hack up a case to power while in the car.

The biggest downside to the GoPro for me, is not knowing how the camera is aimed. GoPro offers some solutions for that, but I have not experimented with them yet.

Ultimately your decision comes down to what you plan to do with your camera. If the majority of your video work is family parties, vacations, and get-togethers, with the occasional track event. The GoPro is not the camera you want. If you are into adventuring, extreme sports, and activities where you want to capture video, and do not want to be burdoned by carrying a video camera, the GoPro is tough to beat.

drivinhard

The wifi signal with the Hero3 is fantastic for this.

The Hero3 black is an *awesome* camera for $400

Legacy Z06

I use a variety of solutions and have tried all sorts of products from bullet cams to full out HD camcorders. What the gopro has going for it is its small size and very good overall picture. The downside as others have mentioned is the lack of screen to verify exactly what you're shooting and an abysmal user interface. If you can work with those definicies its still a great product. I also run 1 or 2 HD camcorders, they have superior picture, the ability to zoom and auto focus as well as a screen to see what you're shooting. I've tested many camcorders in the sub $1500 range and they all have the same issue, the intensity varies from brand to brand and model to model... Image shake. Part of it is due to the size but most of it is the electronic stability control. The car hits a bump, the camera senses the shake and compensates, too late so the video appears shaky, even on smoothly paved roads. I found Panasonic was the best an ironically their cheaper end $350 model is better than their $1500 model. My Canon is unseable in a car and so was Sony.

froggy47

Here's the first attempt.

What I already know:

There is a higher resolution setting that I'll try next event
There is a different stabilization algorithim I'll try next event
I forgot to set to widest angle.

It's a Canon Vixia hf r30 on Panavise 809 on rear window.

What I liked easy to turn on/off, aim, change settings/modes on touch screen.
Added likes:
Wireless xfer from camera to computer works GREAT

What I did not like, heavier camera = a bit more shake.
Added dislikes:

All the bundled editing software sucks
Wide angle is not wide enough
I know the camera is set to avchd but the editing software dumbs it down no matter (see bundled software sucks above)
The stabilization settings are not doing much (What does gopro do re: stabilization?)

Sound was ok, it has a port for ext mic.

USEFUL comments are welcome, trash talk will be tolerated.

Put your YT quality up to 720 if your download speed will manage it.



ps: Got down to a 59.2 on 5th run (1 rerun for missing cone )



I think it's going back to BestBuy for something different. I just can't get it to produce what I consider decent video.

Maybe I'll try a gopro. The remote may solve my issue of not being able to "read" the thing - see the settings.

froggy47

Bought hero3 black w/ remote & backpack. Starting new thread.