Monday, July 27, 2009
Helmet-Cam
The camera I've been experimenting with for cycling videos has a big drawback: the amount it can record in one stretch.
I have no purpose in mind for filming the ride - indeed I've turned down the opportunity to make a documentary about this autumn's tour - but as I've never done anything on that scale before I feel like I ought to film what I can of it. But if I have to stop every hour or so to change a memory card then it's more disruptive than anything else and it would change the experience rather than record it.
So I've upgraded to a new cycling camera - the POV1.5 from VIO - which can, in theory, record for a much longer stretch. The above video is my first test for it.
I've always been quite guarded about my private life in these parts (I figure there's been enough honesty to go round on stage without spooning any more in here) but for what it's worth the girl who cycles ahead of me at times is my girlfriend, the delightful B.
I reckon 3 or 4 minutes is about the limit for these kind of things and it's going to be impossible to get a whole day of riding down to that kind of time without making it impossibly jerky. This is about 60 minutes sped up and condensed and it's quite nauseating as it is. I certainly won't be able to edit videos as I go on the tour so all that's going to happen is I'm going to finish my 1500 miles of cycling and have hundreds of hours of footage backed up somewhere. But, hey, I might think of something for it and it's better to have the option than not.
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15 comments:
Darn. I must have missed passing you by minutes on Saturday when I was biking back from Paddington to Leytonstone.
It was a great day for the ride. The video's smashing quality too.
I think that works really well. I'm not sure I could watch extended lengths of that footage, but the speeding up and the jerkiness is really cool. Nice one.
-Ben
That's quite quick! I had to stop myself going 'Woooooaaahhh!' in the office. I feel a bit dizzy now.
What's the song that's on this video Dave?
It's in the information bit on the youtube page: Days Like These by Cat Empire.
Fab. Thanks :)
Is it me, but is the canal at some points GREEN?
The water in the canal at 1:08 is disgusting! I'm amazed how many people were on the towpath (mind you, I can't imagine many people jump in when it's that colour!)
I've not seen the canal like that in previous years. I think sections of it have been blocked because of the work on the Olympic site and the lack of flow has allowed some build up of algae or what have you. I'm sure when the water starts to flows as normal it'll clear.
If the delightful B is anything like my wife she's going to love the way you said
"the girl who cycles ahead of me at times is my girlfriend"
It's duckweed and it clogs up the water intakes of boats quite nastily, let alone providing a vivid green background for floating rubbish. I've seen the Lee Navigation like it before so I don't think the Olympic works are to blame Dave as parts of the Oxford and Coventry canals get it too, even worse, to the depth of several inches.
My picture here
Strangely hypnotic!
Dave, have you considered mounting the camera onto the handlebars for a less dizzying recording?
@chaffinch: the first videos were made by mounting on the handlebars. It was far more dizzying. The camera is constantly vibrating there... the body is good at damping these things out so there's far less vibration when it's helmet mounted.
But I think mounting it on the forks might be best. See the video posted on August 7th.
Disconcertingly high off the ground too, the fork one looks better.
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