Anyone used a GoPro to mount under the new tower?

[haknslash]

Just bought a new GoPro Hero 4 and looking at the tower there are some nice flat braces between the round tubes in the center of the tower. It has a nice surface for mounting. I was wondering if anyone had some footage they've shot in this location? It seems like a good place to capture some of the boat while also being stable since the tower doesn't move much at all.

I'm going to the lake tomorrow to try out different angles. Hopefully it works out good!

 

[eticket]

I put a RAM mount on my tower, the only drawback is the distance from tubes or wakeboard riders. It would probably get good shots for wake surfing. We can also spin it around for shots in the boat. Here is the rear facing view. Video is stable.

 

[Bruce]

I have been thinking that a 360 degree camera would be nice there.

 

[haknslash]

I'm thinking here ....

 

[eticket]

I'm thinking here ....

You might pick up the tower in the shot with the low profile mount, I suggest checking it before sticking it on.

 

[d_coyne1984]

I used one of these in a 2" size with some 1/8" weather stripping on the inside, for my 1-7/8" tower.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

I'm thinking here ....

I stuck one in the same place on my tower 3 yrs ago. Still there. Works great. You won't get any close up action but it does the trick and is convenient.

 

[Robconn]

Just bought a new GoPro Hero 4 and looking at the tower there are some nice flat braces between the round tubes in the center of the tower. It has a nice surface for mounting. I was wondering if anyone had some footage they've shot in this location? It seems like a good place to capture some of the boat while also being stable since the tower doesn't move much at all.

I'm going to the lake tomorrow to try out different angles. Hopefully it works out good!

I bought a cheap action camera. I have it mounted on hand grip with the included bicycle handled bar mount. Wondering what settings you have for a sharper overall video? The playback was grainy. Then I realized in 1080 mode it’s only 15 frames a second versus 30 FPS in 760 mode. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[biffdotorg]

For around $12 on Amazon, this is one of the most universal mounts. Especially for towers and roll cages.

 

[haknslash]

I typically record in 60 fps @ 1080p to keep the water from looking choppy in motion. If exporting to 1080p I will use a bitrate 12-15 Mbps to keep the video from getting too pixelated but know that youtube's compression algorithm is horrible and introduces its own share of artifacts. I use .h264 file when rendering. If you can, record and export to 1440p as that will allow you a higher bitrate and less artifacts after compression than 1080p.

Some of this footage is with a GoPro mount under my tower. It's fine as long as the bimini isn't deployed.

Here's other footage with the bimini deployed and as you can see it blocks a good chunk of the footage plus shows some banding and artifacts once the video is compressed.

 

[Robconn]

For around $12 on Amazon, this is one of the most universal mounts. Especially for towers and roll cages.

Thanks for the info, I will order one soon.

 

[Robconn]

I typically record in 60 fps @ 1080p to keep the water from looking choppy in motion. If exporting to 1080p I will use a bitrate 12-15 Mbps to keep the video from getting too pixelated but know that youtube's compression algorithm is horrible and introduces its own share of artifacts. I use .h264 file when rendering. If you can, record and export to 1440p as that will allow you a higher bitrate and less artifacts after compression than 1080p.

Some of this footage is with a GoPro mount under my tower. It's fine as long as the bimini isn't deployed.

Here's other footage with the bimini deployed and as you can see it blocks a good chunk of the footage plus shows some banding and artifacts once the video is compressed.

The video is sharp and crisp. I will most likely upgrade to a better camera as well. For now, I am learning to make do with what I have. What software do you Recommend for editing?

 

[biffdotorg]

I just placed my order for the new Hero 7 Black. They gave me $100 for a dead Hero 3+ Black, so why not!! The 7 will compliment my Hero 4 Black now.

I think editing software is all in what you get used to using. The tools can all be learned. And it revolves around what your budget is. If you want to keep it under $100, there are free editors for Windows. I have used Cyberlink Power Director for the past couple years and it works just fine.

I have a couple editors on my Ipad Pro that I love. As the iPad pro has amazing power. Way more than most Windows machines. And now that I have a file manager, that lets me move my video files to and from my iPad to the 4TB NAS on my network, it's even easier.

Don't downplay the GoPro Quik software. For those that just want to make a quick edit to share on social media, this is a cool tool for the average guy. In fact, my new Hero 7 Black will be the perfect tool for Quik edits. It has a feature that lets you record 15 -30 second clips. Those short clips are perfect for GoPro Quik, as it does not have to search minutes if not hours of footage to find action. It will just go through your collection of 15 second clips to make a beautiful video montage easily.

The windows version of Quik does give you additional editing features, and trimming featuers. The IOS version is nearly idiot proof, but you don't have as much flexibility. It is truly ideal for that quick edit on your phone/ipad over lunch break to upload to tease your friends and relatives with what a great time you are having.

I am excited to test the new Live feature on the new camera. Supposedly I can broadcast to Facebook Live or YouTube with the camera attached to a WiFi hotspot, or my cell phone. I hope to broadcast from my Wildcat on the woodsy trails this fall, and on the snowmobile this winter. I have a 168 members in my Facebook sled group, that may like to see conditions live as we ride.

Good luck!

 

[haknslash]

The video is sharp and crisp. I will most likely upgrade to a better camera as well. For now, I am learning to make do with what I have. What software do you Recommend for editing?

I use Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects for video editing.

 

[Rustynuts]

I have used just about every editor and hands down the best one and the one I use now is DaVinci Resolve. This is studio grade software that is easy to use and there is TONS of support videos on YouTube. Best of all it is FREE to non professional users. Don’t let the fancy website scare you, just scroll to the bottom for the free download. I have been using it for years and each update gets better and better.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

Here are my last 2 videos using Resolve. I usually make all my custom mounts using either RAM balls and arms, modified Polaris Bar clamps or bolt on. I haven’t had time to look over the boat for mount ideas but have a modified tripod that I can extend out up to 6’ that I am hoping to be able to use somehow....you can see the arms of the tripod in the first video. The second video was taken using a Removu S1 gimbal in a custom mount and gives smooth video on rough terrains. Then there is the drone.....

 

[biffdotorg]

I love the shots with the Removu Gimbal mounted, as you get a better feeling of how much the car articulates. I have an S1 as well. I may have to try that this fall.

Nice work!