How to? – Perspectives #4 – Mounts

We have been asked by many fine folks how we accomplished many of the angles in Perspectives #4 – Point of View. First off we shot the clip with GoProHD cams set to the third setting 1280×720 and 60p. This allowed us to use very smooth slow motion. When we feel we don’t want slow mo for a specific shot we shoot at regular 30fps. We used mostly the many accessories available with that cam, but we also used mounts from other POV camera companies. Mixing and matching mounts from different companies is the only way to get certain shots. Many combination’s were tried and the shots didn’t quite come out first time around. Be creative, build your own mounts, and mix and match until you get an angle no one has seen before.

All of our mounts can be viewed and bought through pointofviewcameras.ca or .com.

Below we will go through the clip shot by shot and describe the mounts used.

:08- Here we used the GoPro Suction Cup Mount at the rear of the ski. Disclaimer: Shortly after this shot was taken I lost the helmet cam off the back of the ski. It was found after digging through the pow still recording. What we learned: The suction cup is rock solid. We could not pull the unit off even if we used all of your strength. But the unit could slide on the slick topsheet of a ski with a lot of force given in a horizontal direction. I hit a small air and one ski tail banged into the mount and slid it off the edge of the ski, instantly the suction was lost. For a tail of the ski shot I would now suggest simple duct tape. If there is not a chance for the suction cup to be hit with a horizontal force and slide off the edge of the surface it works perfectly.

:13- Suction cup mount again but mounted at the tip of the ski. This we deemed acceptable after our near disaster earlier in the day because I can have a visual on the mount the entire time. Plus only beginners cross their tips right?

:16-Suction cup mount. Mounted right in front of the binding.

:19-Sucti0n cup mount. Mounted on the tip of the ski. We also tried these shots with the VIO Ultra Clamp (fabulous mount by the way). But the part hanging below the tip would get caught by the snow too often shaking the camera violently.

:27-GoPro SeatPost and Handlebar Clamp. This mount works great for ski poles when used in conjunction with a right angle adapter (they call it a pivoting orientation arm) that is included with the mount.

:32-VIO Ultra Clamp, with a GoPro tripod adapter attached to the waist buckle of my backpack.

:35-GoPro Vented Helmet Strap attached to vents on the hood of my sled. Just because the title states one purpose doesn’t mean the mount can’t be used for many other applications.

:38-GoPro Seatpost and Handlebar Clamp attached to my ski poles that were in my ski rack on the back of sled.

:43 until the end-The rest of the video is using the GoPro CHESTY Chest Mount and the vented helmet strap mount. The cameras are mounted on these two mounts facing forward or backward or by using the right angle adapter’s-sideways. So go out and enjoy the next powder day with a buddy chasing, following, leading and riding side by side. You’ll get some of the coolest footage on POV cams that capture the fun vibe of charging through pow with buddies, and as far as we are concerned there is no better way to spend the day.

Since the video we have used many other mounts. The GoPro sticky mounts for the top of helmets are great for people without vents. The GoPro Roll Bar Mount is great for shovel handles. The GoPro tripod adapter is very handy for anything with a 1/4″ screw. The VIO flex mounts are also very cool tools. 12″ and 6″. The 12″ is a little long for skiing as the forces of jumping are too great to hold the camera up. But for unique frames with less force it is a great tool.

People can best our video with different angles. We know it. So go out and give’er!

Keep visiting dendritestudios.com to see more POV from our debut ski film coming later this year!

Tags: dendrite studios, GoProHD, head cam, helmet cam, how to, perspectives, point of view, pointofviewcameras.ca, POV, pov cam, pov camera
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Perspectives # 4 – Point of View

Perspectives #4 is now online. This is Dendrite Studios POV testing of many different mounts combined with the GoProHD helmet cams. This was all shot inbounds on Whistler Blackcomb.

This Perspectives is presented by Pointofviewcameras.ca. Without their assistance we would not have these fun shots. Visit our video page to see Perspectives 1-3.

Skiing is by Jake Cohn and Athan Merrick.

Music is courtesy of BoomBaptist and Archivist Records. The track is called “Drumatic.”

Cheers!

-Athan

Tags: action armada, Archivist Records, Athan Merrick, blackcomb, BoomBaptist, dendrite studios, Drumatic, freeskiing, GoProHD, Jake Cohn, nicolas teichrob, perspectives, pointofviewcameras.ca, POV, ski film, ski movie, skiing, whistler
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Product Review: POV Cameras

It seems these days everyone is sporting a headcam on the local hill, and when it comes to making a ski film here at Dendrite Studios, POV cameras are absolutely essential to getting unique perspectives. Plus they are easy if you like easy. You put it on in the morning and press record every time you want some footage.

Here at Dendrite we can’t do easy. We need to push the cameras to their limit. That’s why we partnered with pointofviewcameras.ca.

It allows us to test all of the different cameras on the market, but more importantly the different mounts. Just because you buy one camera doesn’t mean you should only use that companies mounts. There are many advantages to mixing and matching, and you can get it all in one place. And for the final plug, we are based in Canada, and trying to ship expensive products across the border is never fun or easy. Conveniently, point of view is located right here in Vancouver, BC. There is also a US version for you south of the border folks.

Cameras

No POV camera is perfect. But everyone can find a camera to meet their needs.

The logical place to start is do you need the full resolution of HD or is the easier to work with SD sufficient? HD looks great but unless you have an HD TV or are using the cameras for professional applications, standard definition (i.e. the quality of a DVD) is probably fine. If you do decide to go with an HD camera keep in mind that you should have a fairly new computer to be able to handle editing and playing with the footage. HD, and especially very compressed HD that comes out of the popular models is very processor intensive.

The next thing to consider is a stand alone or a tethered unit. Stand alone units are great and lightweight, but many of them you cannot review your footage until you get home to the computer. So adjustments in viewing angle need to be made through trial and error. Tethered units, while slightly more cumbersome also have a margin of safety. The camera head is attached by a wire to the recording unit. Think of this like a safety line. You are not going to lose your unit. The stand alone units are simple, but if something breaks there is no safety line. And good luck finding that camera in deep powder if your primary use will be in the snow like ours will be.

The third point to consider is sensor type: CCD or CMOS? Of all the cameras on the market only the SD models offer a CCD sensor. The advantage to a CCD sensor is the camera does not have a phenomenon known as rolling shutter. Your footage will always look crisp and clean and not distorted. CMOS sensors cannot always read the entire sensor quick enough when there is a sudden movement or shaking. The best way to explain this is if you pan the camera very quickly past vertical window panes or railings. The vertical lines will become diagonals on the screen with CMOS sensors. With CCD sensors the lines will always be vertical. To most people this effect is not even noticeable, but to the trained eye it can be distracting. When a pov camera is put through the rigors of action sports violent shaking is bound to occur. Some cameras deal with their CMOS sensors better than others. Dendrite’s recommendation: Watch footage from cameras and decide if you can tell the difference.

The final point is everyone’s favorite. What can you afford?

Dendrite’s Contenders

Here at Dendrite Studios we considered our options and narrowed our choice down to three cameras.The GoProHD, ContourHD, and the VIO POV 1.5.

The following video is from last year with the VIO 1.5 before Dendrite was a reality. Took it up a few days in the grey light. The exposure issues you see in the sunshine have since been fixed through a firmware upgrade provided by VIO.

The VIO is bomb proof and a tethered unit, therefore it has a safety margin. It has a CCD sensor and is SD. The footage is easy to work with. For many people this is the right unit to buy. It is tried and true and you can view your footage right away on the built in screen and make adjustments. The footage can be easily edited on any computer built within the last 5 or so years. We decided against it because we wanted true HD capabilites for our film that is being shot in HD. But if you go HD, you need a brand new computer within the last year or so.

The VIO. Tethered and with a screen.

The ContourHD is wow, light and compact. The laser levels are a nice touch and the unit is very simple to use. Slide the lever forward to record, slide it back to stop. It offers smooth slow motion at 60fps as well as the standard 30fps. It is a great unit and will make a lot of people very happy. We eliminated it because the rolling shutter is slightly more pronounced than the next camera in consideration. With that said, the ContourHD produces some stunning images.

ContourHD. So lightweight it's crazy. Stock image.

Here’s some recent video from the Revelstoke comp that highlights the strengths of the ContourHD. Our video was somehow misplaced and is no where to be found. Back up your files people! You can see the rolling shutter action in the top of the frame when it seems the horizon shifts in wierd ways. Not really that big of a deal in my mind but some people don’t like it. Congrats to Arne for throwing down this run with no inspection. I’ll plug unofficialsquaw.com as well as a great place for stoke.

Dendrite’s Winner: The GoProHD

The GoProHD is not perfect, but it is damn close for our specific uses. It shoots in full HD and shoots 1280 x 720 at 60fps, which is very nice for smooth slow motion. Its CMOS sensor does have noticeable rolling shutter, but it is acceptable and the advantages of the camera far outweigh that negative. The camera also comes with a great waterproof cage. Yes if you are a surfer this is the camera for you, and in the wet mountains of BC this seemed like a very good idea. The problem with the waterproof casing is sound is non existent while using it. There is a non waterproof case that allows for sound recording, but the camera itself has open ports and is not water resistant at all like the other units. I would not use this for skiing. So if sound is important and you are in a moist environment like skiing or snowboarding or mountain biking in the rain the GoPro may not be the right camera for you. We choose it for the image quality. We are very happy with it. Stay tuned for a POV Perspectives clip and a review on POV mounts. Because a small POV camera is pointless without the mounts to put the camera in really cool and dangerous places.

The GoProHD with the new very not dangerous "chesty" mount. Dangerous mounts in the next installment.

To see our GoProHD testing you’ll have to wait a bit and check back. But I promise it will be out soon.

Cheers from Dendrite Studios!

Tags: Athan Merrick, ContourHD, dendrite studios, GoProHD, helmet camera, pointofviewcameras.ca, pov camera, vio 1.5
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