Bike camera with decent battery life?????

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Just out of interest do you camera users use them only as evidence gathering or do you ever use any of the footage/stills for general recreational photography/ upload and share type use

The GoPro brigade seem to use them a lot off road.

 

[Alex321]

Just out of interest do you camera users use them only as evidence gathering or do you ever use any of the footage/stills for general recreational photography/ upload and share type use

I don't have a camera at trhe moment, but had a GoPro until it died late last year, which I ran on my handlebars.

While I certainly used it for evidence, I also used screenshots from it for the Name that Road thread, and and kept some of the videos in the same way you keep holiday snaps.

 

[BoldonLad]

I might be totoally wrong, but are there any camera that can record whilst charging; could you plug in to a power bank?

Yes, (my AKASO does) but, OP said he did not want to carry power bank, spare battery etc

 

[BoldonLad]

Just out of interest do you camera users use them only as evidence gathering or do you ever use any of the footage/stills for general recreational photography/ upload and share type use

Yes, have used stills for various things on here. Also, sometimes use video, if (I think) ride is interesting/scenic/whatever.

 

[Bazzer]

Just out of interest do you camera users use them only as evidence gathering or do you ever use any of the footage/stills for general recreational photography/ upload and share type use

Almost entirely evidence gathering for me. It was bought because I was hit twice by cars and sick of close passes. Also because of the weight of the camera and it's shape, it is not practical to be attached to an arm or a helmet. Which has occasionally been frustrating. For example, a couple of times owls have flown in front of me, but at the wrong height for the camera and I've seen many buzzards perched on the side of the road. There have also been natural phenomena I would like to have captured rather than stopping and getting my phone out.
Wildlife within the range of the lens tended to be surprised pheasants or rabbits running across the road. Or sometimes in the case of particularly stupid pheasants, running ahead of my front wheel.
I've toyed with my GoPro on my arm or chest "just in case", but since I no longer commute at 5:30 am, when wildlife encounters would be more frequent, or I could savour some natural phenomena safe in the knowledge, that certainly within the first 6 miles or so of my commute, I could probably just stop where I was on the road, look and not be disturbed, a second camera is just more to carry.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Almost entirely evidence gathering for me. It was bought because I was hit twice by cars and sick of close passes

Same here.
What do you do with the films of close passes? Do you send them to plod and if so what do they do?

 

[Bazzer]

Same here.
What do you do with the films of close passes? Do you send them to plod and if so what do they do?

Yes. My main rides are in Cheshire and Cheshire Police have an online portal for firstly reporting a possible offence and then they send a link for the submission of a statement and footage.
They then tell you what will happen; nothing, warning but no formal action, or contact the driver and offer an education course or prosecute.
There is a strict time limit for the driver to be contacted, (10 days), so early contact is important; particularly as the video unit doesn't work at the weekends.
I will also do a DVLA check for VED and MOT to give it them on a plate.
Greater Manchester police are less forthcoming than Cheshire police about what action is being taken, beyond "referral to a senior officer".

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Thanks.
I vary between Lancashire and Merseyside.
Lancs have a reputation for doing sweet FA unless ethnics or gender benders are "victims".
Even being sent on an awareness course is better than nothing. Makes the driver think and no doubt word will spread.
I've never been on one but a mate who has been on a speed course says it shook him up quite a bit.

 

[Slick]

Just out of interest do you camera users use them only as evidence gathering or do you ever use any of the footage/stills for general recreational photography/ upload and share type use

Recreational for me.

I like it when doing an interesting ride I've never done before and unlikely to repeat.

I upload them to YouTube but again that is more for storage than public consumption.

The theory being that I'll be able to watch them back long after I'm no longer able to repeat that particular ride.

Works for me.

 

[Arjimlad]

Thanks. I've taken the plunge and ordered one.
Next is to work out a quick way of moving from bike to bike. I suspect a bodge may be involved.

I have an out-front mount on both bikes which has a go-pro style fixing on it, I then use these sort of adapters to pop the camera on.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/33456879...uid=qcuPKxP_RtC&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The camera settings I use are 1080 HDR, 2 minute clips, and I found that reducing the field of view to 115 improved the picture quality.

I use +1 on the exposure setting in autumn winter & spring. The lack of image stabilisation is a drawback if you're looking for beautiful footage to publish but for reporting dangerous driving behaviour it has done fine.

Sometimes it's necessary to go through frame by frame to get a clear shot of the registration after dark. I have run it off a powerbank when on a 100-mile ride and it began to flag. It comes with a waterproof charging cable which pops into the camera on a 3.5mm jack-type affair. The helmet mount is stuck on with 3M adhesive tape which has proven to be very solid. I use the helmet mount when commuting as it catches what I'm looking at, including phone users, and I use the bar mount for longer leisure or other rides.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Plod won't do anything despite two witnesses because there is no camera footage.

Presuming independent witnesses, that does seem a very odd decision.

 

[Arjimlad]

Just out of interest do you camera users use them only as evidence gathering or do you ever use any of the footage/stills for general recreational photography/ upload and share type use

I often grab some screenshots from a nice ride & put them on socials, or just keep them. Particularly beautiful mornings, rides with the beloved etc..

I made some videos in lockdown of some nice local rides which my sister used to ride along to in her shed on an exercise bike, poor thing!!

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Presuming independent witnesses, that does seem a very odd decision.

Lancashire Police.
Well known for it.

 

[Bazzer]

FWIW, I don't know if the camera you have ordered automatically updates the time for the clock changes in spring and autumn, but if it doesn't, you may need to add that to the mental list of clocks to be changed on the day or evening before.
If you think "I'll sort that next time I'm in the garage/shed" you may forget about it and only discover the time is wrong when you review footage you may potentially want to submit. DAMHIKT

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Somewhat naively I assume that updates will be automatic. Both my Garmins my phone, car and even the central heating do it automatically. I thought that was one of the benefits of progress.

(I just typed Garmisch-Partenkirchen. No I didn't. Effin predictive text.)