A Cautionary Tale

[sidd finch]

Just when you start to get pumped about a product..the weatherman predicts rain

http://online.barrons.com/news/articles ... OL_twm_col

Sidd

[Dave McElderry]

Kind of what we've been saying here for a while...phone video isn't ready for prime time, but it's not going to be long coming. He may very well be right about the effect on GoPro.

[sidd finch]

I agree Dave. Even if the Smartphone could emulate the GoPro in every detail I am sure most folks would not be so willing to put their smartphone in harm's way. Absorbing a loss to you GoPro is different than loosing all your personal information on your smartphone. I am happy to travel with 2 devices.

Sidd

[Dave McElderry]

While I agree that I wouldn't be anxious to put my phone in harm's way, I'd have to note that it's easy to have a complete backup on my iPhone. I could have a catastrophic hardware failure at any moment and once it was repaired or replaced I could have everything right back the way it was in about an hour's time. Nonetheless I'm in the camp that would not be likely to use my phone like a GoPro.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sidd finch]

More newsmakers of doom....

http://www.videomaker.com/videonews/201 ... eally-last

But the interesting quote from the article I found very funny....

GoPro has had a difficult time in the professional market. Cable networks require production companies to gain special dispensation to use the camera (due to their strict format guidelines), workflow specialists and engineers have pulled their hair out on the slow workflows (because of the lens distortion and shutter roll)

Must not be that hard because almost every channel I watch has a show that has incorporated a GoPro in their toolbox.

Sidd

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

...Must not be that hard because almost every channel I watch has a show that has incorporated a GoPro in their toolbox.Sidd

Don't know how widely the BBC's 'Top Gear' programme is distributed but it looks to me that when shots are filmed inside the vehicle there are often glimpses of other internal cameras and they all look like GoPros to me.

[momoffduty]

I don't understand why "workflow specialists and engineers" are pulling their hair out over editing. I don't notice any substantial rolling shutter issues. My set up cuts right through the video and you would think big production companies have much faster computer setups.

[Kent Frost]

I don't notice any substantial rolling shutter issues.

I do, but not so much on my own videos as I do with others, especially any videos that contain shots of propellers. It makes for a very strange effect.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0DnJLTFNYE[/youtube]

[momoffduty]

Wow Kent, that is an odd effect on the propeller.

[Kent Frost]

Wow Kent, that is an odd effect on the propeller.

There's a way around that propeller effect. It won't really help any of the rolling shutter "wobble" from fast panning left to right, but a neutral density filter will darken the scene enough to force the GoPro to use a longer shutter speed, effectively allowing the motion of the prop to blur. There's still some of the effect there, but it's much less noticeable with the ND filter.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSl3VC-SFpE[/youtube]

[momoffduty]

The filter does help with the blur of the propeller, but the colors don't seem as rich as out the side of the plane. I had not thought of filters for the GoPro. I have a few for the T4i and rarely use those.

[sidd finch]

I did notice in your second video it looks like they were using Hero 2's so I wonder how much of an upgrade the 3 software is to the issue.

Sidd

[Kent Frost]

They still use CMOS sensors, which are the culprit to the rolling shutter issue. My knowledge on video sensors is a bit antiquated, but last I was aware, the 2 chief options are CMOS or CCD sensors. And I don't really see the feasibility in going with CCD after the success of the CMOS fixing the problem of vertical light smear. CCDs are notorious for this because all the pixels "fire" simultaneously, rather than line-by-line the way CMOS sensors do. I'd love to know if there's a 3rd option that fixes both problems.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

... I'd love to know if there's a 3rd option that fixes both problems.

Option 3.jpg

[Dave McElderry]

I think that videotape is defective John....it's got holes in it!