DIY Cable Cam for GoPro Cameras and DSLRs Made with Zipline Ball Bearing Pulleys

How to Shoot Smooth Footage with Your GoPro and a DIY Steadicam
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I don't necessarily recommend this setup for your GoPro cable cam.

Why? Because it's not cheap.

We got these professional zipline pulleys from the owner of a zipline park in our home city. It may have helped that we shot a video that benefited him even though someone else was the client.

Google Glass Will Replace Your GoPro - A Glimpse into The Future (POV Video)

What about having a camera that you'll be always wearing and that can start recording whenever you say: Okay glass. Record video.?

I guess you won't be needing your GoPro camera if you get the Google Glass.

So what is Google Glass and what can you do with it?

GoPro 3 Problems or Why You May Wanna Wait a While Before Buying Your HD Hero 3

@gopro If I would have known the GoPro3 was such an incredible piece of shit, I never would have bought it.
— Cal Calkins (@cal_calkins) January 20, 2013

It seems that GoPro, as a company, is having some troubles these days. Especially after launching the HD Hero 3 camera.

Now, depending on time you read this, those problems may have been solved, but for now (January 2013) this is real. So, consider this a very timely article which may be less relevant (hopefully) in the future.

Have a look at the embedded tweets below or follow these Twitter topics and see what people are saying:

GoPro Editing Software Giveaway - Got a New Camera for Christmas? Get The Program Here

Update: The contest has reached its deadline and the winner is Ady Nechita, responsible for the base jumping videos in Bucegi Mountains (first time ever). Thank you all for entering! Subscribe to not miss future software giveaways!
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You probably got a new camera.

Either as a Christmas gift or as a birthday present. Or maybe you just bought one for yourself. Doesn't matter. (Was it a GoPro?)

What matters though is you wanna shoot and edit videos.

So if your current video editor can't handle MP4, MTS (AVCHD), MOV or MKV files, here's your chance to win an easy to use, yet powerful, video editing software: Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus.

GoPro Tutorials - 3 YouTube Channels To Follow for Tips and Tricks on How To Use Your GoPro HD Camera

If you're for the first time on this blog, you'll probably enjoy the most these two GoPro tutorials:

1. DIY Steadicam for GoPro
2. GoPro Video Editing Software

The rest revolves around outdoor gear, shooting video in general (which I love to do) and video editing - for which I started a new site altogether VideoEditingSoftware.com.

But if want to learn how to get the most out of your GoPro HD Hero camera, check out these three YouTube channels:

Rumors Confirmed: GoPro Hero 3 Launched and Why GoPro Is The Action Camera Leader

It's no longer a rumor.

GoPro launches Hero 3 (also available on Amazon) and proves to be a leader in the action camera space once again. They also introduce two new premium accessories:

1. LCD Touch BacPac Display
2. The Frame mount

It's smaller, lighter and 2X more powerful. Check out the videos below to see image quality and features.

How To Improvise a GoPro Shooting Pole

A simple way to improvise a shooting pole for your GoPro HD camera is to attach the cam on any kind of stick with the handlebar mount.

We used a mop stick for our videos and this is what we got:

GoPro RotoR Mount or How to Get a 360° View of Yourself while Doing Action Sports - Video

Everything I know about building a DIY steadicam is now is in this new guide. Learn how to get amazing cinematic video with this cool gadget that you can build using parts from your local hardware store.


How to Shoot Smooth Footage with Your GoPro and a DIY Steadicam

If you don't like the material, no worries. I'll give your money back and you get to keep the guide. Guaranteed!

	Printable PDF document Instant Digital Download 60 Days Money Back Guarantee  Prompt Refunds No Questions Asked One Time Payment/No BS 2 FREE Bonuses: How To Build a DIY Camera Slider 3 Ways To Get Clients as a Videographer (you'll be surprised to find out what the first method is...)

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You can get some amazing footage with your GoPro HD camera using the RotoR rotating helmet pole.

It's an interesting rotor - 360 degrees swivel mount - that enables you to capture video of yourself from different angles. All this while you're dong your thing - mountain biking, skiing or whatever.

To make it work you'll need (sounds like a recipe doesn't it?):

• Two GoPro cameras to balance the pole - team up with a friend I'd say 
• A curved sticky mount on your helmet
• A quick release sliding buckle 
• Two handlebar mounts

GoPro Focus and Zoom Lens - Take DOF Shots with Your GoPro HD Camera

Everything I know about building a DIY steadicam is now is in this new guide. Learn how to get amazing cinematic video with this cool gadget that you can build using parts from your local hardware store.

If you don't like the material, no worries. I'll give your money back and you get to keep the guide. Guaranteed!

	Printable PDF document Instant Digital Download 60 Days Money Back Guarantee  Prompt Refunds No Questions Asked One Time Payment/No BS 2 FREE Bonuses: How To Build a DIY Camera Slider 3 Ways To Get Clients as a Videographer (you'll be surprised to find out what the first method is...)

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It seems that you can also capture zoom and DOF shots with your GoPro HD - which normally comes with a fixed lens (no zoom and no focus).

All you need to do is replace the original lens with the 2.8 - 12 mm Varifocal lens. You can do this yourself by dismounting your cam (see video tutorial below) or you can send it to RageCams and they'll do it for you.

GoPro DOF Footage Test with Varifocal 2.8 - 12 mm Lens (taken with GoPro HD 2)

GoPro Filter - DIY Kit

Here's an interesting tutorial by YouTube user BisdremisKostas on how to make your own DIY filter kit for your GoPro HD camera.

DIY GoPro Mount for Your Camera Slider, DIY Steadicam and Pole (DIY Monopod)

Test Video - Shot with My DIY Steadicam


Everything I know about building a DIY steadicam is now is in this new guide. Learn how to get amazing cinematic video with this cool gadget that you can build using parts from your local hardware store.

If you don't like the material, no worries. I'll give your money back and you get to keep the guide. Guaranteed!

	Printable PDF document Instant Digital Download 60 Days Money Back Guarantee  Prompt Refunds No Questions Asked One Time Payment/No BS 2 FREE Bonuses: How To Build a DIY Camera Slider 3 Ways To Get Clients as a Videographer (you'll be surprised to find out what the first method is...)

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Here's a simple and neat way to mount your GoPro HD camera on a DIY camera slider, a DIY steadicam or even a pole.

How To Glue Cracked GoPro Case and Mounts with Bison Power Adhesive

Here's a fact: If you use your GoPro HD camera heavily (as it's supposed to be used), you will get your case cracked and your mounts destroyed. It's just a matter of time until this will happen.

Actually this post completes my GoPro HD review and I'm here to tell you about glue...

Yes. You need to repair the micro cracks that your camera case and mounts will get from all the vibrations, crashes, drops and what not. And the answer is a strong polyurethane glue such as Bison Power Adhesive. It's basically a resin type glue that you get by mixing the two pastes (glue and hardener).

The glue is supposed to be used for the most difficult bonds (it says that on the package). Other things I used it for were telescopic trekking poles (I attached the hard rubber tip which has the Widia tip on the aluminum pole) and to glue the rear view mirror on the windshield of my last car.

The cracks occur not only due to shocks taken by the camera but also because of poor constructions of elements and  weak materials. I believe they could have used a stronger plastic for an action camera...

For instance, when you attach your GoPro Hero to the two piece arm, there's a tiny gap between the case elements (teeth) and the mount elements (see pictures above), which make the mount teeth bend and crack. And if you're going downhill with your bike at 40 miles per hour and loose your camera... Well, you can guess how happy you'll be.

So my solution to buy some time and extend the life of your GoPro case, clamp (that locks the back door of the case) and mounts is to observe if there are any micro cracks and fix the problem with a strong glue.

How to repair your mounts & GoPro case

1. Mix the two pastes until you get a homogeneous color and consistence. Use a spatula and/or a paper clip.
2. Take the mount (element you want to repair) and add some pressure as to open the micro cracks.
3. Add some glue in the cracks. Press the glue in with your finger.
4. Add extra glue on a larger surface on the crack and around the crack. It will look ugly but it will hold better.

Notice the crack in the lens rim (above picture - click for larger view). Gotta fix that as well as I don't want the case to leak when shooting underwater footage.

The clamp - first element that got broken (almost broke in half). I think they could make this out of aluminum since it's a part subjected to constant pressure and frequent maneuvering. Each time you come home from your shooting sessions (climbing and cliff jumping, doing bike stunts, etc.) you wanna download all your action clips, right? So you open your case, hence the wear and tear the clamp is subjected to.

Take care while you're out there. Happy video shooting!

PS - At some point I'm gonna have to buy a new two arm piece...and maybe a new case.

GoPro Mounting on Bike Fork - Improvisation - or How You Can Shoot Bike Tricks Videos Like a Pro (read: Respected Amateur)

Everything I know about building a DIY steadicam is now is in this new guide. Learn how to get amazing cinematic video with this cool gadget that you can build using parts from your local hardware store.

If you don't like the material, no worries. I'll give your money back and you get to keep the guide. Guaranteed!

	Printable PDF document Instant Digital Download 60 Days Money Back Guarantee  Prompt Refunds No Questions Asked One Time Payment/No BS 2 FREE Bonuses: How To Build a DIY Camera Slider 3 Ways To Get Clients as a Videographer (you'll be surprised to find out what the first method is...)

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This post adds to the previously published article that teaches you how to improvise GoPro mounts for your mountain bike using just the helmet mount.

I've been asked how I shot certain scenes in the above bike tricks video and I decided to publish some pictures with my GoPro mount improvisation for the bike fork. I hope this explains it better than words.

You only need your helmet mount, which comes bundled with GoPro HD Hero Helmet.

What you do is wrap the straps around one of the fork tubes and clip in the camera (quick release buckle). Use the two piece arm (goose neck) with the buckle and point the camera in as many directions as possible:

• you want to capture the biker who's pulling the stunts
• shoot only the wheels, pedals and feet of the biker
• shoot forward to capture the obstacles
• etc.

Mix all the scenes to make your clip interesting to watch.

The rest of the scenes were shot with a DIY steadicam, which I use for most of my outdoor and adventure videos.

Cheers!

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur filmmaker and I share as little as I know with you. You're invited to a conversation in the comments. There's always something new I can learn from you and I'd love to hear your opinion. Thanks!

Why You Need To Update Firmware in Your GoPro HD Hero Camera

Watch the video below to learn the advantages of updating the firmware in your GoPro HD Hero camera.



If you own a GoPro HD camera, you've probably noticed that the colors of indoor pictures are not exactly as they should be. The same with indoor footage - the color is yellow-ish. While for some it may seem cool, these aren't exactly the natural colors your eyes see in real life.

This, and a few other issues, can now be fixed with the new GoPro HD Firmware.

Other fixes and new features include:

• One button mode - the power button becomes the shutter button as well: press once and the camera turns on and starts recording video (or taking photos depending on the active mode the cam is in); press again and the camera stops recording and shuts down. This saves you time and if you borrow the camera to others, just set it in one button mode so you won't have to instruct them too much on how to use it. 
• File number count - files will be numbered continuously even if you erase the card. No more duplicate files due to same file name. 

Read more about the benefits of the new firmware on EyeOfMine.com. They made the video above and they also created a print friendly list will all new symbols that you'll find in your Hero HD after you update the firmware.

Shoot your outdoor adventures!

GoPro Display - LCD Monitor Released for Your GoPro HD Camera (Video)

Update 1: You can buy the GoPro HD LCD BacPac on Amazon cheaper than on the official GoPro website. If you add the free shipping which Amazon offers with this item then the discount is quite significant!  (Usually, the price on Amazon fluctuates but it's generally smaller)

It's the same product offered by GoPro through Amazon. They offer it at a better price simply because Amazon is a powerful retailer and has the ability to drive more sales, thus they get a better price as a good performing dealer. You also buy your cheap GoPro HD camera on Amazon as well. 

Update 2: Here's a clip from EyeOfMine.com which discusses the new features and benefits (and disadvantages) of the new GoPro Display.

• Battery life when shooting with the LCD monitor is about 1 hour and 10 minutes (so this means slightly less than half of the battery life without the display)
• More weight (camera + BacPac) = more stress on the mounts. That's why you shouldn't use the monitor for extreme action shooting; since you don't watch the footage in live mode anyway (when on helmet mount, bike mount or whatever). It makes more sense to have live preview when shooting handheld or on DIY steadicam. 
• Less clearance with chest mount. You can fix this using a piece of the pivot mount that comes with the helmet mount. 
• Fast forward on video playback and fast scrolling through still pictures.

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If you want to see what you're shooting with your GoPro HD camera now you have this option with their new LCD display.

They call it BacPac and it can be fixed in the slot on the back of GoPro HD cameras. You can watch in real time your video shooting but you can also playback your clips right from your storage SD card inside the camera.



This allows you to frame your subject better than before. Also, you'll be able to asses whether you need another take for a particular scene right on the spot. Unlike without the monitor when you had to wait until you got home and downloaded all your action footage on your computer.

You may as well also buy another battery if you buy the GoPro HD display, that's my recommendation at least. There's no info on the website as to how much battery power the monitor will drain but one can guess the battery life won't be the same...

I personally would rather have extra battery life instead of real time preview of videos and pictures. Since the wide angle allows for reasonable framing I can skip the monitor, but that's just me. There may also be the temptation to watch (show to each friend) everything you record, which will deplete the battery even faster. That's why you should carry a second battery.

Here are the technical specifications:

The LCD BacPac is a detachable LCD screen for your 1080p HD HERO camera. As a removable accessory, the LCD BacPac keeps your camera as small and light as possible, yet provides the convenience of an LCD screen when attached.

Fits current HD HERO & HD Wrist housings when used with included LCD backdoors. 

         Enhanced Convenience

• Framing complex scenes; see what you are shooting

• Playback video and photos directly on your HD HERO camera

• Use your HD HERO camera as a powerful everyday camera

LCD BacPac Features

• Attaches to 1080p HD HERO cameras featuring the rear HERO Port

• Simple one button design allows for easy on/off and playback control

• Normal speed, fast forward, and fast reverse video and photo playback

• Integrated speaker with volume control

What’s Included:

• 1 LCD BacPac screen

• 1 Waterproof LCD backdoor for HD HERO housing

• 1 Waterproof LCD backdoor for HD Wrist housing

• 1 Non-waterproof LCD Skeleton backdoor for HD HERO housing

• 1 Non-waterproof LCD Skeleton backdoor for HD Wrist housing

• 1 Year Warranty

Source: GoPro.com

Enjoy your outdoor adventures!

Magix Edit Pro 17 Quick Review - Clicking Noise (Sound Issue)

Update 20 Feb 2011: The sound issue can be fixed if you export your clip at 29.97 frames per second (no more clicking noise). Also, Magix has released patches that fixed this. 

What I love about Magix Edit Pro is that it allows you to import MP4 video files. This helped me a lot with my GoPro HD video editing.

You don't need to convert the MP4 clips, just import them directly, edit them and then export in MP4. Pretty neat!

So I've been using Magix Edit Pro version 15 and 16 for editing my outdoor videos since January 2010. While I love the workflow and the editing capabilities of the program, there is always something wrong:

• I can't create projects longer than 2-3 minutes. All my videos longer than 3 minutes were done by merging 2 or more clips - clips that were edited and exported beforehand. These problems are not exactly software related but they're more a consequence of me running Magix on a weak laptop computer. One can't expect to edit HD without dedicated video graphics card...
• When I do manage to export a video - the original quality of the footage is lost... Even if the output is in HD, the image itself looks pixelated. And sometimes I get this strange effect that blurs the footage at every second (like at 33 seconds playback in this climbing video).

Okay. The video editor is not perfect but I work with it nevertheless (I purchased it). I don't want to go through the trouble of using an MP4 to AVI converter coz it takes too much time and the resulted AVI files occupy too much space on my hard drive.

And here's the point of this article:

Magix released version 17 of Movie Edit Pro.

• It works GREAT! It imports long videos seamlessly. 
• You have good preview of footage even after adding effects (such as time lapse)
• The image quality of exported files is as sharp as the original!!! That's new for me! :-)

BUT...

If you add soundtrack (or keep the original sound of the footage) you get a clicking noise in your final video... Everything's perfect except this sound issue!

See my video below to understand what I'm talking about (edited with trial version).



Now I hope their developers jump on this bug and fix it quickly coz I have to get my videos out there with sharp audio as well.

Are you also having the same sound problem with Edit Pro 17?

How To Install The New Firmware on Your GoPro HD Camera (Video)

Step 1 - GoPro HD Firmware Update - Download and Transfer (watch video)



Step 2 - How to Install Firmware



Exciting news for outdoorsy people: The GoPro guys released a new firmware for the GoPro HD camera (v02.05.11) that adds new functionalities to your sports cam.

If firmware sounds strange for you (as it did for me) then let's call it software. What this means is that you can now enjoy new menu features on your camera just by installing the new version of the firmware (why didn't they call it companyware or, if the company is big and has a bunch of old men dressed in expensive suits as execuives, corporationware?).

What you need to do?

Visit this page and enter your name and email address in the form at the bottom of the page. They say the email address in needed for support purposes (as if they are going to know when you're in trouble - perhaps they'll email you first). Oh well, you'll be on their email list so you'll be notified when a new companyware is released.

After downloading the zip file to your computer follow these instructions.

What are the best new features?

One Button Mode

One Button Mode simplifies recording video and photos with your HD HERO. With One Button Mode, your camera will start recording video or photos automatically when you power the camera 'ON' and will only stop recording when you power the camera 'OFF'. The shutter button is deactivated in One Button Mode. You can only turn the camera on and off, making it the perfect setting for loaning it to friends or newbies.

Upside Down Mode (UPd)

Now you can take videos and photos with the camera mounted upside down without having to rotate the files later. In UPd, all videos and photos will be saved to your SD card right-side up.

Enjoy outdoors!

Why GoPro HD Hero is The Best Helmet Camera - 2010 Video Highlights

Watching the HD video above is not hard to see why the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera is the preferred gadget to have when you want to shoot your outdoor videos.

Here are my top 3 coolest features:

• Waterproof - Shooting the cliff jumping video was so much fun. I never thought I'd have the chance to capture underwater footage with a relatively affordable camera.
• Small - A flip cam is easier to store in your chest pocket but yet a flip cam cannot be mounted on your helmet or bike and it doesn't have the wide angle lens. Being a sort of a cube the Gopro HD is still a small camera for what it can do. 
• Video Quality - As long as you shoot in good daylight you will be amazed by the footage quality. The HD 60fps mode means you can render smooth slow motion action with no head aches. 

If you want to take your action sport clips to a next level you can shoot your GoPro Clips with a DIY steadicam for a cool gliding video effect.

Do you have any GoPro videos that you'd like to share? Leave a link in the comments.