Alternative Cameras

[Sac D]

There are a ton of them out there...

I thought the XS20 and XS100 by Polaroid might be nice... the styling and color scheme for each would look good on the Phantom. But then I saw the specs on them, and some sample videos and ewww noooo! Remind me to check back in a couple years when they have upped their quality.

The JVC ADIXXION GC-XA1 looks promising. I like the fact that it has multiple tripod recepticles, so that in addition to the one you expect on the bottom, there is one on the side. That way you could turn the camera sideways and have more clearance from the dirt, grass, etc. Otherwise, it looks like the usual 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps standards.

Contour Roam2 Camera is another $200 camera with the same specs as above. For considerably more, they have a slighty nicer model.

Check out this tiny one... weighs only 28g!
http://ped-products.com/index.php?dispa ... gory_id=75

And of course, somewhere out there missing is my Astak ActionPro CM-7200. I'll probably just get another one of those. Similar numbers with 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps, and at about $140 comes with all the stuff that you have to buy separately with GoPro, such as a zillion mounts, waterproof case, LCD back panel, remote control. Oh, I didn't have much trouble with jello for some reason. And I'll have a spare of everything except the camera and LCD.

 

[Ali in Austria]

Sony do the HDR-AS10 and HDR AS15 , the latter having BluTooth.

They benefit from Sony's Image Stabilisation for smooth recording. At 1080p they record at 30fps but at 720p you can choose 60 & 120fps.It isn't the smallest Action Camera out there but can be mounted upside down with the recording flipped like the GoPro. It can also be mounted as a naked camera or in its waterproof case. It comes with very limited mounting options but additional variants can be purchased and it does come with a Tripod adapter. It weighs in at 65g but I'm not sure if that is in its case or not. The GoPro H3 is 73g. A benefit of the Sony is that with its Image Stabilisation it also makes for a reasonable CamCorder. The JVC is the only other one that has this but the early reviews of the JVC put me off it.

I do a lot of Motorcycle Tour Guiding from our B&B and use a number of cameras. I shied away from the Sony because the early models had an annoying rattle in the waterproof case when used on a bike or motorcycle and which was proving impossible to eliminate ruining any audio recording. Sony were allegedly addressing the issue. Reviews I have seen and from what my contact in the trade tells me, these are comparable to the new GoPro H3 White with the potential to be so much more if Sony pull their fingers out.

The Drift HD is a cracking little Helmet Camera and one we use a lot on the motorcycles and for winter sports. The Rotating lens means mounting is not a problem. It has a standard Tripod Thread which the Drift mount screws in to. A waterproof, rubber case is an integral part of the camera. These things put up with a lot of abuse, I know, we test them to the extreme lending them to guests for skiing and haven't had one broken yet. Weight is an issue coming in at 120g. No idea what the limitations are on the Phantom. There are 1080p and cheaper 720p versions.

The new Drift HD Ghost is that much better again with many additional features, frame rates etc but a lot more money and weighs in at over 160g. I haven't got my hands on one yet but have seen some results which are very good.

I mainly use GoPro and Drift ( 2 x Drift HD170's [to bulky for the Phantom] a Drift HD, 2 x GoPro HD2's and a HD3 Black) but I do get quite a few motorcyclists through with other kit which we play back for an entertaining evening in the bar. IMHE the GoPro, even an HD2, is head and shoulders above the rest and the HD3 Black is in a league of its own.

 

[Sac D]

My JVC camera arrived today, and I ran off to the park to get a quick test video before it got too dark. I tried 1080p/30fps with stabilization and it was very nice! I'm sure the 720/60fps on this thing is gonna be terrific.

I was able to hang it off the Phantom with the same tiny mount I've been using for the ActionPro camera. It flips the video for this.

They include a couple of clear lens covers with the cam, a nice touch. There are several mounts included, not as many as the ActionPro, but I didn't need any of those. The LCD is clear and bright. No need for a watertight case, the whole camera is waterproof! Hmm... also nice - it uses regular SD cards.

Didn't get a chance to play around with the WiFi setup... I don't anticipate using that. It was easy to shut off.

Anyway, I don't have a lot of detail beyond first impressions, since I am afraid to give my Phantom an opportunity to bail again. I noticed it was pulling hard to the left in GPS tonight at first. Switched to ATTI and then when I went back to GPS it pulled again. Then... after about 5 minutes of flying, GPS was fine. Ugh.

I'll have more comments and sample videos later in the week.

 

[brunny]

Hi Guys,
If any one has a veho muvi npng, this is what you could do.

It seems to work for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpp-R6dmhBw
Check out video

 

[MTC]

I attached my iPhone 5 and flew my Phantom to 300 meters up. IT WAS SCARRY :shock: If the setup failed I'd end up with too much pieces to assemble.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV7PKS8cqmc[/youtube]

 

[davidsai]

I ahev been using the xs100 and i am orderinf the xs80 have made several videos for commercial purposes and is great.

i have now figure a way to put it on the phantom go pro mount . here are the pictures

te carrying case is homemade less than 20 us

quote="Sac D"]There are a ton of them out there...

I thought the XS20 and XS100 by Polaroid might be nice... the styling and color scheme for each would look good on the Phantom. But then I saw the specs on them, and some sample videos and ewww noooo! Remind me to check back in a couple years when they have upped their quality.

The JVC ADIXXION GC-XA1 looks promising. I like the fact that it has multiple tripod recepticles, so that in addition to the one you expect on the bottom, there is one on the side. That way you could turn the camera sideways and have more clearance from the dirt, grass, etc. Otherwise, it looks like the usual 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps standards.

Contour Roam2 Camera is another $200 camera with the same specs as above. For considerably more, they have a slighty nicer model.

Check out this tiny one... weighs only 28g!
http://ped-products.com/index.php?dispa ... gory_id=75

And of course, somewhere out there missing is my Astak ActionPro CM-7200. I'll probably just get another one of those. Similar numbers with 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps, and at about $140 comes with all the stuff that you have to buy separately with GoPro, such as a zillion mounts, waterproof case, LCD back panel, remote control. Oh, I didn't have much trouble with jello for some reason. And I'll have a spare of everything except the camera and LCD.[/quote]

 

[davidsai]

I ahev been using the xs100 and i am orderinf the xs80 have made several videos for commercial purposes and is great.

i have now figure a way to put it on the phantom go pro mount . here are the pictures

i took a tripod mount for go pro and used it as a polaroid mount had to extend the screw a bit but it worked great



quote="Sac D"]There are a ton of them out there...

I thought the XS20 and XS100 by Polaroid might be nice... the styling and color scheme for each would look good on the Phantom. But then I saw the specs on them, and some sample videos and ewww noooo! Remind me to check back in a couple years when they have upped their quality.

The JVC ADIXXION GC-XA1 looks promising. I like the fact that it has multiple tripod recepticles, so that in addition to the one you expect on the bottom, there is one on the side. That way you could turn the camera sideways and have more clearance from the dirt, grass, etc. Otherwise, it looks like the usual 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps standards.

Contour Roam2 Camera is another $200 camera with the same specs as above. For considerably more, they have a slighty nicer model.

Check out this tiny one... weighs only 28g!
http://ped-products.com/index.php?dispa ... gory_id=75

And of course, somewhere out there missing is my Astak ActionPro CM-7200. I'll probably just get another one of those. Similar numbers with 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps, and at about $140 comes with all the stuff that you have to buy separately with GoPro, such as a zillion mounts, waterproof case, LCD back panel, remote control. Oh, I didn't have much trouble with jello for some reason. And I'll have a spare of everything except the camera and LCD.[/quote]

 

[w0by]

Hello all,

I have the JVC ADIXXION camera and I just got the Phantom 2 last week. What a freaking awesome quad. My question is, how do I attach the Adixxion camera to the Phantom? The only way I can see is the camera comes with a mount but it's only a mount with tape backing, the tape definitely is very strong and doesn't fall off but isn't there a way to screw it into the bottom of the phantom or something?

If I have to buy a mount, does anyone have a link where the mount is so I can attach this thing? It seems the bottom of the Phantom has little tiny screw holes which definitely won't fit any of the JVC mounts.

 

[TechJunkieRC]

Check out this tiny one... weighs only 28g!
http://ped-products.com/index.php?dispa ... gory_id=75

This looks to be just a rebranded Mobius Action Cam. You can read about it on RCGroups or other online forums. Mine cost 68.00 from the developer. I fly with it on my Phantom and the video is excellent. You can run it off of 5V and also can do line out for FPV though I like my 600TVL better for FPV. The only down side for some is that it doesn't have an LCD screen. The upside is you can hang it upside down under the phantom and use PC software which is free to turn the image 180 degrees. The software also offers many other options. This is where the LCD screen would be useful in the field, however, for my uses it is perfect. I get longer flight times due to reduced weight. There is even a company called JooVuu offering a water proof case for it. The video is pretty impressive for such a small camera IMHO. Not GoPro in some ways but close in others.

I don't sell it I just love the way it works on my Phantom!