What video cameras do you use
 

I am tossing around the idea of getting something like a Go Pro Hero 3, but have seen many reviews where the cameras are freezing up and having a bunch of problems. What do you guys like and why?

I hate go pros and their clunky interface, proprietary mounts/cases, erratic behavior, lack of viewfinder, etc, etc.

That being said, I own 3 go pros. :mad0260: The problem is, while there are competitors out there with better interface, better value, more features, viewfinder, etc, etc... none them them compare to the video quality of the go pro. My personal experience with other cameras as well as other reviewers confirm this...

I have a Hero 3 silver and haven't had any real issues with it locking up. You can get a viewfinder/control app for any kind of phone or tablet these days. They just came out with an update last week though which broke some third party apps, but it was supposed to fix a lot of the issues.

I have 2 blackvue dr500's I got from amazon fairly cheap. Quality is awesome and they turn on and record automatically when I start the car.

I almost bought a Go Pro Black Edition yesterday but I decided to hold off. I know it's the top Go Pro but is it a good buy? I'm not extremely budget conscious but I like a good value. Looking for something that's good quality and easy to use.

+1

I couldn't be happier with mine. The event-driven structure is pretty easy to work with (though stitching videos together would be nice). You open the (proprietary) interface, and look for orange dots. Each one is a 1 minute segment that was triggered by moderate g-forces or movement. Blue and Green dots are low-activity situations (cruising on the highway, etc).

1080p, handles various levels of light pretty well, audio quality is solid too (which you can turn off).

I keep it behind the rear-view mirror, but with some brave mounting, you could probably go external.

I have an Itronics ITB-100HD dash cam. The only problem with these auto dash cams is that they have super wide angle lenses that give the video a little bit of a fisheye look.

But on the plus side, it always records my drives automatically and it even records when I am parked if something sets off its motion sensor.

I have the contourHD. I think it's a much better form factor than the clunky go-pros, that's pretty much the only reason that i chose it.

Video quality is very similar IMHO but i've not done any in depth comparison.

I only think the acessories are way overpriced and there's a very limited range.

I shouldn't have to pay like 20% of the price of the camera for a shitty tripod thread adapter. That's what puts me off.

Iphone 4 + Harry's Lap timer:

[ame]http://youtu.be/j_qdpd6S4zs[/ame]

I use a $75 Aiptek with a $25 wide angle lens on the front. I record in 720p @ 30 frames. I like the camera because of the price, cheap extra batteries and chargers, and an LCD on it so I can aim it when I put it on my I/O port roll bar mount. I reach around and turn it on just before tightening my shoulder belts to go out and race. Here is some footage from Sebring last year:

[ame="http://vimeo.com/51520759"]King Tut Sebring 10/2012 Sunday Race 2 on Vimeo[/ame]

I am using 4 different setups.. just bought at Sams Club a GoPro 2 Hd With Wifi ..on sale for $159 so its about equal to the Hero3 White..that and you can use your phone/tablet as a remote start.. ...and it will integrate with my new Solo Storm Software. I also have a JVC HD 1080p Stand alone Video Camera...and a Nikon Point and shoot in Video mode being used.. the last thing I have is my android phone and Tab2 ..Both are HD but a bit hard to integrate with other things..
lot of mounts and angles.. as for the proprietary mounting system.. I am using this to avoid all that ..:)

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/GoPro-Mount-A...Wlw~~60_57.JPG

I have been using Contour camera's for the last couple of years with no problems.


Now I have the Hero3 Black, mainly for 1080p 60fps and remote. It keeps locking up on me, I talked to go pro and they will repair or replace it for me. Once the NJ pro is over I will send it back.

Simmons

2 Sony Action cams, (new go pros unreliable) about 6 different mounts, GoPro2 HD, Panasonic TM900. Excluding audio recording gear.

I use a fujufilm fine pix that i got for 80 bucks. I don't get the higher resolution as a go pro but for my wallet, I think it works just fine: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhjPsx_FSgo"]2013 Scion FR-S SCCA SOLO SJR - YouTube[/ame]