Is the Hero 7 yesterdays news?????

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Supposed to be compatible with the usual action cam mounts. Even a waterproof housing. The FPV mode sounds cool as it should give the Hero 7 look down the track feel without the dodgy yaw of the usual gimbals. Face tracking for vloggers will be good too. Field of view might be an issue though without post production work.

(Edited to correct name for follow me mode (FPV mode))
 
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This would be a return to a chesty so you could get improved low light stabilisation.
Having said that, you could mount it upside down from your chin guard.
 
Sorry. I was just messin'

but now you've got my attention. How does a chest mount improve low light stabilization?
 
It uses traditional mechanical stabilisation (gimbal) rather than electronic stabilisation as used in the Hero 7 so is not light/image dependent.
Gimbals have traditionally been used on chest mounts to get the view of the bars and the trail ahead in shot.
If you mount a Hero 7 on a chesty the image still suffers from some vibration.
If you mount a camera on a helmet you get some free image stabilisation from the human body but you lose some trail feel as the view doesn’t have a reference to gauge motion (bars/ front wheel).
McTrailrider pioneered attaching it to the chin guard with an extension piece to lower the camera to get a similar view to a chesty.
So really using a Mini Osmo would be going full circle back to a gimbal with a more compact gimbal setup.
 
Oh. right. i get you.
I didn't realise the stabilization worked because of light conditions. Thanks.
As for the rest
Chin mount shows my bars and front wheel.
when leant forwards in the air chin mount shows the front wheel coming close better than a chesty. infact I think it makes everything you do in the air a little more dynamic.
a chest mount misses anything you do with your head, say a cheeky mech check lookback over a double or a cheezy one hander pointer at your mate stood at the side of the trail. I'd definitely prefer my POV to be pointing where I'm looking over where my chest is pointing.
I actually prefer that slight vibration from the Hero 7 to a gimbal too. a gimbal looks completely disconnected to me
Mc trail rider didn't poineer putting a go pro on his chin . MX riders have been doing it for years. it doesn't need to be lowered to show the bars or wheel either.

Copy n paste this into your browser
https://gopro.com/v/MJvZnQDE3edp0
(I had to stick it in a code link as the forum doesn't link the Gopro website's URL properly for some reason)
the POV footage is all from a chin mount with no lowered extension.
It's actually my first ever go at a biking vid (well...actually making any video) so don't be too harsh ;)
But it shows the front wheel and the bars come in and out of shot just like they do when you're riding. Personally i think this is a more dynamic view than the bars always being in shot.
I don't think it's too bad considering it's shot by a complete Gopro noob in low light/overcast/light rain. you may disagree.

The camera you've linked still sounds like it might be better than a separate gimbal if that's what you prefer though
 
I also prefer the POV from a helmet mount for the reasons you've mentioned Gary. Many times I've been talking to someone when I've been wearing a gimbal and it will never capture it (due to the nature of gimball/chesty combo). Or I've seen an epic view to the side, that is missed.

I also like the occasional shake. Gimbals can flatten out footage. A little shake can add actually make footage more immersive, IMO.
 
By the way, had to send my Hero 7 back today as it kept losing footage and was very buggy... hope they turn it around quickly.

@Eckythump the DJI mini Osmo does look interesting. I'm not sure who will actually buy it though... As 99% of 'casual vid' folks use phones these days for the majority of and they are *good enough* and do a decent job of stabilisation.

Pros will use pro equipment. Maybe might use this to get a quick easy shot with minimum fuss. I cant see it replacing the action cam though, looks a bit too delicate for that.

I hope it does well though as DJI are masters of innovation when it comes to this stuff.
 
It’s interesting but I have a Rylo, so it would be redundant to buy one of these
 
McTrailrider pioneered mounting the camera below the chin guard on an extension to mimic the view from a chesty. I didn’t imply he invented the idea of attaching a camera to a chin guard.

I too prefer the feel the Hero 7 gives. I however don’t like the glitchy video in low light conditions found in the trees, I’m not talking about vibration. In the open it is fine.

A downside to a chin/helmet mount is when you look around with fast head movements during a trail it is distracting. As said it does work well for b roll and when you talk to people as the camera follows your head.
For quite a while I would run a gimbal on a chesty and run a session on a helmet mount to mix up views. If you want to keep videos interesting you will need to experiment with different camera locations.

This gimbal could be mounted on the chin guard in just the same way as a GoPro.
The FPV mode behaves in a similar way to the Hero 7 as the picture leans with you and looks up and down but without that dodgy skip as you look left & right.

This gimbal also has active track so can be used for solo, third person video, has depth of field and face tracking for vlogging roles.

This thing has a lot of potential you guys don’t seem to be picking up on. It looks to offer an ideal blend of a traditional gimbal and EIS of a Hero 7 with some additional tricks thrown in. It is also cheaper than a 7.........
 
Putting my snowboarding hat (woolly bobble?) on this is an exciting bit of kit - I never film on my bike but often do when boarding, primarily with a go pro on a pole mount as this gets best stabilisation without faffing around with too much equipment. Like the idea that this is essentially a smaller karma grip type arrangement that you can slip in your pocket.
 
Seriously McT wasn't first run that set-up. But it doesn't matter.
Eckythump said:
A downside to a chin/helmet mount is when you look around with fast head movements during a trail it is distracting.
Click to expand...
Who does that? And if they do it's the perfect place to do a cut scene to another view. uncut POV alone is dull dull dull unless it's either a short section or something completely nuts being ridden

If you want to keep videos interesting you will need to experiment with different camera locations.
Click to expand...
I guess you didn't watch my vid I gave you a link to?

This gimbal could be mounted on the chin guard in just the same way as a GoPro.
Click to expand...
really? looks a bit cumbersome, no?
The FPV mode behaves in a similar way to the Hero 7 as the picture leans with you and looks up and down but without that dodgy skip as you look left & right.
Click to expand...
Seriously. What's with all the looking left and right? Just don't do that when you're filming interesting trails

This gimbal also has active track so can be used for solo, third person video, has depth of field
Click to expand...
Now you're taliking. That sounds brilliant!!!

This thing has a lot of potential you guys don’t seem to be picking up on.
Click to expand...
to be fair until now you hadn't really mentioned them.
It looks to offer an ideal blend of a traditional gimbal and EIS of a Hero 7 with some additional tricks thrown in.
Click to expand...
Like I said, it makes loads more sense than a separate gimbal for anyone who wants gimbal footage. I personally don't.
It is also cheaper than a 7.........
Click to expand...
I don't think it is, is it?
I payed £293 for my Hero7 Black a week ago shipped.
 
Gary said:
Who does that? And if they do it's the perfect place to do a cut scene to another view. uncut POV alone is dull dull dull unless it's either a short section or something completely nuts being ridden
Click to expand...
You don’t have to spend too long on YouTube too see plenty of examples.

Gary said:
I guess you didn't watch my vid I gave you a link to?
Click to expand...
I tried but it seems my distaste for Microsoft products equals yours for Apple’s the format wouldn’t work for me.

Gary said:
really? looks a bit cumbersome, no?
Click to expand...
No.
Gary said:
Seriously. What's with all the looking left and right? Just don't do that when you're filming interesting trails
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You mean you don’t look ahead, round bends etc to see what’s coming?

Gary said:
Like I said, it makes loads more sense than a separate gimbal for anyone who wants gimbal footage. I personally don't.
Click to expand...
This device is able to produce footage akin to a Hero 7 without the low light drawback as well as a traditional gimbal style video.

Gary said:
I don't think it is, is it?
I payed £293 for my Hero7 Black a week ago shipped.
Click to expand...
Well done, that was a very good deal. I wish mine had been that cheap.

As you continue your GoPro journey some of the drawbacks I am talking about will probably become apparent. Hopefully firmware updates will improve or eliminate them we will have to see.
 
Eckythump said:
You don’t have to spend too long on YouTube too see plenty of examples.
Click to expand...
Please no. There's far too much awful POV mtb footage on there. i generally only watch decent stuff.
Eckythump said:
You mean you don’t look ahead, round bends etc to see what’s coming?
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of course i do, as that's exactly where i'm heading. so my eyes (and the camera lens) are looking at the trail ahead. I don't get what you mean.
Eckythump said:
I tried but it seems my distaste for Microsoft products equals yours for Apple’s the format wouldn’t work for me.
Click to expand...
Copying and pasting the link into your browser should have taken you straight to the Gopro site/private video page for the video.
I don't understand why it doen't dierct link. but i can't watch Rob's link either.
Eckythump said:
This device is able to produce footage akin to a Hero 7 without the low light drawback as well as a traditional gimbal style video.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Sounds good. not to wear though. sorry. I just don't really like gimbal mtb POV. it's too smooth and disconnected.
Eckythump said:
Well done, that was a very good deal. I wish mine had been that cheap.
Click to expand...
Just a google shopping search and picked the cheapest link that was displayed
Eckythump said:
As you continue your GoPro journey some of the drawbacks I am talking about will probably become apparent. Hopefully firmware updates will improve or eliminate them we will have to see.
Click to expand...
Thanks. it's way better than I remember the horrible experience playing with a Hero 5 was a few years back striaght out the box and being a complete noob i don't know what it's lacking really so I'm not sure I'll even notice what's being improved with firmware updates.
 
It’s not big, and if you are worried about fragility there is a waterproof case available.
It may not be for everyone but if you don’t like the low light glitchy stutter
61508CAB-39A6-449F-AB82-3960A9B2884C.png
and yaw skip of the Hero 7 Black using hyper smooth this is an alternative worthy of consideration.

Photo captured from linked YouTube video:-
 
Okay i understand - the low ligh performance of the gopro really isn't that perfect.
That gimbal also is not as big as i thought, it's the smallest i've ever seen - but still an unhandy form to mount to something. Fine to hold it in the hand, but when biking i need my hands elsewhere.
And it's in the nature of any gimbal to be fragile, you don't wanna drop it, ride into ninja-twigs, or smash it into the ground when crashing. I still prefer the gopro for biking, that survived everything so far - but that's just my personal preference. It surely has it's right to be on the market.
 
You can mount it to the same attachments as a GoPro and in the same sort of positions there is no need to hold it.
Most of the popular YouTube first person view MTB channels use gimbal mounted Gopros mixed in with solid mounted views, Singletracksampler, BKXC, Sethsbikehacks, Jordanboostmaster, etc. Those gimbals are bulky, a pain to mount & wear, need separate batteries, keep the footage level no matter what the angle of bike & rider and lag behind the bike and rider when negotiating hairpins & other steep turns.
This device tackles all those issues and also has a microphone socket so you can easily attach an external microphone for quality sound.

This maybe isn’t a complete solution for everyone, it does address weaknesses of the Hero 7 hyper smooth and add features the GoPro is incapable of.
I thought it would be of interest, perhaps everyone is still aboard the Hero 7 hype-train??
 
Eckythump said:
I have placed a pre order through a UK reseller. Will be interesting to see how it plays out........
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I'll be interested to see that. Don't forget to add some video footage of you falling off with it on. ;)
Where did you order it from please.
Regards.
 
Eckythump said:
This maybe isn’t a complete solution for everyone, it does address weaknesses of the Hero 7 hyper smooth and add features the GoPro is incapable of.
I thought it would be of interest, perhaps everyone is still aboard the Hero 7 hype-train??
Click to expand...

Yeah. for sure. Fo some this may be a complete solution. for others the Hero7 might be. but for anyone serious about filming (is it even still called that in these digital times?) there probably is no one complete solution.
I think where you went wrong at the beginning of the thread was attacking the Hero7 and making the thread into a Hero7 beater comparison. Like a lot of the new action cameras out there now it's quite a different thing to the Gopro and as such has different pros and cons. Now that you've actually explained the new DJI it does sound an amazing piece of kit.
I'm a complete noob to all this so there's no way I'd be buying something like this just now but if I get the hang of the Gopro and editing my biking footage into anything decent I can see it being very tempting to buy another camera with solo 3rd person shooting features along the lines of what you've said this thing has to compliment the gopro footage.
 
Gary said:
Yeah. for sure. Fo some this may be a complete solution. for others the Hero7 might be. but for anyone serious about filming (is it even still called that in these digital times?) there probably is no one complete solution.
I think where you went wrong at the beginning of the thread was attacking the Hero7 and making the thread into a Hero7 beater comparison. Like a lot of the new action cameras out there now it's quite a different thing to the Gopro and as such has different pros and cons. Now that you've actually explained the new DJI it does sound an amazing piece of kit.
I'm a complete noob to all this so there's no way I'd be buying something like this just now but if I get the hang of the Gopro and editing my biking footage into anything decent I can see it being very tempting to buy another camera with solo 3rd person shooting features along the lines of what you've said this thing has to compliment the gopro footage.
Click to expand...
Gary said:
Yeah. for sure. Fo some this may be a complete solution. for others the Hero7 might be. but for anyone serious about filming (is it even still called that in these digital times?) there probably is no one complete solution.
I think where you went wrong at the beginning of the thread was attacking the Hero7 and making the thread into a Hero7 beater comparison. Like a lot of the new action cameras out there now it's quite a different thing to the Gopro and as such has different pros and cons. Now that you've actually explained the new DJI it does sound an amazing piece of kit.
I'm a complete noob to all this so there's no way I'd be buying something like this just now but if I get the hang of the Gopro and editing my biking footage into anything decent I can see it being very tempting to buy another camera with solo 3rd person shooting features along the lines of what you've said this thing has to compliment the gopro footage.
Click to expand...
Eckythump said:
Ordered from here....

DJI Osmo Pocket Gimbal Camera and Accessories - Heliguy
Click to expand...
Thanks very much. I thought you had found somewhere that actually had it in stock.
Does look good. Quite amazing they have made it so small.
Cheers!
 
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