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Winston

Winston

Lorenzo von Matterhorn
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All cameras listed below can do at least 1080p 30fps and all take high quality video in daylight.

808 #26 1080p Key Ring Spy Cam Review (Aug 11, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2GfrxJ4rPQ

Very easy relatively low drag external mounting. $99.00 from China (in my opinion, excessive for what you get considering the cameras listed below)

The best action camera under $100 - the SJ1000 budget 1080p multi-purpose waterproof action cam (Jun 9, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QppW_0_DuiE

Effective HDR mode. LCD mode/control AND live/playback video display. $83 on eBay from China with free shipping, on Amazon.com $80 from China with free shipping to $99 from US with free shipping. Mount on sled with lens pointed downward and insert through cutout port in airframe, perhaps with 1/2 nose cone fairing forward of camera.

GoPro HD Hero3 White vs Sony HDR-AS10 - The ULTIMATE Action Cam REVIEW (Jan 1, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4sfaiVy2dI

Sony HDR-AS10 wins decisively against the $199 low-end GoPro. Effective image satbilization, great in low light, great 720p 120fps mode, selectable 120/170 degree FOV. $159.00 on Amazon with free shipping. Mount on sled with lens pointed downward and insert through cutout port in airframe, perhaps with 1/2 nose cone fairing forward of camera.

I welcome any other suggested cameras with good video reviews available.
 
Another apparently excellent, low cost camera I just found a discussion about at RC Groups, the Mobius Action Cam. This one is perhaps even more amenable to external mounting than the keychain cameras due to its flat-sided rectangular case design. Uses the same CMOS sensor as the SJ1000. There is a wide angle lens version available:

Mobius Camera - The 1080p Action Cam, Dash-Cam, Anything Cam - Full review (with samples) (Jul 8, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wmIyD1fM4M

Mobius Action Cam vs SJ1000 - On RC Aerial Video (Aug 26, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLwkYulTy5s#t=241

Any "jello" effect in the video is due to the very high frequency vibration of the quad copter.

$89 on Amazon with free shipping, $69 free shipped from China on eBay, $75 free shipped from US on eBay.

RC Groups threads:

SJ1000 action cam

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1908768&highlight=sj1000

SJ1000 vs Mobius which one?

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1965595&highlight=sj1000

Pre-release Peek at the new Mobius ActionCam - Post #1 updated with any new info!

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1890774
 
There is no doubt in my mind, considering the features, the free PC (and Android!) control/setting software (to set all kinds of things including HDR mode, high data rate recording modes for even higher quality, date/time stamp on/off, record loop on/off, etc.), case and control design, and price, the $75 Mobius simply blows away the $99 808 #26 and, for that matter, anything else so amenable to rocket use:

The Mobius ActionCam Support Thread - outstanding!

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1904559&highlight=mobius+manual+isoprop

The Mobius Camera - The do-it-all mount-anywhere 1080p Micro Cam (Jul 8, 2013)

https://www.techmoan.com/blog/2013/...e-do-it-all-mount-anywhere-1080p-micro-c.html

Mobius Camera - The 1080p Action Cam, Dash-Cam, Anything Cam - Full review (with samples) (Jul 8, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wmIyD1fM4M

Mobius Actioncam

https://www.chucklohr.com/808/Mobius/

Impressive flight videos:

Powered Glider with Mobius on-board - shows excellent, smooth lighting/exposure control/compensation and color saturation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVtQgLQg5_g

Beautiful video test of Mobius on Quadcopter - taken at 1080p but author claims it's down-converted to only 720p on free Vimeo accounts; still looks fantastic

https://vimeo.com/69230564

Low Light RC Jet Flight with Mobius ActionCam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEyFHChHaWk
 
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Still photo taken with the Mobius camera by the US-based liaison of its firmware developers:

a5927682-239-IMAG0007.jpg
 
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Winston said:
I welcome any other suggested cameras with good video reviews available.
Click to expand...

I used a Veho HD-10 to get this movie:

https://youtu.be/mWOicBydGzc

I know there are reviews for it out there, along with comparisons to some of the cameras you've listed, but I don't really know much about the quality of the review.

I got the camera because it had the 1080 30fps capability, a form factor I could live with, and it was voice activated (which means if I could figure out how to turn it on, with it located inside the rocket, it would start to record). I also got it because it had a remote, but the carbon airframe rendered it unusable.

I don't know if this camera is a candidate for your list, but just in case you weren't aware of it ....

Jim
 
JimJarvis50 said:
I used a Veho HD-10 to get this movie:

https://youtu.be/mWOicBydGzc

I know there are reviews for it out there, along with comparisons to some of the cameras you've listed, but I don't really know much about the quality of the review.

I got the camera because it had the 1080 30fps capability, a form factor I could live with, and it was voice activated (which means if I could figure out how to turn it on, with it located inside the rocket, it would start to record). I also got it because it had a remote, but the carbon airframe rendered it unusable.

I don't know if this camera is a candidate for your list, but just in case you weren't aware of it ....

Jim
Click to expand...
All suggestions are welcome, especially those like yours that have been flight tested successfully. Looks like a nice camera and that 2.4GHz remote control would be handy for those using airframes that will pass RF:

Veho VCC-005-MUVI-HD10 Mini HD Action Camcorder - $129.95 shipped

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...HD10_VCC_005_MUVI_HD10_Mini_HD_Camcorder.html

Overview & specs:

https://www.veho-uk.com/main/shop_detail.aspx?article=154&mode=overview

https://www.veho-uk.com/main/shop_detail.aspx?article=154&mode=specifications
 
(Removed referenced spam link. Bob)

I'm not completely familiar with the safety code, but I'll assume that launching a rocket in a home, office, shop, hotel, or restaurant would be a violation. Also, it think it would "let the cat out of the bag" that you were conducting clandestine surveillance. But thank you for the suggestion and the inclusion of a flying spam emoticon, and welcome to the forum.
 
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Personally I like this one (Möbius wide angle): https://m.ebay.com/itm/360792547073 which you can get for $75 to $80. Probably like others you can program it to start recording on motion, i.e., launch. Also Landru makes shrouds for them!
 
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The mobius is indeed the best of the bunch, I've put it up against my GoPro Hero 3 Black on quadcopters and large r/c planes/uavs both petrol and electric - the mobius is sharper and offers less distortion. The GoPro has slightly wider dynamic range out of the box, but it's colours are less vibrant. The mobius doesn't do as well as the gopro with a lot of shadow and a bright light in view (such as dusk facing a sunset, facing away is fine)
 
Here's the Dimika, the new HD action camera which competes with the Mobius, too new to have much mention on RCGroups.com yet and the review videos on YouTube thus far posted are amateurish. However, it looks promising as it's claimed to be very solidly constructed, a convenient rectangular shape like the Mobius, brass 1/4-20 tripod mount, cheaper than the Mobius wide angle model (Mobius standard - 86 degree FOV, Mobius wide - 116 degree FOV, Dimika - 140 degree FOV), and the same weight as the Mobius.

dimikaactioncam.jpg


It's apparently too new to even be on eBay yet, but it's available at the manufacturer's site for $69 ($30 off the apparent $99 retail price):

https://dimikacamera.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=60

The one half-decent direct Mobius vs Dimika video comparison I've seen makes it look like the Dimika is better in indoor low light situations and does better with backlit subjects. That said, it looks like it exaggerates greens compared to the Mobius, but not in a totally artificial or annoying way.

Spec comparisons:

Dimika Specs:

Dimesions: 64x38x16mm
Weight: 38g
Sensor: 1/3-inch true full HD (1080p) CMOS image sensor
Lens: 140° Wide Angle 5 Elemets Glass Lens
Video Resulutions: FullHD 1920*1080P@30fps / HD 1280*720P@60fps
Video Rotation: 180°
Video Compression: H.264
Video Format: MOV
Picture Resolution: 4032*3024(12M), 3648*2736(10M), 3264*2448(8M), 2592*1944(5M), 2048*1536(3M)
Audio: Internal Mic
Battery: 600mA Li-ion Cell
Recording Time: Approx. 1 hour
Power Supply: USB
Charging Time: 2 hours
Storage: Micro SD Card up to 32 GB (not incl.)

Mobius Specs:

Rechargeable LIPO Battery (500mah), with Battery Charger Manage IC
Video: 1080P 30FPS FULL HD, 720P 60FPS, 720P 30FPS HD H.264/AVC1 video codec, .MOV file format.
Photo: 2304 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720, supports Time Lapse Photo Shooting
microSD card slot, supports up to 32GB (memory card may not be included for different packages), suggest using Class 4 or above
USB2.0, plug and play, easy connection with computers, no driver needed.
Live TV video output while recording videos with the TV out cables (may not be included for different packages)
Super mini size, only around 61mm (L) x 35mm (W) x18mm (H)
Super light-weighted: only approx 38g!
Multifunctioned, you can use it as a Pocket camecorder, sports camera, driving recorder, a camera, a webcam, a removable USB drive.
 
Dimika review:

[video=youtube;Jrz3mF5SPOo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrz3mF5SPOo[/video]

My conclusion for a number of reasons - get the Mobius, not the Dimika.
 
How about a "lipstick" camcorder for under $40? Since there is always a chance of failed recovery, sometimes price is the issue. See a video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVURXyBUk4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApQSYQym9P0
On this last one, you will hear a possible problem, but if the microphone is inside the tube, we might just enjoy motor noise and separation blast. A good recovery will have it traveling with the wind (slight, of course) with little noise.
Sold from many sources on Ebay.
My concern, even though it's 720P is the 1.3 megapixel video. My other concern is coming up with a nosecone to put on front of the speaker end that would eliminate the drag and wind noise, leaving the engine noise and ejection blast. ANY IDEAS?
 
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Hmmm so no ones brought it up but the contour is quite nice on large rockets, gets Ultra HD video and is under $100. I also has programmable filming and lighting options.


heres a video with it.

[video=youtube;yllkbIrNt1A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yllkbIrNt1A[/video]
 
JDcluster said:
Looks like another chinese knockoff....
Click to expand...
Actually, it's not a pure clone and is apparently being made under the direction of the US company I linked to. As demonstrated in the video with a multimeter and spectrum analyzer, it already has one known feature making it better for RC aircraft use than the Mobius: the case color you see on the inside is due to conductive paint used for RFI shielding resulting in near-zero RF interference to and from other on-board aircraft electronics.
 

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