Onboard Video Camera Size Comparison

[Landru]

Since I have the majority of small-form-factor video cameras, I thought I would share a few photos comparing the relative size.

RunCam2, Mobius Maxi, Mobius Original, Mobius 2, Mobius Mini, 808 #16

___________

My favorites are still the Mobius Max, and Mobius Mini where size is an issue.

If you are looking to mount any of these cameras to your rocket, I make shrouds for all of them available here:

Video Camera Shrouds

See what you rockets are up to in the air. Our camera shrouds are the safe way to mount your Mobius or 808 camera to your rocket.

www.additiveaerospace.com

 

[Conway Stevens]

Since I have the majority of small-form-factor video cameras, I thought I would share a few photos comparing the relative size.

RunCam2, Mobius Maxi, Mobius Original, Mobius 2, Mobius Mini, 808 #16
View attachment 448419
___________View attachment 448420

My favorites are still the Mobius Max, and Mobius Mini where size is an issue.

If you are looking to mount any of these cameras to your rocket, I make shrouds for all of them available here:

Video Camera Shrouds

See what you rockets are up to in the air. Our camera shrouds are the safe way to mount your Mobius or 808 camera to your rocket.

www.additiveaerospace.com

Curious what you like about the mobius models over say the runcam2. How about any of the others vs the 808? Pros cons? Appreciate your input.

 

[Landru]

I just got the RunCam2 a week ago, and they neglected to include a battery so I cant speak to much in the video quality/software department yet. As to its physical appearance, it is somewhat larger which I dislike, but I think it will be nice to connect it to my phone and preview the footage on the field right before launch. It also has a quickly replaceable battery and available external chargers, so if you do a lot of flying this will make it a very attractive option.

The 808 series isn't really designed to be 'mounted' to anything, and the QC on sizing is occasionally bonkers. I've had a handful over the years from customers which for some unknown reason wouldn't fit the shroud without modification. There are also some very similar models available for purchase which can cause confusion on which one to buy. I think they are still very good value at half the price of the mobius/runcam. There is no reason to buy one of these if your budget allows one of the other options.

The Mobius2 seems to have been a short lived product, and are fairly uncommon at this point. It works well, but was quickly superseded by the Maxi. If buying new I wouldn't consider it anymore. I think I've only used mine once...

The Mobius Maxi is my current favorite for 3"+ rockets. Comes with the wide angle lens standard, and seems to take good video with options for 2k or a high framerate.

The Mobius Original (Sometimes called Mobius Pro Mini on amazon) is the standard in the community. I sell more shrouds for this camera than all others combined, and it is almost always available on amazon with fast shipping. It has proven to be a bulletproof all around camera. I have used this camera more than any of the others.

The Mobius Mini is a perfect camera for smaller rockets as it has a smaller cross section. Otherwise functionally identical to the mobius original, though with only a 30min battery life. There are two versions of this camera out there, one with a hard case and one with an updated semi-rubberized case which feels like the Mobius Maxi. Both are reported to fit the same Mobius Mini Shroud. I don't have one of the updated cameras to verify fit personally, but if anyone were to have a problem just email me and I will get it sorted out.

 

[ebruce1361]

Thank you for this side-by-side rundown! I have two 808 cameras that have both flown, and a couple other small cameras that I haven't tried yet. I've been wanting to upgrade from the 808s (especially since one of them seems to be a knockoff version with horrendous video quality), but I've been unsure of what to get. Recently, I was pointed in the direction of the Runcam 2, but it was difficult to visualize the size difference against the 808 model. Based on what I see here and what I usually fly, the Mobius Mini seems to be an ideal setup. As for the battery life as you mentioned on the mini, have you dismantled the camera at all and if so, would replacing the battery with a higher capacity one be feasable?

 

[Landru]

I havent taken mine apart, but they feel pretty dense and I would be suprised if there was room to upgrade the capacity.

 

[jd2cylman]

Since I have the majority of small-form-factor video cameras, I thought I would share a few photos comparing the relative size.

RunCam2, Mobius Maxi, Mobius Original, Mobius 2, Mobius Mini, 808 #16
View attachment 448419
___________View attachment 448420

My favorites are still the Mobius Max, and Mobius Mini where size is an issue.

If you are looking to mount any of these cameras to your rocket, I make shrouds for all of them available here:

Video Camera Shrouds

See what you rockets are up to in the air. Our camera shrouds are the safe way to mount your Mobius or 808 camera to your rocket.

www.additiveaerospace.com

Landru,
I just recently got a RunCam2 4K.
When you have a shroud for it, I’ll be interested in several diameters. Mine shipped with the battery installed. I didn’t have too much trouble connecting my iPhone SE 2nd to it. Not sure about range. It would be nice to pause the camera until launch using the phone.

 

[RocketTree]

Cheap, lightweight cameras:

960p '808' Cameras **/***** Bad frame rate, out of sync audio (8g)

1080p 'Lighter' Cam ****/***** A bit heavy (21g)

1080p 'USB' Cam ****/***** Good! (8g)

1080p 'Horizon' Cam ****/***** Strap-on homemade horizontal camera

This year, it has been nearly impossible to find these online for purchase.

 

[Dustin Lobner]

Since I have the majority of small-form-factor video cameras, I thought I would share a few photos comparing the relative size.

RunCam2, Mobius Maxi, Mobius Original, Mobius 2, Mobius Mini, 808 #16
View attachment 448419
___________View attachment 448420

My favorites are still the Mobius Max, and Mobius Mini where size is an issue.

If you are looking to mount any of these cameras to your rocket, I make shrouds for all of them available here:

Video Camera Shrouds

See what you rockets are up to in the air. Our camera shrouds are the safe way to mount your Mobius or 808 camera to your rocket.

www.additiveaerospace.com

Can you provide specific dimensions for the RunCam2? I have one of RunCam's Split 4 cameras and I've become addicted to 4K rocket video, lol. Been looking at getting a RC2 4K for a "self contained" solution instead of cobbling something together like I've done with the Split.

Thanks!

 

[jd2cylman]

Can you provide specific dimensions for the RunCam2? I have one of RunCam's Split 4 cameras and I've become addicted to 4K rocket video, lol. Been looking at getting a RC2 4K for a "self contained" solution instead of cobbling something together like I've done with the Split.

Thanks!

I can in a few days when I get home. The dimensions are on their website

 

[Dustin Lobner]

I can in a few days when I get home. The dimensions are on their website

I've only seen packaging dimensions, not actual part dimensions...

 

[jd2cylman]

I thought it was there. But i can measure Thursday night.

 

[Dustin Lobner]

I asked on Amazon and got a reply there, good to go. 66m x 38mm x 21mm

 

[Landru]

Landru,
I just recently got a RunCam2 4K.
When you have a shroud for it, I’ll be interested in several diameters. Mine shipped with the battery installed. I didn’t have too much trouble connecting my iPhone SE 2nd to it. Not sure about range. It would be nice to pause the camera until launch using the phone.

I believe the 4k and Standard RunCam2 are the same size? If you want to test I will sell you a shroud, and issue a full refund if it doesn't fit.

The shrouds for the standard RunCam2 are now fully available on the website: https://www.additiveaerospace.com/products/runcam2-video-camera-shroud

 

[tollyman]

I have had two different runcam 2 cameras and I have nothing but good things to say, the ease of use and interface with the app are fantastic. Also they include a cable that you can "hotwire" a lipo or other battery to charge the camera while in operation which extends run time. (Meant for fpv)

 

[Landru]

So, for those of you who have purchased it, any feedback about the 4K camera compatibility?

 

[jd2cylman]

So, for those of you who have purchased it, any feedback about the 4K camera compatibility?

If you mean compatibility with your shroud, the fit is perfect. Can't wait to strap this baby on a rocket and start recording flights.

 

[Landru]

Thank you! That's what I needed to hear

 

[Finicky]

I just bought a runcam 2 and I'm a bit disappointed at how quickly in overheats when inside a shroud. I'm worried that a rocket sitting stationary on the pad on a warm day for more than a few minutes is going to result in the thing shutting down before the flight. Do folks have any advice about this ? Any advice on cameras that don't have an overheating problem ?

 

[RocketRev]

Here's a question for you all: which cameras give the best video quality? I see a lot of "rocket videos" out there, but the majority of them are of such low resolution as to be not worth bothering with....in my opinion. Is there somewhere I could find "comparison" videos of the different cameras?

Comparison videos of the same rocket and motor would be great. And all of the videos on the same flight would be even better.

Brad

 

[firemanup]

Here's a question for you all: which cameras give the best video quality? I see a lot of "rocket videos" out there, but the majority of them are of such low resolution as to be not worth bothering with....in my opinion. Is there somewhere I could find "comparison" videos of the different cameras?

Comparison videos of the same rocket and motor would be great. And all of the videos on the same flight would be even better.

Brad

This video has from the ground video first then onboard.

The onboard camera is my mobius mini, in and additive aerospace shroud.

 

[rklapp]

Here's a question for you all: which cameras give the best video quality? I see a lot of "rocket videos" out there, but the majority of them are of such low resolution as to be not worth bothering with....in my opinion. Is there somewhere I could find "comparison" videos of the different cameras?

Comparison videos of the same rocket and motor would be great. And all of the videos on the same flight would be even better.

Brad

The RunCam2 can do 1080p@60fps but also weighs 50g so works best with MPR and up. I haven't found anything yet that's under 20g and does 60fps.

 

[mikec]

The 808 #32 does 1080p30 video in the same form factor as the #16 and with a similar feature set, so that's a good option, especially if you have #16 shrouds.

 

[Landru]

I just bought a runcam 2 and I'm a bit disappointed at how quickly in overheats when inside a shroud. I'm worried that a rocket sitting stationary on the pad on a warm day for more than a few minutes is going to result in the thing shutting down before the flight. Do folks have any advice about this ? Any advice on cameras that don't have an overheating problem ?

No reports of overheating from others so far. Is your camera shutting down just sitting in the shroud indoors?

 

[Finicky]

No reports of overheating from others so far. Is your camera shutting down just sitting in the shroud indoors?

The original 32GB SD card I tried was definitely part of the issue. Apparently it does not like getting warm. I switched to an older 8GB card with lower write speeds and that seems to have helped. I'm limited to 1080p 30fps but that's fine for what I'm doing. I've got a few other SD cards coming from Amazon in a few days. Maybe those will be "heat tolerant" as well. But all that being said, I'm amazed at how hot the camera gets if it's left running for > 15 minutes.

 

[hball55]

Do the shrouds for the original mobius fit the mobius maxi?

 

[hball55]

This video has from the ground video first then onboard.

The onboard camera is my mobius mini, in and additive aerospace shroud.

Whoo, at the end of that video I thought I was having a seizure, with all that spinning, lol.

 

[FMarvinS]

Hi Landrau,

I'm interested in knowing who you purchased the Mobius mini from and is it the v2 model? There are "knock-offs" and I'd like to purchase an authentic one. What was the approximate price and how long did it take to receive after ordering? Does it have the A or B lens?

Thanks,
Fred