Video: First try at a hatcam

[ecmills]

I see why Ray's camera is always getting moved around. Getting the gun into the frame of a camera that doesn't have a fish-eye lens doesn't seem that hard. Until you move around while loading, shooting around barricades, etc. My head moves a LOT, as it turns out.

But this turned out pretty well.

Here's the video you're used to seeing. A few shooters taped from over their shoulder with a handycam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxz6WnweF8

Here's just the footage of myself, with all the somewhat-aimed hatcam footage spliced in there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE4sumJPZhE

Things that might be unclear:
The first stage was 1,1,2,1,1 (reload) 2,2,2 (reload) 1 to each head.
The second stage had a tac-load required after T2 was engaged.

[WellArmedSheep]

Neat!

[ecmills]

Almost decided to bring this thing to the Arkansas state championship match this weekend, but it's not worth the distraction trying to set it up. Glad someone enjoyed it.

[Yar]

Yeah my first year with the headcam I was afraid to take it to a big match. Once you get a routine down you pretty much it's like loading your magazines and any of the other stuff you do before you shoot.

To me it looks like the camera is too high. This is a problem for me too. Make some sort of shim to angle the camera down a little. I also found that my camera bounces a lot when I run so I got a hat with a re-enforced bill. (It's got a fake plastic diamond plate bill). Now the hat bill has little flex. Another thing I had to overcome was adjusting the hat position before I shot. I'm used to wearing a hat lower on my brow but for film the camera works best sitting higher on my brow. Sometimes I pull it down to a more natural position without thinking about it. This is when I get those videos where the gun is high on the frame instead of the bottom 3rd. Also before I shoot the first stage I adjust and test the camera to make sure the angle is right. Then I just try not to mess with it too much.

You've got a really big camera too. I'm using a smaller lipstick cam.

[ecmills]

I borrowed it. It was free. *shrug*

The killer on this one is that you have to record a video and then pull it off the camera to see where it's pointed. Something higher-dollar that had a pack on your waist with a screen would be much preferred for this use.

What brand/model camera are you using?

[Yar]

Archos 604wifi w/ the archos helmetcamcam. Some good deals can be found on them on ebay.

[ecmills]

Figured that would be your answer, unless you were using the Sony 508.

How does that setup work? The recorder lives on your belt (wait - wifi? In your range bag?) and records the image from the camera. What's on your body besides the camera? Battery pack only?

Can you watch the camera's feed real-time, or do you have to play it back to see where it's pointed?

What lens are you using?

[Yar]

although it says wifi it's only for internet. The camera is tethered with a cable to the DVR. The DVR lives on the belt. I acutally use a neoprene pouch for a sony diskman. Wish I would of kept the pouch for my sony walkman as that would be about the right size.

The DVR has a large LCD so you can see what the camera see's in real time. Though this is not practical when shooting a stage. Before the first stage I generally get it all set up, make sure the picture is oriented correctly (right side up, somewhat centered) then ask another shooter for help. I hold the gun up on target (don't really need a target, usually just up on the berm in shooting position. Then ask "can you see the gun, I'm looking for it to be centered and in the botton 1/3 of the screen. Then they say more left, right, up or down. I then tug the camera until it is positioned correctly. After that it's just don't move the camera.

[ecmills]

That's exactly what I meant by being able to view the feed. It'd be nice to be able to sight-in the camera, so to speak, without downloading the video from it over & over...