# Gopro camera shake unbearable...



## jfw432 (Oct 24, 2011)

So I have a full suspension bike and the GoPro HD Hero. If I'm riding slow or uphill, the camera seems to take great video but when I ride downhill (when I really want video), the vibration and shake is so bad, it's not even worth showing anyone. I've tried helmet mounts, handlebars mounts, and seatpost mounts.The results are always the same...the video just plain sucks. The trail jumps around like crazy with every little rock and when the trail is smooth, the surrounding scenery tears real bad so you can barely tell what it is.

This is one of my best videos I've ever taken with the camera. I was using the helmet mount and I still think it is ridiculously choppy. Skip to minute 8-9 to really see what I'm talking about. 
Pinhoti 2 - YouTube

My question is...can the video be made better because that's definitely not what the Gopro promo videos look like? If not, what cameras out there have some kind of image stabilization to prevent this?


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## HubbaMan (Feb 3, 2004)

http://forums.mtbr.com/videos-pov-cameras/camera-shake-sucks-788206.html


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## thrasher_s (Oct 5, 2009)

The mounting style that produces the least amount of shake for me is the "chesty" mount. Its hard to get pointed right though. Works best with a small extension or mounting the camera upside down.


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

honestly I didn't think it was all that bad.. 

Like Thrasher said I find the vid's i watch from the chest mount (up side down, then flipped in software) seem the best as your body there seems to be the most shock absorbing ..

Helmets seem to bounce around too much and the distortion and wide view seems to make it worse when mounted way up top and high like the Gopro does.

basically if what ever it's mounted to is bouncing around, so will the cam... :skep:


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

All the GoPro cameras have a upside down mode. No need to flip the video in editing software, the camera will do it for you.


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## Lastshot (Apr 26, 2008)

In this video I also faced some camera shake, but the trail I was riding was not smooth at all, some tech with some rollers and such. The mode I used was 960p @48 frames and I had it mounted to my helmet( which was strapped on tight) with the vented helmet mount, what mode did you use? If it's 720p @30 frames, switch it to the 60 frames mode (or 960!)
6 Minutes of Myx Monster - Blue mountain Mongoose Teocali - YouTube

Ive seen alot of chesty mount videos, and they are buttery smooth while it the "attack" position


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## jfw432 (Oct 24, 2011)

Looks like a really fun trail you have there. Yeah I always use 60fps when using the gopro. I guess I expect a little jolt when I hit something but when I ride trails that are filled with rocks and roots, the jolts don't stop and that's what annoys me. I may try the chesty mount one day.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Ahh blue mountain ! Fun place for sure ...

I dont know how you guys get your chesty to record so smooth , i cant for the life of me . But i get perfect video with mounting on my helmet .


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## Lastshot (Apr 26, 2008)

aedubber said:


> Ahh blue mountain ! Fun place for sure ...
> 
> I dont know how you guys get your chesty to record so smooth , i cant for the life of me . But i get perfect video with mounting on my helmet .


Uh oh...Thats not what i was hoping to hear..I took all my footy through my helmet mount...I thought the grass was greener on the otherside:eekster:


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Lastshot said:


> Uh oh...Thats not what i was hoping to hear..I took all my footy through my helmet mount...I thought the grass was greener on the otherside:eekster:


LOL i dunno , i have seen people get great quality with the chesty but for some reason me personally i cant . I think the helmet mounts are the best tho , but i do enjoy the chest mount view as you can see whats going on in the cockpit and see the real speed :thumbsup:


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## Neo-ST (Aug 25, 2011)

One thing I found out about the chest mount and how to get less shaky video is to put it as closest to your chin as possible (and straps as tight as possible), as far away from stomach. Ideally it means that straps go over your tits. It may sound funny but when bombing downhill in attack position then your body is bent and your stomach (and lower torso in general) starts "interfering" with gopro's chest mount, shakes it even more than necessary, while if it goes over your tits then it doesn't affect it and is much more stable.
Try it if you don't believe me


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## Lastshot (Apr 26, 2008)

Neo-ST said:


> One thing I found out about the chest mount and how to get less shaky video is to put it as closest to your chin as possible (and straps as tight as possible), as far away from stomach. Ideally it means that straps go over your tits. It may sound funny but when bombing downhill in attack position then your body is bent and your stomach (and lower torso in general) starts "interfering" with gopro's chest mount, shakes it even more than necessary, while if it goes over your tits then it doesn't affect it and is much more stable.
> Try it if you don't believe me


Interesting...I'll have to get ahold of a chesty now and give it a shot


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

aedubber said:


> LOL i dunno , i have seen people get great quality with the chesty but for some reason me personally i cant . I think the helmet mounts are the best tho , but i do enjoy the chest mount view as you can see whats going on in the cockpit and see the real speed :thumbsup:


No offence aedubber but you're in the minority here. Most people find chest mount to be the most stable footage for various reasons. Of course the chest mount has to be worn properly


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

I dunno , i had my chest mount straps at the tightest position possible and had the mount right up on my chest . Besides using the chest mount what little mount are you guys using to hold the camera in place ? and do you guys have the mount exactly in the middle of your chest or what?

I have some footage and it still was shakey


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## p_DuBs (Oct 7, 2010)

i've had issues with shaky-cam on shooting gopro footage since day one... and I've found the chest mount (strapped tight and high up) doesn't really improve it either

Jones DH #2 - YouTube

The best gopro footage I've seen on technical/chunky/freeride trails has been shot with a strong full-face helmet mount (as those helmets seem to stay put pretty well)


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## Dictatorsaurus (Sep 11, 2009)

Add me to the list of people unhappy with the shaky chest mount.

I'm actually using my Contour Roam with the GoPro chest mount and the vertical movement is the main culprit to shaky footage.


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## jfw432 (Oct 24, 2011)

I saw that Sony is introducing a pov camera with image stabilization built in. Comes out at the end of this month so maybe that could fix the problem.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Im against ALL image stabilization .. Ruins the video .


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

I've seen how some programs use it when editing ... Unless its a total different ball park if the camera itself can help some how but I'm still on the fence about it ... Do you have any video I can view Mc SlingBlade ?


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## distro (Feb 14, 2009)

I find adding some cloth tape under the mount (have to trim it after you apply it) helps to get rid of the minor wobble the mount has by default.


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## TheMachinist (Feb 24, 2007)

The best mounting spot I found for smooth video on my Contour HD was on the downtube. I run it way back toward the bottom bracket. It is so far back that the side of my foot barely clears it when I pedal. This area is probably the most stable area on the bike, right between the wheels. It even worked well on my rigid bike.

The GoPro is inherently limited by its shape, so the same mounting will be impossible, but I ordered the roll bar mount to mount on the downtube. I hope it works. The wide angle lens will at least keep the front wheel in view, even with the camera mounted farther forward.


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## Call_me_Tom (May 26, 2008)

There's a lot of barrel distortion in these vids, can this be corrected post process?


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Well for one i use a gopro to record videos yes , it's a hobby yes , sorry I'm not elite like you lol ... If I want real video quality I can produce videos with pro photographers ... What does it matter how long I been recording videos for ? I make videos for my own pleasure, keep track of my progress , and have fun with it lol ... The chest mount just didn't work for me that's all and I don'tike any type of video stabilization .. So again , provide me a video and I'll change my mind about it MC SlingBlade... So back on topic troll


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

LOL are you ok ? So where is your well informed experience ? Still waiting for YOU to show me a video that you have done yourself . Its fine , you can come on here and talk a big game with your non sense , try and look like a smart cool guy but your not . I really dont know why you keep trying to derail this thread ? I could careless about you or what you have to say , but i do enjoy that im getting under your skin .


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Ok you win


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## Dictatorsaurus (Sep 11, 2009)

When you guys are done internet fighting please share some more tips to secure the mount for stable footage.


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## HubbaMan (Feb 3, 2004)

Call_me_Tom said:


> There's a lot of barrel distortion in these vids, can this be corrected post process?


You can lessen the effect but not without more processing which will degrade the picture further. You essentially have to stretch out the corners of the image to get it to look normal again. If I were to try and do it I'd use After Effects but then I have the Production bundle here so I have access to AE, not sure what is out there for less.

With a narrower field of view there is less distortion but then the camera shake is more pronounced, so you can't have it all with these cameras. There's some good and some bad, in general though what you can do for less than $400 is pretty remarkable compared to 5 yrs ago.


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## HubbaMan (Feb 3, 2004)

Dictatorsaurus said:


> When you guys are done internet fighting please share some more tips to secure the mount for stable footage.


One of the best suggestions I've read of was to try to use the head tube for a mount. I saw a few improvised solutions but haven't had the time to give it a go. Most frame mount video clips look surprisingly stable so I'd like to give this a go at some point.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Ive used lots of different mounts , and the chest mount is really a PITA for me . This is a fun mounting position , ive also done a rear view on the seat tube , and rear lower triangle arm by the rotor . Handlebar mount is pretty good for smoother groomed trails too .


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## ghglenn (Jan 26, 2012)

You need to mount it to your helmet and have part of the helmet in the shot. This gives the viewer a bit of a "stabilization" effect, as their eye can use the "fixed" object in frame as reference. Also as stated earlier try bumping the frame rate up. This should help with some of the motion blur due to speed. (Aedubber's frame mount would have similar effect).


Aedubber, what mount is that? I want it.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

ghglenn said:


> You need to mount it to your helmet and have part of the helmet in the shot. This gives the viewer a bit of a "stabilization" effect, as their eye can use the "fixed" object in frame as reference. Also as stated earlier try bumping the frame rate up. This should help with some of the motion blur due to speed.
> 
> Aedubber, what mount is that? I want it.


Roll bar mount :thumbsup: .. I have all mounts from GoPro lol . I always record in 720 @60 fps . Im going to give the chest mount another shot in a different configuration tho and hopefully it works , if not then im just throwing that mount out.


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

aedubber said:


> Roll bar mount :thumbsup: .. I have all mounts from GoPro lol . I always record in 720 @60 fps . Im going to give the chest mount another shot in a different configuration tho and hopefully it works , if not then im just throwing that mount out.


don't chuck it.. i'll take it!! 

we should hook up and do a contour -gopro compare


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

thomllama said:


> don't chuck it.. i'll take it!!
> 
> we should hook up and do a contour -gopro compare


If im not satisfied with another test with it then its all yours lol , just pay for shipping:thumbsup:


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## HubbaMan (Feb 3, 2004)

ghglenn said:


> Also as stated earlier try bumping the frame rate up. This should help with some of the motion blur due to speed. (Aedubber's frame mount would have similar effect)..


Not sure how exactly you expect shooting at a higher frame rate to change anything unless you play it back at slower than real time. Regardless of 30 or 60fps, if you don't slow it down you have the exact same range of physical motion over time with both rates which is the camera shake regardless if it is smeared or slightly sharper.

A solid mount, wider angle lens and possibly in camera stabilization would be the ticket. I'm not sure about the 'in camera' method as I've never seen any footage comparison. The thing here is what is the system developed to reduce? Is it hand held shaking or high speed bike riding shaking. Are the two so drastically different that a system designed for one can't work on the other? Would be interesting to see some footage as mentioned earlier in this thread.


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

HubbaMan said:


> Not sure how exactly you expect shooting at a higher frame rate to change anything unless you play it back at slower than real time. Regardless of 30 or 60fps, if you don't slow it down you have the exact same range of physical motion over time with both rates which is the camera shake regardless if it is smeared or slightly sharper.
> 
> A solid mount, wider angle lens and possibly in camera stabilization would be the ticket. I'm not sure about the 'in camera' method as I've never seen any footage comparison. The thing here is what is the system developed to reduce? Is it hand held shaking or high speed bike riding shaking. Are the two so drastically different that a system designed for one can't work on the other? Would be interesting to see some footage as mentioned earlier in this thread.


higher frame rate will help with "blur" not shake.. thing is if you can get a clearer image in the first place, you can them apply software stabilization and get a 1/2 decent result... sometimes.. :skep:



aedubber said:


> If im not satisfied with another test with it then its all yours lol , just pay for shipping:thumbsup:


well you're right here in CT right? just hook up for a ride somewhere and play with the diff cams...


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

thomllama said:


> higher frame rate will help with "blur" not shake.. thing is if you can get a clearer image in the first place, you can them apply software stabilization and get a 1/2 decent result... sometimes.. :skep:
> 
> well you're right here in CT right? just hook up for a ride somewhere and play with the diff cams...


LOL well not in CT , i live in NJ  But i have some family in CT i come visit and will take a ride sometimes.


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

aedubber said:


> LOL well not in CT , i live in NJ  But i have some family in CT i come visit and will take a ride sometimes.


ahhh thought you lived here as I see a bunch of your vids are in the area... oh well


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## HubbaMan (Feb 3, 2004)

thomllama said:


> higher frame rate will help with "blur" not shake.. thing is if you can get a clearer image in the first place, you can them apply software stabilization and get a 1/2 decent result... sometimes.. :skep:


Ok I see where you're coming from now. Indeed you'd have more data to pull from to attempt to stabilize.

I've seen some stabilization done which really made me almost want to vomit, the video ended up being this psychedelic warping wave which (for me) was ridiculous.

From what I've seen, if you're riding fairly fast then most post stabilizers won't do much, the image data isn't there long enough for them to grab hold of and smooth out, and if they do grab a piece, the movement from frame to frame can be quite severe instead of gradual. The compression doesn't help here either. We ride in the woods a fair bit and there is soooo much detail that gets clipped off it doesn't leave much to work with.

I guess if you had a horizon in the shot it could help as it would be relatively constant.

What apps have you tried? Of the ones where you had some success, what speed were you riding, what sort of terrain? Deep woods, desert, fields, rocks? Were these frame mounts or chest/helmet mounts?


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

HubbaMan said:


> Ok I see where you're coming from now. Indeed you'd have more data to pull from to attempt to stabilize.
> 
> I've seen* some stabilization done* which really made me almost want to vomit, the video ended up being this psychedelic warping wave which (for me) was ridiculous.
> 
> ...


What i highlighted in bold is usually from YouTubes stabilization , ive also tried features in editing programs but what they do is mainly zoom in and stretch out your view but it still isnt worth screwing up your video quality for what it offers.


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