Drift HD Ghost or a GoPro?

[Akita Boy]

Evening all.

I'm in the market for a helmet/bike mounted camera and was wondering if anyone had any experiences of these? (good/bad or indifferent)

My mate had a helmet mounted Drift HD when we went across the USA last year and it seemed quite a decent bit of kit.

I've always been a bit against cameras on bikes (mainly due to bellends on YouTube with their speedos in view getting prosecuted) but he got some amazing shots of our bike trip and has won me over.

Cheers

AB

[Kato]

Used both and for me the gopro wins every time far superior quality to anything else in that price range.

[J.P]

GoPro is the market leader and the new versions are really packed with abilities.
It's expensive though.

The drift is very good too, cheaper, but just not quite as good as the gopro.

[Black Bob]

Drift ghost for me. It's easily good enough and, in my opinion, a far better shape for mounting on a bike or helmet and maybe likely to last longer. It's weather resistant in it's own right and doesn't rely on being protected by a seperate case.

The GoPro mounting system is a total lash up and, unfortunately, not particularly tumble resistant.

You didn't expect a unanimous decision, did you? :D

[Albie]

GoPro is very versatile in its uses even as a still camera. Its the market leader being attacked soon by Apple so things may start getting cheaper. Caroline bought me a Hero3 silver which is wireless Bluetooth to your phone/tablet/pc or tele. Price £170 . Admittedly I still need to set it up as it all seems a fuss at first and I never bothered to check on my phone as too excited. GT I think has a Drift and another friend too with great results. Take a look on You tube for real film comparisons. Batteries are cheap non GoPro made ones. Cards are micro sd and 32gb Samsung for £11.

[Akita Boy]

Drift ghost for me. It's easily good enough and, in my opinion, a far better shape for mounting on a bike or helmet and maybe likely to last longer. It's weather resistant in it's own right and doesn't rely on being protected by a seperate case.

The GoPro mounting system is a total lash up and, unfortunately, not particularly tumble resistant.

You didn't expect a unanimous decision, did you? :D

No!!

(But I'm leaning towards a Drift Ghost, mainly because it's more 'pointy' and looks nicer.......... I am a Luddite at heart)

[Akita Boy]

GoPro is very versatile in its uses even as a still camera. Its the market leader being attacked soon by Apple so things may start getting cheaper. Caroline bought me a Hero3 silver which is wireless Bluetooth to your phone/tablet/pc or tele. Price £170 . Admittedly I still need to set it up as it all seems a fuss at first and I never bothered to check on my phone as too excited. GT I think has a Drift and another friend too with great results. Take a look on You tube for real film comparisons. Batteries are cheap non GoPro made ones. Cards are micro sd and 32gb Samsung for £11.

Cheers Albie, thought your Scrambler video was good quality. But clearly more research is needed as I didn't know that you could wireless it to your phone!

[Dirty]

GoPro, no competition. Everyone uses them and by that I mean professionals, TV companies, Movie production, Stunt companies, race teams..... just everyone!

[Albie]

Cheers Albie, thought your Scrambler video was good quality. But clearly more research is needed as I didn't know that you could wireless it to your phone!

Yep I am no Spielberg or Musty , Its full HD and that's wasn't on that setting. You get want you feel but get it for what you think you can do with it. We all been down the route of spy keyrings taped to the bars and mini torch style. These are now professional kit that anyone can afford and that's proven as Dirty says when they throw them in cars and bikes x 4 because they are affordable and multi purpose.

http://shop.gopro.com/EMEA/softwareandapp/gopro-app/GoPro-App.html

[jonzi]

...
The GoPro mounting system is a total lash up and, unfortunately, not particularly tumble resistant....

What makes you say this?

I have a go pro and have used a drift.

Get what ever suits your pocket imo.

Though the footprint of the drift seems to be better for a bike. Doesn't stick out so far

[Black Bob]

Market leader... "everyone uses them".... all irrelevant to the original question which was does anyone have any experience of them... good, bad or indifferent.

Have used both on bikes, the Ghost is a far more suitable shape so the experience was good. The GoPro got destroyed in a relatively low impact trackday mishap, when its protective case flew apart, leaving camera itself, a relatively fragile piece of kit, to bounce its way to oblivion. Didn't even capture the footage of the incident. Pfffft.

Have always hated the fisheye wide angle lens effect of GoPro too, but maybe that is tweakable these days.

[Black Bob]

Oh and another thing.... you may find the sound capture a bit disappointing on the GoPro.

Ghost allows you to connect an external mic via 3.5mm socket.

[Albie]

Oh and another thing.... you may find the sound capture a bit disappointing on the GoPro.

Ghost allows you to connect an external mic via 3.5mm socket.
I tend to agree that unless you use the go pro naked you won't get full sound. You get 2 cases full watertight and skeleton but you can buy the naked frame surround. My view is that's it's about capture of event and a noisy bike is secondary. I think I chose gopro seeing footage rather than camera shape itself. It ain't pretty may cute and simplistic out of its hard shell.
You are at least getting both sides of the argument and both are good. There are of course others out there and one in curry almost a copy of gopro for much less money. You pays your money and you gets your choice. Personally I don't think you will be disappointed with either so you won't lose out.

[Dirty]

I've got one and have used it a lot. Love it. Easy to use. Very tweakable and takes great footage. Mine is quite old so newer versions will be even better.

'Everybody uses them' is not irrelevant. It certainly informed my choice when I got mine. They've done the research so I don't have to. If it's good enough for Top Gear and 90% of the self shot action videos on you tube then it'll do for what I need it for!

[Black Bob]

If it's good enough for Top Gear...

Ah yes, that well known motorcycling progam.... ;)

[Dirty]

Ah yes, that well known motorcycling progam.... ;)

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=go+pro+motorbike

[Albie]

Musty is selling his Hero3 black on Facebook. Its even been in the skies.

[Akita Boy]

Musty is selling his Hero3 black on Facebook. Its even been in the skies.

Yeah, just seen that on FB. Might have to give him a shout.

[gary tompkins]

I've been using a Drift HD on track last season.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JhNqpf-BKKg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I mainly went for it on price, ease of mounting and its compact shape. Added some accessories like external microphone, but still experimenting with different locations for ideal sound quality and less wind noise. Image quality is really good but flows better at lower frame rates, and helps to reduce file memory size. I'm planning to get one of these budget camera's as a back up, and to give options for multiple camera angles.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261608442646?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[Funkatronic]

the drift ghost HD so simple to mount, clip it in, then rotate the lens to centre the image using the built in screen as a guide
you can buy a packet of brackets for a few quid and stick them all over the bike/helmet/suit

sound is not great for bikes as the built in mic gets wind blasted. you can put a pice of dense foam over the mic as a pop shield or use an external mic

drift also comes with handy remote so you can have it running on a ride recording everything as you go. you then press the remote to tag a video so the drift stores the previous 5 mins and the next 5mins of footage. if anything interesting happens you can keep it without having to record and review hours of footage

the go pro is a nice bit of kit and will def do the job well with a bit of setup faffing and it does take very nice footage but the mountings are pain and very expensive and they are quite obtrusive especially on a helmet
but but the drift is much better for easy use with motorbikes imho and the footage quality is very good

will try and post some Drift HD vids in a bit , Jonzi might have some of the same event to give you an idea of difference in quality

[Albie]

http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b423/ukmonster/11006393_1005523576142602_3678111159653720163_n.jp g (http://s1042.photobucket.com/user/ukmonster/media/11006393_1005523576142602_3678111159653720163_n.jp g.html)

For every man who want to miss nothing

[Akita Boy]

^^ funny Albie!

[Albie]

^^ funny Albie!

I thought so. I would still only manage a view of my tank :rolleyes::rolleyes::mand:

[Dirty]

The double housings enable 3D footage to be shot!

[Wasta]

I use a Drift, I like the fact it can be mounted on it's side horizontal or any angle inbetween as the lens turns. The mounts are the same as Go-Pro so you can mix and match.

[Lucas 796]

Just purchased a GoPro Hero4 after loads of looking on websites and looking at different reviews and the rear touch screen on the Hero 4 is the thing that impressed me most. The worst thing in my opinion like been said are the standard mounts not good. Have ordered a decent 1inch Handlebar Mount from RAM Mount UK will see how that performs.