Setting up my Go Pro's point of view

[ahansen60]

I have only used my go pro a few times, but I have been frustrated to get back from a bike ride and see that the whole time it was pointed too far down, or too far up etc. I have the original Hero which does not let me see the current view on my phone like the new ones do. I know they make the little screen that attaches to the back so you can see recorded video, but that does me no good because I would have to change the camera's position in order to get it out of the clear case to put the screen on. One option i thought might work, and was hoping maybe someone on here has tried, is to put the eye fi sd card into it and be able to transmit the video directly to my phone to see if it is shooting at the right angle. Anybody tried this? Any other tips on setting it up right?

[Glenn]

This tip is so simple, you won't believe you never tried it before.

I presume you're using a helmet mount; I use a headstrap mount. After effing-up several hiking videos just like you described (ex., a gorgeous set of videos of the sky while I climbed Angel's Landing in 2012), I finally figured how to resolve this without needing the LCD bacpac (which I also own).
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A pocket mirror.

Any cheap plastic mirror will work; I use my signal mirror. Hold the mirror at arms length and face the mirror. Without moving your head, look at the GoPro camera and pay close attention to the angle of the top and bottom of the case.

If the top and bottom seem even - that is, the camera looks like it's pointing directly at you - then the camera is probably too low (maybe 20 degrees). Tilt the camera up so that the top appears flat (you can't see the top of the case). That roughly gets the camera in-line with your head.

Ideally, you should try this at home a few times, adjusting the camera each time and noting its appearance in the mirror and the resulting video taken. You'll eventually find the ideal angle to see in the mirror each time.

[ahansen60]

No I usually use the chesty mount. Thanks for the mirror tip! I'll give that a try.

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[Sombeech]

Do you have a frame from your video so we could see how low it's pointing?

The biggest tip I can give you while shooting from the Chesty mount, is to turn the camera upside down. When it's right side up, you "max out" your vertical angle against the mount itself and you usually end up with footage of your top tube, which usually gives your audience motion sickness because they can't anticipate where the trail is going to go.

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But if you flip the camera upside down, you get all that forward rotation and can even point the camera as far up so it films your face.

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You'll need to flip it while editing, of course, but nowadays Windows Live Movie Maker senses that the footage is upside down and already flips it.

Then your frame looks more like this, your target footage should have your hands right at the bottom of the frame:

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[Sombeech]

So, before you ride, and you're sitting upright in your seat, the camera should be pointing up at probably a 30 degree angle. Then when you're leaning forward on the ride, especially going downhill, the camera is angled above your handlebars.

[Glenn]

Good point about the angle changing from standing to ride position. Seems like the best solution in the end is to do some tests at different angles and check the video results. Maybe, after determining the best angle, you could make a small wooden wedge that matches the angle of the camera case to the mount and use that for future filming.

[ahansen60]

Hey I really like the wedge idea. I'm sure as I do more and more filming with it, I'll get better at judging the angle, but me being a perfectionist i'd like to have a way to make sure it's perfect before every ride. :) Thanks for your tips Sombeech, a friend told me a while back to shoot it upside down, and you can actually set the camera to upside down mode so that you don't have to flip it in editing. Here is how my recent attempt ended up:

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On all the downhill sections (which are the parts I want filmed the most) it is pointing too low. Handlebars are about mid-frame. I still need to point higher than I thought to keep them to the bottom of the frame when standing on the bike.

[ahansen60]

Here is my video i'm referring to. It's from the Slickrock Trail by Moab. I just recorded it this last weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZAPiTU0Tbg

It's my best attempt yet, but as you said Sombeech, it makes me a little woozy with the low angle. Lol.

[Sombeech]

Sorry, so did you say you are already mounting it upside down?

The main thing I do is lean forward on my bike as if I'm riding, and I look down at the camera to make sure it's level, even pointing up hill just a bit if any.