Anyone video on their boat? What cameras?

[DanielG]

I love to put together video and I do this at home and upload to YouTube for friends and family. 

    I was thinking I'd like to mount a camera on my boat, or on me. Not sure exactly. My research online shows lots of advice on this. Thing is, the cost factor for something like this is really high just to have a little fun. Right now I do my videoing with a little sony digital. You know the kind everyone used to take on vacation before iphones. (BTW, a phone for this isn't an option for me, I chose to go incognito when I retired just to have some peace.)

Recommendations online are various Gopros, Some Canon and Sony models and such. But, they start at about $300, with what seems like an average of about $600 for what most use. I'm not that serious about it and couldn't justify that cost for my meager fun.

    I've noticed that there are gopro knockoffs that read good on Amazon but I'm willing to bet it's a bunch of loaded reviews.

Has anyone had any success with something, anything, that does a decent job and doesn't break the bank? I figure some real world experiences with some of this equipment from real people would be enough for me to take a chance.

Thanks.

[MN Fisher]

One that gets consistant good reviews - especially for an 'entry level action camera' is the AKASO EK7000. At just over $50, it's the one I got...well two of them...to start my own V-Blogging. A clip mount so I can clip one to the strap of my PFD

 

And a clamp mount that will clamp to my work-table.

I'll be connecting one camera to my main battery through a USB socket and the other will run off a 10,000 mAh power pack in the pocket of my PFD.

 

Total cost...under $150.

[Russ E]

I have a 2 year old go pro hero 3 with a remote control. It works fine, but I wanted a backup.

Lat month I bought the dragontouch vista 5 on amazon for 79.99. it is a nice camera for the price. It comes with 2 batteries with charger, a remote control, and a few other accessories.  It has all of the features of my go pro.The only thing I wish it had was a recording light on the front, like my go pro. the Dragon touch recording light is on the back. I also use the yolotek mount like @A-Jay

[Michigander]

I picked up the Akaso Ek7000 Pro a month ago: https://www.amazon.com/AKASO-Adjustable-Waterproof-Control-Accessories/dp/B07JR1XZ78

 

Didn't break the bank. Won't be able to put it through its paces until the warm times though.

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Michigander said:

I picked up the Akaso Ek7000 Pro a month ago: https://www.amazon.com/AKASO-Adjustable-Waterproof-Control-Accessories/dp/B07JR1XZ78

 

Didn't break the bank. Won't be able to put it through its paces until the warm times though.

Ya, the main difference between the Pro and the standard model is that the Pro has a touch-screen.

[DanielG]

43 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

One that gets consistant good reviews - especially for an 'entry level action camera' is the AKASO EK7000. At just over $50, it's the one I got...well two of them...to start my own V-Blogging. A clip mount so I can clip one to the strap of my PFD

 

Thanks. They have a lot of inexpensive gopro styled cameras. I look at some of the video that people upload to Amazon in the reviews and when I expand it full screen it looks very, very blocky. Maybe it's the best format Amazon allows in their reviews, I don't know. And it's pretty widely known that the reviews are often fake or payed. I'd love to get a camera like this but just wonder it it's legit. Anyone have any video they've uploaded showing what to expect if using this or another gopro knockoff?

 

Addendum to this:

I just thought of going on Amazon and looking at reviewers uploading of video like I did for the AKASO. I guess it's not Amazon. The video, full screen for the Gopro was really good. Every time I look at the less expensive action cams the video is extremely pixelated.... hmmm...

[Michigander]

16 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya, the main difference between the Pro and the standard model is that the Pro has a touch-screen.

Oh, what luxury I have purchased myself. Or torment if I end up hating their touch UI.

[MN Fisher]

22 minutes ago, DanielG said:

Thanks. They have a lot of inexpensive gopro styled cameras. I look at some of the video that people upload to Amazon in the reviews and when I expand it full screen it looks very, very blocky. Maybe it's the best format Amazon allows in their reviews, I don't know. And it's pretty widely known that the reviews are often fake or payed. I'd love to get a camera like this but just wonder it it's legit. Anyone have any video they've uploaded showing what to expect if using this or another gopro knockoff?

This vid has someone who compares the EK7000 to a Go Pro Hero 5. Testing starts at 8:30, conclusions at 14:38. He actually likes it and gives it a good rating for a budget camera.

I don't trust Amazon's ratings or reviews...which is why I look elsewhere for those.

8 minutes ago, Michigander said:

Oh, what luxury I have purchased myself. Or torment if I end up hating their touch UI.

Especially since it's unusable when it's in the waterproof case...

[Bluebasser86]

I've got the Yolotek powerstick and a Garmin Virb that I mount on top of it and run it with a remote that straps on my wrist.

 

 

[Russ E]

9 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've got the Yolotek powerstick and a Garmin Virb that I mount on top of it and run it with a remote that straps on my wrist.

 

 

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I was wondering if your front running lights are on when you have the yolotek powered up. my front lights are built into the boat. I was wondering if leaving them on all day ever runs your battery down?

[Bluebasser86]

9 minutes ago, Russ E said:

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I was wondering if your front running lights are on when you have the yolotek powered up. my front lights are built into the boat. I was wondering if leaving them on all day ever runs your battery down?

No, the switch on my console has the option to run just the back light or both and I have a switch on the front to run just the front or both. So I just run the back light and have never had an issue with it draining power.

[Russ E]

Just now, Bluebasser86 said:

No, the switch on my console has the option to run just the back light or both and I have a switch on the front to run just the front or both. So I just run the back light and have never had an issue with it draining power.

Thanks.

Don't fish in the dark very often. I never paid much attention, mine probably does too.

 

[Dens228]

I wear a GoPro on a hat mount about 75% of my fishing.  I upload some video's to YouTube after some editing but I don't do intros or talk to the camera.  More just for fun.  That's probably why I only have 24 subscribers and around 900 views for about 20 videos!  LOL

I do have some cool slow motion close up action though. 

[DanielG]

9 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

This vid has someone who compares the EK7000 to a Go Pro Hero 5. Testing starts at 8:30, conclusions at 14:38. He actually likes it and gives it a good rating for a budget camera.

I don't trust Amazon's ratings or reviews...which is why I look elsewhere for those.

Especially since it's unusable when it's in the waterproof case...

Thanks, very informative video and it seems legit....

[HenryPF]

Reviewmeta for this camera

 

Meh the non pro version is $50 - seems about right

[kayaking_kev]

I'll share my experience with recording since I'm always recording. First off, I love it, being able to relive those big catches, the wildlife and the odd ball things that we all have happen to us while spending hours out fishing. Especially at this time of year in my neck of the woods when everything is iced over and wanting to fish, it's the next best thing when you can't fish. And, on those big fish catches, it seems the moment goes by so quick and you have to get it back in the water and you wish you could just enjoy it longer.

 

But anyway, I started with a imitation GoPro in 2018 that was like $60, and my youtube videos from that year are filmed with it. It came with a waterproof housing case that it went in which made the microphone useless and the quality a little less. The older GoPro's were the same way, the newer ones are waterproof without a housing case. It was better than nothing, but it did create some artifacts in the video sometimes, especially when it faced into the sun directly. Another problem was that I didn't use a external power bank to power it and only had one battery and it was impossible to find batteries for it online, I tried a few different ones and none worked with it.

 

At the end of 2018, I think around Black Friday, I scored a GoPro Hero 2018 for $130, which is actually a GoPro Hero 5 Black, but with the firmware limited. So, it took me about 30 seconds to flash the firmware over to the Hero 5 and now I have a $300 GoPro with all the same options. My videos on youtube in 2019, all 45+ were recorded with it and the difference was huge. The video quality, the options, voice control, waterproof on it's own, the microphone is really loud, and it's pretty durable as I have dropped it several times now and it still works good. GoPro also has a editor you can use that has some good video filters for colors that I like, like Pro Tune. And GoPro has tons of accessories and attachments for it. If you can find one for a good price, they are worth it.

[RHuff]

Garmin Vibe

[gnappi]

When I go out I have 3 gopro hero 3's. Two on a custom made mount, one on my hat. I keep one dual 18650 battery bank attached to the camera mount and the GoPros are good for many hours of shooting if needed only limited by memory card space.

 

To me that's the greatest strength of the Gopro, being able to power them externally and not rely on the internal battery. 

 

I monitor them and the one on my hat with the Gopro phone app.