I shoot concerts. Right now, I am using five cameras - a Canon XH-A1, 3 Canon HF-S100s and a Canon HF200. But I recently edited a shoot that used a mixture of DSLRs and GoPro Heros. In this video, the three still shots - from between the toms of one drum kit, end of the keyboard and overhead of the second drum kit. I was surprised how well the GoPro Heros matched the much more expensive DSLR cameras.
I’m thinking about getting one or two of these for the always difficult drum shots. My question is about how well they work in low light settings. I wish I had good lighting, but I’m generally limited to what is available at the venue. Virtually all the GoPro Hero footage I can find on-line is outdoor sports footage, which does me no good. Has anyone used one like I’d like to? If you look through my channel to get an idea what my shooting environment is like.
I have a Hero2 which I mostly use outdoors, but I’ve been satisfied with the results it gives indoors, with normal lighting. I’ll note that I haven’t tried it in truly low light, so I can’t say how that would work.
I’d be using it on a stage, aimed at the drummer or keyboard player - basically those players who are all too often blocked by other musicians. The low light issue is that too many clubs have poorly aimed lighting that leaves the drummer in the dark. I have rarely been given the opportunity to re-aim any of the lighting, and the human eye is vastly more forgiving of poor lighting than any camera.
Here’s an example video. In this one, the lead singer is well lit, the bass and guitar players have a much lower light level and the drummer is pretty much in the dark. I have to constantly ride the iris on my close-up camera. It’s not as if I am trying to capture people via candlelight, I’m just trying to get something decent in less than perfect conditions.
I use my HD hero for on bike footage. Haven’t tried it in really poor light conditions. But I was pleasantly surprised at its light gathering and ability to provide clear bright scenes even when passing in and out of heavy shadow on forest roads. If you like I can take some test footage with really low light.
Problem is that when going past 100mph, I feel too much pressure on my helmet and I fear the VHB tape adhesive won’t hold and the camera will go flying!
Anyone has experience with this camera mounting technique and high speeds?
why not use one of those expanding / adjustable belts, like on a frog light?
PS I can’t imagine driving my Harley over 100. Took it out yesterday, strong cross winds, max I felt safe at was 65. 70 is tops for me, even thou it will hit 100.
From what I understand, the HD Hero 3 White model has the same image chip as the HD Hero 2.
Since my original post, I bought a pair of HD Hero 2 cameras with Wi-Fi BacPac modules. I haven’t used them for a concert yet, but I’ve done a few tests and it looked decent. I’m anxiously awaiting the software update that will allow me to link multiple cameras to a wireless network, rather than the current one camera/one viewing device wi-fi system. I have built cables and power supplies so I can power both cameras off AC and not be limited to the battery life in the cameras and BacPacs.