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DJI Action Camera, Video Proc software, and YouTube stuff

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jeffyjeff
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PostPosted: 04:26 - 30 Aug 2022    Post subject: DJI Action Camera, Video Proc software, and YouTube stuff Reply with quote

DISCLAIMER: I am a total neophyte regarding action cams, video editing software, and posting to YouTube. I’ve had my camera about 4 months and I’ve learned a few things about recording video. I’m pretty good at recording a lot of crap; not so good at cutting the crap and posting the good stuff. But I’m learning. I’ve probably learned enough to post something here that may be of interest to some riders; maybe I’m overly confident in that regard. I’m sure if I am, someone here will point that out.

As stated in this post https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=4809462&highlight=#4809462, I initially purchased a Vionmio mini cam to keep an eye on my residence during times when I’m away. It is not high resolution and the recordings when riding are broken and choppy. I enjoyed recording my rides and decided to upgrade the camera; I started researching action cams. A few days poking around the internet and I finally had to decide between a GoPro and the DJI Acton 2. The GoPro has a longer production history and is the better known of the two, but the DJI has a smaller profile and in some ways outperforms the GoPro. I purchased the DJI due to its size and recording capability; this YouTube video ultimately swung the decision in DJI’s favor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNA4i-h9mwk

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52320901611_891398cffe_n.jpg
A clip that came with the Vionmio allows me to attach the DJI to my helmet visor.

THE CAMERA: I paid $339 for the DJI Action2 Power Combo Bundle. The camera measures 39mm square, and comes with an auxiliary power pack (also 39mm square) that extends recording time and has a microSD card slot. I fitted a Samsung EVO 128Gb microSD card which extends total memory from 22.3Gb in the camera to a combined 141.4Gb. My recordings have predominately been with the camera attached to my helmet, as shown above. I do that to minimize the profile when riding through the Moroccan streets.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321210523_6cd885df0e.jpg

The camera can record in resolution of 1080P (pixels), 2.7K 16/9, 2.7K 4/3, 4K 16/9, and 4K 4/3. In 1080P, it can shoot frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60, 100, 120, 200, 240 frames per second (FPS).
In 2.7K and 4K 16/9 resolution, it can record up to 120FPS
In 2.7K and 4K 4/3 resolution, it can record up to 60FPS

Total recording time is affected by resolution and update rate settings. Most of my recordings have been at 1080P / 30 frames per second (FPS), which gives roughly 112 minutes of recording time with the power pack attached. One minor annoyance is that the video has to be manually transferred from the camera to the microSD card. Operating the camera solo gives me about 45 minutes recording time, after which I attach the power pack, recharge, and transfer video to the SD card.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321341610_590f696981.jpg

The camera attaches to the power pack with powerful magnets. I used a generic GoPro kit from Amazon to mount the combo to my handlebars. It looks shaky, but it works. It has held on over potholes, road imperfections and wind blast and hasn’t fallen off yet. All of the video clips in this post were taken with this set up.

VIDEOPROC SOFTWARE: Muddled through the internet for many hours reading reviews of video editing software and watching YouTube tutorials. Tried several, but found them all to be unintuitive and a little beyond my level of expertise. Finally stumbled across the VideoProc site. Easy enough for a dense old Boomer like me; you can trim out the boring parts of your videos, add captions, and string a few together. That’s about all I need. The free version limits you to a 5 minute video. I figure most riders will lose interest before 5 minutes is up, so the free version is what I use.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52320899656_df108eb24a_c.jpg

One thing I found is that you will get a low resolution result regardless of camera settings unless you set the target format properly. For the video clips in this post, I set all three to the 4k setting, even though they were recorded at 1080P, 2.7K and 4K. The software cannot improve the resolution of your recording, but setting it to 4K ensures that I’m sending the best possible quality to YouTube.

YOUTUBE
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321208648_5b1b8f18f9_c.jpg

To view high quality video in YouTube, you may need to adjust the resolution of your playback. To do that, click on the little gear in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. A pop-up window will appear. Select “Quality” to adjust resolution.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52320899676_746437522e_c.jpg

A second, larger pop-up will appear. You can now choose the resolution of the YouTube video display. For evaluating the three attached video clips, I suggest setting the playback to the highest resolution possible.

VIDEO CLIPS: I put together the attached video clips in an effort to evaluate camera performance at some of its resolution and frame rate settings. Each clip has 60 seconds of video at each of the frame rates listed. A watermark in the lower left corner displays the update rate that the camera was set to when recording. Remember to check and adjust the video playback resolution settings when you open the file:

Clip 1 is 1080P resolution and 30FPS, 50FPS, 100FPS, and 200FPS https://youtu.be/Z1X5m8I7964
Clip 2 is recorded at 2K 4:3 resolution at 30FPS, 50FPS, and 60FPS https://youtu.be/m41lk4LJVcQ
Clip 3 is recorded at 4K 4:3 resolution at 30FPS, 50FPS, and 60FPS https://youtu.be/E2GTQu1tHcI

Personally, the higher frame rates don’t do much for me. I cannot really discern a higher quality video at the higher frame rates. I can, however, discern a difference between 1080P, 2.7K and 4K. Stop the video at various points and examine road signs, rocks along the side of the road, other vehicles and trees, and you can see the difference that higher resolution makes to the video.

When you look at the video, remember that the camera is fixed to the handlebar with a cheap Amazon GoPro mount. As you watch the instrument cluster bounce around as the bike rolls down the road, consider that the camera is bouncing right along with the rest of the bike. The DJI image stabilization works really well. Another camera feature of note is the horizon calibration; the camera will record a level horizon even if mounted at an angle.

Video was shot on Mines Road, just south of Livermore California; a popular road for motorcycle riders in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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