07-25-2023 04:33 PM
Anyone think taking photos while biking with your phone is dangerous?
I’m a camera guru and passionate about most forms of biking. I love taking cool photos and posting them to my Strava activity log. But I find phone cameras and other sports cameras on the market to be either dangerous, not cool, or uncomfortable.
Anyone have input on this topic?
07-28-2023 08:18 AM
Photo's look great! Would you use a mounted sports camera instead or are they not really good enough yet?
07-28-2023 10:22 AM
@VikK - The mounted sports cameras are great, but they have their limitations. I currently have a GoPro Hero 10 that I am getting used to using. The video quality is amazing. I still can't figure out how the stabilization is so good when mountain biking. I can have it fixed to my handlebar, yet I can see in the video where the cables and bars come into and out of view by a significant distance despite knowing the camera is moving just as much as they are. The main drawback to it is that it is fixed to one spot with one perspective. I can take photos with it and/or take screen captures from it's feed, but it is only looking one direction and from one elevation. When out biking, I often want to get photos of things off to the side or from a perspective above the trailside brush line. This is where the phone comes in. Many times, I can pull it out of my jersey pocket, take a photo, and put it back without ever even looking at the phone more than a general glance to make sure I am pointing in the right direction. I usually take a number of photos as I move the phone around so I can pick the best one when I have a chance to review them.
07-28-2023 09:50 AM
Thank you. A friend just gifted me a GoPro he never uses, so I'll be trying that out soon on my K-edge handlebar mount -- for videos, not photos though. I'm not a fan of the distortion. I haven't looked into other sports cameras. What do you think of the available options and have you tried any?
08-09-2023 05:43 PM
@Soren I've recently been trying out a Gopro vs an iphone. My main issues I have with the gopro are:
1) if it is helmet mounted it adds significant weight and throws my head off balance - also looks questionable!
2) the process of reviewing photos/videos from the gopro and getting them uploaded to strava is long and cumbersome.
I agree on the fish eye distortion - doesn't look natural. I've tried the "flat" setting on the gopro and find that is fairly good.
07-31-2023 01:38 AM
07-28-2023 05:50 AM
Great photos - once did a MTB through the Saguaro National Park west of Tucson - amazing scenery.
07-28-2023 09:48 AM
Sounds wonderful. I've only been to the eastern Saguaro NP, which was a ridiculously fun but short one way route, much akin to a rollercoaster for bikes. I had never really seen such grandiose cacti before going there, I would love to spend more time in Tucson!
07-26-2023 10:00 AM
Agree with @anchskier : bike handling skills are a big part of this, but so is situational awareness. Are you in a car-free area, with known terrain - or are you mountain biking down a rocky/rutted/twisty trail at high speed?
Safety first (for yourself and all others nearby). I take photos on nearly every ride I'm on, never had any crashes or close calls - never endangered anybody else, as I check and re-check myself and surroundings first, and make sure that I am not putting myself or others in danger.
08-09-2023 05:40 PM
@anchskier and @CreakyCrank thanks for the input! On my rides, I'm always finding spots to take photos and make a snap decision to stop and take a photo or risk trying to take one one handed. Have you ever tried bike mounted or helmet-mounted cameras for taking photos for strava?
07-25-2023 04:46 PM
Like a lot of things, it isn't a simple answer. In my opinion, it depends a great deal on the specific situation and the skill set of the rider.
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