Mobius ActionCam

[GrussGott]

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As I'm preparing for my Euro Delivery I've been looking at video options ... I've considered:

* Sony's AS100V due to its image stabilization, low light perf, et al
* GoPro Hero 4, but it's not out until Oct
* GoPro 3 Silver

Then I ran across the Mobius - $80!

But it must suck then right? Well it looks pretty damn good (see the video). It does have one gotcha - the catch is, it doesn't come with anything including even a manual, but all that stuff is available online. So if you're willing to do a little research it seems like a stellar option for the price ...

So good it might be worth buying 3 - you can set them to auto-start/stop via power so I'm thinking I can just plug / unplug them. Plus if I lose one, not a big deal. Anyway I bought one and am going to video a canyon run and see how it goes. Review here:

[kinimod]

That's really interesting. Thanks for sharing. It actually seems to have features that GoPro doesn't.

But it looks like it can't stabilize the image as well as GoPro. It's more shaky, isn't it? I wonder if it produces a less thrilling image then particularly for fast car driving.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by kinimod

That's really interesting. Thanks for sharing. It actually seems to have features that GoPro doesn't.

But it looks like it can't stabilize the image as well as GoPro. It's more shaky, isn't it? I wonder if it produces a less thrilling image then particularly for fast car driving.

Neither have image stabilization so should be equal there... There are a few mobius race videos out there and they're no different from the gopro, I'll post them tomorrow. Thing is for $240 you can buy three of them, sync the recording by just starting the car, and build a pretty cool video. 1080p30 is all I'll ever need from a cam so why pay for all the extras? Plus the thing is light as hell so i'd think easier to stabilize.

If the 4 gets good reviews I may get that later but I'm betting these will work just fine for way less.

[Dinh335]

I'd say go pro hero 3 black edition. I know the mobius is cheaper, but you get so much flex with the go pro, and even if the 4 comes out the 3 is still a capable companion and can work with most of the mounts, casings etc...i find there's nothing wrong with owning more than 1 go pro.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Dinh335

I'd say go pro hero 3 black edition. I know the mobius is cheaper, but you get so much flex with the go pro, and even if the 4 comes out the 3 is still a capable companion and can work with most of the mounts, casings etc...i find there's nothing wrong with owning more than 1 go pro.

Ok but what is the argument for spending $400 vs $80?

• I will only be shooting 1080p30 for driving video
• Picture quality seems equal and I actually like the white balance of the Mobius better
• For car use the Mobius seems WAY better since it's smaller and lighter, has mounts for, say, the visor and weighs less so should be less susceptible to vibration and jitter

The only possible reasons I could see is if I wanted 4k or 60ffs (which I don't since I have a canon 6d)

Because the mobius is so small and light you can make any mount you want ... check out this vibration-eliminator made with 2 plastic plates and 4 foam ear plugs:

[Dinh335]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Ok but what is the argument for spending $400 vs $80?

• I will only be shooting 1080p30 for driving video
• Picture quality seems equal and I actually like the white balance of the Mobius better
• For car use the Mobius seems WAY better since it's smaller and lighter, has mounts for, say, the visor and weighs less so should be less susceptible to vibration and jitter

The only possible reasons I could see is if I wanted 4k or 60ffs (which I don't since I have a canon 6d)

Because the mobius is so small and light you can make any mount you want ... check out this vibration-eliminator made with 2 plastic plates and 4 foam ear plugs:

its' def cool- not arguing at all (probably pick one up for fun)

as far as price diff, I'd say the go pro offers just more mount support, without the need to make em, it's waterproof, can offer time lapse bursts photo (3 frames ps) which you can do some sweet stuff with, and I'd obviously argue the sensor is clearly better in the lens.

Some other thoughts are just day to day simplicity, if you're at the track in the morning and head to the beach the same day for surfing, you're not gonna want to make a mount. Or if you go mountain biking, or want to strap it on your helmet on your motorcycle. the go pro just has all that stuff already ready an proven.

also go pro can be hooked up to a real lcd monitor, you can control it wirelessly thru wifi and use it as a live camera in TV environments if needed etc.

In short, its just a bit more pro than say the mobius which is a bit more everyday imho.

60fps is really cool and filmic on a go pro pending proper lighting and it is def stable. it's the most affordable camera that has "oozed" into real production world because of this so I think 399 is a small price to pay for it.

Also it can shoot upside down, (be 'upside down on a mount but shoot right side up) etc multiple frame modes (4k, 720, etc) which sound like frivolous features but nonetheless it's cool. Also the m3 i drive go pro thing is sweet... sure you can work around it on another cam, but the ease and simplicity of it is what makes it perfect.

To me comparing these too is no different than saying why use a film camera when an DSLR can shoot 1080p, or when my iPhone can shoot 1080p. Not saying you are doing that, just offering my point of opinion.

I end by saying i don't think it'd hurt to have a mixture of both.

[savaho]

Get the Mobius if you're not a videophile. It's a great camera that cannot be beat on price for the quality. I used to spend tons of money on gopros and accessories and they all ended up sitting on my shelf and I never really, IMO, achieved the quality that I expected for the price I paid. Think of the mobius as a disposable camera that you wouldn't lose sleep over if you lost it. I used to use my mobius for my bike. As with everything, the novelty of it wore off.

[GBPackerfan1963]

Originally Posted by savaho

Get the Mobius if you're not a videophile. It's a great camera that cannot be beat on price for the quality. I used to spend tons of money on gopros and accessories and they all ended up sitting on my shelf and I never really, IMO, achieved the quality that I expected for the price I paid. Think of the mobius as a disposable camera that you wouldn't lose sleep over if you lost it. I used to use my mobius for my bike. As with everything, the novelty of it wore off.

I know exactly where you are.

[ciaranob]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

As I'm preparing for my Euro Delivery I've been looking at video options ... I've considered:

* Sony's AS100V due to its image stabilization, low light perf, et al
* GoPro Hero 4, but it's not out until Oct
* GoPro 3 Silver

Then I ran across the Mobius - $80!

But it must suck then right? Well it looks pretty damn good (see the video). It does have one gotcha - the catch is, it doesn't come with anything including even a manual, but all that stuff is available online. So if you're willing to do a little research it seems like a stellar option for the price ...

So good it might be worth buying 3 - you can set them to auto-start/stop via power so I'm thinking I can just plug / unplug them. Plus if I lose one, not a big deal. Anyway I bought one and am going to video a canyon run and see how it goes. Review here:

Very cool - think I am sold! Good catch.

[GrussGott]

Links!

You can buy all the starter kits here or Amazon of course

Accessories, mounts, waterproof case etc here and here

Windows Software here (for Macs you can just mess with the simple config file or dual boot

Car cam forum for Mobius here

Android apps here

Instructions here

For delivery I'm thinking I"m just going to tape the thing to one of the bows on my glasses with gaffer's tape. It will look a tad dorky but I'll overcome that by throwin down some donuts in the Welt parking lot.

[GrussGott]

How to make your own safety tethers:

[DieGrüneHölle]

Hmm...this camera looks legit for the price.

But not sure about the tether. Seems like the camera could do some damage at high speeds (flopping around in the wind). Would rather just lose a mobius, than get some dents in the door panel.

[GBPackerfan1963]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

How to make your own safety tethers:

Just imagine if you made it a tad too long and now it's bouncing off of the pavement smacking the side of you new F8X.

[GrussGott]

Dude racing an e30? crashes and the mobius seems rock solid:

[DieGrüneHölle]

^
Spec E30...so want.

[GrussGott]

Waterproof case for the Mobius:

[GrussGott]

Well I got my $79 Mobius and I"m pretty impressed - I expected it to feel all cheap and crappy but it's actually really nice - it has a surprisingly sturdy feel and it's got a nice rubberized coating like my Nexus 5. It's going right on the charger and then for some road tests in a few days.

Here's what you get for $79:



(the chap stick is mine)

[savaho]

Don't forget to focus it. I thought it was already focused OTB but I was wrong.

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Well I got my $79 Mobius and I"m pretty impressed - I expected it to feel all cheap and crappy but it's actually really nice - it has a surprisingly sturdy feel and it's got a nice rubberized coating like my Nexus 5. It's going right on the charger and then for some road tests in a few days.

Here's what you get for $79:



(the chap stick is mine)

Thanks for sharing this info and the links. I'm tempted. Which camera did you get - the regular or wide-angle?

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by savaho

Don't forget to focus it. I thought it was already focused OTB but I was wrong

Great tip! Do you have the standard or wide angle? I started with standard as I hate the fish-eye effect.

[savaho]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Great tip! Do you have the standard or wide angle? I started with standard as I hate the fish-eye effect.

I have the wide angle lens. Funny thing is after seeing this thread I've started using the camera again. Go figure.

[Sir Loin]

Where is the best place to mount this cam? Is there a power cable that is thin enough so that I can route it between gaps down to the power outlet that is under the glovebox on the passenger side?

EDIT: Never mind, I ended up ordering a mini 803. I think it has a better mounting option for cars and it has a GPS logger.