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Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

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Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#131

Post by hacym »

vog wrote: post #75
vog wrote: post #62

From the site: > Range: 10-2,000 ft > Cameras: Supports up to 5-lbs Is this meant to be for the US market only? If not, I'd recommend to provide internationally recognized units (mostly SI units), such as m and kg .

To those who downvoted this: Do you care to explain? What's wrong with criticizing overly US-centric business? In the world wide web, being more international should be good for companies as well as customers. Did I miss something?

I think you miss that most people probably don't see this and say "Damn those US companies for using feet." Get over it?

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#132

Post by biturd »

Seems to me the Lilly is a better product and can do what this one does more or less, check it out, I love it, wish I had the money to get one. They are several discounted if you pre-order, around 600, then almost 1000 when they are officially on sale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWrApA8oRbI

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#133

Post by joshu »

rickr wrote: post #114
joshu wrote: post #103

As a hobby, I drive racecars. I have been thinking about something like this near the track to video me going by. (Far away vantage points look boring.) It seems like for much less than $500 you could build an RPI and just track moving objects via optical flow (assuming you are alone on the track.)

LeMons racer? That's the first application I thought of but when are you ever alone on track? You could throw one or two of these in common passing places and combine that feed with in car video. You could get some really neat video.

SCCA Spec Miata. I rent the track privately sometimes.

This would have been much more exciting if it were closer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfQC0135Vfs

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#134

Post by ntaylor »

biturd wrote: post #132

Seems to me the Lilly is a better product and can do what this one does more or less, check it out, I love it, wish I had the money to get one. They are several discounted if you pre-order, around 600, then almost 1000 when they are officially on sale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWrApA8oRbI

Not sure if it's necessarily better. The Lilly also requires a tag to work, but it can only handle 20 minutes of battery with no way to insert a backup. This is relatively low-tech and seems to be capable of enhancing your existing hardware, rather than replacing it. That's a big win.

Still, the Lilly is really cool.

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#135

Post by Vexs »

StavrosK wrote: post #18
adpd wrote: post #6

From the FAQs: Does SOLOSHOT2 work indoors? Not yet. SOLOSHOT is currently an outdoor only product due to some of the technologies involved. Anybody know why this is the case?

I would theorize that they have GPS in both units, and the tag sends its position to the base. Along with a compass, you can pretty accurately tell where the camera is looking, and you can probably gauge the distance between the tag and camera by the time it takes for the signal to travel to the camera, but I'm not sure how that's useful.

According to some of the amazon reviews, it doesn't work within 50 feet. I suspect it does in fact use GPS, as 50 feet would be far enough that you're going to be somewhere in the frame. Couple that with just measuring the delay time, and possibly a compass or something and you'd end up with what they have.

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#136

Post by Vexs »

StavrosK wrote: post #18
adpd wrote: post #6

From the FAQs: Does SOLOSHOT2 work indoors? Not yet. SOLOSHOT is currently an outdoor only product due to some of the technologies involved. Anybody know why this is the case?

I would theorize that they have GPS in both units, and the tag sends its position to the base. Along with a compass, you can pretty accurately tell where the camera is looking, and you can probably gauge the distance between the tag and camera by the time it takes for the signal to travel to the camera, but I'm not sure how that's useful.

According to some of the amazon reviews, it doesn't work within 50 feet. I suspect it does in fact use GPS, as 50 feet would be far enough that you're going to be somewhere in the frame. Couple that with just measuring the delay time, and possibly a compass or something and you'd end up with what they have.

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#137

Post by nadams »

IanDrake wrote: post #125
monk_e_boy wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We kitesurf and use GoPros, often on tripods on the beach. People come up and take them as soon as we're more than 200m away. It's quite easy for us to spot them, confront them and get it back. But it happens all the time No. 1 rule - don't leave anything of value on the beach.

>People come up and take them as soon as we're more than 200m away. I don't have this problem where I surf, but here's some thoughts I've had about it... - Attach a motion alarm (made for purses and such) that will go off and at least attract attention if someone moves it. - Put a sign on it that says "Do not touch. My buddy is watching this camera." or "Due to recent theft, I have a HIDDEN camera recording this came…

I wonder if you could put up a sign that says:

"If you steal this camera you agree to pay a $200 fine" - just having a sign is a deterrent but not a strong one.

Though, a better idea is to attach a speaker to it and when someone steals it blast vulgar sounds through it like "I'M A MOFO THIEF LOOK AT ME HAHA". I doubt any thief would want attention drawn to what they just did.

I've been wanting to do a social experiment where I leave a laptop out with a GPS tracker and a note with my information and see what happens. My guess will be that many people will attempt to steal it.

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#138

Post by msandford »

cbhl wrote: post #111
ctdonath wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Immediate use: presentations, accurately tracking the speaker without having to hire someone to keep camera on subject the whole time. Even moreso when multiple cameras. Just need one A/V control booth person, much cheaper to buy several of these than hire several cameramen. Think TED Talks, Apple Keynotes, anything fairly big-budget where chasing the random motions of the speaker just doesn't look on par with the mo…

Except this product is outdoor-only.

Care to explain? Does it have a GPS that makes it stop working when it gets inside?

Re: Soloshot: Automatically film outdoor activities without a camera operator

#139

Post by monk_e_boy »

usaphp wrote: post #122
monk_e_boy wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We kitesurf and use GoPros, often on tripods on the beach. People come up and take them as soon as we're more than 200m away. It's quite easy for us to spot them, confront them and get it back. But it happens all the time No. 1 rule - don't leave anything of value on the beach.

What do this people say in their defense when you find them?

Usually they look guilty as hell, then cobble together something like "Oh, I was going to hand it in to the lifeguards." ... yeah, right. It's always adults too.

Don't get me started about dog owners letting dogs piss on our bags and clothes and cameras.

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