Inspired by various and sundry videos, I decided to make yet one more. I did a simple right turn onto a seven lane arterial and then through an intersection. It reminded me that I really need to get some improved software and a proper way to mount the camera. Still, despite the apparent swerves (I held the camera in my right hand so I appear to swerve right whenever I signal a rightward movement), it shows that intersections are not really a big deal. The intersection in question, however, gets much more plugged up on weekday afternoons. That makes it no more difficult to get through the intersection, but the initial turn on to Central can take a while to allow for a gap in traffic
8 hours ago
8 comments:
I think you should invest in a GoPro camera with a helmet mount. A helmet mount would allow us to see exactly what you are looking at (head checks etc.).
I'm impressed!
I expected some huffing and a puffing.
Maybe you should try taking the video BEFORE drinking coffee?
Actually, RTP may have a good idea to go with a helmet-mounted camera. The very few videos I've taken have been quite jerky also. It'd probably be safer to have both hands in traffic like that also.
:-)
See that road you are on- I call that a highway. egads!
Steve, what camera are you using? Would you recommend it? I thinking (again) of getting into the video thing.
Mamavee
Did you notice that wide shared bicycle/car lane he was in? The Dallas/Ft Worth area has 'em all over.
Cycling is great here!
Actually, that is a typical NE Tarrant County bike lane that motorists are allowed to use when I'm not around. It is not safe for anyone on a bike to try to share with any vehicle other than perhaps a motorcycle. Most motorists get the concept better than the typical person on a bike. I have never been harassed at this intersection, though as I'll explain in a future post, I sometimes elect to make like a pedestrian here.
My Contour camera did not come with a handlebar or vented helmet mount, but I modified the ski-goggle strap mount to serve on both my helmet and my handlebars.
A small, light camera make a surprisingly noticeable weight on the helmet. Also, it takes some fiddling to get it aimed right. I discovered I spend a lot of time looking at the lane in front of me for things to avoid. If I aim the camera where I'm looking I get fascinating shots of the pavement much of the time. If I angle the camera up so its field extends more to the scenery and less to the road immediately in front of me, it aims skyward when I sit up to look around.
My last set of videos I shot from my improvised handlebar mount. The field then was more consistently on the action, though the POV was lower than my eyeballs. Something in the arrangement rattles constantly, so I have to either fine tune the rig or buy the proper bracket at retail (shudder).
The wide angle lens made my roads seem much wider, the buildings lower and farther back and the sky bigger. The same effect makes a close pass by a motor vehicle look like no big thing. It also flattened out the hills. I thought I'd been magically transported to the midwest.
Even if I had better video capability I would tend to avoid using them unless they illustrate something important or very entertaining, because they take a long time to load on some people's computers. Blogs with lots of videos, photos and links take more time to load, reducing a potential reader's time and enthusiasm to stay and poke around.
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No Need for Non-Robot proof here!