Wind noise on camcorder

[Rockdoc]

I have fitted a RAM Mount to the clutch master-cylinder so that I can video some of the routes we'll be riding in northern Spain in a couple of weeks, especially the roads between San Vicente de la Barquera to Riaño and then back over the Picos Europas to Gijón, which is supposed to be one of the best biking roads in Europe. I have an ancient (well, year 2000!) Panasonic NV-DS11B mini-DV camcorder, which is a chunky beast but has great optics and I haven't felt any great need to upgrade yet. I wasn't expecting it to work very well with the RAM Mount because of its weight but I took it out this afternoon and it's not bad at all.

The problem is the wind roar. If it have it set to point alongside the screen, even with the "wind cut" feature activated anything over about 20mph is completely masked. If I mount the camera so that it points through the screen then the sound's pretty good but the video's not so great. Watching the video I shot, my wife preferred the shot alonsgide the windscreen and suggested I mute the sound but she then agreed that having no sound and not being able to hear the engine note change lost some of the context and spoiled the experience.

The camera has a microphone socket - 3.5mm by the looks of it - so I could, I guess, fit something like a clip-on microphone you'd use on someone's tie and fasten it to my jacket so that the view is unobstructed but the sound is usable. Anyone else used a similar dodge or am I barking up the wrong tree, as usual?

Keith

[mtrevelino]

I do not have a video camera, but most people insert a music file as background sound. I do not think that you will get much sound from the engine even without the road noise.

[Rockdoc]

The video editing software I use does allow mp3s to be inserted and I shall do that but the engine note was surprisingly clear when the camera was behind the windscreen and we both thought it added to the atmosphere. I have it in mind to use music for the easier-going parts of the ride and let the engine come through on the twisty bits. I didn't intend to edit today's video as it was just a test run but I'll sort something out and post it somewhere in the next day or so.

Keith

[Rockdoc]

This shows the difference:

http://media.putfile.com/Video-test-on-K1200LT

Keith

[scottydawg]

Time for some new video software :)

[Rockdoc]

Why? What's wrong with it? It was only done as a rough cut to demonstrate the difference between having the microphones in the airstream or behind the screen. I did it using Nero v8, which is a lot simpler than my usual software - Pinnacle Studio, and I thought it served its purpose. What don't you like?

Keith

[scottydawg]

Keith I was just kidding around with you because I thought you said the software you use doesn't allow you to add mp3s. My mistake for the mis-read and I'm sorry about that. I do a bit of video editing too BTW, mostly using Adobe Premiere but I am starting to use Final Cut.

[Rockdoc]

No problem, Scott. I hadn't looked at the video after I uploaded it to Putfile so my first thought was that it had got corrupted. Beyond that, I'm always open to constructive criticism so if there had been anything that really grated on other people I would have been glad to hear it.

Keith

[simoncharles]

A new thread has been started about camcorders just above. Could be interesting.
Has yours got image stabalization ?.
Do you use ear plugs or what we have heard on the film is what you hear yourself ?.
Not critisizing, but that was brave of you to pull out at the same time a large vehicle was approaching with nothing behind it for some distance.

[Rockdoc]

The camera does have IS and I had it turned on. You can see the effect in the second section in which screen support moves very little, which shows how well the RAM Mount suports the camera and how rough our lesser roads are becoming. :( I use ear-plugs on long runs but not for up to about 20 miles so I can hear the engine quite a lot of the time. Whether it goes back to my early days of British bikes without a rev counter I don't know but I do like to hear what the engine's doing and drive by that a lot of the time.

The start of the second section doesn't show the clown to my left who was creeping forward and getting closer, making me nervous. I don't think it was a brave move - there's very good visibility around that junction - but I'll admit I was anxious to get moving and went earlier than I normally would have done.

Keith