Originally Posted by topgearuk

Just ordered mine from internet-shop 365!

What memory cards are people using?

Transcend Class 6, any size. 4GB is good for about 1-1/4 hours of video with my camera, which records at about 7000 kbps average. For those whose HD key cam records at 10000 kbps average for some reason, slightly under 1 hour.

[QUOTE=Tom Frank;17097195]

Originally Posted by clx1

...
I have also asked My Camera Guy about the two different battery wire termination schemes, and why the two different methods. It may be something simple, like one way is easier or faster to do without risking accidentally shorting the battery wires during soldering (mine are very close together and could be easily bridged with solder if not careful)! If you look closely, both schemes terminate the wires in about the same location, just on opposite sides of the circuit board, and those points may have continuity through the board.

Here's an update on this battery wire termination question. I was close... it's really a simple explanation... some batteries came with shorter wires on them, so they apparently adapted to the problem until they could correct it, with no difference in performance. Here's the email exchange with My Camera Guy:
================================================== =====================
[I]A new question has come up in my thread about the battery wire connections to the circuit board. A number of us have opened our cameras to fine tune the lens focus, and we notice two different ways of connecting the battery wires to the circuit board. Mine has them both soldered side by side next to the lens and USB plug. Others have the red wire going through a hole in the circuit board soldered to a component on the opposite side near the large RAM chip, with the black wire soldered to one leg on the reset switch.

Can you tell us why the difference?
================================================== ========================
Dear friend,
thanks for your reply, i would like to tell you that do not worry about it, the function will not impact, as the wire have not enough longer to connect the circuit. so through the hole soldered on the opposite side near the large RAM chip, thanks for your reply.
hope you do not worry about it.
May you a wonderful day

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

The lens focus is good, but it DOES need a different lens for AV video. Great picture quality, but I can't stand the way that fisheye lens distorts the horizon... very distracting and unnatural to me. Put a lens on it with less distortion, and it's golden (but still pricey!)

Yes, that fisheye is a little disturbing at times. Looks like you are in orbit

But if you shoot in 1080, the FOV goes from 170 degrees down to 127 and the effect is almost completely gone.

Doug

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

Transcend Class 6, any size. 4GB is good for about 1-1/4 hours of video with my camera, which records at about 7000 kbps average. For those whose HD key cam records at 10000 kbps average for some reason, slightly under 1 hour.

The maximum battery duration on the cam yields two files - one just under 1600MB (!) and another just under 1100MB. Time duration is 20 minutes on the nose for the first one and about 15 minutes for the second and last one. So the total battery-limited duration is about 35 minutes - as least for me.

The scene I tested this on was mostly static so the H.264 codec should have yielded smaller files, like Tom's 7000kbps which would figure to be about 1025MB, but no. However, I do notice darker scenes yield smaller files. Therefore, even at a much higher recording bitrate I've never had to use a larger card than 4GB. And the 4GB card I use is only Class 2. I tried a 16GB Class 10 card in it and the difference in scenes with motion under even very marginal lighting conditions cannot be easily detected.

FWIW.

clx1

I bought my HD Keychain from internetpro365. It came without memory. So I used the SanDisk2GB that came with my standard definition Keychain. But I don't get any pictures or vdeos.
1. Charges OK
2. Turns on OK
3. Flasses 3 time and turns dark for videos, stops with one more click.
4. Doesn't flash with a short pulse for pics.
5. Mount on PC, get DCIM/100Media but no contents
6. If I format the microdisc it erases the folders. After operating the camera DCIm/100Media are back but no contents.
7. Is the old memory card too slow? or???

Originally Posted by djdavid60

Yes, that fisheye is a little disturbing at times. Looks like you are in orbit

But if you shoot in 1080, the FOV goes from 170 degrees down to 127 and the effect is almost completely gone.

Doug

I had read that about the reduced AOV and distortion, but it seems all the posted vids I've looked at go for the wider AOV. Maybe you can post one here with the less distortion seeting?

Originally Posted by clx1

The maximum battery duration on the cam yields two files - one just under 1600MB (!) and another just under 1100MB. Time duration is 20 minutes on the nose for the first one and about 15 minutes for the second and last one. So the total battery-limited duration is about 35 minutes - as least for me.

The scene I tested this on was mostly static so the H.264 codec should have yields smaller files, like Tom's 7000kbps, but no. However, I do notice darker scenes yield smaller files. Therefore, I've never had to use a larger card than 4GB. And the 4GB card I use is only Class 2. I tried a 16GB Class 10 card in it and the difference in scenes with motion under even very marginal lighting conditions cannot be easily detected.

FWIW.

clx1

I've gotten more than two 20 min. clips on mine before the battery craps out. Both full clips were exactly 20 min. to the second. Battery capacity or charge state seems to vary on these little cams quite a bit. With the external battery now available, recording times can be very long (e.g. 5-6 hours).

Originally Posted by slacsteve

I bought my HD Keychain from internetpro365. It came without memory. So I used the SanDisk2GB that came with my standard definition Keychain. But I don't get any pictures or vdeos.
1. Charges OK
2. Turns on OK
3. Flasses 3 time and turns dark for videos, stops with one more click.
4. Doesn't flash with a short pulse for pics.
5. Mount on PC, get DCIM/100Media but no contents
6. If I format the microdisc it erases the folders. After operating the camera DCIm/100Media are back but no contents.
7. Is the old memory card too slow? or???

VERY strange. Even a slow card should record SOME video/sound.

Can you copy files onto the card when the camera is connected as a flash drive on your PC?

If so, does the camera work in web cam mode on your PC?

If so, try a different memory card just to rule out a card problem.

Report back what you find.

I have ordered a class 6 micro sd card. I have only the one unknown speed card.

Yes indeed I can copy a word document on to the memory and lo and behold the next time I try to make a movie it works. Then if I remove the word document it doesn't work. So it's a small price to pay for getting it to work. But I now have videos.

Other anomalies (features?):

1. After turn on the shortest push of the small button I get three flashes and dark - movies mode. There is no opportunity to take jpgs which is supposed to be a short pulse as it goes immediately into movie mode.

2. I did manage to get a jpg by pushing the large button after turn on, got the flash. But would not go into movie mode until I turned it off and back on again.

3. It will only take one movie and then I terminate. After that it will not start another movie or jpg until after I turn it off with the big button.

4. After all that sort of success I erae everything - nothing works.

5. Put the word file back, took 3 movies in a row, but no jpgs.

I'll try the faster memory card next week and report.

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

The lens focus is good, but it DOES need a different lens for AV video. Great picture quality, but I can't stand the way that fisheye lens distorts the horizon... very distracting and unnatural to me. Put a lens on it with less distortion, and it's golden (but still pricey!)

The ZxD is lighter and way cheaper (when on sale, which is quite often). It runs at 60FPS. Couple of frame grabs from today, flown on a 2m glider. I know this is OT, but I had really hoped the new keyfobs would use this technology

Originally Posted by victapilot

The ZxD is lighter and way cheaper (when on sale, which is quite often). It runs at 60FPS. Couple of frame grabs from today, flown on a 2m glider. I know this is OT, but I had really hoped the new keyfobs would use this technology

I looked up ZxD and found this Kodak camera for $100 and 3.6 ounces without battery. Do you have link to the lighter ZxD you allude to in your post?

Originally Posted by slacsteve

I have ordered a class 6 micro sd card. I have only the one unknown speed card.

Yes indeed I can copy a word document on to the memory and lo and behold the next time I try to make a movie it works. Then if I remove the word document it doesn't work. So it's a small price to pay for getting it to work. But I now have videos.

Other anomalies (features?):

1. After turn on the shortest push of the small button I get three flashes and dark - movies mode. There is no opportunity to take jpgs which is supposed to be a short pulse as it goes immediately into movie mode.

2. I did manage to get a jpg by pushing the large button after turn on, got the flash. But would not go into movie mode until I turned it off and back on again.

3. It will only take one movie and then I terminate. After that it will not start another movie or jpg until after I turn it off with the big button.

4. After all that sort of success I erae everything - nothing works.

5. Put the word file back, took 3 movies in a row, but no jpgs.

I'll try the faster memory card next week and report.

Sure sounds like something is up with the memory card! That's a strange one though...

For taking pictures and movies:

Quick press of the power button turns the camera on, and shortly after the LED lights it will blink once. It's in movie mode, this is default when it's powered up. A quick press of the small button will start recording a movie, the LED will flash a few times then go dark while it records. Quick press the small button again, and it stops recording and the LED comes on again. It's still in movie mode, and you should be able to record another movie. While it's in movie mode (and not recording), quick press the larger power button to switch to picture mode. It will blink the LED once to confirm that it changed modes. Now a quick press of the small button takes a picture, and the LED blinks once when it takes it. (I say blinks, it goes dark for about 1/2 a second) You can now quick press the large button to go back to movie mode, or hold down the large button until the LED switches off the turn the camera off.

Originally Posted by Prof100

I looked up ZxD and found this Kodak camera for $100 and 3.6 ounces without battery. Do you have link to the lighter ZxD you allude to in your post?

That's it! I was comparing with the weight quoted for the Gopro back here

I paid $69, less a $10 coupon.

I have a POS Kingston 2GB and its work fine.....I plan on getting a higher class card but this one works for now

Originally Posted by KeithLuneau

Sure sounds like something is up with the memory card! That's a strange one though...

For taking pictures and movies:

Quick press of the power button turns the camera on, and shortly after the LED lights it will blink once. It's in movie mode, this is default when it's powered up. A quick press of the small button will start recording a movie, the LED will flash a few times then go dark while it records. Quick press the small button again, and it stops recording and the LED comes on again. It's still in movie mode, and you should be able to record another movie. While it's in movie mode (and not recording), quick press the larger power button to switch to picture mode. It will blink the LED once to confirm that it changed modes. Now a quick press of the small button takes a picture, and the LED blinks once when it takes it. (I say blinks, it goes dark for about 1/2 a second) You can now quick press the large button to go back to movie mode, or hold down the large button until the LED switches off the turn the camera off.

I really struggled with the right button dance for stills, too... took me a while to figure it out. I need to get some FAQ links to your web cam button dance tips, too.

Or, if you had the time, maybe you could gather your web cam procedure and this video/picutre procedure into one new post, and I could just link to the one page to clarify all this in one place?