what is a lipstick cam and how much does it cost

[scruffy]

I hope a park does not find out or their will be no test. Now if you where with the media I bet the park would let you. I talked to the guys that did the POVs for the Discory shows they had their camera some what like yours. I know the guys rent their cameras and lights out but, its not cheap and if you brake it you have to repair it or buy them a new one.

[CoasterEricHP]

Ride ops may give you permission, but most parks that is still breaking the rules.

what if the ride op says no but the manager guy or what ever says yes?

 

I used to work on Dueling Dragons so I can tell u how IOA, USF, and probably most large parks operate..

 

First off.. if a ride-op says no.. a manager isnt going to say yes. Because its usually policy, and its a HUGEE safety issue. A manager better not bend the rules for a random guest.. if he/she would then their management career would end really quick!

 

At Dragons we were asses to people with cameras. The worst were cell phone cameras that we'd tell people to put away in the station and sure enough.. 99% of the time they had them out going past the control booth and then they become mine until they talk to security to get them back.

 

Video Camera's were even worse. We just would send them back down to the lockers, but again.. most of the time we "red flag" the person and sureee enough.. they try to be sneaky which doesnt work and then I enjoy their camera while they deal with security.

 

At Dragons we had to be extremely cautious with people because if u drop a 2lb camera on the coaster at a duel point.. its gonna cause some serious damage to someone.. or something. It was bad enough when it would rain loose change on people under Ice's Cobra Roll!

 

I would just be really cautious about trying to get onride video... you dont want to catch a ride crew on a bad day! I have some goood stories to tell about dumb guests.. I'll catch up with that tomorrow on another post.

 

Eric

Here's a cool non onride shot tho

[robbalvey]

Here's the thing I don't get - Why do people want to bother in the first place?

 

99% of the "Awesome POV" I download is pure crap! It's shakey, mostly pointed at anything BUT the track, etc....

 

Most people just don't have the right equipment nor do they have the experience shooting onrides. And just a DV cam that you pick up at Best Buy does NOT cut it!

 

So you've risked your day at a park for some crappy footage? I just don't get it.

 

--Robb "Who has spent THOUSANDS on equipment over the years." Alvey

[Meteornotes]

^ I was just about to post this. I don't get the obsession people have over having to get POV. I really don't. Can someone explain it to me? If you want to make a coaster video, you can make an AWESOME one without POV! I know, I've seen them. Hell, I've made them! The video I won with in the ACE video contest had ZERO POV in it. Hell, it hardly had any ride footage in it! But what it didn't have in POV, it made up for in my bizarre sense of humor and the way I see things. Do that instead, find something unique about the park you're visiting, or photograph things in a different way. If you want to put up pictures on a web site, there are plenty of interesting angles you can get photos of rides without being on them.

 

Like Robb said, most POV sucks anyway. It really looks like crap unless you are very experienced with a camera and have the right equipment. Instead of worrying about getting POV, why not just put your own personality into your videos/photos, and make them stand out that way? Unless you're a professional videographer and are going to sink thousands into equipment and stuff, why bother trying to do something that you're likely not going to be allowed to do anyway?

 

If someone can explain the POV obsession, I'd love to hear it...

 

dt

[Dr Freeze]

i found some really good stuff at spy ware stores.but they all have to be hooked to a monitor.

 

i am looking for something small and un-noticable under $200 and wire-less.

 

I did some searching for wireless spy ware items...

 

It's not very small, but it's definitely covert. They'll never suspect its a camera. Just tell the ride ops you constantly need to know what time it is.

 

here you go:

 

(joking)

 

 

Seriously though, while I was browsing around (I was bored) there is some scary "spy ware" out there being sold. Some of the items I saw with concealed cameras in them:

smoke detector

clock radios

DVD players and VCRs

boombox

outside floodlight

cigarette lighter

teddy bear

pen

cell phone

organizer / wallet

air freshner (the small kind you plug into an outlet)

 

 

and these are available to anyone with a few hundred dollars

[arrowfanman]

If someone can explain the POV obsession, I'd love to hear it...

 

At least this applies for me:

 

I never used to watch coaster videos. I thought they were stupid. Whats the point of any coaster video? Because its cool? Its essentially a fake music video with a roller coaster.

 

Then I got RCT and NL. I wanted to do recreations, so I began using the videos as a reference. As a matter of fact, I began watching the videos with a dislike of artistic music videos, as I just wanted to know how the vehicle flowed, and the approximate heights of the elements. A POV was an excellent way of showing how the track was shaped, and how the vehicle manuvered.

 

I began liking coaster videos as coaster videos around december of last year, when I got my first camcorder. I got offered a spot on a website producing coaster videos for the site owner. I to this day, edit my coaster videos, so as they will be (hopefully) entertaining, yet a reference to the ride at the same time.

 

I rarely download videos without POV, and I am dissapointed when I download a video, only to find there is no POV. It is the staple of the videos. Show any average person a roller coaster music video without a POV, and they will think your weird, or not get it. Show the same person a POV, without music...just a POV, and they will find it cool.

 

From an editing standpoint, its simply more footage, that helps eliminate the feeling of repeat-shots, as its an entirely unique perspective. It elevates the quality and composition of the whole video.

 

That is my personal reason to liking POVs.

 

 

 

 

And my apoligies to Robb and the site for my previous post.

[AndCamSS]

i am looking for something small and un-noticable under $200 and wire-less.

 

 

Seriously, the camera you described doesn't exist. Sounds like you are trying to be a little sneaky about it.

 

OMG! I used to have that! My Dad fixed it up and sold it on ebay for like $200+!

 

Andrew "nearly died when I saw the pic of the ol PXL" Hartman

[SLUSHIE]

I just saw an add for this in Transworld Snowboarding Magazine.

 

Samsung Sports Camcorder X

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=SC-X105L%2fXAA

[CoasterFanatic]

MPEG4 as Native Format = Poop

[robbalvey]

^ It's terrible! Don't bother. We have already purcahsed one and returned it. The MPEG4 compression is worse than some of the worst DVD compression I've seen, and the lipstick cam only has 320k resolution.

 

There really isn't any lipstick cam that you can get on the 'retail' market that's any good. You HAVE to buy from a professional broadcast dealer.

 

--Robb