GoPro HD Hero 2 tests on the Audi R8

I had an opportunity to test out the capabilities of the new GoPro camera yesterday as Puyang and I headed down to the showrooms of Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi. We were looking at some of the new 2012 models, and when we weren't test driving, or just sitting in the high end leather wrapped interiors, I took the opportunity to try out some of the new features and sought to see if GoPro's claim of the camera being two times better held any truth.

Now, these are actually screen captures I took from a test video I've edited. The original footage was shot at 1080p HD and rendered out as 720p HD. I've also adjusted the color and contrast so it looks extra sharp. However, the video quality was indeed better than the previous GoPro version. I'm not sure if it's really two times better, but there is a definite added crispness to the videos. The test video I shot was with one of the new functions included in the HD Hero 2: 90 Degree Narrow FOV (Field of View).

With the new FOV options, the new GoPro really is a lot more versatile than before. Now I don't have to be forced to make everything look so distorted with the fish eye lens. 90 Degree FOV works really well capturing things like cars, because it won't distort the lines too much. To be really honest, I was getting tired of the wide angle lens. This is sure to change the game!

I won't be posting this test video, sorry for the people who want to see it, but it has been a great experiment as I got to try out all sorts of new techniques for editing and shooting. Hopefully, you guys will see it in the future videos.

2 Heroes to the Rescue

There has been an ongoing business conversation between GoPro and Machine Zealots for a couple of months now. At the end of 2011, just when the GoPro HD Hero 2 was being released, I got in contact with the person running the sponsorship programs for GoPro asking for a partnership/sponsorship.

Obviously, we've all come across people on Forums, and what not, who ask for Sponsorships with the sole intention of getting free stuff. It's really hard to pitch for a sponsorship these days because of that.

Our pitch to GoPro was a tough sell, but luckily some people are just willing to give you a chance to prove yourselves. We were given a list of objectives to complete, and we ended up completing it on our Taiwan Special episode.

Anyway, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Machine Zealots' new companions:

GoPro HD Hero 2 with some stickers.

A close up on the Camera.

Motorsports Edition.

Features!

More features!

The new GoPros are priced at $300 per camera, although very pricey, it is still a very good investment in my honest opinion. Apparently, it is two times better in every way, and even has better low light sensors, giving you the best quality in low light situations. There are so many new features on this new camera, I can't wait to try them out!

We are very excited to be able to shoot our new episodes with the GoPro HD Hero 2!

Thanks a lot GoPro!

There's a storm coming

We are finally approaching the last few days of winter, and as always, this means we are all psyched to take our cars out for road trips, attend race tracks, and car meets! I'm just going to take this time to update you guys on current events, and a small forecast of what storm we, at Machine Zealots here, are brewing up.

First off, if you guys have seen the most recent episode, Subaru Engine Oil Change, you may have noticed about two minutes into the episode there seems to be something blurring the lower left hand corner of the lens. Now granted, no one has commented on it yet, but I'm sure most of you have seen it, lol. This was due to myself being clumsy and dropping the camera on the pavement, lens first. You can hardly see it on the outside, it's such a small scratch, but of course, GoPro's fantastic wide angle lens just amplifies the scratch making it into a huge blur. This episode was aired a week later than planned due to this issue, but as they say, "The show must go on."

I finished the episode, hoping that my editing skills could divert the attention away from that awful blur. If you guys had no idea of the blur, then I suppose I did a good job, but then again, I ended up telling you guys I made a mistake anyway. Oops.

Well, I admit to my fault because this has something to do with the upcoming weeks. I got a new set of lenses from GoPro for this camera, but then I got hooked on the GoPro HD Hero 2, so I'm now trying to get my hands on one, lol.

Lens replacement kit. Comes with 2 lenses, waterproof seals, screws, and a screwdriver.

Anyway, I thought to myself, while I'm waiting for the new GoPro Camera, I may as well shoot the new episodes with it. So what to do in this waiting period? Well, I remastered two episodes from my old Project Spades V6 days. I plan on airing them starting Friday, March 2nd, back to back weeks. In the show business, they would just play re-runs while they were catching up to airing schedule dates. Sadly, I can not do that for Youtube, since viewing videos online is not totally linearly based. Therefore, I am hoping these videos will keep most of you guys entertained for the next couple of weeks as I get my affairs in order.

Airing March 2nd - Caliper Painting with the G2 Caliper Paint Kit.

Airing March 9th - Camaro Engine Oil Change with Castrol Edge.

For those who have watched these episodes in the past, keep in mind that these are remastered, not just re-rendered. New background music, removed a lot of unnecessary stuff, and applied new filtering effects. For those of you who are just looking for videos on the STI, I'm afraid you will have to wait.

I've also made a new tab on the blog called "MZ Projects". Although it is under some construction, I plan to have this page feature all the cars Machine Zealots gets their hands on. You can also refer to it for upcoming modifications planned for each Project Car. I'll be expanding the page as time goes on, but as you can see, there are several things on the plate for the STI already. A couple of other people I've talked to recently want to help with the videos with their cars, but I'll tell you guys more about that when we get there. Some car club meets, and car shows are just over the horizon as well. Needless to say, this is looking to be one of our busiest years!