Recommendations on videography for trains?

I am no photographer, but two that I recall seeing others discussing here on the forum are the GoPro and Mobius cameras. Both brands have several models and I don't recall which ones everyone was talking about? They are small and will fit on our trains for making the 'engineer's view' type videos. 

I did a search on each one (links below) for the things others were saying. As I recall there was a Mobius model for a very good price that gunrunnerjohn got and I believe he was pretty happy with it. I think it was maybe $30-$40 or so, but I really don't remember the price. 

I have a Fuju F-500 that I use for taking pics of my trains for inventory and I also fool around with it taking layout pictures and videos, My grandson also uses it here for the same purpose. I think he does a much better job than I do. I warned you I was no photographer! He also has a GoPro I got him for Christmas, but he hasn't yet brought it over to take any train videos. 

Anyway, here are the links to some threads that may offer more details. Mobius Posts - GoPro Posts

Hopefully some of the folks using these things will be along to comment as well. 

You might want to look into the GitUp2. 1/2 the cost of the GOPro. 

Canon Vixia

The GoPro is a wonderful camera and I have three of them but not good for layouts. Underwater... great, layouts no. The camera shoots way too wide and they can't focus close up. My idea for good layout video is to bring the viewer into your 1/4 inch world. I never show wide shots of the layout. I do lots and lots of tight shots with detail. I like tracking shots so my old layout and my new one has removable metal mounds that I lay track on. I have an old Lionel Train Master frame and mount my large camera on it. I can slowly push it along the layout shooting at a 45 degree angel at the layout. The FM frame is heavy and rolls smoothly because of it's weight and six wheel trucks. All other shots are with a tripod. Never hand hold a shot unless there's good reason. I learned a lot from Hitchcock. He never shot at a normal angle. Even a door knob. Get above and below your normal eye level. I use a lot of long tight shots for forced focus. It makes the eye look at what you want the viewer to seen. I'm not big on effects. Cuts can and are very effective if done right. I do use dissolves when there is a reason. Lighting, sound and music is whole different subject that should be talked about later. I have posted this video of my last layout many times but take a look at it just to give you some ideas. It's the last video I shot of my old layout. In fact some of the wiring had been pulled before I decided to film it one last time. Good luck. Don

scale rail posted:

The GoPro is a wonderful camera and I have three of them but not good for layouts. Underwater... great, layouts no. The camera shoots way too wide and they can't focus close up. My idea for good layout video is to bring the viewer into your 1/4 inch world. I never show wide shots of the layout. I do lots and lots of tight shots with detail. I like tracking shots so my old layout and my new one has removable metal mounds that I lay track on. I have an old Lionel Train Master frame and mount my large camera on it. I can slowly push it along the layout shooting at a 45 degree angel at the layout. The FM frame is heavy and rolls smoothly because of it's weight and six wheel trucks. All other shots are with a tripod. Never hand hold a shot unless there's good reason. I learned a lot from Hitchcock. He never shot at a normal angle. Even a door knob. Get above and below your normal eye level. I use a lot of long tight shots for forced focus. It makes the eye look at what you want the viewer to seen. I'm not big on effects. Cuts can and are very effective if done right. I do use dissolves when there is a reason. Lighting, sound and music is whole different subject that should be talked about later. I have posted this video of my last layout many times but take a look at it just to give you some ideas. It's the last video I shot of my old layout. In fact some of the wiring had been pulled before I decided to film it one last time. Good luck. Don

 

Tips from this guy are like gold! I'm listening to him anyways.

There are many good videos out there to watch from all different users. It's great when they share how they did it.

Now, where's the big cat's swimming videos of yours, Don?  

Wow.  Gentlemen, this is great information.  I will start doing some research.  I shoot still photography well enough that I've been published a few times and even have been paid for it, but just haven't learned the art of taking video well.  I was thinking Go-Pro, but now knowing it has a hard time with close focus, I'll be skipping that.  It sounds like the old adage I heard about portrait photography.  "If it ain't tight, it ain't right".  In addition to the others suggested, which I will be researching, what camera and lens are you using Don?  You mentioned big camera. 

Thank you!

GG1 my rig is way overkill for what you want to do. It's the camera I use for video production. Normally the camera would be at a 45 degree angle for shooting the layout. I have a temp track that I use next to the layout for these tracking shots. It's also to big for shooting on my layout. I will have an overhead electric wire system and many tunnels. I don't know much about smaller cameras but you need to adjust exposer, and focus on any camera you buy. I also use film effects filters on my camera when shooting the layout. They are 4x4 glass filters that fit in the matt box. I have #1,2,3. #3 being the strongest effect. Depending on the amount of light I'm using tells me what filter to use. The other thing that really helps is using a monitor when I shoot. It also helps me to set lighting. 

Joe I filmed most of Marine Worlds promo and TV shows. This is me inside with a couple of the tigers. Notice there are trainers with me for protection.  Don

I second Scrapiron's recommendation of the Canon Vixia. It's a small video camera that I mount at times on flatcars, or on tripods. It gives me wide angle to narrow, and I can have manual focus on a particular layout item, or auto focus.  My videos, as examples, can be seen on my YouTube website shown in the signature block, below.

Bob, like your videos very much. Tell me more about the Canon Vixia. Don

Jonathan, I built a camera car to which I screw the camera from the bottom.  I use a regular Sony Handicam as it does not have the fisheye lens that many small cameras have as well as the zoom feature lets me frame the picture as I want - or to change it in different areas.  I, too, have several of my layout videos on UTube, just search under "Atonna"

Scale Rail/Don - Thanks very much for your comment. The crude wooden stand I made for mounting the Vixia on a flatcar is shown below. The model I use is HFM30. I'm not sure what specs are of interest to you, but they could be found easily online. Although it looks larger in this iPad photo, it's only 5" long, 2.5" wide and 2.25" high.