Camera advice - good battery life

[bobbyg]

Last May i got hit by a car when cycling - luckily I was filming with my Go Pro hero camera and captured the whole thing.This resulted in the driver being prosecuted and my claim for damages being un contested.

Long story short, I am now feeling confident enough again to go back out on my bike but I feel I should be videoing all my journeys. Go Pro only has battery life for around 90 mins or so - can anyone recommend a camera that is relatively cheapish but has a battery life to do a decent run , maybe at least 3 or 4 hours?

[Redvee]

I don't think you'll find any camera with such a long battery life , the only way round this is spare batteries or running with a power source. I did a 4 hour ride last summer and used a powerbank to film the whole ride in timelapse.

[tim-b]

Hi
The Aldi rear light camera (if you can find one) Fly 6 and Fly 12 will all do this while giving you good lighting. You can turn the lights off to extend camera time further. The old Fly 6 and 12 models are discounted around 50% at the moment
Regards
tim-b

[PM999]

I'm using a Roadhawk Ride+ at the front connected to an Anker "lipstick" style 3350 mAh battery extender. The Anker, fully charged, powers it for 4 hours plus and then you can switch to the Roadhawk's internal power for another 90 to 100 minutes. Combined run time around 5 - 6 hours. I have a newish Fly 6 (v) (the discounted version) at the back which is presently good for 4 - 5 hours recording plus light on running on internal power only.

The Roadhawk @ 1080p setting gives excellent video quality, the Fly 6 @ 720p max. is not quite so good, but acceptable enough.

Paul

[[XAP]Bob]

I have a motorbike DVR, dual camera records to a single SD card.

It has a few minutes battery life but is designed for an external power source.

USB input means I can have power from:
- a power bank
- a tap off my ebike battery
- the rectifier from my dynamo

Effectively unlimited battery life.

[gregoryoftours]

As well as using a power bank, you should get significantly longer battery life by reducing frame rate and resolution settings, in addition to gyro/anti shake settings.

[RickH]

As well as using a power bank, you should get significantly longer battery life by reducing frame rate and resolution settings, in addition to gyro/anti shake settings.

But bear in mind that if you want to use it for evidence purposes then things like being able to read the number plate of motor vehicles is useful, possibly essential.

Cameras that can use an external power source that doesn't compromise water resistance is an advantage.

[gregoryoftours]

As well as using a power bank, you should get significantly longer battery life by reducing frame rate and resolution settings, in addition to gyro/anti shake settings.

But bear in mind that if you want to use it for evidence purposes then things like being able to read the number plate of motor vehicles is useful, possibly essential.

Cameras that can use an external power source that doesn't compromise water resistance is an advantage.

Definitely true, but if the picture quality allows it even one step down in resolution or frame rate can reduce battery consumption quite considerably. Say from 4k to 1080p and 60 to 30fps should still be good enough to clearly see plates etc. Obviously something that needs testing with the particular camera though.

[rmurphy195]

Last May i got hit by a car when cycling - luckily I was filming with my Go Pro hero camera and captured the whole thing.This resulted in the driver being prosecuted and my claim for damages being un contested.

Long story short, I am now feeling confident enough again to go back out on my bike but I feel I should be videoing all my journeys. Go Pro only has battery life for around 90 mins or so - can anyone recommend a camera that is relatively cheapish but has a battery life to do a decent run , maybe at least 3 or 4 hours?

My Garmin Virb sits on the handlebars, has a battery life of about 2.5 hrs give or take on max resolution, then I simply swop the spare battery into it. Is waterproof out of the box, needs no extra casing. I switch it off every now and again, even for a few seconds, to break up the video clips.

PS Its due to circumstances such as yours that I bought the Virb. And the Mirrors. And the maps of routes around Brum where I don't need the roads. Taken me 3 years to start to get some of my confidence back, just be patient.