media mod vs mic adapter (hero 9 black)

[Dnljmrs]

Hi all (again!)
I haven't been around for a long time...but nice to be back
I've recently bought a gporo hero 9 with the intention of getting out more eon the bike and just making some vlogs as I go. I never ended up doing it previously..because I never got round to getting a decent camera..but now I have a trip around Wales planned so treated myself to a hero 9 from eBay. The question now, is whether it's best to get a media mod or just a mic adapter. The hero 9 has the feet so I can attach it as is, and I'll be connecting to an external mic, but other than the HDMI on the media mod, are there many benefits to having that over the mic adapter? I guess the big one is that its in a case rather than another piece of kit attached to the helmet..?

 

[HippoDrone]

I personally hate the Media Mod, it is a nightmare to change batteries / memory cards when using it. I'd recommend using the microphone adaptor with the Ulanzi (or GoPro) door that gives access to the USB-C port
It is how I have run my helmet setup since starting my channel with a Hero 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & now 10

 

[Dnljmrs]

That's a good point about battery changes actually..

 

[lonerockz]

+1 on the mic adapter. Its lighter and makes changing the battery simple. However if you are not careful you might not get the USB cable all the way plugged in and then it will record nothing, not even using the built in Mic.

I have considered using an external battery that is plugged into the media mod. So that the battery in the GoPro is always charged and you don't have to fuzt with changing them. I'll probably test this some.

Just one more point, riding in the rain with the mic adapter is probably a bad idea. Of course rain footage looks like hell, so there are other reasons to not do it.

 

[Dnljmrs]

I guess if I didn't go for the media mod, I wouldn't necessarily need a case but just the door that allows access to the usb-c, because the GoPro has the feet to connect to the mount on my helmet anyway?

Re: rain - are we talking summer short light shower or rain that it would have a problem with? I could use sugru around the connector points to try and keep some out?

 

[lonerockz]

GoPro has an official replacement door that has USB pass through, but there are many cheaper options available on Amazon or Aliexpress. Ulanzi is a popular Brand.

The thing about water on a motorcycle is that it is moving at speed. Even a small amount of water in a 100kph wind will get into tiny crevices. The lens will be covered in water so I just plan to put all the cameras away on rainy days. But I'm no expert, I'm sure others have better strategies. I have noticed that one of my favorite Vloggers (ItchyBoots) doesn't usually show rain, she just mentions it.

 

[HippoDrone]

Here is a video showing the GoPro with a batterybank (not my video)

I'd not suggest using Sugru to seal the gaps etc as it is sort of permanent. I use Blu-Tac and ride through LOTS of deep water and wet weather with no issues... I'd not want to totally dunk the camera, but I seal things up well enough... I also use amalgamating tape all around the mic adaptor to hold the connectors in and water out!

 

[Dnljmrs]

Yeah I've seen a couple of videos that use the mic adapter and they seal with ear silicone (teapot one) or sugru..but I have bought sugru, for the adapter mount to the helmet..wouldnt seal anything temporary with it.
I'm struggling to find an adapter at a reasonable price..and the media mod is not much more expensive, so still trying to figure out what to get..I've made some enquiries on Facebook marketplace and watching some bits on eBay, so we will see soon!
Appreciate the advice though

 

[lonerockz]

Here is a video showing the GoPro with a batterybank (not my video)

@HippoDrone, thanks for that video! I don't think I'd mount my battery to the helmet. The weight of the camera alone is bad, so adding more is out of the question for me. My trips are typically all day affairs and my neck won't be able to take it. I was thinking of just snaking the cable down inside the jacket and carrying the battery in a chest pocket. But it might be more faffing about than I can put up with.

 

[Southpaw78]

I use the audio adapter. The media mod did not work well on my GoPro, plus I heard that the MM drains the battery quicker.

 

[Drakhen99]

I'm a fan of the Media Mod. I use one for my Hero 10 on my helmet - but heck, the way my helmet cam is mounted, you can't get to the battery without removing it from the mount anyway, so it's only an extra few seconds to remove the Media Mod too. It's sort of a pain, but not too bad - I've done it hundreds of times on the side of the road.

As for water, I've ridden through light to medium rains before with it on, and it never caused an issue [knock on wood]... so I can't guarantee it'll be OK, but in my experience, it hasn't fried a camera - yet.

On days where I don't use up a whole battery, the whole rig comes off my helmet, sits on my desk, and I can download footage and recharge the battery without having to remove anything, which I like.

-John

 

[motonomad]

Hero9 here, too. Went with mic adapter over media mod as the batteries drain fast as it is, and the media mod will drain them faster. As well as previously mentioned, harder to replace the battery

 

[HippoDrone]

Hero9 here, too. Went with mic adapter over media mod as the batteries drain fast as it is, and the media mod will drain them faster. As well as previously mentioned, harder to replace the battery

You should try GoPro's endurance batteries in your Hero 9 they are so much better than the stock batteries!

 

[Drakhen99]

You should try GoPro's endurance batteries in your Hero 9 they are so much better than the stock batteries!

100% can confirm. I now leave the cameras on all the time while riding, one with a media mod, one without. I changed them after 1.5-2 hours of riding today, did another 1.5 hours of riding, still had plenty of battery left on the 2nd set.

On top of one running a media mod, both are equipped with the Max Lens Mod, so they're doing extra processing. It's at least a 25-30% increase in battery life over the regular batteries.

-John

 

[Dnljmrs]

So..after looking for many weeks and literally being on the fence between the media mod and mic adapter, I came across a media mod on eBay that was only £40 including delivery, excellent conditions..so I went for that. I do think it aesthetically looks a little less messy not he helmet which when riding I think is a good thing..

It arrived a few days go and I've mounted it but haven't had chance to give it a go yet..even though I've been here for ages, I still haven't actually done a vlog..its hard to get started, and seeing how polished everyone else's are, it makes it even more difficult..but on the other hand I know that I just need to get out and talk!

 

[motonomad]

You should try GoPro's endurance batteries in your Hero 9 they are so much better than the stock batteries!

Oh! I wonder if they work in the standard dual charger. Will take a look, thank you!

 

[Drakhen99]

Oh! I wonder if they work in the standard dual charger. Will take a look, thank you!

They do - in fact, if you buy a dual battery charger nowadays, you get an Enduro battery with it.

-John

 

[Drakhen99]

So..after looking for many weeks and literally being on the fence between the media mod and mic adapter, I came across a media mod on eBay that was only £40 including delivery, excellent conditions..so I went for that. I do think it aesthetically looks a little less messy not he helmet which when riding I think is a good thing..

It arrived a few days go and I've mounted it but haven't had chance to give it a go yet..even though I've been here for ages, I still haven't actually done a vlog..its hard to get started, and seeing how polished everyone else's are, it makes it even more difficult..but on the other hand I know that I just need to get out and talk!

Dude, that's no joke - and it took me quite a while to find my vlogging voice. If you go back in my catalog to the first, oh, 200 videos... they're not nearly as good. It takes time and perseverance.

-John

 

[HippoDrone]

So..after looking for many weeks and literally being on the fence between the media mod and mic adapter, I came across a media mod on eBay that was only £40 including delivery, excellent conditions..so I went for that. I do think it aesthetically looks a little less messy not he helmet which when riding I think is a good thing..

It arrived a few days go and I've mounted it but haven't had chance to give it a go yet..even though I've been here for ages, I still haven't actually done a vlog..its hard to get started, and seeing how polished everyone else's are, it makes it even more difficult..but on the other hand I know that I just need to get out and talk!

Just get out there and do it. You don't need to share any on YouTube that you don't like... just practice vlogging, which in turn will give you footage to practice editing!

 

[TallADVer]

...I still haven't actually done a vlog..its hard to get started, and seeing how polished everyone else's are, it makes it even more difficult..but on the other hand I know that I just need to get out and talk!

Even though I'm just a tiny hobby channel, I had the same problem at first. It takes time just getting used to talking to/through a camera. As for polish, I'm intentionally trying to keep my videos pretty simple to focus at getting better at my general presentation style and my editing workflow. Only when I feel that I have those down will I try to work on making the videos fancier. For your early videos, you don't need anything more than a camera and mic, and something to say. The rest can come later!