Me and My Mobius

The latest Mobius C2 is an excellent cost effective lightweight 1080p mini action camera. With a wide angled lens packing a horizontal field of view of approx. 131 degrees of panoramic picture; a runtime of around 80 minutes officially supporting up to 32GB Micro SD memory card.

What makes the Mobius C2 so special?

The Mobius action camera is a sophisticated mini camera designed by users for users with a considerable input from the online communities.

You have the simplicity of just 3 buttons (power, shutter, mode) allowing you to flip between taking a photo, filming at 1080p 30fps and 720p 60fps (excellent for slow motion) or hook up to a computer and go under-the-hood easily tweaking just about every setting possible using freely available software with an array of cables and accessories. This allows the camera to be tailored to the application - using as a dash camera in your car right to flying in the sky attached to your First Person View Drone racer.

All Mobius cameras hit the mark when it comes to delivering raw power on a shoe string and the C2 takes the Mobius up another notch with a wider angled lens, sharper images and colours exceeding its already impressive C lens predecessor (for comparison videos search on YouTube “Mobius C2 review”).

Helpful tips for My Mobius?

1. Don’t lose it

The Black-Ops camera design may look sleek but it’s fairly easy to lose due to its matte black colour and size. When flying on-board a Drone it is a needle in a haystack if it becomes detached after a crash - which nearly always happens in FPV Drone racing.

So put it into its own case if you are not using it, and when using as an action camera e.g. flying on your drone, make sure its securely attached and also BLING up your Mobius with bright colours (tape or paint) – it’s time to manufacturer the next Mobius cameras in bright colours and that also goes for Drone manufacturers!

2. Update the camera firmware

Relatively easy to do for the non-techie (YouTube) and benefit from the continued improvements provided by the Mobius online communities.

3. Camera settings

Setup using the latest software, YouTube videos and documentation for the Mobius ActionCam (free mobile and computer apps available)

4. Micro SD memory card(s)

If you have the latest camera firmware then most Micro SD cards (buy x2 cards to have a spare) should work with the camera and its recommend class 4 (minimum write speed 4MB/s) but do check online first as some higher class cards e.g. class 10 have been known to cause minor issues.

As a rough guide for the card size approx. recording times for 1080p videos with a standard data rate are 32GB Card 4 hours 30 mins, 16GB 2 hours 15 mins, 8GB 1 hour 7 mins and 4GB 33 mins.

5. Clean lens before filming

If using the camera as stand-a-lone it has no on-board viewfinder so to eliminate the disappointment of later finding out the lens was dirty - wipe it before filming!

6. After filming transfer your film to a safe location e.g. external drive

7. Take it with you everywhere you go and enjoy!

In conclusion, the Mobius C2 is a superb little action camera where the design encompasses many subtle but invaluable nuances. Helpful links below for Mobius C2, get involved with the online communities and provide feedback for future improvements.

RCgroups.com link Mobius C2

RCgroups.com link Mobius

Software from the online communities link

Post by James Barton

FlightBots.com - The Home of Friendly Drones

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1904559&page=11...

Mobius 2 - a brief look into the near future

With 1080p-60fps action cameras starting to show up in the marketplace, the developer has agreed to a brief status update on the M2 development here. So here's what I can tell you:

1. The M2 will obviously be capable of 1080p-60 fps as well as 720p-120 fps. Other resolutions have not been determined yet.

2. Other goals are improved low light ability and better dynamic range. The imaging hardware in the M2 will be different form the Mobius of necessity, but no details on specs are being released. I expect improvements will be more incremental than earth shattering. Improved sound capture hardware has also been incorporated.

3. The M2 design has been refined for about a 30% decrease in power consumption compared to other 1080p-60fps action cameras on the market. Again, there are no specs on the DSP chip being released, but I can say it will NOT have an Ambarella chip for many reasons I won't go into. This means the battery size can be smaller and still give good recording times with diminished heat problems. The result is a form factor that is very close in size and weight to the current Mobius.

4. Needless to say excellent image quality in the Mobius tradition can be expected, and a rich feature set of user functions will also be incorporated. Some features may come via FW updates as they did with the original Mobius, but from what I've seen in the prototype camera, the initial FW at release time looks like it will have a rich set of the more important user functions.
5. No release date or cost information is being given. If development efforts go smoothly, we could see the M2 later this fall. No promises! If I have any further information on this, I will post it here, so asking for an update before then won't yield any new information

6. And finally, I saved probably the most import new feature for last, when it probably should be first. The M2 will give the user a choice of using h.264 (a.k.a. AVC) or the new h.265 (a.k.a. HEVC) video codec. So what, some may ask? This new codec will be the de facto standard for HD content in short order, replacing h.264, because it has the ability to produce video with a similar quality to h.264 compression with nominally 1/2 the data rate. For M2 users, the main benefits from this I see are:

Files can be 1/2 as large, essentially doubling the recording time you can save on a given memory card, or cutting in half the capacity of the memory card you may need.
The camera will be able to write the streaming video output to the memory card faster with less power consumption.
Files for a given recording can be read off the memory card and transferred to external storage about twice as fast.

Of course, your video player and editing software will need to be able to decode the h.265 content (and also encode with that codec if you want to do heavy editing while keeping the small file size). Already the latest WMP, VLC, and MPC-HC video players can play most h.265 (a.k.a. HEVC) videos. And there are downloadable filters for earlier Window video software that allow processing of HEVC content. Video editors (even some commercial ones) have some catching up to do to support HEVC editing. The latest AviDemux free open source editor has incorporated an early HEVC codec, but has some issues editing some HEVC content. This is leading edge stuff, and will take a little time to be widely incorporated, but the M2 will be ready for it.

If you want to see what the HEVC codec can do with one of your h.264 encoded Mobius videos, download the free Handbrake video converter and re-encode your original with h.265 output codec set for an average data rate 1/2 of it's native data rate! I cannot tell any visual difference when I did this, other than the file size dropped from 366 MB down to 180MB! Rather amazing if you ask me!

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Comments

FlightBots.com October 13, 2015 at 1:51pm

@Alasdair hehehehe - good to know!
FlightBots.com September 14, 2015 at 2:55am

@Craig Issod thanks for the heads up!

Has anyone installed the new C2 lens e.g. http://www.gearbest.com/action-cameras-sport-dv-accessories/pp_2272... in previous Mobius version(s) ?
Cala September 13, 2015 at 2:28pm

UUU, an action cam without timelapse little future, thank's for share your bad experience Craig
Craig Issod September 13, 2015 at 9:12am

Quick note on the Runcam I ordered and received.

It appears that interval shooting does not work! This is not a defect in my camera but seems confirmed by the company...that it is in the settings but not implemented.

Unfortunately this is the mode I use most.

So, just an FYI. I'll probably be returning it or selling it unless they fix that soon.

Here is the quote from the company:

"Sorry, with the latest firmware + software it can not do photos every X seconds. But if we get lots of feedbacks for one feature, we will consider that."

This despite the setting existing in the config tools! So, you set it to take a pic every 5 seconds and it does....nothing!
FlightBots.com September 13, 2015 at 9:00am

has anyone had experience using 360 degree action camera(s) like the Kodak SP360; waiting for the price to come down...
FlightBots.com September 13, 2015 at 8:57am

@EngineerX thanks for the info/link on the M2 dev and helpful tip(s) re. securing the microSD using small zip-tie/r-bands; now thread thin-wire through the Mobius case acting as a mini leash, when hitting the ground @speed the Mobius can fly all on its own :)
EngineerX September 11, 2015 at 12:35pm
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1904559&page=11...

Mobius 2 - a brief look into the near future
With 1080p-60fps action cameras starting to show up in the marketplace, the developer has agreed to a brief status update on the M2 development here. So here's what I can tell you:

1. The M2 will obviously be capable of 1080p-60 fps as well as 720p-120 fps. Other resolutions have not been determined yet.

2. Other goals are improved low light ability and better dynamic range. The imaging hardware in the M2 will be different form the Mobius of necessity, but no details on specs are being released. I expect improvements will be more incremental than earth shattering. Improved sound capture hardware has also been incorporated.

3. The M2 design has been refined for about a 30% decrease in power consumption compared to other 1080p-60fps action cameras on the market. Again, there are no specs on the DSP chip being released, but I can say it will NOT have an Ambarella chip for many reasons I won't go into. This means the battery size can be smaller and still give good recording times with diminished heat problems. The result is a form factor that is very close in size and weight to the current Mobius.

4. Needless to say excellent image quality in the Mobius tradition can be expected, and a rich feature set of user functions will also be incorporated. Some features may come via FW updates as they did with the original Mobius, but from what I've seen in the prototype camera, the initial FW at release time looks like it will have a rich set of the more important user functions.
5. No release date or cost information is being given. If development efforts go smoothly, we could see the M2 later this fall. No promises! If I have any further information on this, I will post it here, so asking for an update before then won't yield any new information

6. And finally, I saved probably the most import new feature for last, when it probably should be first. The M2 will give the user a choice of using h.264 (a.k.a. AVC) or the new h.265 (a.k.a. HEVC) video codec. So what, some may ask? This new codec will be the de facto standard for HD content in short order, replacing h.264, because it has the ability to produce video with a similar quality to h.264 compression with nominally 1/2 the data rate. For M2 users, the main benefits from this I see are:

Files can be 1/2 as large, essentially doubling the recording time you can save on a given memory card, or cutting in half the capacity of the memory card you may need.

The camera will be able to write the streaming video output to the memory card faster with less power consumption.

Files for a given recording can be read off the memory card and transferred to external storage about twice as fast.

Of course, your video player and editing software will need to be able to decode the h.265 content (and also encode with that codec if you want to do heavy editing while keeping the small file size). Already the latest WMP, VLC, and MPC-HC video players can play most h.265 (a.k.a. HEVC) videos. And there are downloadable filters for earlier Window video software that allow processing of HEVC content. Video editors (even some commercial ones) have some catching up to do to support HEVC editing. The latest AviDemux free open source editor has incorporated an early HEVC codec, but has some issues editing some HEVC content. This is leading edge stuff, and will take a little time to be widely incorporated, but the M2 will be ready for it.

If you want to see what the HEVC codec can do with one of your h.264 encoded Mobius videos, download the free Handbrake video converter and re-encode your original with h.265 output codec set for an average data rate 1/2 of it's native data rate! I cannot tell any visual difference when I did this, other than the file size dropped from 366 MB down to 180MB! Rather amazing if you ask me!
Cala September 9, 2015 at 2:29pm

Nice color settings, Is in auto or you change it?
EngineerX September 9, 2015 at 2:19pm

The Mobius is indeed a great camera, I have 2 that I use in my smaller 180mm frame quads, it's the perfect size. I removed the battery and just soldered wires to the battery connector on the PCB. I was surprised the camera would not turn on when I used 4.2v off a small $2 adjustable switching voltage regulator. It runs well on 4.7v so it's powered off the same regulator that powers the Naze FC. That saves weight -important on the 180mm quads.

I do think it's time for Mobius to update their hardware and catch up to the current tech: 1080p 60fps -true fps. I believe the current hardware uses the duplicate frame scheme so it's not true 720p 60fps.

Mobius II needs to be similar to that Foxeer. The Ambarella chip is decent for this price range. Can't of course expect GoPro4 quality from sub $100 cameras.

I also use the Xiaomi Yi camera, and yes no arguing, video/optics are not as good as the GoPros, and you need to do a lens focus adjustment because they didn't bother to do it right at the Xiaomi factory -not difficult so that should not bother most FPV enthusiasts. So for $67 I much prefer flying that one and not care about crashing and messing up a $400 camera. Here's a sample before I adjusted the focus. It's a bit better now, not as soft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGheHyn_VEo

Then there's the other couple of "cube" form factor cameras. No, not the GoPro Session because of its performance you really can't justify its price. I'm talking about the Polaroid Cube+ that does 1080p 60fps and the Novatek NTK96660 - SJCam M10 Plus - both around $150

http://www.sjcamhd.com/news/sjcam-m10-plus-2k-ntk96660-world-premie...

No argunent, GoPro has one of the best video capture capabilities, but when you don't have $250 ~$400 to spare or don't want to wreck your expensive GPro flying proximity or bashing around, then the Mobius and many of the other alternatives are very good options!

@FlightBots.com

I know exactly that feeling. I spent hours looking for my lime green Xiaomi Yi.

Also the microSD cards can easily be ejected on crashes, even on the Xiaomi. So on the Mobius I use a zip tie (smallest size available) wrapped front to back and just slide it to one side when I need to get the microSD memory card out. Rubber bands also work.
Cala September 8, 2015 at 6:59pm

Thank's for the info

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