Announcing “PylonCam Pro”: A new, upgraded phone app for water ski recording

[Slalom.Steve]

@Golfguy So like any other app, Apple is supposed to put up a Notification badge on your App Store icon, then you'd click into the App Store and see which apps have updates available, and you click to update them. I imagine you've done that before with other apps. For some reason, it seems like that's not happening with PylonCam Pro, so I just sent a support ticket this afternoon to Apple to sort it out. Maybe it's just on a 24-hour delay or something?

BUT, in the meantime, if you go to the App Store and manually search for "PylonCam Pro" again, you should see a button that says "Update" instead of "Open", which if you click will get the most recent version onto your phone.

[Golfguy]

Perfect. Works as you say.

 

Thank you.

[swbca]

On 4/20/2024 at 9:58 AM, Slalom.Steve said:

Will this app solve the issue of “shaky image”?
The best thing to do for now is just record a set on each lens of your specific phone and see which is best. To restate the important part: The PylonCam Pro app gives you the flexibility to choose the best possible settings for your specific phone model.

I am trying to find the best video quality solution for a pylon mounted phone or GoPro.  My first criteria is to have skier appear as close to the boat as the rope is short. 

Like this, where the skier is at 90 degrees from the boat path without skiing out of the frame and looks as close to the boat as he actually is.

 

So I just bought an iPhone 14 Pro because it came out with better camera performance than iPhone 13 and earlier.   I was expecting I would have to use the selfie camera to avoid the stabilization problems with the back cameras. 

Results with iPhone 14 Pro
- The selfie camera on the iPhone 14 Pro had terrible shake from the high frequency pylon vibration.
- The main rear camera was perfect - no vibration jitters.  At 1.8 zoom set on the Pyloncam Pro, your skier will look as close to the boat as he actually is on short line and he won't ski out of the frame when he is at right angles to the boat path.  

Edited May 10 by swbca

[jhughes]

I like it slightly zoomed out so that I can see rope height on the boat. Without it it's hard to really diagnose multiple issues consistently, particularly the gate. 

[Slalom.Steve]

@swbca - The fact that the selfie camera is shaky and the rear camera is stable is exact opposite of what I'd expect, but I don't have access to a 14/15 Pro, and Apple did institute "Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization" on the 14 Pro and 15 Pro (but not the regular 15), so maybe they finally got it figured out! (and then maybe moved the old, shaky optical stabilization to the selfie camera lol - they don't seem to say anything about stabilization with the selfie camera).

If so, that's even better though because the main rear camera will definitely be higher quality than the selfie camera. That screenshot certainly looks nice, particularly given the zoom!

@Shell - Just following up on the shakiness you experienced as compared to Wakeye. Just in case you hadn't seen, the stabilization has been fixed/improved in the latest update and it's quite smooth now! Version 1.0.4 - Give it another try and let me know!

Edited May 11 by Slalom.Steve

[Shell]

@Slalom.Steve oh, no doubt it’s my app of choice! Thanks for the update and fix!

[Stathis Ventouris]

downloaded, can you preset the zoom function?

[swbca]

I think I found that PylonCam Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro (rear camera) provide the ultimate solution for Pylon videos with Ski-Doc.   One of my favorite things about PylonCam Pro is that it saves your ZOOM setting when you minimize the app.  Rather than trying to set up the camera configuration in the bright sun in the boat, I can set it up in my kitchen before heading to the dock, minimize the PylonCam Pro app and my settings won't get messed up by someone accidentally touching the phone's screen before I'm skiing.   

I was looking at GoPro as an option as well, but you can't get the realistic "WTBC" boat-cam ZOOM level shown in my screen shot (3 posts up from here) without the skier skiing out of the frame on very short line. 

I am Definitely sold on PylonCam Pro.  Steve should charge more for the app . . . its sure worth it !  

@Stathis Ventouris   Presetting (saving and locking) the ZOOM level would be a good addition if it could be be done.  Right now its a big improvement that the ZOOM level isn't lost when you minimize the PylonCam Pro app.    With WakeEye it was hard to keep your ZOOM setting when any accidental screen touch (like when mounting the camera on the pylon) messed things up.

Edited May 11 by swbca

[Slalom.Steve]

6 hours ago, Stathis Ventouris said:

downloaded, can you preset the zoom function?

For now, if you set a zoom in PylonCam, then go back to your home screen or another app but don't actually "close/quit" the PylonCam app (ie it's still in the background), it saves the zoom setting when you go back to PylonCam.

PCP (experimenting with an acronym lol) doesn't do any Background App Refresh activities (it doesn't use data or battery or anything) when it's not active, so you could conceivably just never actually close the app and always have your zoom setting saved. But getting a "permanent" zoom lock is on my list of possible future upgrades as well!

[Golfguy]

How do you set the zoom using the Pyloncam settings?

[Slalom.Steve]

@Golfguy Two finger pull/drag on the screen.

[KelliK]

I am encouraged by this app.  It seems way more stable than Wakeye.  HOWEVER, I have a problem with it cutting off each pass.  It will record the pull out, then the next video is over to one ball.  I'm lucky to get a single video to record more than 1 ball at a time.  The most I was able to get is 4 balls on one video.  I'm guessing its a setting, but there aren't too many settings to change up.  I'm using an iPhone 13 Pro Max with a SkiDoc going 32 mph.  Any suggestions??  Thanks!! 

[Slalom.Steve]

@KelliK - What speed trigger do you have the app set at? For 32mph skiing, it should be at a 30mph trigger at most, but try it down to 28mph or even lower if it's still cutting off video.

[Golfguy]

I've been two finger swiping, sliding, skidding and tickling and I still can not find the in app zoom adjustment. 

 

Any ideas for this, my fingers are swiped out.

 

Thank you

 

 

[Slalom.Steve]

@Golfguy Hmm, are you able to adjust the zoom in the standard iPhone 'Camera' app? It's the same gesture there as in PylonCam.
This isn't problem-specific, but first thing to always try for tech problems: Make sure your iOS is up-to-date, delete and reinstall the PylonCam app, and restart your phone.

[braindamage]

I’m confused because the app recorded the vids wonderfully clear. For some reason, it recorded everything in slo-mo. The first 5 seconds are normal speed, then everything is slo-mo.

is this something I’m doing??

[Slalom.Steve]

@braindamage 99.9% sure the issue is that you have selected for video mode HD120. This records in Full HD (1080p) at 120 frames per second. Apple defaults the playback of 120 fps videos to slo-mo. This is the same as if you go to you native Camera app and select the "Slo-Mo" mode and record a video.

Slow motion playback is really the purpose of 120fps though, so if you're just watching back full speed you'd probably be better served at 60fps. You can still adjust where a 120fps video goes into slo-mo though (including not at all). Here's a video showing how.

Edited May 14 by Slalom.Steve

[ironhorse]

@Slalom.Steve I have an iphone 15 pro and a wake eye. Can you work on an update that will make me look like a better skier?!

[FishFreq]

2 hours ago, ironhorse said:

@Slalom.Steve I have an iphone 15 pro and a wake eye. Can you work on an update that will make me look like a better skier?!

Yea Steve like SnapChat filters, can you make us look like Will Asher ? 

[Slalom.Steve]

 @ironhorse @FishFreq I can assure the top minds in both the private and public sector are working on this as we speak. 😂

In the meantime, just released a new update:
1. The zoom setting now saves and reloads even if you completely close out of the app, as requested by @swbca and @Stathis Ventouris
2. The zoom indicator is now more legible (larger font, black text on white background)
3. Removed the "Flash" option from settings. I had put it in just cause it's an option on the native Camera app, but I can't think of any time someone would want to use this app with the camera light on.

[BSBELL]

I skied yesterday, after you did the update for camera stability, and it's awesome!

[jhughes]

The app works really well, thank you so much for developing it. iPhone Mini 13, zoomed out all the way on the main camera is absolutely perfect. I can see rope height on the boat and the skier is crystal clear. No complaints.

FWIW we alternate between a (brand new) TXI and my 2016 200 and the 200 has no pylon vibration, the TXI pylon is basically like a orbital sander upside down and cranked to 10. Night and day difference in the amount of vibration that our mount has to deal with based on the boat. So regardless of the app or mount, YMMV greatly depending on the boat you're using, I don't know if anyone has discussed that in particular.

[swbca]

10 hours ago, Slalom.Steve said:

In the meantime, just released a new update:
1. The zoom setting now saves and reloads even if you completely close out of the app, as requested by @swbca and @Stathis Ventouris
2. The zoom indicator is now more legible (larger font, black text on white background)

Incredibly responsive software developer.   You're the best.    The more legible ZOOM level is a good thing . .  before the change you just made, an hour ago I was verifying the zoom level to make sure someone hadn't accidentally changed between skiers.   It was hard to see without my reading classes. 

[ProStah_Skiah]

Tested the app out for the first time this morning. Works great...way better that Wakeye!

Used both the selfie and rear camera with iPhone 15, HD60, 1.3x zoom & 28mph trigger speed for -28/32mph skier.

Both cameras had great images quality with very little shake. If anything, the rear camera was better than the selfie camera as some image processing was evident with the selfie. Trigger speed was very good, with just a short duration before gate pullout begins. Will try 1.5x zoom next time for that line length.

Nice improvements with saving the zoom setting & indicator legibility. One thing I did notice is that the 'auto-record enabled' seems to default back to 'disabled' if you completely close out of the app.

Well done...highly recommended!

[Jaypro]

used this morning. worked great!!

[tbarile]

I’m trying to use the app for the first time and it doesn’t appear to be kicking on. I have auto record checked and we’ve gone 10 mph over the set speed. What am I doing wrong?

[Slalom.Steve]

@tbarile The first time you clicked on Auto-Record, did it prompt you for "Allow 'PylonCam Pro' to use your location?"? Location Services needs to be allowed in order for the app to track location/determine speed. It's supposed to prompt, but if it didn't or if you didn't select Allow, you can fix it by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Find the PylonCam app in the list and click into it, and select either "While Using the App" or "Always."

Let me know if that's not the issue, as I'm not sure why else it wouldn't trigger. And/or try deleting the app and reinstalling.

Edited Friday at 02:01 PM by Slalom.Steve

[swbca]

@Golfguy @Slalom.Steve @ProStah_Skiah

Re updates . . in one early instance when the update option didn't appear in the AppStore, I just uninstalled and reinstalled the app.  It only added 10 seconds to the task of getting the update.  The most recent update showed in the AppStore.

Auto-Record . . For our use the its best that the Auto-Record is disabled on start up.  We drive to a different location on the lake to ski after getting everything ready at our dock. Don't need a video of that first drive across the lake.

Front vs rear camera . . The selfie camera on my iPhone 14 Pro was very wavy from the mechanical vibration in the pylon.   The Main Rear camera is terrific.  I believe this behavior is change starting with  iPhone 14 Pro and the selfie camera may still be better choice on the iPhone 14. 

Pyloncam-Pro is a great improvement over Wakeye.   For example setting to a specific zoom level on the Wakeye was very hard to do and it was a volatile setting.  On Pyloncam-Pro its easy at its saved when you shut down. 

 

 

Edited Friday at 02:26 PM by swbca

[tbarile]

2 hours ago, Slalom.Steve said:

@tbarile The first time you clicked on Auto-Record, did it prompt you for "Allow 'PylonCam Pro' to use your location?"? Location Services needs to be allowed in order for the app to track location/determine speed. It's supposed to prompt, but if it didn't or if you didn't select Allow, you can fix it by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Find the PylonCam app in the list and click into it, and select either "While Using the App" or "Always."

Let me know if that's not the issue, as I'm not sure why else it wouldn't trigger. And/or try deleting the app and reinstalling.

It did not but I thought about that on the drive home and changed it to always.  I noticed that it still didn’t start taking video when I was driving 79mph in my car and speed was set to 30.

[Slalom.Steve]

@swbca hmm so I’ve had a couple requests on the thread and one in a private message to have the default be “Auto-Record Enabled“, so I may be in a can’t-please-everyone situation.

So an informal test of where the majority sentiments lies: For any app users, would you prefer on app opening that it default to “Auto-Record Enabled” or to “Auto-Record Disabled”?

Edited Monday at 08:28 PM by Slalom.Steve

[UWSkier]

Easy solution is to fire up the app once you've motored to your ski site. That's what I've done for years with Wakeye. 

[swbca]

28 minutes ago, Slalom.Steve said:

@swbca hmm so I’ve had a couple requests on the thread and one in a private message to have the default be “Auto-Record Enabled“, so I may be in a can’t-please-everyone situation.

So an informal test of where the majority sentiments lies: For any app users, would you prefer on app opening that it default to “Auto-Record Enabled” or to “Auto-Record Disabled”?

Enable or not enable by default is no big deal.  Advantages either way.   Love the app either way.

[Drago]

I mean, really. Does not matter

[swbca]

The app is great either way, but if Steve the developer want's to please everybody, he could probably put a switch on the settings screen to select  "Auto-Record Enabled On Startup"   YES    or    NO    Steve's work on this app is clearly a labor of love - he should make more than $5 per hour for all of his effort.  I would be happy to pay much more up front or pay for an annual subscription. 

Don't you all agree that PylonCam-Pro is worth much more than hamburger with fries ?

Edited 16 hours ago by swbca

[skiermk]

I love the app and would prefer Yes - to Auto-Recored Enabled on Startup. I've missed videoing a few sets by getting distracted in the boat and simply forgetting to toggle Auto Record Enabled before my set. 

[Kimbymon]

Used it this weekend and it worked great once I set location to "on" always.. 🙂