Just got a GoPro Silver and rigged up a stand that allows the GoPro to hover ~13" above the PF. If you watch in 1080p fullscreen, the clarity is pretty impressive for such a modestly priced, easy to use camera (roughly the cost of one sheet of PDI glass
Here are 2 video I shot this afternoon…both "1 take" above average games.
Enjoy!
snaroff
That fisheye distortion is pretty wild, but it captures the whole playfield nicely. GoPros are awesome.
And yes - your machines look really nice!
I like the look; easy to follow the gameplay. And just goes to show you how overpriced PDI glass is! 
Quoted from s2k4ary:Boy, that centaur is really awesome. The ball seem to glide on the playfield, instead of roll. Very cool. Btw, like the video too
Thanks…that Centaur is actually one of my favorites…couldn't be happier with the restoration and gameplay. The multi-ball rules were way ahead of their time and still unrivaled.
Both PF's are CPR repros that have very nice clear coats. Both play very fast…the ball does seem to glide more than roll (interesting that you picked up on that). I've installed the Alltek Ultimate boards (that seem to add some kick).
Quoted from Jodester:Any chance we could get a look at your rigged up stand?
It's actually an inexpensive/adjustable microphone stand with a cool/cheap adaptor. Here they are:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000978D58/ref=oh_details_o01_s01_i00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GWCC4I/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00
Would never find this type of solution without Amazon. All for $35 delivered to my door in 2-days. Amazing service.
Steve,
Do you just enjoy toying with me? Would you believe this coincidence? So that MB that I went to look out the other night... He also had a restored Centaur and Fathom right next to each other. They are absolutely gorgeous pins. And you choose these 2 for the videos?!? Did you get the GoPro because of the MB video? You're killin me buddy!!!
Quoted from MinusWorlds:Steve,
Do you just enjoy toying with me? Would you believe this coincidence? So that MB that I went to look out the other night... He also had a restored Centaur and Fathom right next to each other. They are absolutely gorgeous pins. And you choose these 2 for the videos?!? Did you get the GoPro because of the MB video? You're killin me buddy!!!
Hi Tom,
Bizarre Pin Karma. Glad to hear the MB owner your dealing with has good taste
I've been thinking about using the GoPro for awhile. The mediocre video I made for you did motivate me to finally get one Bought the head strap and it didn't work great. Really happy with the adhoc mic stand solution.
It would be nice if videos like these became more commonplace when selling pins. Kind of odd that many of us buy pins remotely without ever seeing them in action.
snaroff
Quoted from snaroff:Hi Tom,
Bizarre Pin Karma. Glad to hear the MB owner your dealing with has good taste
I've been thinking about using the GoPro for awhile. The mediocre video I made for you did motivate me to finally get one
It would be nice if videos like these became more commonplace when selling pins. Kind of odd that many of us buy pins remotely without ever seeing them in action.
snaroff
We can start the trend. Sell me your MB and let's make it commonplace
FYI I've got a hilariously EPIC voicemail we actually received from a customer RE:Java. Remind me to get it to you. I hope foul language doesn't offend you...
Those two games look extremly nice and I've got to admit I've never seen an older game play fast like that. Even the flippers had tight bounce allowing you to flipper bounce pass. Too bad you live too far for me to see these in person.
I went to a pinball gig in South Florida this past weekend because in the games listed were a Centaur and Fathom.
As soon as they opened Sat. I was looking for both of those games. They were side by side . . . sweet. The Centaur was set to 3 balls and didn't quite have the action your game has but it was nice seeing & playing. Couldn't put my initials on the game but had the high score when I left. I also agree the multi-ball options were way ahead of their time.
Enjoyed your video . . . more so at the 8+ minute with your 3 ball play and a little later with 4 or 5 ball play . . . sorry, I lost count (my bad). Please share more videos in the future.
Fun videos. I agree with the other comments that your Centaur looks to play fast and smooth... not slow at all like most classic Ballys. I have a CPR in mine too, but yours looks to play much faster in the video. Did you wax the sh*t out of it or something? What about the pitch angle? Would you mind sharing what you have yours set to?
Quoted from fuko:Fun videos. I agree with the other comments that your Centaur looks to play fast and smooth... not slow at all like most classic Ballys. I have a CPR in mine too, but yours looks to play much faster in the video. Did you wax the sh*t out of it or something? What about the pitch angle? Would you mind sharing what you have yours set to?
Pitch is 5.5%. I wax, but nothing unusual (typically only one coat). My flippers are fully rebuilt with parts from Steve Young's Pinball Resource (great quality). I also think this board is responsible for crisp, responsive coil action…
http://www.allteksystems.com/products-mpu-replacements.html#solenoid
I have an all original Paragon with this board installed and it plays just as mean/fast as Fathom/Centaur. I'll post a video of the Paragon later today.
Quoted from Agtoftne:Enjoyed your video . . . more so at the 8+ minute with your 3 ball play and a little later with 4 or 5 ball play . . . sorry, I lost count (my bad). Please share more videos in the future.
Glad you enjoyed them! Yeah, that last ball on Centaur was a lot of fun…it demonstrates the crazy multi-ball strategies/opportunities on this game.
On the Fathom video, it captures a shot I don't believe I've ever made…nailed the "Lagoon Trap" with the left flipper (@ 1:17).
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Nice videos. Crap, now I want a Centaur
Must have been hard to pour your heart & soul into that Centaur restoration and not be able to keep it
Looking forward to your Fathom restoration…I took some video of my Fathom cabinet for you, but haven't pulled it off the camera yet.
Quoted from snaroff:Must have been hard to pour your heart & soul into that Centaur restoration and not be able to keep it
Looking forward to your Fathom restoration…I took some video of my Fathom cabinet for you, but haven't pulled it off the camera yet.
By the end of that CII conversion I didn't want to see another Centaur ever again. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder
I'm probably going to build a new cabinet for the Fathom, so the video would be much appreciated. At least I don’t have to mess around with a Rapid Fire cabinet this time.
Beautiful games Steve, are the rails chromed on the Fathom?
Quoted from PinballMikeD:Beautiful games Steve, are the rails chromed on the Fathom?
Yep…here's a really mediocre video I took with my old school video camera.
Even though the video quality isn't great, will show you the bling on this restoration. I'm usually not into bling, but I think it works on this title. The larger, blue displays are a nice touch.
I'm happy to get you more video as you progress with the restoration if necessary.
Holy Bling Batman! Such a treat to see 3 of the best pins ever made sitting right next to each other in that condition. When I saw the Paragon clear as day in the Fathom's chromed rail it took my breath away. Thanks for the porn Steve 
As promised, here is the Paragon video:
Unlike my Fathom/Centaur (which are full blown restorations), this Paragon is all original. The only new parts are the pop caps, flipper coil stops, and boards. I'm fairly certain it's HUO…no mylar in front of the slings (which was added by operators). No wear on the PF. Was in hibernation for a long time, so it required some modest restoration to resurrect (which I did). Even tough it doesn't have the glass-like clear of the CPR repro's, it still plays pretty darn fast (as I think the video demonstrates).
Enjoy!
Snaroff,
Great looking games! Thanks for posting the videos. I've got a restored CPR Centaur II in my line-up that plays very similar to your Centaur. I also have a CPR Flash Gordon and used to have a Paragon.-which I miss dearly...
One thing I noticed though is that I don't think your GI is working correctly on your Centaur. It looks like your GI is on constantly when it is supposed to flash on and off during certain parts of gameplay.-For example, It should also go completely dark when launching a new ball in play for multi-ball. It's all controlled by a small board under the playfield as well as a triac that is mounted to the chassis of the game.
Quoted from MikeS:Snaroff,
Great looking games! Thanks for posting the videos. I've got a restored CPR Centaur II in my line-up that plays very similar to your Centaur. I also have a CPR Flash Gordon and used to have a Paragon.-which I miss dearly...
One thing I noticed though is that I don't think your GI is working correctly on your Centaur. It looks like your GI is on constantly when it is supposed to flash on and off during certain parts of gameplay.-For example, It should also go completely dark when launching a new ball in play for multi-ball. It's all controlled by a small board under the playfield as well as a triac that is mounted to the chassis of the game.
Thanks…glad you liked them! Always interesting to see what folks notice when you post a video. Back in 2012, I was contacted by someone who noticed the same thing after posting a quick video when I first took delivery. Prior to that, I wasn't aware of the bug. I still have the email stashed away that describes how to fix it. It wasn't a quick fix, so it fell off the list. Thanks for the reminder…hope to get around to fixing it one day.
Quoted from snaroff:Thanks…glad you liked them! Always interesting to see what folks notice when you post a video. Back in 2012, I was contacted by someone who noticed the same thing after posting a quick video when I first took delivery. Prior to that, I wasn't aware of the bug. I still have the email stashed away that describes how to fix it. It wasn't a quick fix, so it fell off the list. Thanks for the reminder…hope to get around to fixing it one day.
The GI fix should be pretty easy once you get around to it and it does provide a pretty cool effect as I think Centaur is one of the only games from that era with controlled GI. For now your triac must be bipassed or else you wouldn't have any GI at all. I had this same issue on my game which was caused by a bad ground connection to the triac.
Quoted from snaroff:It's actually an inexpensive/adjustable microphone stand with a cool/cheap adaptor. Here they are:
amazon.com link » amazon.com link »
Would never find this type of solution without Amazon. All for $35 delivered to my door in 2-days. Amazing service.
Awesome I may order this now
I cant wait for Amazon to fly the dront to my backyard for same day delivery!! 
P.S. His Monster Bash is super nice!
Quoted from Mando:His Monster Bash is super nice!
Thanks for the kick in the nuts! 
I have been trying to buy it for weeks haha
Quoted from dothedoo:Nice line up. Would love to see vids of those in action!
Especially joust
Quoted from lordloss:Is that fish eye part of the recording a configuration or just how the go pro normally films?
WIth the default config, you will get fisheye. If that's undesirable, the camera can be configured differently.
The camera in the Centaur video was set on 960p @ 60 fps (the default). That mode only supports "Ultra Wide" field of view. The benefit is you can get real close to the PF and get more closeup detail. The downside is the fish eye.
Here's a STTNG video set on 1080p @ 60 fps on "Medium" FOV. No fisheye.
I shot a little footage of my TZ (pre-mirror blades) with my nephew's GoPro a while back. I could probably have provided a little more ambient light, but it was definitely a lot of fun to play around with. I should borrow it again and try mounting it above like yours.
Quoted from kevinleedrum:I shot a little footage of my TZ (pre-mirror blades) with my nephew's GoPro a while back. I could probably have provided a little more ambient light, but it was definitely a lot of fun to play around with. I should borrow it again and try mounting it above like yours.
» YouTube video
Very cool perspective! Thanks for sharing.
Just to be clear, my goal was to try and capture the beauty of the PF while never loosing sight of the ball in play. Even though the fisheye is a little odd, it does enable the camera to get an amazing close up view (showing a fair amount of detail). The STTNG video above doesn't show the PF as nicely (needs extra width to include the DMD and using the medium FOV also requires the camera be mounted quite a bit higher).
Quoted from s2k4ary:Hey snaroff, do you by any chance have any footage of your paragon being played? Just got a paragon, and wanted to do a little compareson to your, since your pins play so damn well.
Just noticed this…sorry for the delay.
Here's a video I took a couple months ago:
Unlike my Fathom/Centaur, this Paragon is a rare HUO example. The original boards were in pretty good shape, but I installed the Alltek Ultimate boards…the modern solenoid driver board plays stronger than the original driver board.
Enjoy!
Snaroff, thanks for posting paragon. Yours plays really well and much faster than mine. Is your playfield clear coated, or just original? Also, do you know what angle you have you pin set up as? I like how bright the LEDs make inserts look. It really looks great.
Quoted from s2k4ary:Snaroff, thanks for posting paragon. Yours plays really well and much faster than mine. Is your playfield clear coated, or just original? Also, do you know what angle you have you pin set up as? I like how bright the LEDs make inserts look. It really looks great.
No problem! Actually, I noticed the Paragon video was already listed earlier in the thread (but didn't notice).
No clear on the PF…just wax. Angle is 5.5-6.0…don't know offhand, but nothing out of the ordinary for an 80's title.
btw...I only have LED's in the 4 pops.
If you are running with original boards, I believe that may explain why mine plays faster. The new fangled Alltek boards rock. I have them in Fathom and Centaur and all play really strong.
Quoted from snaroff:No problem! Actually, I noticed the Paragon video was already listed earlier in the thread (but didn't notice).
No clear on the PF…just wax. Angle is 5.5-6.0…don't know offhand, but nothing out of the ordinary for an 80's title.
btw...I only have LED's in the 4 pops.
If you are running with original boards, I believe that may explain why mine plays faster. The new fangled Alltek boards rock. I have them in Fathom and Centaur and all play really strong.
CPR really loaded up the clear coat on Centaur, probably one of the heaviest coats of all their runs. Combining that part with a good playfield pitch will make the ball move pretty fast. Wax won't hurt it any, either. As much as I like the Alltek boards, and have installed them in dozens of my games, they aren't going to make the ball move any faster. IMHO, all new playfield parts including rubber, strong pitch, and a clean smooth surface are what will make the biggest difference.
I like all of the Alltek boards, but for me the biggest advantage of the Alltek Solenoid Driver board is short circuit protection. This is a great feature as it identifies the bad coil without the board taking the hit. Having operated a number of classic Bally/Stern, this saves time and money.
Quoted from BrianBannon:CPR really loaded up the clear coat on Centaur, probably one of the heaviest coats of all their runs. Combining that part with a good playfield pitch will make the ball move pretty fast. Wax won't hurt it any, either. As much as I like the Alltek boards, and have installed them in dozens of my games, they aren't going to make the ball move any faster. IMHO, all new playfield parts including rubber, strong pitch, and a clean smooth surface are what will make the biggest difference.
I like all of the Alltek boards, but for me the biggest advantage of the Alltek Solenoid Driver board is short circuit protection. This is a great feature as it identifies the bad coil without the board taking the hit. Having operated a number of classic Bally/Stern, this saves time and money.
I agree on the protection…great feature. There seemed to be a cause & effect. fwiw, the Alltec spec sheet claims "Lower on resistance MOSFET drivers means more responsive coils – better, faster pinball action.".
My Fathom clear was much thicker than Centaur (which isn't necessarily good From my perspective, Centaur plays a bit more naturally. My Fathom feels like the ball is sliding on glass…
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