The new wave of helmet cameras
 

I'm having a nightmare trying to work out which helmet cam to take with me on my next year long trip. There is of course the old seperate video cam with endless leads and stuff but there also seem to be a new wave of self contained cameras recording onto sd cards. Would really appriciate any feed back from anyone who has used one

cheers Rich

I've just got a Panasonic SDR-S10, £180 on Amazon. This is water resistant and shockproofed and records in three quality settings giving 25min/50min/1hr40min on a 2GB SD card. It also has image stabalisation. I've only used it mounted onto the bike but I'm looking to mount it on my helmet next as it only weighs 204 grams ready to go (31mmx63mmx114mm). This is my first attempt with it on my XT.
YouTube - Serow on the hardknot

The vibration is the way I mounted it rather than the camera. On my helmet it should be fine. The mic is right at the front and although there is an anti-wind noise setting it's quite bad at speed. I've made a foam cover for it.

Once the weather gets a bit more friendly I'll try "take two"

I find helmet mounted footage to be not that great... your head is never still when riding a bike... look at some of the crap footage from "long Way Down" for examples...

Try masking tape or a breathable bandaid over the mic... on my bullet cam, I kept the mic in the tank bag and that gave much better results.

Cheers,
John

actioncam
 

i just have got e secondhand actioncam for 90 euro
it just works with sd cards and 2 aa batteries
i have treyd it 2 times, its ok but not verry high qualety
i first mounted it on the bike but the vibrations are to much
on the helmet its ok Attachment 1157:thumbup1:

sdr s 10
 

Hey I really like the look of that little thing seems like a great compromise between a helmet cam and something you can use as a normal video camera. My only concern is how to mount it to the bike and helmet what are your idea? Does it have any thing on it you could strap too?

I've only tried it on my XT250 at the moment and just strapped it onto my tankbag with it on my "monster pod". On my Tiger it'll be behind the screen and mounted on a small tripod which does make for smoother and quieter video. There are also camera brackets by people like SW-Motech and I may invest in one as I'm shooting more and more video. It's nice on wet Sundays to watch your rides on sunnier days.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...h/DSCF1265.jpg

Thats looks like a great set up I suppose you could attach that monster pad thing to the side or top of your helmet could you?? how does it work is it by suction or velcrow? I hear it comes with a hand strap would it be possible to strap that around your arm? Sorry for all the questions but i'm in New Zealand until I leave for south america and with many of the specialised products you can only order them on line as they are never brought into the country very annoying at times.

You really need to see their website, just google monster pod. It's got this sticky goo that is supposed to stick to trees and rocks too but I haven't tried it on those surfaces. I wouldn't rely on just the stickness with a £200 camera, which is why I added a strap. It didn't move from where I put it on my tankbag though. I'm sure if I mounted it on a more solid surface, like directly to the tank, it would make a very stable platform. I've had some success using a "gorilla pod" tripod on my other bike. I'm still experimenting.

Mic
 

One suggestion to manage road noise: Many cameras today have a mic input usually a 1/8 inch jack for an external mic. If you purchase a 1/8 blank jack and insert it into the mic jack it disengauges the internal mic and you will not capture any audio. I often do this and then add voice over when editing the video. You can also connect the camera into your audio com or other system in this fashion.

I'll have a look. I've got a few old carphone mics knocking about somewhere I'll try one of those.

I was going to get one of these until I read this bit on their web page:

Can it fall off?
MonsterPod™ was developed to provide a temporary mounting device for compact digital cameras.
It is designed to hold a 10 oz or less camera for a period of time long enough to set the automated timer and take a picture.
It will begin to ooze (stretch) from its location after several minutes.


John

This has been my experience so far but it's been very cold, on a vertical surface it will fall off after a few minutes. What it's like in the summer I can't say. However it seems very good a staying where you put it on a flat horizontal surface with a secondary way of applying downward pressure. I got a good deal, £25 for the pod and the extra travel case so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm going to try it on the dash in the car un-supported and see what happens. I'm betting it'll be ideal in this situation.

I have done well with the ELMO which is a self contained unit recording onto an SD card

Micro video camera system SUV-Cam

Some samples - I did not connect a mike -

Elmo SUV
 

Hi Gxdoyle,

The suv cam looks neat. How much did you pay? Can it record sound in its most basic setup, or do I need an Elmo brand microphone?
How do you mount it on your helmet?
Have you tried mounting it elsewhere, i.e. near the foot-pegs... for more dramatic shots?

Cheers
Bjorn

Hey Bjorn,

I believe I paid about AUD 1,000 for the whole setup - this included a velcro patch that sticks to the helmet that you connect the head unit to. You can buy extras of these patches so that you can have different mounts all over the place - I never tried it on the footpegs but that sounds like an interesting idea. If you look at my first vid it gets very dramatic near the end when I fall off (about 5.5 mins in)!

Any kind of microphone will work - I am connecting it up to the microphone I have in my helmet for phone & UHF sine that is windproofed.

The only thinf I did not like about it was that I could not get a 12 v charger for it - however since I have a small inverter I was able to keep a spare battery on charge. The other thing I didn't like was that it only too a max 2 gig card so I had to carry a few different cards with me.

I haven't decided what to go with in terms of camera mounting yet, but the remote lens going into the camera seems best to me.

Getting good sound is not too hard with a few simple tools. See Rycote. A very long time British company that are the standard in film making. They make wind covers and wind protection for boom mics and for lavaliers and even camera mics. The best there is. The standard in Hollywood and London. They make small wind covers for Lav mics or camera mics. Plan to roll off some low end in post production/editing to lessen rumble. But a good screen wil get a lot of it. NO, you can't use "any" sort of foam or cover. You will just ruin the sound.

There are several other companies that make good lav wind screenes. Try MicroCat. Most keep wind rumble low up until about 50 mph. You don't want to bury the mic. But some experimentation is always good to find the "sweet" spot.

I think many cameras have two tracks available. So you could use the camera mic for ambiance and use a lavalier on your body for a voice over. Then mix them later. Or just use one.

I record production sound for a living so I have a few tricks. Get yourself a decent lavalier mic. I use Sanken (the best) but the Lectrosonics mic is not bad and cheap. Make sure they are compatible with your camera.

Go to B&H video & film site for a good source for everything audio. They sell a million mounting systems. Best to know what you want, bit overwhelming.

Patrick:mchappy:

Has anyone used the 4kam action package??

4Kam - Helmet camera and onboard bike cam.

I am also looking to buy my first set up for the bike trip I've planed at the end of summer and found it all a bit daunting to be honest. I remember these guys dooing a similar package last year for £200 it's now up to £250. Ive just emailed them for more info on there DVR recorder. Seems the obviouse upgrade over the last one is the built in 2gb flash memory.

Sorry for the hijack.

But just wondering if anyone else has used this kit?? and any other info for my budget of around £250/£300 for some video recording equipment.

Kind Regards. Darren

These look really good! It would be great to be able to switch between two different cameras on the go.

I've just had a reply back from 4kam. My main enquiry was what makes the dv3 recorder included in there package. It's made by goodmans.

They had a package on there site last year at £200 but with a recorder made by them, These are not on the site anymore but are still available if you send them an e-mail and ask for the DV1 Package.

Im going to go for the DV3. should be here end of week. I'll give it a reveiw week after if anyones intrested?.

Yes please, I'm looking at one of these myself.

David

quick 4kam review.
 

Received 4kams (ARP) Package in less than 24 hours after ordering. Found there CS,via e-mail very very fast indeed. (Sometimes this wories me). Anyway's all very pleasant and as said item received in super fast time.

So onto the package........

At first glance it looks pretty impressive.Nice packaging etc.

xs.to - Hosting - 4kam_001760.jpg

Lots and Lots of cables to get yourself in a lovley tangle with.

xs.to - Hosting - 4kam_002585.jpg

first impression of the actual DVR player when you take it out of packaging is !!!! Unfortunatley it feels cheap!!!!!. The buttons dont imediatley respond as you would imagine. I-pods etc are available to most these days for around £99.00 and if you are expecting the same kind of responsive button pushing from 4kams DVR recorder then I'm affraid your going to be very very disapointed. (As I WAS/AM)....


The player/recorder lags very badly when trying to navigate the menu's at any faster than snails pace.

First impressions.....OMG Have I just blew £270 on nothing more than a 2mp camera and a bullet cam!!!!!!.

Still on the DVR rec/player....(That comes included in there ARP package)

It's obviouse that one of the boys behind 4kam managed a 2 week paid work/beer recy mission finding out about and perhaps encouraging to stamp there brand name onto this little gadget...Perhaos they should have spent less on cheap beer and more on the product????




The player itself has all the natural beauty of a ZX Spectrum from 1984...
and the Spectrum was more responsive.....If only just.......But think more chrome,Or at least i think that's what they are calling it these days.

xs.to - Hosting - 4kam_010241.jpg

The recorder/player itself actually has rather alot of features,But no more than you would get from a top of the range mobile phone. You can

1.Record Video.
2.Play Video.
3.Audio Player.
4.Picture Viewer.
5.Digital Camera.(MAX 2MP)
6.DV In>>(Hook up a video camera)
7.Audio record (Think dictaphone)
8.3 games. (The nokia from the early 90's had 4)
9.Learning centre (Dictionary& e-books) No e-books included.
10.Tool box. (Calender,calc,notepad,memory,upgrade)
11.Set Up.(Very Basic)
12.Radio.
13.Flash Player.

And that's roughly it. So as i said....Think phone available everywhere. Minus the phone calls/texts/web....With a built in 2mp camera.......



So far (No so good).........



Peacing the unit together........

Decent enough instructions come with the package. And it took about 5 mins to asemble the whole thing and get up and running, But even this was proving to be a hassle.

to hook the bullet cam up with the DVR unit all you need to do is plug the bullet cam into the AV In socket on the DVR recorder, After dooing so I still had no picture and after ten mins of frustration and diging out 4kams- mail adress i found that with a bit of jiggling of the AV In cable the camera was finaly displaying a picture........Again the signs of a cheap Unit rearing it's ugly head...(If only I'd been charged a cheap price).......£168 for the DVR REC/PLAYER......Ouch......


I've contacted 4kam about the above and to be fair.... There respose was swift and helpfull.......


xs.to - Hosting - 4kam_013642.jpg

Onto the actual Bullet Cam....

I think this is where they have got it spot on.. It looks and feels like a top drawer peice of kit. Heavy enough to conivce the £99.00 price tag it commands,But still small enough to place covertly on your bike/car etc.

Boasting a 520 tvl res
And weighing only 45 grams.

Id be supprised if this wasnt where most of 4kams budget went.....

But even this has cheap and chearfully placed 4kam decals. I turned the lense on the camera (As you do) and the 4kam decal, Basicaly turned with it and split.....No biggie again but remember I didnt pay £99.00 for the whole package I paid £270 (Delivered)!!!!!!!!

So the first test was to set all resolutions to low(5 hours max recording on the 2GB internal hardrive of the DVR recorder). And take it for a test run to the local garage for some smokes and fuel!!!!!....

YouTube - xtz750.super tenere,4kam

To be fair again, The actual qaulity of the recording when watched back on my PC,is much better than the above video and even when streamed back onto my TV it;s watchable at full screen......But not perfect........

Video Size 320X240
Video Format. ASF,Converted to AVI (You can record directly to AVI via the DVR player as i found out later).

Largest size recordable 640X480.

So...........So far am I impressed???

Im probably 50/50 at the moment to be honest...

I havent yet tried it on full resolution.... And Im hopeing that it's much better than the settings I did record on......But on the same not is £270 for a basic plug and play package alot of money???????

It is for me considering Im on a budget!!!!!


Or is it just that a decent qaulity set up still isnt available for the money above...Again Im no expert just expressing my opinion.....

Im still on teh fence about the whole package to be honest,As with most gadget's it usually takes a few days/hours playing with them to get the hang of all there features and get it working at max capacity.

So we will just have to wait and see what comes of the 4kam ARP package But I'll update this review honestly as i get more hours with the little blighter....

But at the moment I'd probably (And probably will) spend money on the Archos DVR unit but still use the 4ka bullet cam....

Considering I've seen the Archos av500 go on ebay second hand for roughly between £100/150. for the 100gb vesrion. So add this with the £99.00 for a 4kam bullet cam and then £42 for the extension unit from Archos that you need to make the bullet cam work with the AV500 and your not far away from the 4kam ARP package and some extra SD cards......


4kam probably could have had this market all stitched up and hopefully will invest more in there recording device or stick to just the bullet cam in future as the adventure market/mobile video recording market for the masses has probably never been bigger.....But with customer's expectations and budgets beeing variable I'd say they were still pretty far off the mark even with there cheapest ARP (£270 delivered) package.

Couldn't be faulted for there customer service and friendly attitude and I hope that I'll be updating this review with good things once I've tried the cam on high res settings, But even that wouldn't detract from the cheap build qaulity of the DVR recorder included in the package deal....

And I doubt that my attitude on this will change..

So far I'd say buy there bullet cam (£99.00) and search e-bay for a second hand archos unit to plug the cam into.

I'll update as I use the cam package more...

This is totaly my own views and Im not trying to put anyone of buying the 4kam package in anyway.

Regards.Darren.

UPDATE...........

After having an afternoon using this little gizmo on full resolution settings Ive found it isnt that bad, When played back onto your TV via the cables supplied and the DVR's inbuild tv out setting, The qaulity of the picture is pretty impressive and the mic kit supplied with the camera works well.......This time i used my tank bag to store the DVR recoder in, But I still have a problem with the built in AV in jack on the unit it'self. I contacted 4kam about this and they have asked me to send the DVR recorder back and will replace it if found faulty. Can't really say fairer than that.......

Web cam on board ?
 

Is it possible to connect a web cam (USB) with a digital photo camera like Olympus... etc, which also has USB. ?

Helmet Camera
 

Darren, many thanks for the great write-up .... excellent job.

I'm also about to buy a helmet cam and are currently looking at the X-sportcam here's the link GP 100 Onboard Video System [X-Sportscam] - €399.00 : X-Sportscam shop they sell complete packages and have cool extra's like remote on / off switch etc.... it also looks quite rugged.

Regarding the Archos, has anyone travelled overland with one ? did it stand up to out-door life ?

Many thanks Matt

I use a Pentax W20 digital camera. With an 8GB SD card I can get 2 hours of video on it at 640x480 resolution. And it doubles up as my point-and shoot camera.

I haven't worked out where to mount it as yet....if you know what I mean.....:rolleyes2:

Aerial Photos
 

I've been experimenting with one of these


and one of these (well a single line version)


to see if I can get aerial shots, so far I can't say they've been brilliant as the aim's been off, but I figure with the right sling mount I should be able to film myself travelling. Mind you launching is a two person job, and recovery is a little in the crash-landing category, thank goodness the cam's pretty tough. OK, it'll never be broadcast quality, but for web-viewing it should be fine.

Archos 5
 

So i've looked at the Archos 5 series and its great, tough ali case, simple buttons, decent screen, decent size hard drive, plenty of extra functions including a web-browser, now Archos have a helmet camera pack ...

ARCHOS

dabs.com - Archos Helmet Cam for Gen 5 Players (500985)

So budget wise, you're looking at €500 +/- including the Archos 5 + camera+car charger..

i'll let you all know if i get one...

Build your own kit
 

Hey guys there is a cheap option for all of this that works fine. I personally built mine using a cheap PMP (pocket media player) with hi-res recording facilities (£60), a CCTV bullet camera (£12) and a rummage with a few power options, I managed to get the bike to power the camera and charge the PMP using a DC adaptor.

Result footage:


Components:
http://www.global-b2b-network.com/di...let_Camera.jpg

[The bracket unscrews and leaves you with a cylindrical camera with a lead. Search eBay for "CCTV Bullet Camera". I paid £12 including shipping.]

http://www.pockettechie.co.uk/acatal...%20500x500.jpg
[This PMP is the JxD 951, boasting a 4" screen, hi-res recording, and 2GB storage which is expandable onto SD cards. ~£61]


eBay these products. Although, I think JxD have stopped business but I'm sure you'll be able to find similar companies that do solid-state recording devices.
Solid state is better than mechanical recording devices, no interference with vibration and 100% retention.


This all being said, my kit went tits up on the channel tunnel, one of the cables snapped and I was left carrying around a bunch of kit the whole trip and no footage.

Given the choice again I'd get myself a GoPro Hero 3/4 (for the same amount of money)

http://helmetcameracentral.com/oldsh...ike-helmet.jpg

Archos Camcorder
 

Hi guys & girls out there!
Right I'm brand new to this site, I have completed 3 trips around europe.

Last year I purchased a ARCHOS 504, I purchased the bullet cam which connects to it.
I bought this last year at PIXMANIA.COM, the complete package cost me £280. I did notice that everytime I wenty on the website it cost a different price, I guess due to the price they buy it in at.
Anyway this little device has 80 GB, you can get one with 160 GB.

It takes about (don't quote me, this is what I have been told) 1 hr recording per 1GB. This in effect will record 80 hours. However the actual real size of the recorder is about 76 GB, so you are looking at 70 hours recording I recon.
Try not to get bogged down with too many accessories, that's all I have to say. Buy the device, but when you buy the bullet cam, (purchased seperatley it costs around £109 from ARCHOS site) the cam comes with a travel adapter, don't buy one seperately as they cost £40 or so.

Quality - can record in 3 different types, high is very good.

I attached camera to top of my helmet, I bought some material, sewed it and attached the cam to helmet via velcro. Worked a treat even at 100 mph (autobaan for all those getting concerned)

Bad points 1 - right, this device is not waterproof, the device does come with a pouch and sat comfortably in my inside pocket. I used the device coming down the STELVIO pass, it was heaving with rain, however it carried on recording and did not break, obviously at some points the specs of the water on the lense blurred its vision occassionally but would blow off.
I am not sure if this is usual or whether I just got lucky. It was raining consatntly and so hard that my jacket leaked, device was moist (not wet) only due to the pouch it came in.

Bad point 2 - Battery life, lasts for about 1 hour on record - utter rubbish. Charge time can be done through USB on computer. This takes hours.
I am going on europe tour in August 2008, I am taking this device again, as it really is good. This time I am going to purchase a cigarette socket power for it and attach to the bike battery, it states that it can be used for charging and power, so I will give it a go. Batteries are expensive so refuse to buy them.

This device is also DVD player, music player etc. It really is a mini computer. DVD's can be copied onto it, it has a built in decoder to copy all DVD's ARCHOS I am told got all rights given for this by all DVD manufacturers.

I made a disc of my last trip and passed to friends, they were impressed with quality.

I have also become aware of DOGCAM, looks good DOGCAM.COM. recorders and bullett cameras for all sports including bike!!
Standard cam costs £325 includes recorder device, camera and holder to suck it on bike or helmet. Uses SD card (comes seperately of course) 16GB SD card costs £50.

Feel free to e-mail me paulspreadbury@vodafoneemail.co.uk

bullet cams
 

hi guys

i have used a varety of bullet cameras in the past, through teaching / filming kitesurfing. and have found many to be seriously lacking. with either naff DVR recorders or sub standard camera manucfaturing. i am currently researching my next purchase which looks to be:

Actioncameras.co.uk

this seems to be a very robust bit of kit, but not entirely cheap...can handle up to 8gb [45 mins video per gb at best resolution] for a cost of complete package at £580.

i guess it all depends on what you want and how much abuse its going to get. i will be going to demo this camera next week..will keep you all updated.

i am also in the process of producing a custom built bullet cam, which is of commercial diving quality [machined aluminium billet body], and reasonably cost effective..this would just require a DVR recorder of your choice to handle the data..and would be 100% dirt, water and anything else proof! [way more depth capacity than a human can handle-as the guy im working with designs them for remote operated vehicles]

if youre interested let me know and we can talk more.

normanbp31 [aatt} HoTT M-a-i-l dot c.o-m

Playback quality on the web!
 

I'm wondering what it is people want, do you sit and watch your videos after on the TV, or are they just for sticking on YouTube or wherever? If it's the latter does it matter what quality your camera is given the relatively poor quality of .flv videos?

I'd have thought once you get past a certain quality it all becomes immaterial if all you're doing is loading on any of the video sharing sites. It's a pity that they don't seem to say the maximum quality you need for playback.

Of course if you're watching on the TV it's different.

I've had a look at these recently - its actually called a POV.1 by a company called V.I.O.

V.I.O. -- The Leader in Wearable Video Technology, Digital Helmet Cameras and Cam Accessories

In my opinion the quality is better than any other dedicated solution and the widescreen lense gives so much more than the other units.

That price at actioncameras seems pretty steep, you can get them for about half that in the states so might even be worth paying import duties for (or smuggling it). Its still not cheap compared to other solutions but is small, has a great mic, and best of all a remote control that you can mount on your bars to start/stop recording or to tag the video.

Oh and it's also waterproof and shockproof.

Got a GoPro :thumbup1: really please with it, it comes with mounts for helmet and a large sucker thing so you can mount on front mudgard, bonnet, front of surfboard etc, waterproof to 100 ft. max 2GB card so only an hour at a time on vid or thousands of stills.

Helmut Camera's
 

An Aussie mob called hellcam.com.au do a very good set up.
Also, check out webbikeworld.com, they have reviewed most systems on the market.

Hello!

I used a remote lens and a camcorder on our last trip. The result is very good, and it is user friendly as well. I have a LANC remotecontrol and bike powered camera.

I bought the camera from www.helmetcamera.com - Home
I use a camcorder to record, but they have digital mini recording devices as well. I prefere camcorder with DV cassettes.
I'm going to connect this system to my Autocom intercom, and then be able to record the conversations between our bikes.

Tom

Although the size might be a barrier that can't be over come, I'd suggest for £300 the Sanyo HD1000 is worth a look. No need to play around with differing bits of kit and wires, all you need in one unit and FULL HD.

Well, kind of, it's heavily compressed Full HD, but you can also take good stills with it as well.

Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 Review - Camcorder Reviews - TrustedReviews

http://www.trustedreviews.com/images...-hd1000k02.jpg

My experience with 4Kam

I would recommend DogCam DV500 Hands down, the 4Kam units are just rebadged highly inflated rubbish

I bought the DV1 which is actually a Goodmans unit that was available from Amazon for £45 before they discontinued it (it's that old)

It only records at 320x240 resolution which they fail to point out on their web site and I'm certain that non of the demo video's are taken with that recorder, you need a minimum of 640x480 resolution for trackday/racing video's.

I returned my DV1 for a refund which they are refusing to give because I have used it (how else do you test an an-board camera !), they are also saying that they haven't received my returned DV1 despite me sending it via Special Delivery and having a signiture.

Looks like I'm going to court, absolute crooks !

Cam
 

http://VholdR.com

I bought this outfit for $300.00 at Seattle Bike show.
No wires and a nice set up.
I used it on my recent trip to Death valley and it works great.
Indoors not so good but you can upload to yours and VHOLDR site to shre with friends.

I don't suppose you have one you could share with us do you?

helmet cam
 

Titus Canyon

Now my language isn't for all but hey I was a bit nervous .
My first off road on my 800GS .

As with most helemt cams there is wind noise.
This camera has the mic in the body and I have a latex glove over the body .
I will make more modifications to eliminate noise.

I have the Dogcam 420 camera and am quite impressed with the camera unit itself. I found their service to be really good too.
I have mine wired (loads of wires) into my mini DV camera (tape) which has produced very satisfactory results. My technique on the other hand needs allot of attention.
I do have my eye on one of these though. DV500 solid state video recorder but for travelling I would look more towards the Mini DV tape option, as storage is a problem, and tapes as so easy (still.) you need loads of 32 GB CF cards, not cheap or a laptop and external harddrive or DVD burner.

I have wired the lipstick camera into a DV recorder, (A 20GB storage device similar to the Archos) 20Gb Mass storage device (micro) review - Photo.net Filter, Bags, Tripods and Accessories Forum

I have since upgraded computer and have been battling with the video editing software... something to do with older codecs... fun!

Cheers G

hi there,
a few of us purchased the "drift x170" this comes with all the bits n bobs.
you get a helmet mount,bike bar mount,which will fit on your push bike,you get a velcro strap mount that fits through your vented push bike helmet,a remote on/off switch which is on a velcro strap which you can wear around your wrist,onr on your handlebars.
we had a 4gig card with it as well,the camera lens rotates to line up your footage however your position your mount is in.
You can also review what you have recorded on the built in screen,also delete the bits you dont want.
we use it mainly for off roading,the picture quality is very good with no vibrations,the kit also includes accessories to put straight in to a tv to watch as you come back from a ride with your mates,also the leads to fit straight into your pc.
THE DOWN SIDE!--it eats aa batteries!dont use rechargables,they dont last no where as long as lithiumn,typical running time,although we have not run them from a start to finish ride,due to the fact that it is mixed riding,ie,road sections in between off road parts,they would proberly last about 1 hour,tops!
That is the only down side we have found,they are curently on sale from action cameras at around £200.00.,we paid £150.00 which included the 4 gig card.
if you look on you tube,my mate put a small clip of us out on the first ride with it,,,youtube,put in drift x170 off road,its only a few minutes long but it will give you a taster,oh two more things---the remotes,if a few of you are using them,either turn them on and off manually,on the camera its self,or just one of you use the remote,,,,ha ha,hense only one clip of our days riding,because as each of us was turning the camera on and off at different times it was activating ALL of our cameras,when one had switch on,the next was switching off.
As you will see that because i was last to start off,they were in front of me,and so mine worked ok!the remotes work up to 5 meters.
hope this is helpful.we have had great fun with these,even on my road bike,fitted behind a screen its excellent bit of kit a i think good value compared to other cameras.

Hold On!!!
 

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I wanted to make one thing clear here. When it comes to Video there are two formats: PAL and NTSC. PAL means that you're recording with 25 frames per second and is used in all of Europe. NTSC is an American format and means that you're recording 30 frames per second. This makes a great difference for me (UK Based). I bought a Canon HF100 full HD camcorder for my walking around and video diaries for our trip RTW. It is a PAL camera since I bought it in Europe. Now I want to buy a helmet camera which will be able to take good quality footage from onboard the bike. When I say good footage I mean HD quality. This is another thing that I would like to make clear. The main thing that reflects on the quality of your video is the resolution that you're recording in (not to mention the sensor size, lense type and quality etc.). Most of the cameras here mentioned by people is a poor 480p, 520p - these are resolutions that you get on older TVs 640x480, youtube quality etc. - for me not good enough! next step up is the 720p which I'd be happy with as this represents the first step into HD quality - internet HD is mostly 1270x720 (720p), but what I'm really looking for is a camera that will be able to record to a Full HD quality 1920x1080 (1080p). There are cameras out there that do this - the problem is that they're all NTSC format (30 frames per second) - good for the US but not for Europe.

If you're in the US I would recommend either ContourHD or GoPro cameras as they in my opinion give you the best quality of footage and seem to be reasonably priced when compared to the 4Kam garbage!

When in Europe there isn't really much to play with and that's where I'm at now :) I've got no idea what to buy as there are no HD cameras available in PAL format. I phoned around and there is a chance that there will be Drift X170 Full HD camera available in July 2010.

Will keep my eye out but really am thinking of getting and american based NTSC full HD cmacorder + helmet camera after selling my PAL one.

Any comments,

Give me a shout!
Andy

Hello all
I have been using the Tachyon XC camera. I got one in 2008 and the I upgraded to the 2010 version in January.
The improvements are very noticeable between these two models
I have tried taking video underwater in a swimmingpool and that works fine but I mainly use it fixed to my helmet.
The package comes with several different brackets and fastenings to fix the camera to almost anything.
I am very happy with mine and I recommend it highly
Here is the latest video I took with it mixed with some still pictures from my other camera. This is a video of the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
YouTube - Hjólaferð að eldgosi.mov

Please check out my other videos on Youtube

Here is a link to the manufacturer
Helmet Cam and Helmet Camera | Tachyon XC - Worldwide Shipping on all Helmet Cams

Hope this was helpful
Regards
Johann

Helmet cameras are a nice addition to your filming setup but don't confuse the ease of being able to 'hoover up' the scenery with a helmet cam with the real challenge of creating engaging, meaningful stories. To put it another way, you could spend 1000AUD on a helmet cam and bore everyone senseless or spend 200AUD on a standard def camcorder to film a couple of drive-past's and a bit of well-researched 'talk-to-cam' that leaves the viewers feeling interested and engaged. Sadly that all sounds a bit more challenging and people just don't take the time. No wonder people just smile politely when we show them our motorbike 'shorts'.

Ladies of the Trail on Vimeo

Thought some of you might like to see this little DVD i have made from our weekend away in North Wales last weekend.

I use the following cameras

POV VIO
GOPRO HERO
ATC 3k
Sanyo Xacti E1
Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1
Kodac Z18

Hope you like the DVD?

Just enjoy and make dirty movies....

Pat

Hi,

I usuarly dont take videos but fotos while riding. Therefore im using a normal camera (it can make videos as well) wich is atached to my helmet directly:


http://www.adventure-travel-experien...dition_030.jpg


Have fun, Tobi

No one has mentioned 'Muvi' cameras, tiny, and there are even cheaper ones direct from Hong Kong for about £13, they need a class 6 8gb memory card, I have one and I use a bit of double side sticky tape (number plate stuff) to stick it to the top of my helmet visor, it does'nt interfere with vision.

Vio Pov.1/2 & VholdR ContourHD 1080p
 

I use one of these and they are awesome! Totally bullet proof and they take 4x AA batteries, which are easy to recharge on the go. And if you install the latest free firmware you can use an 8GB SD card. Selling mine on Ebay if anyone is interested as I'm raising cash for my North American Adventure. They do come up now and then used on ebay, which is not a big deal because they are so well made... and apparently the customer service is very good too. But its not HD, although the picture quality is very good. The only difference between POV 1 & POV 2 is the bullet cam is orange and teathered in the latest version but the specs are exactly the same.

Yeah, these seem quite a good bit of kit. The lack of wires is quite appealing and will probably be the one I go for next. And I hear you can use a 16GB miniSD card, which is vital for the HD... IMHO the downside is the video format: .mov compared to the VIO, which is .avi but this can be overcome. The other thing is that there is no external mic if you want to narrate. Although I have seen a chap on YouTube mod it.

I plan on going down the VHOLD 1080p route and if I want to narrate... (for the vlogs) then I'll use the Iphone voice recorder via a Cardo Scala Rider Q2 headset, then sync it up in Sony Vegas.

xXx

Great thread guys and lots of good info. Hats off to theose who contribute.

I have a VIO 1.5 POV.
It does everything I want it to do with 1 exception. The focal length of the lens is too short. In order for me to get some decent footage of a bike in fromt of me I need to be way closer than what is ideally a safe following distance. if i drop back to a good distance the subject looks as if he is being viewed from the wrong end of a set of binoculars. Unfortunately VIO have been repeating the same line over and over the years regarding the lens length and say that something is in development etc etc..??

Someone here menioned an Archos device acting as a recorder. I dont undrestand these things but If I wanted to go down this route I just neeed to get a sony lipstick cam or similar and plug it into the archos thing and thats it? or is therre more to it than that.?

anyway here are a couple of vids from my list.

YouTube - daytona 675




YouTube - Cbr1100xx currumbin

try these
 

for all your mounting needs,

RAM Mounting Systems, Inc.

There is now an HD version of the VIO POV available for pre-order: V.I.O.

The POV.HD shoots 1080p at 24, 25 and 30 fps as well as 720p at 60 fps. It uses H.264 instead of the DivX codec used in POV 1.5. Published bitrate is 15 mbps.

The "bullet" style camera is wired to a remote unit (unlike the ContourHD which is self-contained). On the plus side, the remote unit has a 2" LCD and is powered using standard AA batteries, both are nice attributes in the field.

The POV.HD has a very wide 1080p field-of-view at 142°. The 720p view is "cropped" narrower at 95°.

As a reference the POV 1.5 has a field-of-view of 110°. The ContourHD shoots at 110° (1080p) and 135° (720p). The GoPro HD is at 127° (1080p) and 170° (720p).

Take a look at the DRIFT HD170.

Waterproof, Shockproof (dropped it while riding). Shoots in 720 or 1080.
Only flaw I see is the remote, there is NO indication if you are reording.
The On/Off switch needs to be more positive and impossible to use while wearing gloves.

Mini DV D008
 

I recently bought Video Sunglasses, the name is above. Cost $A150 with 8gb T-card.

It came with a very awkward Manglish CD and instruction card. Still have not managed to get the (very annoying) time/date overlay corrected or deleted altogether.

On the road, yes it does OK for what it is. Because it is mounted on my face and not my bike, there is a lot less vibration.
But the final effect is not good. There is still a fair degree of ride vibration transmitted.

Also: do you realise how paranoid we bikers are? The head keeps swivelling around - and very quickly. It's a matter of staying alive!!!!
But it is not good video.

Audio; yes at low speed I enjoy the sound of my Harley growl. But at anything over about 80kph, wind howl takes over, and must be overidden by (appropriate) soundtracks in the computer.

The earpieces must be jammed between the helmet and the human head and this is very uncomfortable. The card should record for 2 hrs, but half that is too much agony. Last time it cut out after 43 minutes. Problem is; you don't know when it cuts out, and there is no review available without a computer.

Can I recommend it? Not yet.

Rob

Update: Having just watched some good videos on this thread, in particular Barraman's Queensland videos, I think that we are overselling this whole video concept to ourselves.
For instance: I have just watched some footage of riders fanging towards a volcano in Iceland. Not to offend the rider/videographers, but the volcano never became the centrepiece, nor could it be. Instead we saw a lot of water, tundra, gravel, puddles etc. Not too interesting, even to bikers, or vulcanologists.
I can still hear my sister-in-law's plea; "Do you have anything with people in them?" A reality check for me....
So: New Rules!: I will persevere with video, but savage editing is mandatory.

Great pics thanks for sharing the informative post. Keep it up.

you dont need anything fancy, i took this on my nokia mobile phone

davsato's Channel - YouTube

sorry it goes on a bit, it was just a trial run, i was too busy to stop recording and it filled the memory card!

The importance of editting!
 

Top comment!
I went to Vegas, hired a Softail for a week and rode around Arizona back in 2010 - I took a camera with me and decided to film the event with the idea of making it interesting for other people to watch because I was alone (I had no one to reminisce with after). It took me and a friend 1 year to complete the editing but the resulting DVD was fantastic and many people even wanted me to make copies for them! (how often does that happen with a holiday vid?)

In contrast to that a friend and I went to France for a short break on the bikes, we both filmed the trip and did just a little editing, the result is so crap neither one of us have bothered to watch it since! (and if someone tries to watch it you can watch them glaze over in about 4mins 38 seconds!)

I think it was Grant Johnson that told me "the difference between a pro photographer and an amateur photographer is the size of their rubbish bins" - With the Vegas trip I filmed hours and hours of footage, 90% never made it to the final cut.

With having said all that, for my big trip im looking at this -

VIO POV HD Camera | DogCam Sport

Main reasons are 1080p HD in Pal and the tagging system =
"New tagging and pre-record modes have been included. When you press the tag button on the remote controller, the unit goes back up to 10 mins and starts recording in the past."

So you don't need to take hours and hours of rubbish footage "just encase" something cool happens! :thumbup1:

Only problem with this system - ITS FLAMING EXPENSIVE!!!!

Dom

Also the new Drift HD Ghost Action Camera

Cameras - Drift Innovation




it has a 5 minute back record... priceless unless you want to record everything and have to edit 6 months of video!

that settles it! i already thought drift was the best only lacking the loop function, now it has everything! and you don't have a brick strapped to the top of you head! i used the drift HD 170 for my africa trip. great camera and great customer support. the ability to speak into a mic is great too.
here is a taste
Ride For Rangers: Part 1 starting off... - YouTube
i'm so excited by the ghost! well done drift!