Which Helmet Cam?

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Been doing some research & leaning heavily toward the Hero GoPro Wide?
Anyone who has experience with this or other cameras any advice would be really helpful?

I found this:
http://www.helmetcamreview.com/4camShootout.htm

I think the cliche, "you get what you pay for" rings true with these devices. I have a VholdR. It is nearly twice the price so I don't know if you would even consider it. I have had success with it but there have been some bumps in the road.

It is extremely easy to use, charge, download, etc. The battery charges from the computer's USB port. You never have to remove the battery. Same thing with the SD Micro Card. You flip off a rubber cover and plug it in. Very nice and easy. The video format is .AVI which is pretty universal these days. You 'll be able to view the files on any computer and edit them with lots of software programs.

The negatives...Wind noise is bad once you exceed 10MPH. Beyond that...all you hear is wind. I covered the mic completely and it improved only slightly. I've had issues one random days with bad recording. When playing back the file later, the image and sound stutters, then the image freezes and the sounds continues normally. Very strange and very annoying when it occurs.

To wrap this up. The VholdR has been awesome about 80% of the time. I go out and record video HOPING that it will turn out OK. I have to wait till I get home to see if it is any good. The annoying part is that it is completely random.

Ask more questions and I'll tell more. I gotta go.

All of these videos were done with the VholdR
http://www.vimeo.com/user857083/videos
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Yo Ben, I know you have to buy the SD card separate on the VholdR. Which size do you have and how much time do you get on it?

-Jim.
 
I have had good luck using the Canon SD cameras (with a Flip Action Mount - $15 at Circuit City) as either a helmet or handlebar mount. The SD1100 can be had for about $200, it takes phenomenal pictures and videos (WITH image stabilization), and bottom line it's a regular digital camera that can be used as a normal point and shoot camera, but also can be used as a helmet cam. It uses SD cards (NO size limitation), and it's small and light enough to ride on your helmet. The ONLY potential drawback: The SD1100 is not built to withstand shock... I trashed one on the Porcupine Rim trail in Moab (hit by a low branch)... complete bone-head move, but the point is it's not a rough and tumble camera. Still, I haven't seen a camera take better videos for the $, while having such versatility as a normal digital camera.

If you want to see samples of the SD1100 vids, check out the links to the Whole Enchilada video (posted in the MTBNJ Media Room), or The Ribbon, or Kokopelli Underture.

Peace,
BB
 

Sircrashalot

New Member
Ben & Bobby...thanx for the input. Ben, your videos had me sold on the Vhold but I figured i'd see what else was out there. The price is not a huge factor...just want the best result. From what I have read the GoPro seems to have some advantages over the vhold regarding lens angle, video quality, etc. other than price. I also plan to use it for some motorsports, namely autocross/ road racing type stuff, so I am diggin' the versatility of the gopro.

That being said your videos kick butt & they are actually what sparked my interest in a cam to begin with.

Bobby, note my screen name....shock resistance very, very important for me!!!

If anyone has a gopro I'd love to know how it works!
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Yo Ben, I know you have to buy the SD card separate on the VholdR. Which size do you have and how much time do you get on it?

-Jim.

Yes, the SD Micro cards are sold separately. I got one for $25 bucks over the summer. Picked up another on Black Friday for $12. I don't have an extra battery yet though.

Battery life and memory is difficult for me to answer. I usually record short segments. Maybe a few minutes at a time. Each time you stop and start the recording, the unit makes a separate file. This is nice when playing stuff back and reviewing later. I'd guess that I'm getting something near 50 minutes on the card. When the memory is full, it beeps to indicate that it has stopped recording and doesn't begin again.

One of the things that is nice is that you can quickly and easily start and stop the recording. I turn the unit on (at the beginning of the ride) and it boots up within 30 seconds. Then I can start and stop the recording by sliding the button on top. I can do this without stopping the bike. I may ride for 90 minutes but only record the 10 minutes that is really interesting. That makes video editing much easier later. I don't have to watch the entire ride over again to isolate the interesting stuff.

Edit: Forgot to answer something from JimV. The VholdR currently uses only 2GB Micro SD cards. They have rumored that a firmware udate will allow you to get bigger cards but I've haven't heard any new developments
 
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Sircrashalot

New Member
Now leaning towards the Oregon Scientific ATC5k. Kinda heavy but has an LCD screen to line up shot & review video on the fly....
 

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
OS atc3k review

This is the camera I use. The only complaint I have is the light exposure the review mentions. It adjusts to the light conditions very slowly and when it is very cloudy it seems kinda dark. When the sun starts to set you won't be able to capture anything. I'm not sure if that is the same for the other cameras. But the thing is bombproof, secure when mounted, tilt angle adjustments on the fly, and very easy to use. The buttons may be a little hard to push but you get the hang of it. It comes with every mount you need. But it works better with just velcro and a flat area on your helmet. I grabbed mine cheap on ebay, new too. I would give this product 3.5/5 stars.

The 5k looks great but like you said heavy. It's also more expensive and once you test the camera a few times you will get the hang of how to capture the video best. Sometimes I just take off my helmet and shoot the video that way of my friends.

My latest video I put together is in the Rutgers Ecopreserve threads. Check it out if you haven't already. I also have a diablo thread somewhere. It was really sunny that day and the video turned out great.
 

Sircrashalot

New Member
This is the camera I use. The only complaint I have is the light exposure the review mentions. It adjusts to the light conditions very slowly and when it is very cloudy it seems kinda dark. When the sun starts to set you won't be able to capture anything. I'm not sure if that is the same for the other cameras. But the thing is bombproof, secure when mounted, tilt angle adjustments on the fly, and very easy to use. The buttons may be a little hard to push but you get the hang of it. It comes with every mount you need. But it works better with just velcro and a flat area on your helmet. I grabbed mine cheap on ebay, new too. I would give this product 3.5/5 stars.

The 5k looks great but like you said heavy. It's also more expensive and once you test the camera a few times you will get the hang of how to capture the video best. Sometimes I just take off my helmet and shoot the video that way of my friends.

My latest video I put together is in the Rutgers Ecopreserve threads. Check it out if you haven't already. I also have a diablo thread somewhere. It was really sunny that day and the video turned out great.
From what I've read the 5k has improved a bit on the light sensitivity. I like the shape of this better than the Gopro, its more waterproof, and has the review ability, and some other stuff that I prefer to the advantages of the vholdr.....along with lower price. The vhold seems to have the best sound capture though....I am not usually so wishy washy but each model has distinct + or - & none are perfect....thanks for the feedback on the ATC though that helps me a whole lot!
 

Sircrashalot

New Member
Well, decision made. Pullin' the trigger on the Oregon Scientific ATC5k with a 4G card. Can't justify the price difference to the Vhold especially since this one has an LCD screen right on it to line up shot/review & a remote control to start/stop video without having to touch the camera itself. I'll post up once it gets here & I get to try it out. I have a feeling that the lens angle will be not as good as Bens Vhold for riding, but I like it for other purposes.

Thanks again to everybody who put in their cents!!
 

beachwoodbikes

Shop: Beachwood Bikes
Shop Keep
Go-pro Helmet Hero 5

Have a birthday coming right up & the wife is agreeable to getting me a helmet camera. Been doing some research & leaning heavily toward the Hero GoPro Wide?
Anyone who has experience with this or other cameras any advice would be really helpful?

I found this:
http://www.helmetcamreview.com/4camShootout.htm

This is definately a nice camera and the wide view is definately the way to go. Vid quality is great, stable and this piece is very easy to use. The view finder is helpful to get set up with the most optimum viewing area. We sell these for $179 and they are in stock now.
 

jimmysnukastyle

New Member
Cameras

Thanks for all of this information - just read through this thread. Are the 2K and 3K good competitors if you don't need the LCD screen? The only differences I found between the two were the amount of memory capacity. I found some of the 2K for like $80. My budget is limited - will go over $80 of course - but picking up a decent steal would be sweet.
Thanks,
Dan
 

ellbiddy

Active Member
Yes, the SD Micro cards are sold separately. I got one for $25 bucks over the summer. Picked up another on Black Friday for $12. I don't have an extra battery yet though.

Battery life and memory is difficult for me to answer. I usually record short segments. Maybe a few minutes at a time. Each time you stop and start the recording, the unit makes a separate file. This is nice when playing stuff back and reviewing later. I'd guess that I'm getting something near 50 minutes on the card. When the memory is full, it beeps to indicate that it has stopped recording and doesn't begin again.

One of the things that is nice is that you can quickly and easily start and stop the recording. I turn the unit on (at the beginning of the ride) and it boots up within 30 seconds. Then I can start and stop the recording by sliding the button on top. I can do this without stopping the bike. I may ride for 90 minutes but only record the 10 minutes that is really interesting. That makes video editing much easier later. I don't have to watch the entire ride over again to isolate the interesting stuff.

Edit: Forgot to answer something from JimV. The VholdR currently uses only 2GB Micro SD cards. They have rumored that a firmware udate will allow you to get bigger cards but I've haven't heard any new developments


From vholdr website:
http://vholdr.com/contourhd/features

The current version of the contourHD supports up to 16GB microSD card which is what I currently use. Batteries are the cheap nokia BL-5C which can be had for around 5-10 bucks, I ordered 3 for my epic ski trips (as well as an extra charger) and I have a couple microSD cards laying around. Big fan of the 1080p version of this cam, I don't have the previous gen, but I'm sure it's just as awesome.
 
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