Helmet Cameras

Motorcycling
1

I have 4 years of experience recording asphalt and I’ve used 10 different cams in that time.
Most of these can be found at Actioncameras.co.uk.
ActionCameras was kind enough to give a 10% discount code

Discount code: P18710

Drift Ghost HD - From £250

Pro: Screen, water proof, durable, video tagging, remote control, wifi, 3hr battery.
Con: Buggy Android app
Comment: This is probably the most feature rich camera. Very useful tagging feature which saves you time looking for footage and clearing your SD card

Contour ROAM2 - From £170

Pro: Easy to use, Waterproof, very durable, laser view finder.
Con: Least impressive video quality of the 3. But still good.
Comment:

GoPro Silver - From £200

Pro: 2.5hr battery, best video quality, wifi
Con: No screen, needs case to be rain proof, not aerodynamic.
Comment:

Do you want cheaper?
Take a look at the Drift HD 720. It’s a very capable camera with a remote control at £100.

YouTube is a great place to research these cameras.

Here is an accident that probably would of went 50/50 if it wasn’t for the camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqnRIeRT2hs

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING
You will be able to YouTube or Google information on the following
Video tagging: This feature allows it to continuously record without wasting SD card space. Eg: You press the tag button and the camera will store the last 2 mins and the next 2 mins. (times can be changed)
Low Light Recording: Check to see how well your desired camera handles low light levels (unlit roads can be a problem)
High Definition: HD cameras are good for clearly capturing the small details around you like numberplate.
Battery Life: Dedicated helmet cameras often have around 2.5hrs battery life, but always check.
Mounting: How/where do you intend to mount it? Helmet is generally best due to less vibration.
SD Card: Check if your camera can accept 16GB/32GB cards. Best to buy the biggest genuine SD card. Look out for fake cards of else you’ll have corrupted videos.

SD Card CLASS: If you plan to record at 1080p or 720 @ 60fps then you should get yourself at the very least a Class6 SD card. A slow SD card will have issues keeping up with the data rate.
Wide Angle: wide angle cams are great for capturing things around you (like the car swerving into your lane) but the more wider the the view is, the more fish eye your video will look.

2

I thought the bloggie held up quite well against the Go Pro footage.

3

Good post:). I may invest in one:)

4

This has just been announced by Samsung http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20110425/samsung-w200-loves-swimming-fishes/
Wonder if it’ll be any better than the Sony.

I wouldn’t mind trying the DogCam Bullet - small and cheap(ish)
http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/dogcam-bullet-hd-camera.html

5

An important thing to check before buying any ride camera is how the camera handles low light.

Avoid Oregon Scientific ATC Action Cameras and the clones. In low light all you can see is brake lights and nothing else.

The DogCam looks good, but low light handling is definitely something to look into.

6

I find that the GoPro is very poor at night or even dusk :ermm:

7

Nice post, thanks.

The GoPro can produce some quite nice footage, though I found it often “wobbled”, fiddly to change mode, and also the little cameras were a real pain to know if you’d turned on/off while on the bike … i.e. without directly looking at them and their little red light flashing on the front. Also the battery seemed quite short lived. We needed stacks of batteries for the London-to-Bahrain trip. They also seemed to have a knack of getting condensation inside their cover etc.

I’m interested to see how usable the others you mention are for bikers.

PS - You say to avoid “action cameras”? Is that a different brand to http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/ - who I’m told are quite good for getting this kind of stuff from

8

Hmmm I’m tempted by that MD80 - cheap as chips (in fact someone from HK right now selling it at £6.80 - genuine or not I have no idea) and some decent footage from it… I’m gonna have a look to see if I can stick it onto the bike anywhere cause I don’t think I’d like it on my helmet…

9

Most people put it on their helmets because hardly any engine vibration reaches your head. Trial and error, give it a go and see what happens.

That website is fine.
I’m just on about Scientific Oregon’s line of bullet cameras known as “Action Cameras” ATC.
There are ATC2K, ATC3K and there are some some clones. I warn because I’ve seen a few on eBay going for £90 when they’re not even worth £20. I’ve owned all of them… regrettably.

I cant comment on the more newer models (like ATC9K) though.

10

I agree on the ATC early cameras I have had a couple and the aperture is far too small to allow any light in. The picture is also quite grainy.

The Go Pro does beep, when you turn off and on, but you just can’t hear it on a bike with a crash helmet on. I have never had the condensation problem myself, but I have heard it is an issue for some.

The vibration is a problem. I mount mine on my screen sometimes and if the road is not particularly smooth it does tend to vibrate, which on British roads means it vibrates a lot. I just don’t like wearing a camera on my head for road riding as you are looking around too much, so you end up with a lot of footage of your head spinning one way or another.

11

I’ve been playing with a MD80 and the footage can be good but as said earlier in low light it falls down. In relative terms (for £12) it’s value for money but I can only get 35 mins footage before the battery runs out. Here’s some of the better footage I took with mine cable tied to the crash bung on my blade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5k7-WsdkoU

At the moment I’m trying out my Nokia N8 that records in 720p strapped to my rucksack. Once I get the angle right I think the quality will be good. I like the look of the Bloggie, I wasn’t aware of it and might look into getting one. Thanks for the thread :slight_smile:

12

Try fitting it on the tank with the extended arm to go over the handle bars. The camera is very stable. My bike doesn’t have a screen to block it though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKGCer4puc

13

Nice thread. I was wondering which one to get, I ended up going for the Contour GPS which is about 50 quid more expensive than the HD model, but the mic is better (I think it’s just positioned differently on the camera) based on this:

http://pointofviewcameras.com/blog/pov/article/contour-to-contour-sound-comparison

There is no viewfinder on either the Contour HD or GPS, but if you have a new (IOS 4.3.x or newer off the top of my head) iPhone or iPod touch, there is a free app that allows you to use it as a viewfinder. I think they’re also developeing an Android app currently.

14

All contourHD’s have lasers mounted to the front. You can switch them on whenever you like to show exactly what your pointed at.
I think you mean the GoPro.

15

Yeah, sorry the lasers can be used to give you an idea of the angle your camera is pointed at, but there is also a ‘proper’ viewfinder app that gives you a live (8FPS) viewfinder:

http://contour.com/stories/contour-connect-view

16

Seen this on eBay for £25
Kodak Mini Waterproof

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320691321377

Seem pretty sturdy with decent video quality 480p
Can’t comment on low light or battery life.
There is a HD version… dunno how much it’ll cost.

17

Anyone used this ? http://www.4kam.com/bikeamigo_motorcycle_black_box_camera.htm

18

I’m betting it’s one of these rebranded with a bumped price because I cant find much detail anywhere on these.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Camera-and-DVR-Motion-Detection-Recording-/150587481432?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_Camcorders&hash=item230fb69d58#ht_2679wt_932

Also note that the record resolution of this camera is “720 x 576”
It is not the same as 720 HD

One of the benefits of High Definition is being able to make out number plates better.

19

After last weeks experiance I have just ordered the drift hd, in Orange of course.

20

Top man! I hear many good things about the Drift. Sometimes I think I should of got one.