The helmet camera thread...

[DaRider]

Hi people.

After riding around a bit up here it's becoming more and more obvious that i need a helmet camera. stopping and digging out the old "super-zoom" every time is just to complicated, plus it takes terrible video.

I've had a quick look at this jcv but it doesn't seem to have many mounting options and goes for around 10000 TBH. A much more interesting option at this point would be the mini dv camera from Pantip, Bangkok in this thread, but i havent been able to find one up here. If anyone knows where to find one in the Chiang Mai area, please post!

So out of curiosity and to get a better idea of what the options are, what helmet-camera are you using and what do you think about it, good and bad?

//

 

[Pgt066]

Gopro.com

Popular amongst all Extreme sports fanatics. HD wide angle (Angle modes can be adjusted to what you are doing). Also totally waterproof. Can be used for diving and all other watersports. Check out their website and watch some of the videos. It is impressive.

It also comes with many mount options you. Head strap, Helmet, Bike Helmet. I ordered the suction cup one extra. They make a whole slew of others including surf board mount.

Although I bought mine online. The Dirt Shop in BKK sells them.

 

[TonyBKK]

+1

GoPro makes some great kit! TOUGH cameras! (See pic at end of video) ;-)

There's a long list of GoPro retailers in Thailand: http://www.kratos.co.th/

Ride On!

Tony

 

[LivinLOS]

My brother has an angle on getting GoPros on the cheap but I am a bit more sold on the bullet style of the ContourHD..

Both great cams just like the form factor a bit more.

 

[brian66]

I use a high definition VOI POV camera. The camera is a very small bullet head and is connected to the recorder by a 1.3 meter cable. The recorder has a remote control which I mount on the bars.
The camera head can be mounted in unlimited positions on the bike. I have had it from the rear axle to under the fairing. Common sense dictates that you remember the lean angles as it can be damaged if you don’t think.
There is a huge amount of mounting options.
The pro are:
The HD video is of outstanding quality.
Mounting options are unlimited.
The cons:
It is expensive.
You need to buy the recorder mounts as well as the camera mounts, as the recorder is bulky.
I have attached a video I placed on you tube. Showing me following a mate on his BMWS1000RR at a track day. The You tube video is degraded substantially compared to the video that can be down loaded from the HD SD card that the recorder uses.
Check Mobile Atlas screenshots to see the cameras and extras.

 

[Auke]

brian66;265791 wrote:
Check Mobile Atlas screenshots to see the cameras and extras.

The URL has a small typo - try http://www.vio-pov.com/ instead

 

[Fatlad]

Hi
If anyone is interested i have this Oregon Waterproof Action Cam for sale, never used comes complete with handle bar/Helmet mounts.
Ordered from UK went missing for 4 weeks in the mean time i purchased a Drift HD170 camera
Product Features and Technical Details

Product Features

• Operates with 2 AA batteries
• Full-function, hands-free, digital recording
• Waterproof up to 3 meters and shock-resistant for extreme conditions
• Mounts easily on helmets, handlebars, and other sports equipment
• 640 x 480 VGA resolution at 30 frames per second
• USB and RCA cables included for easy playback on PC or TV (NTSC)

Technical Details

• Brand Name: Oregon Scientific
• Model: ATC2K
• Media Type: Flash card
• Lens Type: Lens
• Shooting Modes: Digital still shot mode
• Video Input: Camcorder
• Optical Sensor Resolution: 307000 Pixels
• Optical Sensor Technology: CMOS
• Viewfinder Type: None
• Audio Input: Microphone
• Microphone Operation Mode: Built In

 

[brian66]

Auke, thanks for noting and fixing that mistake. My apologies for the error and I hope it did not cause any bother to anyone. I shall be more careful in proof reading my posts in future.

 

[DaRider]

A lot of good info people, keep it coming..

@Fatlad;
I might be interested. 640 x 480 VGA @ 30 fps. sounds good enough for now. Have you tried it at all ? Do you know what format it shoots in (*.avi, *.divx etc...)? Can't find the specific model on the Oregon Scientific UK website (a couple of interesting models there though).

//

 

[DaRider]

I just found the Helmet Camera Central...
Seems to be a bit of helmet-camera-nirvana, got to love the internet...

Keep it coming...

//

 

[Fatlad]

Hi
It shoots in avi format, will try today then see if i can up load to the site later.

Eric

 

[TonyBKK]

brian66;265791 wrote: I use a high definition VOI POV camera. The camera is a very small bullet head and is connected to the recorder by a 1.3 meter cable. The recorder has a remote control which I mount on the bars.
The camera head can be mounted in unlimited positions on the bike. I have had it from the rear axle to under the fairing. Common sense dictates that you remember the lean angles as it can be damaged if you don’t think.
There is a huge amount of mounting options.
The pro are:
The HD video is of outstanding quality.
Mounting options are unlimited.
The cons:
It is expensive.
You need to buy the recorder mounts as well as the camera mounts, as the recorder is bulky.
I have attached a video I placed on you tube. Showing me following a mate on his BMWS1000RR at a track day. The You tube video is degraded substantially compared to the video that can be down loaded from the HD SD card that the recorder uses.
Check Mobile Atlas screenshots to see the cameras and extras.

What track is that? Looks like FUN! T

 

[DaRider]

Fatlad;265809 wrote: Hi
It shoots in avi format, will try today then see if i can up load to the site later.

Eric

Ok thanks.

 

[johnnysneds]

Also consider this bad boy. Has built in GPS and Bluetooth and 1080P 30/60 fps.

http://contour.com/

I use it off-road and track

 

[brian66]

Tony

That is Pasir Gudang circuit in Malaysia. It is a very technical circuit and suits 600's better than the liter bikes. 3.8 kilometers in length and the lap record is 1.28 by Doohan in 1998. No one has improved on that time yet.

Brian

 

[DavidFL]

johnnysneds;265838 wrote:

Wow. Fantastic vdo. It almost looks like you guys are having too good a time. It must have taken a bit of time to edit & put together. Well done. Many thanks for the contribution. :thumbup: :clap:

 

[brian_bkk]

Hi Guys,

I have the GoPro too.. wasn't too sure how it would work out so bought the Non HD version first when I was in LA.
Loved it so much I went and bought the HD online picked up outside Thailand to avoid the taxes.. These cameras are crazy prices in Thai.. if you have a friend in SG or other location and people visit.. get it delivered outside and pick it up.

Non HD Video

(Still good.. but you can see it lacks big time in the shadows - you need to buy rechargeable batteries and memory is limited)

HD Video (Going from Chiang Mai to Mai Hong Son)

Only problem I found is when you go up the mountain fast.. Condensation builds up in the casing and sometimes this is not visible to the naked eye. Other times it is. Lost a lot of great video lost due to condensation.. I would take off the back bit and allow air in.. But then the dust would be a problem.
Few people have mentioned some spray you can buy to prevent this.. Will look in to it in the camera shop next visit.

 

[brian_bkk]

Hi Guys,

I have the GoPro too.. wasn't too sure how it would work out so bought the Non HD version first when I was in LA.
Loved it so much I went and bought the HD online picked up outside Thailand to avoid the taxes.. These cameras are crazy prices in Thai.. if you have a friend in SG or other location and people visit.. get it delivered outside and pick it up.

Non HD Video

(Still good.. but you can see it lacks big time in the shadows - you need to buy rechargeable batteries and memory is limited)

HD Video (Going from Chiang Mai to Mai Hong Son)

Only problem I found is when you go up the mountain fast.. Condensation builds up in the casing and sometimes this is not visible to the naked eye. Other times it is. Lost a lot of great video lost due to condensation.. I would take off the back bit and allow air in.. But then the dust would be a problem.
Few people have mentioned some spray you can buy to prevent this.. Will look in to it in the camera shop next visit.

 

[TonyBKK]

brian_bkk;265889 wrote:

Only problem I found is when you go up the mountain fast.. Condensation builds up in the casing and sometimes this is not visible to the naked eye. Other times it is. Lost a lot of great video lost due to condensation.. I would take off the back bit and allow air in.. But then the dust would be a problem.
Few people have mentioned some spray you can buy to prevent this.. Will look in to it in the camera shop next visit.

I used to have condensation problems with my GoPro too (only when it's in the sealed waterproof case, not when it's in the open-back case).

GoPro sells these cheap re-usable "anti-fog" inserts:

You can use these, or you can just save those little moisture absorbing silica packs that you get when you buy electronics, shoes, etc and wedge that into the case. Read on a forum somewhere that some guys throw in a few grains of uncooked rice- apparently that sucks up moisture effectively as well, but I've never tried it.

Ride On!

Tony

 

[alrikki]

My Gopro HD suffers from short battery life.
Also the wide angle means you need to be close to the person in front of you to see whats really happening
The main problem for me, however, is editing the H264 codec, on a notebook with XP.
I tried several programs but still lose a lot of quality making clips.
i'm not a computer genius and dont want to spend all day editing the movies.

 

[TonyBKK]

alrikki;265945 wrote: My Gopro HD suffers from short battery life.
Also the wide angle means you need to be close to the person in front of you to see whats really happening
The main problem for me, however, is editing the H264 codec, on a notebook with XP.
I tried several programs but still lose a lot of quality making clips.
i'm not a computer genius and dont want to spend all day editing the movies.

The 1100mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery's life is about 2.5 hours. Not sure how that compares to other cameras. Regardless I don't know anyone who rides around with their camera running continuously for hours on end. But if you are wanting extra battery life the GoPro has an expansion port that allows the addition of optional Bakpac units that expand the functionality of the camera. GoPro has an LCD Bakpac for preview and playback and a Battery Bakpac for double battery life. Each Bakpac ships with a replacement door to allow it to fit within the confines of the waterproof housing.

You can also connect the camera to external power via the miniUSB port.

The GoPro HD can record in different resolutions and aspect ratios including 848x480 or HD at 720p/1280x720 with16:9 or 4:3 ratios.

The GoProHD has some advanced features that I've not even tried, including a center weighted mode for exposing the road when shooting from inside a car, and leaving the dashboard underexposed. Cool stuff!

I edit my vids with Adobe Premiere Elements, which is a free version of professional grade Premiere Elements video editing software. It's true that the dumbed down "Elements" version of Premiere lacks many of the features of the professional version, including the ability to save to certain HD formats, but it works well enough for my needs.

Very few notebook pc's have the computing power required to edit HD video. Video editing is very resource intensive and not many laptops are suited to the task.

Ride On!

Tony

 

[johnnysneds]

TonyBKK;265900 wrote: I used to have condensation problems with my GoPro too (only when it's in the sealed waterproof case, not when it's in the open-back case).

GoPro sells these cheap re-usable "anti-fog" inserts:

You can use these, or you can just save those little moisture absorbing silica packs that you get when you buy electronics, shoes, etc and wedge that into the case. Read on a forum somewhere that some guys throw in a few grains of uncooked rice- apparently that sucks up moisture effectively as well, but I've never tried it.

Ride On!

Tony

Can vouch for un-cooked rice moisture absorption properties. I dropped my iPhone down the toilet a few months back! first thing I did was switch it off then put it in a bag full of un-cooked rice for a few days, worked a treat and she's still working as good as ever

 

[brian_bkk]

alrikki;265945 wrote: My Gopro HD suffers from short battery life.
Also the wide angle means you need to be close to the person in front of you to see whats really happening
The main problem for me, however, is editing the H264 codec, on a notebook with XP.
I tried several programs but still lose a lot of quality making clips.
i'm not a computer genius and dont want to spend all day editing the movies.

Hi,

It doesn't really matter whether your PC has XP or not.. The biggest problem will be the RAM. Suggest 2 Gig if you can.
All will work with less.. though you may get some virtual memory messages pop up.. or it just runs slowly. Rendering can take a long time with HD files as they are huge.

As for editing software.. I use a free opensource software "Lives". It runs on Linux Ubuntu. Don't believe their is a port to Windows yet.. you can check it out.
Main benefit is that the operating system is not hogging all the memory and freeing it up for video editing and it is free and very powerful.

One other thing too.. I really don't feel the need to record in 1080p. It is just too much for 90% of what we are doing.
I have my cam set to 720p and it enables me to record for hours and hours with out worry.. The battery will be flat before my memory card.. Also less memory reqiured to edit the files.

Most important is when you edit the video in HD.. you save back in HD.. don't use any default encoder setting like Mpeg 2 etc.. Make sure you are using HD codec or at least a high quality codec.. Each video editing software package will have various codecs to choose from

Hope this helps
Brian

 

[alrikki]

I get more like 1.5hrs from the battery
I didnt realise the LCD back was out already, thanx for the info

 

[DaRider]

Fatlad;265809 wrote: Hi
It shoots in avi format, will try today then see if i can up load to the site later.

Eric

Hi Eric,

Not that i want push you or anything, but how is that test shoot coming along?

/ Frederik