Helmet Cameras

[Adudollah]

I noticed that my old digital camcorder is not really suitable for "onboard" recording when I ride my bike.
It looses frames when I accelerate hard and is slowly autofocussing.

Helmet cameras become more and more popular, maybe some members here can share experiences or give advise?

[EZE RIDER]

I like my VholdR helmet cam. I have it mounted on the handlebars for a smoother video but anyway here are a few examples

http://www.moviephotoforums.com/photopost/data/500/Bobby_Aug08.wmv


http://www.moviephotoforums.com/photopost/data/500/Americade_2008.wmv


http://www.moviephotoforums.com/photopost/data/2/Abstract.wmv

[Adudollah]

Thanks for your reply, 1280x720 pixel and 30 frames per second, very nice! :)
And the price is ok, but....:
Sorry, but but the sound in your videos is extremely bad. Unfortunately it has no external microphone input, has it?
The makers state 30 minutes recording time in HD mode - true?
Never heard about the The data format H.264 - can I load it straight into windows movie maker or media player?

[EZE RIDER]

The sound is extremely overloaded when the bike is running. There are are no sound level adjustments or external inputs. The internal mike is actually very good, it's just very sensitive and gets overloaded with the exhaust. H-264 is a codec which is universally recognized and works directly in windows Movie Maker. It can also be changed in WMM if desired. When the video is recorded there are no codecs involved at that point.

There are quite a few choices for video recorders at this point and it depends on your intended use as to which one would suit you. The VholdR is almost perfect for me. Very small and very rugged with no external power connections and I really don't need the sound to be on at all for my intended use (motorcycle ride videos) If I want to I can eliminate the sound completely and use just the sound track or an external audio recorder and sync it later in WMM.

Keep us posted on your decision.

[Adudollah]

Thanks EZE, will do :)

[Adudollah]

I think I'll wait a little bit longer, there seems to be quite a high innovation rate in this market.
And I really want good sound, my camcorder has an external microphone socket and recent tests showed that some vibration damping improved the above mentioned frame losses during hard acceleration.
http://www.1130cc.com/gallery/files/6/8/5/dsc00576.jpg
And last but not least I haven't yet figured out all recording options it offers, I hope the contrast can be improved.
Here's another video I made with it last weekend (with internal mic):

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

[EZE RIDER]

Good looking video but the bright sky was throwing the exposure off. Tilting the angle down toward the road a bit more would probably help. A good aux mike with a wind screen should give you great sound.

Man you were booking!

[Max]

I think your going to find even good quality camera's on the V will drop frames and have problems as you accelerate. It's the vibration pitch the bike puts out that causes the issue. Good insulation is the key, I see you also choose the forks which seems to be one of the most stable places on the bike. I also had good luck taping from the swing arm. The engine even though mounted to rubber is very hard rubber and it transmits the high frequency buzzing through the entire frame at about 5k rpm up.

[Michael Hetrick]

I think your going to find even good quality camera's on the V will drop frames and have problems as you accelerate. It's the vibration pitch the bike puts out that causes the issue. Good insulation is the key, I see you also choose the forks which seems to be one of the most stable places on the bike. I also had good luck taping from the swing arm. The engine even though mounted to rubber is very hard rubber and it transmits the high frequency buzzing through the entire frame at about 5k rpm up.

I just picked up a GoPro HD Hero. I thought it was interesting that in the documentation they specifically called out that using name brand SD cards has been shown to reduce vibration related issues.

I just got the thing today and have been messing with it. Depending on the resolution you choose you end up with somewhere between 127 and 172 degree field of view.

I had been making a few video's for my travel blog by simply taking my point-and-shoot camera and triggering it then sort of pointing around. It actually worked pretty good. Then I tired that while riding down a pretty easy trail on my friends dirt bike and I wadded it up. Thus, the purchase of the GoPro.

I did a lot of research, and the GoPro seemed like the choice for me. One thing I like about it is that it comes with a lot of mounting pieces and all the cables I needed.

I like the 172 degree mode. On some of the video's I made with my point-and-shoot the feeling of speed was all but eliminated. On one video I was hooking along at 70+ on a mountain road that had a 45 speed limit. When watching the video playback it seemed like I was just putting along. The 172 degree FOV mode really gives you the sense of speed. It is much wider and the vertical is reduced.....I don't need to see 50% of my video being the sky anyways. A little fish-eye, but just on the up close stuff.

I tried mounting it via the supplied suction cup on my speedo and used a helmet mount. The tank mount gave a far superior shot but you can't "aim" it as you drive. Mounting it on the helmet raised the center point and just didn't give the good motorcycle feel. Also, even though I can aim it, I was surprised at how jiggly the video is. I didn't realize how much I move my head, and even slightly is noticeable, when I ride.

While the video is good for throwing on YouTube or Wordpress, it is AMAZING when watching on a big HDTV. Stunning in fact. Very surprising results for a camera that is roughly 1" by 1.25" by 2".

[Michael Hetrick]

:
Sorry, but but the sound in your videos is extremely bad. Unfortunately it has no external microphone input, has it?


The sound on my unit is sub-standard also. One problem is the noise reduction built into the unit. I am thinking about wiring in a small mic down by the exhaust and scabbing it in where the on-board mike hooks onto the circuit board.

It puzzles me as to why none of the camera's that I looked into had an external mic connector. It seems so basic and obvious. It would nice to be able to have a mic on your helmet to give commentary of scenery, etc.