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Helmet Cam
Posted On 03/14/2008 | 09:10 PM by Mickey
I've been looking into getting a Video Cam for mountain biking for some time now. I've found a few options that I'm interested in.

They are the:
GoPro Helmet Hero
VholdR
V.I.O - POV1

There are things I like about the GoPro Helmet Hero...
The first is the price. At $169.00 this sounds like the first choice, however my concern is that because of it's size and how it mounts on the helmet, I'm concerned it may get ripped off my helmet if I get too close to a tree limb. It looks like a small digital camera mounted on your helmet. I've seen a couple of biking videos that where taken with it and I know that a handle bar mount option is not what I'm looking for.

The VholdR runs in at $349.99 and is more of a point and shoot type video camera. There is no way to view your video while on the trail with this device. But it does come with a set of lazers that help you get it's recording angle dialed in where you want your video to be shot. It's really light and is a self contained lipstick type video cam. I really dig how compact it is, the mounting options make it easy to mount in various locations and this is my first choice because of how compact it is and the price tag. I just wish there was a way to review video on site... but here again, I'd rather ride than stop at every turn in the trail to review the video I've captured. So this sounds like it's perfect for me.

The V.I.O POV1 really is one sweet video cam. It's a lipstick type cam, with a digital display, remote record button and play back features on the remote. There are some nice mounting options for the V.I.O POV1 too, but it's price tag makes it too rich for my blood, it weights in a bit more than the VholdR and it simply isn't an option, because I don't have that kind of cash to drop. But if I did, I'd get one.

One thing I that will be very important in my final decision is:
Ease of use.
Mounting options.
Price Tag.
Quality of video.
How rugged it is... will it hold up to the abuse I throw at it?
The features it offers.
But most of all... I don't want it to alter my ride. I want to turn it on, ride and forget about it until the end of the ride.

Now if I had the money, I'd probably get both a VholdR and a V.I.O POV1 so I could capture video from two angles... front and rear. That would be hooked up.

Tags: Helmet Cam POV.1 VIO GoPro VholdR Video Cam



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Viewing 1 - 3 out of 3 Comments

From: Mickey
03/16/2008 | 06:12 PM

We'll I've only used it once since I got it and the video cam angle could have been much better. But the video I did get that is worth watching did turn out good and better than I had expected. I really dig the 720x480 wide screen capture feature. There may be a few setting I can use to get even better quality, but I haven't had the time to fully read the entire manual. Once I capture more video, I plan to post a full resolution clip of the video and I'll make sure I let you know when it can be viewed. I think the new cam mount I rigged up will do a good job, but I'm not sure how easy it is going to be to adjust the cam angle on while out on the trail.

I think it's going be a trail and error process until I get the cam dialed into my helmet and the position my head is in when I ride.

 


 linus wrote:
Mickey, I would like to check out this setup of yours. I am most interested in the quality of the footage. I currently have a DIY vid solution. A Panasonic g83 camcorder attached to my helmet. Excellent quality but not the smallest of the solutions out there. Ping me and we can hook up soon. Thanks.



From: linus
03/16/2008 | 04:03 PM
Mickey, I would like to check out this setup of yours. I am most interested in the quality of the footage. I currently have a DIY vid solution. A Panasonic g83 camcorder attached to my helmet. Excellent quality but not the smallest of the solutions out there. Ping me and we can hook up soon. Thanks.

From: Mickey
03/14/2008 | 09:12 PM

I ended up getting a POV.1 helmet cam. I've used it once, but I botched up the angle of the cam. When I installed the cam on my helmet, I got it set up perfectly for a standing position and assumed the angle would be perfect for a riding position too. I was wrong and got a lot of ass shots... on the trail! Not a pretty sight!

I would have tested and adjusted the cam angle, but I didn't want to hold up anyone and took a chance that the video would be good or not so good. But there's always the next ride. I'll take some time on the next ride and get it dialed in right. As for the video I got the quality is nice, and some of it was salvable.

How ever I think to get better video quality a full suspension bike will do a better job. The hard tail I was riding produced a good bit of vibration. I also have a better helmet mount rigged up too and it should provide for smoother (less vibration) video quality.

Once I get to use it again, I'll post some video. 


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