# Helmet Cams...???



## Guest (Nov 4, 2009)

Anyone have any experience/thoughts on any particular brand/model? I decided recently that I'm going to get one just have no idea where to begin....feedback greatly appreciated!

oh and to specify i mean video recording not snapshots - thanks


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## ColinHoernig (Aug 26, 2009)

ContourHD is pretty damn amazing.. my friend bought one to use in Colorado this year. He's got some footage from testing it while riding his quad and it's really damn good for a helmet camera. Takes 720p video footage, too.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

My friends has been using the VIO POV 1. I rather like it. It has a small camera that attaches to your helmet. Then a cable runs to a video screen controller that lets you see exactly what you are filming. It works pretty damn good as you can set the angle for what you are doing. Another favorite is to point it behind you when you are jumping off of stuff. The camera is small and burly so if you take a hard crash it's hard to break it. Of course you could break the controller if you have it in the wrong spot. Complains are that the cable hinders you (never had that problem), that it only shoots in 720p (true), and that the price tag is $600 (for the 1.5 which is the new version of the 1.0). 

The Go Pro is getting pretty high marks. Shoots in 1080p, and is pretty burly. I guess it eats up batteries though. I think you are supposed to use lithiums with it, so that is a constant expense. Not sure about aiming it, I know it can be a pain if you don't have a way to see what you are shooting, and it is bulkier than the VIO camera. Take a hard rag doll, tomahawk tumble and you could rip it off. Around $200 for this cam. Good deal.

Then there is the Contour VR helmet cam. Pretty much the same as the Go Pro, only seems to be nicer and it has lasers to help you target what you are viewing. It's also a bit less bulky so I think in a hard tumble it would hold up better. It may not be 100% water proof. I know the Go Pro is a water proof (or at least resitant) cam, had no issues with the VIO model, but the VIO may not be water resistant/proof either. This camera is nearly $300 so it's kind of in the middle of the other two price wise. Might be the best bang for you buck overall.


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## Mysticfalcon (Nov 27, 2007)

I have the go-pro wide. I paid $130 for it and I love it. I havent used it on a snowboard but it has taken a bunch of 4-wheeler video. It works real well and it didnt cost much. The video it takes is pretty good. I use the energiser rechargable batteries and I get an hour and a half out of a set of batteries but since a 2gb SD card is good for an hour I tend to change them together. 
YouTube - Wheelin


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2009)

awesome info guys ^^^

really appreciate it - i've now got a solid start.....hello logging in research time via good ol' internet


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## EverBorN (Jul 21, 2007)

The contourHD is getting the most hype lately.. wide angle lens, HD camera. Less then $300 check out there homepage they have demo videos on there, looks pretty amazing for the price. If Im going to buy one which I may id be the contourHD my only beef really is that I dont wear a helmet so id have to buy/wear a helmet to use it arg!


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2009)

EverBorN said:


> The contourHD is getting the most hype lately.. wide angle lens, HD camera. Less then $300 check out there homepage they have demo videos on there, looks pretty amazing for the price. If Im going to buy one which I may id be the contourHD my only beef really is that I dont wear a helmet so id have to buy/wear a helmet to use it arg!


it looks like you can clip it to your goggle strap if you wanted - check it out

ContourHD Helmet Cam and new ContourHD1080p Helmet Camera Features


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## yusoweird (Apr 6, 2009)

ContourHD is amazing. The 720p 60 fps is awesome for sports. The high frame rate is so smooth.


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

yusoweird said:


> ContourHD is amazing. The 720p 60 fps is awesome for sports. The high frame rate is so smooth.


you wouldn't happen to have some sample footy you've uploaded to say youtube would you?

I'm really leaning towards the contour hd.....i like the no cables/60 fps and it seems pretty streamlined compared to the gopro hd hero - when backcountry.com gets em in stock i think i'll order both to get my hands on them and test them out in person then return one of them - can't find a local dealership that carries them to play with


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

it all depends on how much you want to pay

if you're made of money but don't want to break the bank, the POV and ContourHD are good choices

if you're on a budget, the Tachyon XC and GoPro are good choices

the previous-gen VHoldr can be had for cheap, too

(although I think the GoPro looks fucking stupid)


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

new GoPro HD ftw

GoPro HD HERO®: Pre-Production Test Footage


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

i'm not made of money by any means but i do work my ass off and have a pretty good job

i'd be willing to spend up to 800 when it's all said and done - that being said, if i do spend that much, it damn well better not break on me and hold up to some beatings

i'd be looking to use it for snowboarding/alpine pursuits, car footy (i've got an rs4 that i track every once and a while), and downhill mtn biking in the summer

i agree the gopro isn't the most appealing cosmetically but i just saw some footy of a guy with an r6 on the track loosing his bike and the camera was unscathed (thanks to that poly casing it comes with) - i also like that the gopro is certified waterproof and the case can be replaced if you get ape sh*t on it and crack or scratch it somehow - just wish it was more streamlined is all.......


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

xtreme23 said:


> new GoPro HD ftw
> 
> GoPro HD HERO®: Pre-Production Test Footage


yea...i've been watching the streaming video pretty much the majority of this afternoon....not conducive to getting any sort of work done at all today hahaha


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

neddyDH said:


> yea...i've been watching the streaming video pretty much the majority of this afternoon....not conducive to getting any sort of work done at all today hahaha


yea the HD footage is gnarly.. the surfing and base jumping are seriously epic. never thought id see helmet cam w/ video this crisp and clear so soon


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## Alfie_boarder (Nov 5, 2009)

The Drift Innovation X170 is supposed to be really good I've heard. I've just got back from snowboarding and someone that I met there had one and he really liked it. They've got a screen on the actual camera itself, so you can watch the videos straight after you come off the slopes, which is what I feel most helmet cameras are missing.


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

OK.....so i've tentatively decided on the GoPro HD Hero. For any of those following this thread or just interested in mobile action sports video, here's my reasoning:

The GoPro offers the following:
-multiple resolutions: 1080p, 960p, 720p
-2 framing options: 30 fps (@1080/960p) and 60 fps (720p)
-2 wide angle shooting options - 170 (960p and 720p) and 127 (1080p) degrees
-built in microphone
-5 mp camera with multiple auto shooting modes (can shoot in 2,5,10,30,60 second intervals - also can shoot 3 shot bursts and has a self timer
-Housing - waterproof housing depth rated to up to 180 ft. - REPLACEABLE!! Polycarbonate and stainless steel design ensure durability, but, if for any reason you crack/scratch/crush the housing, you can replace it for (i think) $39.99
-Expandability; has the option to expand with an LCD Bakpac (LCD viewing that attaches to the back of the camera) - still fits in the poly housing! - OR - can attach an additional endurance battery bakpack for double battery life -- website states that there are more bakpacs and expansion devices 'coming soon'
-Storage: supports up to 32gb SDHC cards!! this equates to 4h 21m (@1080), 5h 26m (@960p), 4h 21m (@720p/60 fps), 8h 09m (@720p/30 fps)
-Mounts: has an absurd variety of mounting options (vented helmet, head strap (like a headlamp style), suction cups (rated to 135mph), headrest (in car), surfboard mount, adhesive mounts (3m), etc. etc. etc.

basically this is a condensed version of what's listed on their downloadable pdf specification sheet. You can find it here:

http://download.goprocamera.com/HD_HERO_Catalog_v03.pdf

Lastly, PRICE: All this is offered for an msrp of $299 - I'm waiting for backcountry to stock it (should be in the next two weeks), then using one of my 20% off coupons......all this for $240? Sign me up.

Now, of course there are some downsides to going with the GoPro as opposed to the other options mentioned in this thread. For me, the largest hangup is shape/size. I would have loved for it to have the shape of, say, the CountorHD - streamlined, barreled design. However, the pro's of the GoPro as compared to the other models just outweigh this con (in my eyes/opinion - i'm sure everyone will have varying opinions).

As soon as backcountry has the item in stock, I'll be snagging it up. I'll be sure to post some videos of all the resolutions/framing options so that other's can see what it does in the field.

Thanks again for everyone's help in providing me some models to look at - I really appreciate it!

Oh, and if anyone else happens to know of a model not listed in this thread that is comparable to the models listed, PLEASE post! I've got 2 weeks to discover something else, otherwise it's the GoPro. Thanks!


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

neddyDH said:


> OK.....so i've tentatively decided on the GoPro HD Hero. For any of those following this thread or just interested in mobile action sports video, here's my reasoning:
> 
> The GoPro offers the following:
> -multiple resolutions: 1080p, 960p, 720p
> ...


congrats.. cant go wrong with the gopro esp at that price :thumbsup: btw where'd you get the 20% bc.com?


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2009)

^^^ I've been ordering a lotta gear lately from them and seems every other order has one of those coupons in it


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2009)

neddyDH said:


> ^^^ I've been ordering a lotta gear lately from them and seems every other order has one of those coupons in it


The problem is the size for me the contour or the 1080p has most of these stats your looking for but is smaller and lighter. Full HD - 1080p (1920x1080)Tall HD - 960p (1280x960)Action HD - 720p (1280x720) Contour HD - 720p (1280x720)Fast SD - WVGA (848x480. i personally can't speak for how the Gopro handles but so far the contour has been what i was looking for


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

gopro straight up looks like ass


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2009)

legallyillegal said:


> gopro straight up looks like ass


but produces quality shit (pun intended haha) so who cares


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## VietOne (Apr 1, 2009)

I ended up buying a GoPro HD as well and heres my reasoning.

It's got more features and the image stabilization seems to be much better than the competition. When looking at the streaming videos of the GoPro HD vs the others, its clear that GoPro has better vibration stabilization and if you goto youtube and look at what others have captured with the go pro and the other cameras, Go Pro footage is smooth while the others like the ContourHD and VIO have quite a bit of vibration.

YouTube - "On Board" Go Pro camera

This video convinced me to go with the GoPro. You can see the skateboard trucksand wheels vibrating but the scenery mostly stays clear and stable. When it moves onto the snowboard part of the video, as much as you can see his snowboard shaking, the camera vibrates a lot to but the image stays clear and you can see all the detail.

Looking at the ContourHD videos and the VIO videos, it seems GoPro has better tech in their image processing for vibrations.

Also a little trick. I didn't find a 20% off but if you add the GoPro HD to your cart on the GoPro site, go all the way to where it asks you for payment information, close out the website and better yet the browser. Soon after, you will get an email from an automated GoPro bot giving you a coupon code for 10% off the entire order and free UPS Ground shipping.

269.99 no tax and free shipping.


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2009)

You may also want to rent the cameras and try them out before. GoPro supposedly has a rental program this winter but I haven't found any info on it. Adventure Eye Video rents the POV (not HD) and emotioncam.com rents the ContourHD.


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## maf05r6 (Mar 3, 2008)

Do any of these do audio as well? This year I picked up a pair of sunglasses that will shoot video/audio. I'm really looking forward to giving them a try for snowboarding.


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## Mysticfalcon (Nov 27, 2007)

my non HD go pro records audio but because of the sealed case its not very loud. You really need to crank the speakers to hear it. 
YouTube - Jay Peak Day 2


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## maf05r6 (Mar 3, 2008)

And I don't know that audio is a big deal from snowboarding. All you would really hear is the wind noise. Other things it can be nice to have the audio.


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## maf05r6 (Mar 3, 2008)

I just thought about this. Do these have image stabilization or are they shakey? From the videos I checked out here they all look pretty good but I didn't see it mentioned as a feature on any of the cameras.


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## Mysticfalcon (Nov 27, 2007)

the Go Pro has a very wide angle to reduce the shake. It works pretty good but it makes tings a little fish eyed and doesnt really convey speed well


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## VietOne (Apr 1, 2009)

Yes a wide angle lense will distort the visuals of speed but you see more.

If you wanted to get that back, record in 1080p where the viewing angle gets reduced to 127 degrees instead of the ultra wide 170 degrees.

Normally, I believe it was said that people normally can distinguish visuals between 90-100 degrees of viewing. Looking at a video that has a 170 degree of view obviously will not be interpreted properly by human eyes.


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## Mysticfalcon (Nov 27, 2007)

Yeah, I was bookin pretty good when I fell. It looks a lot slower in the video.


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## muexm (Nov 17, 2009)

I've been looking at that 2010 Tachyon XC they have really made sone nice improvements this year and it's waterproof up to 10.3 meters :thumbsup:

youtube clip of the Tachyon XC in action:
youtube


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2010)

*Drift X170*

Check out the Drift x170
720 x 480 (near DVD qlty video) with remote control, LCD screen and a ton of mounts all included. Best value on the market
myPOV360 - Point of View Cameras and Accessories
Register on home page for special promotions/discounts


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Mysticfalcon said:


> Yeah, I was bookin pretty good when I fell. It looks a lot slower in the video.


That's the biggest reason I haven't even looking into getting a helmet cam. It just doesn't do justice to the riding. You can tell you were moving at a pretty good clip by the snow you were throwing and how far you slid when you fell, but it literally looked like you were going at about jogging pace based on the video.


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## PowSurfer (Nov 10, 2009)

from 3/31 epic day, one of my best in years!!! : )shot with my GoProHD mounted to a homemade mount attached to a cut down walking pole I bought at walmart. I cut it down so it will fit in my pack and extends to about 30" 


































videos


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## VietOne (Apr 1, 2009)

linvillegorge said:


> That's the biggest reason I haven't even looking into getting a helmet cam. It just doesn't do justice to the riding. You can tell you were moving at a pretty good clip by the snow you were throwing and how far you slid when you fell, but it literally looked like you were going at about jogging pace based on the video.


Its all about where you mount it and editing. For one, your view and the cameras view is totally different. The camera ends up seeing a lot more than you do. So the best way to improve the video is to crop it and reduce the field of vision.

Then placement. Mounting it on top of your head brings the height much higher than it needs to be. Its similar to having a camera mounted on top of a car. When its on the hood, the video looks much faster than a camera mounted high on top.

I purchased the chest strap and use it mount the camera to my leg close to the boot. At that low of a viewpoint, it makes everything look quick because the ground can be viewed clearly and shows that you're going fast.

If you cant mount it lower, than just crop the video as I mentioned before. While you will lose quality, the GoPro or any HD helmet cam has high enough quality that it will still look good when putting videos on youtube or what not.


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

VietOne said:


> I purchased the chest strap and use it mount the camera to my leg close to the boot. At that low of a viewpoint, it makes everything look quick because the ground can be viewed clearly and shows that you're going fast.


That's similar to what I did this weekend except I bought the vented helmet strap and modified it to fit around my calve just above the boot so that it doesn't slide down. It does improve the sense of speed a lot but there's now more vibration coming through that may make people nauseous.


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## yusoweird (Apr 6, 2009)

This is kind of off topic, but I really wish there is an option that I can record my GoPro HD videos without audio to save more space for video. The audio is not that great and mostly useless when you are riding.


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## VietOne (Apr 1, 2009)

hpin said:


> That's similar to what I did this weekend except I bought the vented helmet strap and modified it to fit around my calve just above the boot so that it doesn't slide down. It does improve the sense of speed a lot but there's now more vibration coming through that may make people nauseous.


That is also true but there are video filters out there that can process the video and remove the shaking. Costly but sometimes worth it if you plan to do alot of videos.


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## Cavman (Mar 1, 2010)

I have the ContourHD. I like the fact it comes with some software, the VholdR forum and unbelievable customer support. I just couldn't come to terms with having a toaster on my head with the GoPro.


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

Cavman said:


> I have the ContourHD. I like the fact it comes with some software, the VholdR forum and unbelievable customer support. I just couldn't come to terms with having a toaster on my head with the GoPro.


Good on you. I like the GoPro since I've used the same camera on the hood and inside my car for autocross, on my bike, under water, and of course on a snowboard. 

I don't have one but I am interested in the VholdR for the easy on/off switch if ever I upgrade to HD.


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## yusoweird (Apr 6, 2009)

Cavman said:


> I have the ContourHD. I like the fact it comes with some software, the VholdR forum and unbelievable customer support. I just couldn't come to terms with having a toaster on my head with the GoPro.


But who is looking at your toaster on your head?  You won't see it nor will it show up in your videos. However, I do get alot of attention with my GoPro HD. People look at me like I am an alien or something. :laugh: Not something I care about though...

Anyways, my friend has the ContourHD 720P version. The video quality is not as good as my GoPro HD (in terms of color, contrast, and clarity). I record at 720P 60FPS, the quality is AMAZING for the price... The ContourHD 720p is about $250. I paid $260 for my GoPro HD with motorcross accessories. The ContourHD 1080p is about $320. So I haven't compared the ContourHD 1080p to GoPro HD because they are not in the same price range.

Bottomline, GoPro HD give you best bang for your bucks with LOTS of features...

Here is a clip of me at Snowbird with GoPro HD 720p at 60FPS. Vimeo doesn't play the video in 60FPS. The video looks alot better when playing the raw file with hardware acceleration... http://www.vimeo.com/10900101

I recommend anyone who haven't seen the raw video from GoPro HD to download actual raw video, right click and save as the link below. Viewing it on the browser doesn't do justice...
http://www.vimeo.com/download/video...26536ea0e&uh=9099733f5bbfa6357e8ba36f357c8475


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## Cavman (Mar 1, 2010)

One thing I have noticed is the variation in video quality (even between the same camera models) and this is more to do with what post processing and editing software is used.

What software do you use?

x-games training


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

yusoweird said:


> Here is a clip of me at Snowbird with GoPro HD 720p at 60FPS. Vimeo doesn't play the video in 60FPS. The video looks alot better when playing the raw file with hardware acceleration... First Run with GoPro HD 720p 60FPS at Snowbird on Vimeo
> 
> I recommend anyone who haven't seen the raw video from GoPro HD to download actual raw video, right click and save as the link below. Viewing it on the browser doesn't do justice...
> http://www.vimeo.com/download/video...26536ea0e&uh=9099733f5bbfa6357e8ba36f357c8475


Wow 60fps looks amazing, also considering you had the sun behind you the image looks great.


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## Suburban Blend (Feb 23, 2008)

I got a Drift and a GoPro HD from these guys who have a special going:
Indy 500 Launch Party Special | myPOV360 - Point of View Cameras and Accessories

Drift Footage:
YouTube - Pete Scheira POV
Kevin Keaney snowboard POV on Vimeo

GoPro HD footage:
YouTube - Allegany Longboarding
GoPro HD Hero POV Camera on a Carveboard on Vimeo

Both are so worth the money. This changes the game and makes it much easier to get some killer footy of snowboarding and skateboarding.


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

Cavman said:


> I have the ContourHD. I like the fact it comes with some software, the VholdR forum and unbelievable customer support. I just couldn't come to terms with having a toaster on my head with the GoPro.


I have been looking into helmet cams recently and i honestly dont think i would wear any camera on my head no matter how streamline it is. I like the idea of holding it on a pole.. or even in hand. I think i will get the most out of this when riding with a buddy or 2. I see it as following a person with the cam while in hand or on the pole..

i just like the face its durable and the quality of the video is amazing for such a good price


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## Suburban Blend (Feb 23, 2008)

^^^^^^^^^^^^ Then you'll want to go with the Drift because it is held like a baton.
Drift Innovation - Home of the Drift HD170 and X170


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

Beem doing some research.... Here is a new cam that came out Oregon Scientific ATC9K HD Action Camera check it out on youtube.. 
also the drift and the go pro had a 8mm thread to screw in a pole to hold onto .. i dont think i would just hold the cam in my hand.. i would like a lil handle thing... sorry if i left that out


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