Cycling helmet cameras

Alanstrainor

I know there's been a few threads on these, but I was just wondering how many of you use them, and what you're using if you do?

I got a Drift HD170 yesterday, I honestly didn't buy it specifically as a cycling camera, but wore it yesterday and this morning for the hell of it. I have mine attached to my helmet at the moment, and the quality is fantastic. Only downside is the size of the yoke...its massive! I know I look like a gob****e wearing it:pac:

Wishbone Ash

What sort of price was it Alan. I'm half thinking of getting one myself but I don't want the periscope look either!

Alanstrainor

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

What sort of price was it Alan. I'm half thinking of getting one myself but I don't want the periscope look either!

If you don't want the periscope look id be thinking the model I have wouldn't be for you! I paid £125 sterling. I had an amazon voucher that was burning a hole in ny pocket so I just went for it! I'll try and pop up a pic of it o you know what it looks like!

EDIT: There it is, in all it's glory:eek:. The picture's too big to embed...

AstraMonti

I got a DogCam Bullet HD for christmas. It's small and super lightweight and can record 720p videos. It's not near a gopro quality, but it also costs 1/3th of the price.

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/dogcam-bullet-hd-camera.html

Ryath

Spot the difference

Ryath

AstraMonti wrote: »

I got a DogCam Bullet HD for christmas. It's small and super lightweight and can record 720p videos. It's not near a gopro quality, but it also costs 1/3th of the price.

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/dogcam-bullet-hd-camera.html

Looks good.
Are you able to mount it on the handlebars with the straps for the helmet? They have a kit for mounting to a roll bar in a car that would work but my it's big and ugly.

AstraMonti

It's so light that with a velcro tape on the stem it will stay there. If you have a computer mounted there then there isn't any way out of the box that will help you mount it on the handlebars. Even a proper mount will look ridiculous as the mounting point is on the back of the camera and not underneath. I have it on the helmet, tried it once but messed the angle and the whole video was just bad.

Alanstrainor

I'll see if I can pop up a video, but the super wide angle lens is fantastic. You see everything. It's a bit crazy looking actually, it takes you a second or two to get used to it when you watch it for the first time.

enas

I have a ContourRoam. See my post here on a previous thread. I love it. I do look a bit like a plonker with it on me, but hey, you get used to it. I also put it on the handlebar (as in the video in the post linked above), and I like the videos that gives (it gives a better action cam effect, if you see what I mean). I use it mainly for nothing. I tend to put it for almost all my commutes, and sometimes I enjoy watching back the video it took (when I loved my ride, when there was something funny on my way, to show off to colleagues that I passed on my ride to work, etc.). A useless gadget if you ask me, but one I like nevertheless. I can't even create my own YouTube channel with all the left hooks, close passes and SMIDSYs I caught on it, as I hardly ever get any of that here. It's purely for my own pleasure.

Alanstrainor

The handlebar mount that I got with mine doesn't actually fit on my handlebars! It's tiny! I strapped it to my front fork and I got some pretty cool looking shots with it. I suppose I can move it around depending on what takes my fancy!

I'm not ever going to be one of those youtubers who make it their mission in life to berate drivers at any opportunity, but I do like the idea of having something there. And at the moment at least (new toy buzz) watching back the videos of me just cycling to and from work/college is really cool. I do wonder if drivers take notice of it strapped to my head. I mean it's pretty hard to miss:D. I've had some pretty crazy situations occur in the past where it'd be handy, but I mostly got it for the fun of it.

Although, i'll probably need to buy another hard drive if I want to actually keep all these videos! I mean each 16~ minute long video is a GB at 720p 30fps!

I've bought a mount for my car too(5er on ebay) so i'll probably use it then too when I drive, not that I drive terribly often these days!

I'll pop up a vid tomorrow to show the quality. I'll just have to make sure I haven't broken any laws or I'll be hunted down on here!

AstraMonti

To be honest I would prefer wide lenses as well, the 65degree lens that it has is a bit too restrictive and you need to get your angle right in order to have a well made video.

mp31

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACT20-HD-720P-Helmet-Camera-Outdoor-Action-Sport-Cam-/320711295914?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_Camcorders&hash=item4aabe203aa

Looks interesting... I'm undecided between it and the Jumbo 808 keychain camera.. something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HD-Mini-Keychain-DV-Camera-808-11-Spy-DVR-11-Jumbo-V3-1280-x-720-H-264-mov-30f-/160699504578?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item256a6fd7c2

Alanstrainor

mp31 wrote: »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACT20-HD-720P-Helmet-Camera-Outdoor-Action-Sport-Cam-/320711295914?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_Camcorders&hash=item4aabe203aa

Looks interesting... I'm undecided between it and the Jumbo 808 keychain camera.. something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HD-Mini-Keychain-DV-Camera-808-11-Spy-DVR-11-Jumbo-V3-1280-x-720-H-264-mov-30f-/160699504578?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item256a6fd7c2

The ACT20 does look okay, but the quality is pretty poor to be honest. And it's gone beyond the cheap and cheerful price range of most of those keyfob cameras. I don't know if i'd be sold on it for £50 tbh

Wishbone Ash

enas wrote: »

I use it mainly for nothing

Quote of the day!

Alanstrainor wrote: »

i'll probably need to buy another hard drive if I want to actually keep all these videos!

I presume most people delete daily and only keep footage of near misses, accidents etc

Alanstrainor

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Quote of the day!

I presume most people delete daily and only keep footage of near misses, accidents etc

I think using it for mainly nothing is the best comment in this thread:D

Ah yeah, i've been deleting the crap ones as I go. But I figure i'll keep a lot of them for the moment, until space starts to become an issue. I think I have about 1TB free at the minute, so I should have plenty of space:D

enas

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I think using it for mainly nothing is the best comment in this thread:D

The problem is, the implication of this is that it's a very time-consuming activity.

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ah yeah, i've been deleting the crap ones as I go. But I figure i'll keep a lot of them for the moment, until space starts to become an issue. I think I have about 1TB free at the minute, so I should have plenty of space:D

I know what you mean. I have to force myself to delete everything at the end of each week (which is roughly what it takes to fill my 16GB card), and keep only a bit if there's a really good reason. The problem is that it must be very hard to find anything in 1TB of video, so I figured that by deleting everything except the few bits I actually save more than by keeping everything.

ankaka

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I know there's been a few threads on these, but I was just wondering how many of you use them, and what you're using if you do?

I got a Drift HD170 yesterday, I honestly didn't buy it specifically as a cycling camera, but wore it yesterday and this morning for the hell of it. I have mine attached to my helmet at the moment, and the quality is fantastic. Only downside is the size of the yoke...its massive! I know I look like a gob****e wearing it:pac:

So funny about this,I think I need more info before using it.:cool:

gman2k

mp31 wrote: »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACT20-HD-720P-Helmet-Camera-Outdoor-Action-Sport-Cam-/320711295914?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_Camcorders&hash=item4aabe203aa

Looks interesting... I'm undecided between it and the Jumbo 808 keychain camera.. something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HD-Mini-Keychain-DV-Camera-808-11-Spy-DVR-11-Jumbo-V3-1280-x-720-H-264-mov-30f-/160699504578?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item256a6fd7c2

I think this is the bargain alert one (and latest version model?)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160546966106?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_8271wt_935

And some more info re the key fob version here also

Bunnyhopper

This site has lots of info on those little key fob cameras.

http://www.chucklohr.com/808/

gman2k

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

This site has lots of info on those little key fob cameras.

http://www.chucklohr.com/808/

And another thread re the latest #16 model
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1556994

MugMugs

Nobody mentioned the GoPro yet? Awesome cameras for anything you do. I use mine for white water Kayaking, hill walking and when I get my bike cycling. No end of mounts available either.