Help with present for Dad

MrsMcSteamy

Hey everyone looking to get a helmet camera for my dad. He loves his bike and is heading off on a 14 day Canadian bike trip towards the end of august. He done one around France and Spain last september and was saying afterwards he wished he got a camera prior to going.

So I know absolutely nothing about them but budget is a top limit of 250. Can anyone recommend one or suggest ones to avoid. Done a quick search but there is a huge variety from very cheap to very expensive which doesn't always mean better. So hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

Johnboner

Drift stealth or ghost

EIRE forever

MrsMcSteamy wrote: »

Hey everyone looking to get a helmet camera for my dad. He loves his bike and is heading off on a 14 day Canadian bike trip towards the end of august. He done one around France and Spain last september and was saying afterwards he wished he got a camera prior to going.

So I know absolutely nothing about them but budget is a top limit of 250. Can anyone recommend one or suggest ones to avoid. Done a quick search but there is a huge variety from very cheap to very expensive which doesn't always mean better. So hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

I got mine here : http://www.cottermc.com/drift-cameras

MrsMcSteamy

Thanks I shall look those up and check out that link thanks

gerrowadat

+1, I've been using the drift ghost for a few years, good bit of kit. Make sure to grab him a memory card as well, memoryc.com are based in ireland and top notch.

Johnboner

MrsMcSteamy wrote: »

Thanks I shall look those up and check out that link thanks

Make sure to check up on discount codes as well, should be at least one available by Google search and I think BaronVonGrumble has it in his videos description, will save you a bit of money.

Wonda-Boy

New Drift Ghost 4K is about to drop in the next 2 weeks, so hold off and see what its all about.

MrsMcSteamy

Brilliant thanks for all the useful tips. The drift camera does look great. Will hold off and see about the new release as I'm not in a rush to get this. Once I'm sorted before July it will be grand.

Pretty sure go pro cameras are the best around, you can get them in any currys, power city etc

listermint

Daniel Miniature Gorilla wrote: »

Pretty sure go pro cameras are the best around, you can get them in any currys, power city etc

They are great but the form doesn't always fit well to helmets.i have one

Chippy01

If he is going touring, maybe try looking for something that is bike powered with a large memory card, and maybe take some spare cards.
Most of the 'helmet cams' rely on an internal battery that usually goes flat after a couple of hours, which will then need recharging which usually take close to the same amount of time.. (from what I have read online)

Last year, my OH got me a BulletHD Cam (ironically from CalgaryDashCam in Canada). Powers up when the bike is started like a car dash cam, and powers down when the bike is shut off. Everything is stashed under the seat, bar the bullet shaped lens which is mounted on the bars (or wherever you want to mount it).

On the plus side, it's always on when the bike is running. No recharging. With a large memory card, it will record a few days before it starts overwriting the first recorded file.
On the downside, it's fixed to the bike and only 'looks' in the direction it is fixed at.

There are a couple of different bullet type cams out there and although it's not the cheapest of options, it's worth investigating nonetheless.

To give you some idea, here's a short clip running down the M11 last year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coNbGVACxFA&t=9s

Wonda-Boy

Daniel Miniature Gorilla wrote: »

Pretty sure go pro cameras are the best around, you can get them in any currys, power city etc

That is soooo not the case at all, Go Pro have a really good marketing team and you would think that from the spin they put out. But I have had 3 Go Pros at this stage I sold my last one two weeks ago and never again would I use one. They are so finicky its unbelievable.

WHEN THEY WORK they are great but lets be honest here 1080p is 1080p, and the hassle I have had with every single Go Pro with media cards, freezing and the abysmal battery life for a camera that price is ridiculous. I would much rather have a Drift Ghost S or new 4K easily.

I had a 1st gen drift and I sold it, should have held onto it tbh.