headcams

bushball · 06-09-2013 8:15pm #1

anyone know where i can get a decent cheap headcam? not looking to spend that much on one, preferably an irish retailer

brenak47 · 07-09-2013 2:25am

Argos do a few similar style to the hero between 95 and 140 euro

D_murph · 07-09-2013 8:40pm

Maybe this would do the job and cheap enough? Considering getting one myself actually...

http://www.asseenontv.ie/products/Handy_Gadgets/Action_Sports_Helmet_Camera_%2830FPS%29.html

Im not sure if it records audio though. I have emailed them to ask so I will see what they say before I buy one. Might not hurt for anyone else on here to do the same and they may update the page with that info.

bushball · 07-09-2013 8:59pm

if you could it do that it would be great, thats looking like its next on my shopping list

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=action+sports+camera&authToken=
this looks like a handy comprimise as well seen as it can be attached anywhere

D_murph · 07-09-2013 9:08pm

Found it on ebay and it says on there that it does record audio. Microphone built in.
Just search for helmet camera on there and you will see it on the listings that come up. Third one actually from an Irish seller that does next day delivery and hes a tenner cheaper

.

That one you posted is alright too if it would do the job but the 1080p would be better. You may also need to spraypaint the blue one black or camo lol.

EDIT: The one I first posted is defo a good choice as its really easy to attach it to your head with that strap and it does not look like it would be awkward on you at all

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzUEcdqJ8VA

Its actually only a 640p video quality and that video isnt great TBH. In a dark woods or indoor arena, the quality could be shyte

. Lots of other options on ebay though if youre registered on there.

bushball · 07-09-2013 9:36pm

D_murph wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzUEcdqJ8VA

Its actually only a 640p video quality and that video isnt great TBH. In a dark woods or indoor arena, the quality could be shyte . Lots of other options on ebay though if youre registered on there.

raging, still might try it though never know, might get some decent footage

D_murph · 07-09-2013 9:46pm

bushball wrote: »

raging, still might try it though never know, might get some decent footage

No probs if you want to but you will be needing to buy at least a 16Gb micro SD card to use with it (for 3 hours of recording) also which is all adding up in the costs dept. I would rather to buy the right thing first time, even if its a little dearer because you may have to get something else later on if it doesnt do the job and that can be more expensive that buying one good one

.

Also, look up the model number and make on youtube to see if someone has done a review like that guy and you can see if the quality is up to scratch. The darker areas were fairly hard to see anything in on that video and that was out on a sunny day. Imagine in the dark indoors with the lights out or low, yould see feck all. Money down the drain.

I would make sure its at least a 720p camera anyway and preferably 1080p. thats where you get a good quality video and 30FPS (frames per second) or so to have a smooth video as well.

NakedDex · 08-09-2013 4:55am

Resolution has nothing to do with frame rate. You can film perfectly smooth video at 640x480, it'll just be harder to view on higher res screens (aesthetically). If anything, cameras with a decent spec will get smoother video at lower res, because there's simply less data to process per frame. All 1080p will give you is a sharper image. 1080p at 30fps will be no more smooth that 640 at 30fps.

Have a look on eBay for the first gen GoPro Hero's. They took AAA's and weren't HD, but they were just as sturdy and reliable as the current ones. I only recently sold mine to upgrade to the Hero 3 Black. There was a couple of models in that range (720 and 960 I believe). Even the first HD models are going fairly cheap these days.
A big advantage of the GoPro for airsoft is the lens is behind a protective shield, which can be replaced. Good luck trying to replace a cracked glass on a cheap model. We've all see. EOTechs and other holosights destroyed by a lucky (or unlucky...) shot.

bushball · 08-09-2013 10:59am

do you need a helmet for a go pro?

sharpy2010 · 08-09-2013 4:39pm

Dare I say it but in a few months there will be floods of head cams cos CoD is releasing one with there prestige pack like they did with there nvgs years ago. But I have no clue of the quality and to justify an extra 120 on it is very questionable.

@ dex
Where would you search for the gen 1 hero? eBay? Ball park figure? Cheers for any info

NakedDex · 08-09-2013 10:25pm

Not necessarily. They're definitely the most stable platform for many applications, but they're designed to be mounted anywhere. I've had mine mounted to car bumpers, helmets, the nose of snowboards, on the end of a boom arm, and even on my leg...
Your mounting options are limited by what kind of shot you want. A lot of people mount them to their rifle using a stick-on mount point (included, usually, but available separately too) on the receiver.
If you can't mount to the receiver - or don't want to - you can get picatinny mounts for GoPros. They're not original arts, but they work just fine. They are, however, expensive (they're designed for RS rifles, so the price jumps immediately). Alternatively, and its something I've messed with, is buy a roll cage or handlebar mount for less than half the price. It's fairly unobtrusive, if a bit ugly, but it works a treat and that mount is available pretty commonly from camera stores and online (GoPro original part).
The biggest problem with the "guncam" is that you'd be surprised how much time your rifle spends facing the dirt, so I'm not a fan of it. It's great for creating a montage or some filler shots, but overall, it's a very limited (and often nauseating, if there's a lot of running) view.

eBay is probably your best bet for the older models at a bargain price. Adverts has a bunch of Hero 2 models at the moment, if you want to spend a bit more. The Hero 2 is HD, and has rechargeable battery packs (both blessing and curse).
For a first gen (the AAA battery type), you're probably looking at around €100, minus mounts and card. The HD models would be closer to €150, and the Hero 2, about €200.

HD is great, but what people forget is that it's also a huge bitrate. I'm getting about 5 minutes for every 1GB from my new one on 1080p. An hour of recording at 1080p is great if you're just playing it back at home, but god help you if you want to upload all 12GB of it, or even edit it without some decent software and one hell of computer. Don't be too drawn in by the promise of HD unless you really have use for it.

bushball · 08-09-2013 10:28pm

thanks dex thats very helpful

NakedDex · 08-09-2013 11:44pm

For the most part, even with the Black edition I now have, I shoot in 720p. It's plenty detailed for most viewing applications, and is still arguably too high for Internet use. The only times I shoot 1080/1440/2700 is when I have no intention of uploading. It does look unarguably better, but what's the point if you need to spend a day buffering it on YouTube to watch it.

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