Helmet Cameras

[Blurred Elevens]

Yeah, Tech Talk....


What do you guys know about them? What's the best one for skiing? Best picture, etc? I know board rides with one sometimes....Is there some sort of remote that turns your record mode on and off without digging into your pack everytime? Is framing shots somewhat difficult? Any other things about them to be concerned about?

[365wp]

Check out helmetcamera.com. I've been using it for mtn biking and skiing. You need a vid cam with analog in in your backpack to actually capture the video, but the advantage of having a small bomb-proof cam on the helmet is you don't have to worry about hitting branches (it looks pretty cool on the video). You can get a nice watertight case for $30...which you'll immediately ruin by drilling holes for vid/audio cables and the remote. You can expoxy these holes, obviously (I'm still too lazy).

You can frame stuff by skiing behind/beside somebody, or by waiting downslope and having them come by close to the camera, but there's no zoom and the wideangle makes things look a little different...the trees do look tighter.

I've got a remote for the cam...works great. The only improvement I would like is a on/off for the cam on the helmet, as it runs out of juice sometimes (it's always on when it's connected to the power source).

I've probably taken six or seven hours of footage with this setup.

Edit: some of the best footage is when you bail...cloud of snow, followed by me lying on ground...

Edit again: get the hires (480) version. You'll probably be going into a MiniDV cam. It's the same basic camera as the setup Truth is talking about below.

Another edit: a buddy has the SportShotz, which you'll notice is based in SLC...the guy is really cool - he let us swing by on a Saturday morning to buy the remote control. Also, the HelmetCamera.com guy shipped me a replacement battery overnight at no charge when mine went bad.

[truth]

I've been using one the 480's from these guys. Love it, especially with the remote start/stop/power dealeo...very nice goggle strap mount as well.