Helmet Camera Review, Which Camera has the Best Bang for the Buck

By
Brian Christner
Published: July 5, 2009Posted in: Parts ReviewsTags: , , , , , ,

Wired Magazine recently ran a comparison between the main Helmet Camera’s on the market.  Mounting Camera to motorcycle has been a great way to record your buddies antics but, also a great learning tool to help improve your riding.  No more can people claim crazy stunts, fast lap times, or other with one of these cameras mounted to their helmet.  Take a look at the reviews of each camera and let us know your thoughts.

Mount Oregon Scientific’s Action Camera Just About … Anywhere

Orgeon Scientific Action Camera

Orgeon Scientific Action Camera

With enough mounting doodads to stick the cam on your handlebars, helmet, beer can, whatever, the ATC5K appears ready for any outdoor activity. The water-resistant casing is effective down to 10 feet, and the 1.5-inch LCD is an unexpected luxury. Unfortunately, transitions between light and dark environments were slow, and the video was very grainy.

WIRED USB and RCA cables make pix easy to exhibit on either PC or TV.

TIRED Rubber helmet-mounting strap sucks; it couldn’t hold the cam in place, so we resorted to double-stick tape (not included). Interface is hard to parse, especially the icons.

V.I.O.’s Videocam Is Tough Enough — But Are You?

V.I.O Videocam

V.I.O Videocam

Ever notice how the water along the shoreline recedes drastically right before a tsunami? You will now — or, at least, whoever recovers the highly shock- and water-resistant POV 1.5 will. Built like it was made for special ops, this camera will likely survive your exploits even if you don’t. You can set the cam to record a continuous loop, and when something cool happens, just hit a button to save the footage: Bragging rights guaranteed.

WIRED Easy interface. Ten levels of mic sensitivity. Small remote straps to your wrist, so you can stash the main control unit in your bag.

TIRED Resolution maxes out at 720 x 480 — standard-def seems a little low-rent for such a spendy gadget. Bulky and heavy.

Vidcam View Is Silky Smooth Even When the Ride Isn’t

Contour HD

Contour HD

The runner-up in our B-roll brawl came in a seriously close second — for less than half the price. The ContourHD’s 720p video trounced all comers with its smooth, beautiful images. The whole kit weighs less than 5 ounces and looks more like an ornament than an eyesore.

WIRED Stunning image quality. Record/Stop slider switch is easy to operate, even with gloves on. Accepts up to 16 GB of microSD storage, and a 2-gig card is included. Laser-assisted aiming. Hell, yeah.

TIRED With no LCD, you can’t review what you’ve shot until you jack into a computer — a problem for long trips. Video quality suffers noticeably in low light. At speeds above 30 mph, the microphone listens only to the wind.

GoPro’s Hero Headcam Rocks a 170-Degree View

Go Pro Helmet Camera

Go Pro Helmet Camera

The Hero earns its expansive moniker with a massive 170-degree field of view. No other camera comes close to that, possibly for a reason: We got motion-sick watching the road disappear below our motorcycle’s front tire. (Skiers and snowboarders, however, say they dig it.) The Hero’s clear-plastic casing protects the camera from shocks and up to 100 feet of water but blocked a little too much sound.

WIRED Hi and Lo settings let you customize audio reception (hint: choose Hi). Great image quality for the price — smooth and unpixelated. Also snaps 5-megapixel stills.

TIRED Jerky video playback. No LCD for checking your footage.

  • Manufacturer: GoPro
  • Price: $190
    • Release Date: June 23, 2009

Source | Wired