Using Cameras

[CrzyFstMnM]

So I kinda want to start a couple videos where I'm recording while riding my bike and talking at the same time. Kinda point out some stuff that I personally notice and experience when riding ya know. I just want to know if any of you guys have or know on like using cameras for that. Obviously there has to be a mic in the helmet but what about the camera? I have access to a DV videocamera (kinda bulky) and also a thin digital camera (not sure how that will be with taking videos). what i would really love is to have a camera on my head somehow so i can move it and show ppl what i see

any ideas? ideas that don't cost a lot of money that is ha

[andrewexd]

There are a few options that Video bloggers use on bikes.

1. Standard digital camera / small recorder - alot of the vloggers on youtube use this setup which is basically a camera or small camcorder (flip, vado, etc.) attatched to the inside of the helmet with velcro. Popular camera's are ones that does not have a lense that sticks out so the kodak V570 is popular as are the samll camcorders creative vado, flip mino. Now obviously if you crash there's a good chance your nose will get smashed or something.

2. Bullet Cam - A small bullet cam set up on the side or top of the helmet but usually the audio is bad and if you want to talk then you have to buy a seperate voice recorder then sync the audio and video which I can only assume is a hassle. The Contour HD is a good bullet camera but expensive ($300 new).

3. Camera Mounted on tank / handlebars / gopro - I guess it's the same as a bullet camera. You mount a regular digital camera or camcorder or get a gopro HD which is specifically made for bikes and whatnot then record voice seperately and sync together. The disadvantage is that you can't turn your head to show viewers what's on the sides and it's not near your eye level.

Cheapest option would be number 1 then 2/3. If you're willing to have the camera in your face number 1 is the cheapest and probably easiest as far as editing and tech stuff goes. Im pretty sure this is also illegal in alot of states but im not 100% sure.

[CZroe]

The Tony Hawk helmet camera is more of a toy, but it can be found for $30. It can only record 15mins at a time but it can record over the last recording if nothing eventful happened. While that is useful for not filling up the card with useless recordings, it's extremely annoying when it stops in the middle of something that was happening. I would mod it to take an external battery pack. NiMH and Alkaline batteries suck in the cold, so the suggest expensive Lithium batteries. I'd rather rig up something to power it off the bike (DC jack in the back, VRM for 12V DC to 3.0V DC). The mic has no foam and is embedded, so the wind noise is ridiculous. I would just use my phone to record the audio. I know that's how Sven does it on YouTube.

[Greg_E]

The new GoPro HD says it has the ability for a wireless microphone, but I have not seen the mic listed or shown anywhere. I think they are waiting for the payoff from the camera sales to put the mic and LCD into production. There are so many different ways to do this, and it all depends on your budget. How much do you want to spend?

[karlosdajackal]

I use a sony DSC-T90 camera (for 720p HD), most people mount them in the helmet in front of there face, i use a piece of metal for my mount, so it looks like this


When its inside the helmet it looks like this


There is a link to the videos in my signature, but youtube is playing up at the moment. If you search youtube for "helmet camera" you will find lots of ways people do it. Using the helmet inside the helmet kinda sorts out wind noise and weather issues, but you have to make sure your comfortable with the camera being in your face. Otherwise get a go pro or contour camera and rig up a mic, like from a hands free kit on a phone. That better for riding but then you manually have to sync up the audio and video which can be a pain.

[minuslars]

A lot of vloggers stuff their camera in their helmet in front of their mouth and nose. You may be able to secure it with velcro or devise another type of attachment. I want to get a flip eventually. GoPro wide makes beautiful videos, but obviously it's going to record one angle a time.

Example of "hybrid" vlog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5WCk_iUi3g
Also, check out Ram Mounts, it may start you thinking about more creative ways of using a camera.

[CrzyFstMnM]

thanks guys for all the ideas,

guess im going to have to mull on the options. i just put the camera in my helmet with my head in it and unfortunately it won't fit so i don't think that will work unless i can rig up something else. hmmm

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by minuslars

A lot of vloggers stuff their camera in their helmet in front of their mouth and nose. You may be able to secure it with velcro or devise another type of attachment. I want to get a flip eventually. GoPro wide makes beautiful videos, but obviously it's going to record one angle a time.

Example of "hybrid" vlog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5WCk_iUi3g
Also, check out Ram Mounts, it may start you thinking about more creative ways of using a camera.

Ugh. The aspect is so screwed up...

[wayanlam]

Originally Posted by karlosdajackal

I use a sony DSC-T90 camera (for 720p HD), most people mount them in the helmet in front of there face, i use a piece of metal for my mount, so it looks like this


When its inside the helmet it looks like this


There is a link to the videos in my signature, but youtube is playing up at the moment. If you search youtube for "helmet camera" you will find lots of ways people do it. Using the helmet inside the helmet kinda sorts out wind noise and weather issues, but you have to make sure your comfortable with the camera being in your face. Otherwise get a go pro or contour camera and rig up a mic, like from a hands free kit on a phone. That better for riding but then you manually have to sync up the audio and video which can be a pain.

it makes me wonder if you can control the touch screen with your tongue x) my main concern would be having half my vision obscured with the camera, but i guess that might not even be a problem, just looks really big inside the helmet.

im looking into getting a GoPro HD. got a friend coming over from the states to Switzerland this month, so if all goes well, ill have a waterproof, wide-screen video camera to test out on the slopes when i go snowboarding in Jan 2010. then when i bring it back to Bali ill attach it to the bike and or helmet

just hope the guy i asked has had the time to order the camera for me before he leaves the states.

[karlosdajackal]

Originally Posted by wayanlam

it makes me wonder if you can control the touch screen with your tongue x) my main concern would be having half my vision obscured with the camera, but i guess that might not even be a problem, just looks really big inside the helmet.

im looking into getting a GoPro HD. got a friend coming over from the states to Switzerland this month, so if all goes well, ill have a waterproof, wide-screen video camera to test out on the slopes when i go snowboarding in Jan 2010. then when i bring it back to Bali ill attach it to the bike and or helmet

just hope the guy i asked has had the time to order the camera for me before he leaves the states.

the camera is so close to my face i can't actually focus on its screen, also it just about runs along the line of my nose so no room to get anything near the screen, not that you need to, press record and forget about it is the way to go.

GoPro's are nice, only thing i don't like about them is the sound quality due to the microphone being inside the waterproof case.

[wayanlam]

Originally Posted by karlosdajackal

the camera is so close to my face i can't actually focus on its screen, also it just about runs along the line of my nose so no room to get anything near the screen, not that you need to, press record and forget about it is the way to go.

GoPro's are nice, only thing i don't like about them is the sound quality due to the microphone being inside the waterproof case.

don't think that the sound quality thing will be a big issue for me, i find my recorded voice sounds wired, so i rarely say anything when i record anyhow, lol

with the hot weather here in Bali, i would probably sweat so much during a traffic jam and such, that id end up short circuiting a non waterproof camera if i stuck it in my helmet

raining season is right around the corner on top of it, so i wont be riding the bike that much, and if i do, i doubt ill be thinking about doing any kind of recordings.

main think i like on the gopro will be the wide angle that it captures at. ive tried recording some vids with my old sony camera, and its got such a bad wide angle zoom, that it seems like im constantly in the back pocket of the bike in front of me!