best helmet action cam

N

nileppez

Hi,

I need a little help. I'm trying to buy my boyfriend a cam suitable for dirt biking for Christmas.
He likes to trail ride, but also takes part in enduro racing. His bike
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is basically his other girlfriend and he would ride it all day any day if he could!
I've narrowed it down to two in my price range and want to know thoughts of anyone who has tried them:

Polaroid xs100
Price: $179 with all mounts and extras

1 /2.5" CMOS Image Sensor
F2.8 Fixed Focus Ultra Sharp Glass Lens
Light Sensitivity: >1.4 V/lux-sec
White Balance, ISO, Scene: Auto
Exposure Auto Control: Auto
170 Degree Ultra Wide Angle Lens
File Format: Video- H2.64 MPEG4, PHOTO- JPEG

HD Resolutions
1080p: 1920x1080p / 30FPS / 16:9
960p: 1280X960P / 30FPS / 4:3
720p:1280x720 / 60FPS (Slow Motion) / 16:9
720p: 1280x720 / 30FPS/ 16:9
Photo:
Resolutions 16MP, 5MP, 3MP, VGA
Photo Mode: Single / Burst (x10) / Time Lapse (5,10,30,60)

Micro SD - Up To 32GB
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1200MAH Built In Battery (Approx. 2.5 hrs of Use)
G-Sensor (Auto Rotation): Yes
Auto Power Off: off/1min / 3min
Dual File Recording: Yes
Vibrates: Yes
Anti-Shake: Yes
USB 2.0, HDMI

Windows 7/XP SP3 /Vista and later, Mac 10.4 or above
Size: 108*42*42.4mm
Weight: 4.8oz


CONTOUR ROAM 2
Price $180 mounts are extra


  • Durable aluminum body withstands rough handling.
  • 170° super wide-angle lens, rotatable through 270°.
  • 3 resolutions: 720p, 960p, and 1080p.
  • Shoots HD video and 5 megapixel photos.
  • Photo mode can be set for every 1, 3, 5, 10, 30, or 60 seconds.
  • Laser level for shot alignment.
  • Internal rechargeable battery with 3.5 hour life.
  • Waterproof to 1m.
  • Profile mount and rotating surface mount included. More mounting systems are available separately.
  • 4GB MicroSD card included. Accepts up to 32GB
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    cards.
  • Audible
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    alert if filming is attempted while there is no memory card in the camera.
  • Desktop software is included, and lets you tweak all of your video settings.

any help you could provide me would be greatly appreciated!!
 
James

James

Staff member
nileppez:
I've narrowed it down to two in my price range and want to know thoughts of anyone who has tried them:
Click to expand...

Never heard of the Polaroid one and Contour had closed their doors a few months ago. I'm really surprised that you don't have the GoPro Hero 3 White on that list, especially since it's in you price range ($199). Currently nothing beats GoPro in the helmet cam field. If you haven't already I'd check it out here. http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-hero3-white-edition

I own a few GoPros and don't have any complaints.
 
2smoke

2smoke

I agree with James. The Go Pro is probably the most state of the art camera for its size and price ranges. The only down side (if you can call it that) is that they seem to be upgrading them very quickly and last years model is more or less obsolete already. However......... That doesnt mean it doesnt work as well as the latest and greatest. It just has a few less functions.
 
James

James

Staff member
2smoke:
I agree with James. The Go Pro is probably the most state of the art camera for its size and price ranges. The only down side (if you can call it that) is that they seem to be upgrading them very quickly and last years model is more or less obsolete already. However......... That doesnt mean it doesnt work as well as the latest and greatest. It just has a few less functions.
Click to expand...

Yeah they released the Hero 3 and Hero 3+ within a year. However the 3 is still a very good camera, I currently have two of those and don't plan on selling them anytime soon. I did just order a 3+ though, want to see if the Superview is any good, plus I wouldn't mind the longer battery life.
 
N

nileppez

My big problem with the GoPro is that yes it's $199 but then you have to add in all of the accessories as well. I know it's a good cam and that price is great but I feel like once I'm done with everything it'll be closer to $300. He's never had a cam before and that price seems a bit steep for us right now.
 
James

James

Staff member
nileppez:
My big problem with the GoPro is that yes it's $199 but then you have to add in all of the accessories as well. I know it's a good cam and that price is great but I feel like once I'm done with everything it'll be closer to $300. He's never had a cam before and that price seems a bit steep for us right now.
Click to expand...

What kind of accessories are you referring to? Everything you need to put it on a helmet is included. Only exception is a microSD card, but I don't think the other cameras come with one either.
 
2smoke

2smoke

James pretty much covered it. When you buy the go pro it comes with a lot of stuff to mount to a helmet or pretty much anything else. The chest mount does not come with it. But its not that expensive. Matter of fact all of the extra accessories that can be purchased to include extra mounts dont cost that much. Here is the link to there extra mounts and such http://gopro.com/camera-mounts. Also as James mentioned about the SD card. Regardless of what type camera you buy it is likely that you will have to purchase the SD card extra. I think mine is an 8G and on the right settings it will take a couple of hours worth of video and hundreds of pictures. But the key to the SD card is what type. On the SD card there will be a small number with a circle around it. The average run of the mill SD card will have a 4 on it. You want to get the one with a 10 inside the circle. This will help ensure you capture the highest video quality with the smoothest movements. Anything less can appear a little jerky sometimes.
 
James

James

Staff member
nileppez:
My big problem with the GoPro is that yes it's $199 but then you have to add in all of the accessories as well. I know it's a good cam and that price is great but I feel like once I'm done with everything it'll be closer to $300. He's never had a cam before and that price seems a bit steep for us right now.
Click to expand...

I just looked up the Contour Roam 2 and it comes with the same amount of mounts as the GoPro Hero 3 White. Amazon has the Contour for $150 though, however that's because Contour closed their doors and all warranties are void.
http://www.amazon.com/Contour-ROAM2-Waterproof-Video-Camera/dp/B009CN8VRK/
 
MY-BLUE-BEAST

MY-BLUE-BEAST

JVC Adixxtion will beat Go Pro anyday in my opinion. It does better frame rate to resolution than the Go Pro, it is waterproof, shock proof, dust proof, freeze proof all without a case, try any of that with the go pro out of its case. It has a built in lcd screen, variable zoom, and a sleek design like the contour. The go pro is great, I have one, but its a big goofy looking camera hanging off the side of your head. I dont know, just giving you some ideas, here is the link to the one in your price range.
http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029117&pathId=141&page=10, and here is a link to the latest version. It does what the go pro does, just its a way smaller camera.

http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029293&pathId=141&page=10
 
James

James

Staff member
MY-BLUE-BEAST:
JVC Adixxtion will beat Go Pro anyday in my opinion. It does better frame rate to resolution than the Go Pro, it is waterproof, shock proof, dust proof, freeze proof all without a case, try any of that with the go pro out of its case. It has a built in lcd screen, variable zoom, and a sleek design like the contour. The go pro is great, I have one, but its a big goofy looking camera hanging off the side of your head. I dont know, just giving you some ideas, here is the link to the one in your price range.
http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029117&pathId=141&page=10, and here is a link to the latest version. It does what the go pro does, just its a way smaller camera.

http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL029293&pathId=141&page=10
Click to expand...

There's more to a quality video than resolution and frame rates. It looks like the JVC one lacks sharpness and also has focus issues.
http://youtu.be/LZUoUiSar6A?hd=1

Which GoPro do you have, because the Hero 3 is significantly smaller than the Hero 2 and the 3+ even more so. Regardless though, with the GoPro having the lens on the long side it'll stick out if you mount it on the side of your helmet. However everyone I know mounts them on top of the helmet.
 
MY-BLUE-BEAST

MY-BLUE-BEAST

I have the hero and hero 2, cant complain, I got them for free. The adixxtion is a cool little camera just for how small it is, the go pro is cool, just kind of goofy looking no matter where its mounted.
 
James

James

Staff member
MY-BLUE-BEAST:
I have the hero and hero 2, cant complain, I got them for free. The adixxtion is a cool little camera just for how small it is, the go pro is cool, just kind of goofy looking no matter where its mounted.
Click to expand...

Yeah some people don't like the boxy look that the GoPro has while on top of a helmet. Especially with the Hero 2 as that thing is huge in comparison to the 3+. This is also compounded when you use the tall post mount, which is what I use 99% of the time (so that the visor isn't visible). One issue that I can see with the Contour and JVC (skinny long type) cameras is trying to get a chest view. Here's the setup I had on Beatty a couple months ago, even with the flat profile that the GoPro has on the chest, we still have issues with riders hitting them on the bars.


(Hero 3's)

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Hero 2's

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