# Helmet Camera - For the under £100 mark



## thomas (6 Nov 2008)

I'd like to get myself a helmet camera for the under £100 mark (due to being A) a student and  a tightwad). Idealy I'd like to pay around £80. I have SD cards at home but if it includes a free one that'd be great

I accept you do get what you pay for but what would people recommend as a good camera for this price range and where the best place to buy it is.

I've had a look around and found this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oregon-Scie...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1225975032&sr=8-1

Which does seem to be the cheapest at the moment. If anyone has any raw footage from a cheapish camera (or that one) i'd love to see it. I can either set up some webspace for it if need be or just PM an email address. I'd really like to see what the footage from a cheap camera would look like on my computer, just encase I need to use the footage for more than just criticing some driver's on youtube - such as for police evidence.

Also, another question. A lot of the cameras say supports up to 2GB. What's stopping you using a 4GB SD card?

Thanks in advance


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## magnatom (6 Nov 2008)

Keeping under £100 will limit you to what you can get. The camera you link to is pretty good for the money. It does however, have some limitations (poor sound quality not great in darker conditions etc). If you look at my earlier videos (see my signature and look for the videos from before august 2007) you will see some example footage. Not bad in good light, but not brilliant.

There is a slightly updated version out now the ATC-3000, although I'm not sure if it is a vast improvement (from what I have heard). 

There is quite a lot written in this section about cameras, have a look and see if it helps.

The 2GB limit is related to the ability of 32 bit processors being able to index the memory. To be able to access the larger type cards you need newer hardware and software, so more money!!

I hope this helps


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## yenrod (6 Nov 2008)

>The 2GB limit is related to the ability of *32 bit processors being able to index the memory *. To be able to access the larger type cards you need newer hardware and software, so more money!!

Wondered about that !


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## thomas (6 Nov 2008)

magnatom said:


> Keeping under £100 will limit you to what you can get. The camera you link to is pretty good for the money. It does however, have some limitations (poor sound quality not great in darker conditions etc). If you look at my earlier videos (see my signature and look for the videos from before august 2007) you will see some example footage. Not bad in good light, but not brilliant.



Cheers for the reply!

Just to double check, but this video was filmed with the camera I linked to via amazon?


View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Izv3-sEfA


I think I'll purchase this sooner rather than later. Nearly every single time I cycle to or from Norwich someone does something stupid.

One poor girl was crossing the road on a blind corner when I was leaving UNI. She nearly fainted when she saw me come around..."soorrrry!". That's alright, but the idiot in the small car coming back from town who was yelling abuse because I was using the outside lane to overtake a slow bus. He tried overtaking with milimeters to spare. Then he gets past and decideds to block the middle of the road in the traffic to stop me filtering through - had a little word with him. Very polietly asked if he was the one yelling at me and why (when I said polietly I was being. I wasn't sure if it was him). Apparently I was being "an idiot" and that was all I got out of him before telling him my thoughts and leaving.

It'd be nice to get some of it on camera for reference!

If anyone has any othe suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Also, with the Amazon camera it fixes to the side of the helmet (rather than the top)? Is it possible to use the fixture to put a bike light on it at night? It also comes with a handlebar mounting. Those are the two options yes?

Cheers again


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## magnatom (6 Nov 2008)

Yes, that was filmed with the ATC-2000. I assume you looked at the high res version on youtube?

You can place the camera anywhere on the helmet where you have a vent. It is fiddly, but it can be done. Be warned, however, with batteries in, it isn't the lightest and, although it was fine for me (I had it on one side) for my shortish journeys, it can put a bit of strain on your neck.

Have a look at www.dogcamsport.co.uk and www.actioncameras.co.uk for other options.
There is the digital hero 3 which I don't know too much about....


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## thomas (6 Nov 2008)

magnatom said:


> Yes, that was filmed with the ATC-2000. I assume you looked at the high res version on youtube?



I hadn't actually but I reaslised youtube's quality is lower. The higher quality version isn't too bad for the price really. Need to look around for other prices now!

Cheers

update:

Just bought the camera from Amazon . Should be here sometime next week. Bet nothing exciting will happen for the camera now haha.

let's see what the puppies' like!


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## downfader (8 Nov 2008)

The atc2k is an ok camera, brilliant for the money, and the 3k doesnt add much more other than a very slightly wider field of view.

They ideally need to be helmet mounted as handlebars present too limited a field of vision in most cases and moving your helmet around will increase what is caught.

You also need to use the av out into a TV or something and actually sit on the bike in normal riding position and "align" it, or else you'll get an hour of tarmac or sky. 

Some helmets present a bit of a problem with mounting, and esp side mounting. With my MET I found it angled the camera out to the far right and was useless. You also need to balance up the weight imo or everytime you shoulder check the helmet spins around.  You could always add a rear helmet cam later?


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## thomas (8 Nov 2008)

I think I'll just be spending a day doing test footage as I don't have a TV  Could be a bit of a pain in the arse.

Plan was the helmet mount it as I always find those videos more useful. I think the ATC2000 has a mount for the top of the helmet as well as the side. What are people's thoughts of both?

I'd of thought the top one would be more comfortable but can't see many other differences?

According to the email I got sent it was sent yesterday...Hopefully I'll get it by Wednesday next week. Getting excitied


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## downfader (8 Nov 2008)

It depends on the shape of your helmet (oo-er) as to what connectors and fittings you can use, lol.. The rubber strap doesnt fit anything with visors, etc, though it will fit a climbing or kayaking helmet quite well.


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## thomas (8 Nov 2008)

downfader said:


> It depends on the shape of your helmet (oo-er) as to what connectors and fittings you can use, lol.. The rubber strap doesnt fit anything with visors, etc, though it will fit a climbing or kayaking helmet quite well.




Seems it might be a top of the helmet one  Can have a fiddle with it all anyway.


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## thomas (10 Nov 2008)

Got the camera today! It's a bit sooner than I expected...it's annoying because the SD card I'm having sent from home hasn't arrived so I'll have to go to the UNI's post room every day till it comes.

They'd be no way you could use it for undercover work! It is very big! However, beggar's can't be choosers. For the money I think it could work very well. It kind of makes me think I have a speed camera on the top of my head 

Hopefully the SD card will come tomorrow or Wednesday and I'll go test it out around town and maybe a few of the country lanes and show you it via youtube.


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## PrettyboyTim (10 Nov 2008)

magnatom said:


> The 2GB limit is related to the ability of 32 bit processors being able to index the memory.



Oh Magnatom! It's nothing to do with the processors. Most desktop PCs are 32bit and have no trouble accessing terabyte drives.

The SD card specification originally only supported card sizes up to 1GB, but later revisions allowed 2GB and 4GB cards. It's all to do with how the card reports its size to the card reading firmware.Therefore, the 2GB limit may be due to the SD reading fimware only recognising the 2GB extension. Obiviously the firmware doesn't support SDHC, which would mean it could recognise up to 32GB cards.

The other factor may be that FAT16 only supports up to 2GB as it only uses a 16bit digit to store the cluster indices, and each cluster is 32KB in size.


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## magnatom (10 Nov 2008)

PrettyboyTim said:


> Oh Magnatom! It's nothing to do with the processors. Most desktop PCs are 32bit and have no trouble accessing terabyte drives.
> 
> The SD card specification originally only supported card sizes up to 1GB, but later revisions allowed 2GB and 4GB cards. It's all to do with how the card reports its size to the card reading firmware.Therefore, the 2GB limit may be due to the SD reading fimware only recognising the 2GB extension. Obiviously the firmware doesn't support SDHC, which would mean it could recognise up to 32GB cards.
> 
> The other factor may be that FAT16 only supports up to 2GB as it only uses a 16bit digit to store the cluster indices, and each cluster is 32KB in size.



Ah,

so the website I was looking at was telling fibs then. Can't remember where it was, if I find it I will point it out.


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## thomas (14 Nov 2008)

Annoyingly the memory card I had sent from home last Friday still hasn't come! I'm going to assume it's gone astray.

I'm now going to have to order a new one of the internet (no doubt they'll both come Monday). This is okay yes?

Something like this is what I need yes?


http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...ils?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1226680811&sr=8-1&seller=


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## downfader (14 Nov 2008)

thomas said:


> Annoyingly the memory card I had sent from home last Friday still hasn't come! I'm going to assume it's gone astray.
> 
> I'm now going to have to order a new one of the internet (no doubt they'll both come Monday). This is okay yes?
> 
> ...



Check out digital depot too, they're often very cheap. If 2gig is 3 quid, jesus, get an SDHC 4gb if it will take it (you'll need to check as I cant remember the spec of the 2k model )

I have loads of memory cards now. Used in various different devices. How handy are those things.


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## thomas (14 Nov 2008)

I've bought the one of Amazon. Hopefully it'll be okay. bet the one sent up from home comes monday!!


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## magnatom (14 Nov 2008)

thomas said:


> I've bought the one of Amazon. Hopefully it'll be okay. bet the one sent up from home comes monday!!




Just seen this. I can't say for certain if it will work. Sometimes you need the faster cards to record the video. Fingers crossed. Oh and the atc-2000 doesn't take SDHC cards.


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## downfader (14 Nov 2008)

magnatom said:


> Just seen this. I can't say for certain if it will work. Sometimes you need the faster cards to record the video. Fingers crossed. Oh and the atc-2000 doesn't take SDHC cards.



The extreme and ultra cards are more reliable but the standard blue work fine in my lot of camera gear. B)


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## thomas (22 Nov 2008)

Having only tried my new helmet camera out a few times I've decided that it's pointed at the road surface too much so i've moved it back on my helmet.

Which was annoying as I was hoping to have some footage of some dappy cyclist coming onto a very busy road without looking. If I wasn't cycling along as she went in cars would of shot past her very closely!! All I got on the footage was the bottom of her wheel and you could see her going into the road from the pavement....then a muffeled me telling her she needs to look before pulling out.

Have to wait till I cycle to work tomorrow to see what the new position is like


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