Helmet cams???

[The Tree Hunter]

What sort of cameras do people use, where can i get one and where from???

 

Cheers

[treequip]

Got mine on ebay. Plenty of choice.

 

Andy

[just dave]

http://store.magicseaweed.com/Cameras/Browse/139/

 

the helmet hero wide is great.

[Oxman]

Howdy,

 

Helmet cameras are expensive. The solution to your problem is "just spend money". The higher the price tag, the better quality the video.

 

 

Uploading video to YouTube or other online servers involves compressing the size of the file. This reduces the image quality of your movies, so that they download quickly. Even though a high quality camera is used, the quality for the end user is generally poor.

 

The other negative part is there is no zoom capability on any helmet cam. This fact alone means that you will probably want an additional camcorder. I just got a Hi-def Sony TG1.

 

One simple option is the French-made Archos Helmet Cam. Image quality is an ok 420 lines (better than VHS, less than DVD quality) of horizontal resolution at MPEG-4 (640X480), and only one wire connects the camera to the recorder. This unit has a small tube-shaped lipstick camera that is unobtrusive. The camera wire has an in-line on/off switch on it, with a microphone on the switch.

 

The wire plugs into a truly amazing LCD monitor, called the Archos portable media player (PMP). It comes in 3 sizes: the 405 Wifi 3.5" LCD; the 605 Wifi 4.3" LCD. There are 4 models in the Generation 5 series: 30 GB; 80GB; 160GB; SD card slot.

 

Mine is the 30 GB unit. I heard the Gen 7 series goes up to 250 GB, and has HDMI output.

 

The Archos has the ability to connect to computer networks via its Wifi capability for wireless internet surfing. A docking station has multiple audio/video jacks, including Component Video output, and a wireless remote control for surfing while hooked up to your TV set, a la TIVO. File transfer of your videos to the computer via wireless or USB cable is a Windows drag-and-drop operation. Your computer recognizes the Archos as simply another drive letter.

 

Video editing can be done in Windows Movie Maker, which comes standard on XP & Vista computers. This is an art in itself.

[Steve Bullman]

i looked into the archos range, what put me off was the fact that they didnt do a wide screen lens for their camera, something which is vital for treework

[Tom D]

Not sure ifthe archos is particularly weatherproof either. There are some pretty good cheap units out there if you only want to upload to utube, but for burning dvd quality they get expensive.

 

BTW Steve you mentioned sending one back after a day, was it really bad? I did look at that one before getting the POV.

[Steve Bullman]

yeah it was no good at all due to the lens as much as anything. could not see a thing that i was doing...the tip of the chainsaw was just about in the picture.

[Oxman]

'Old School' helmet cams are a good indication of the integration needed. The Sony HC96 is an example of a mini-DV videotape camcorder used as the foundation of helmet cam system. The tape holds one hour of video, and takes one hour to play back before the editing process can begin.

 

This camcorder is worn in a backpack, so the monitor is not viewable by the user. Video input jacks are the thing that distinguish this type of camcorder because it can act like a tape recorder. Most camcorders only have output jacks. There is a composite audio/video input, and a LANC jack. LANC is a proprietary Sony method of auxiliary control, using electronics instead of pushing hardware buttons that control certain functions of the unit, such as starting & stopping recording.

 

The camera wire runs into the backpack, where it is hooked into a battery pack to power it. The LANC wire is hooked to a microphone and an on/off switch, which are also powered by the battery pack. Some switch units have a vibrator that signals the operator when recording stops & starts.

 

The tangle of wires can be cumbersome. The newer methods integrate some of these connections to simplify operations.

 

The Sony lipstick cams have higher resolution capability, but the limit is around 520 horizontal lines. There are also interchangable lenses that can be swapped out for wider angle of view.

[The Tree Hunter]

Not sure ifthe archos is particularly weatherproof either. There are some pretty good cheap units out there if you only want to upload to utube, but for burning dvd quality they get expensive.

 

BTW Steve you mentioned sending one back after a day, was it really bad? I did look at that one before getting the POV.

 

 

POV???

 

I take it thats the one you used in the hemlock video???

[Tom D]

Yes mate POV 1 :

 

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/buy-viosport-pov1.htm?gclid=CKyYqqOsmpgCFRpnQgodyiH2ng