Helmet Camera Experience
HELMET CAMERAS
POV (point of view) cameras are great to grab certain shots in hard to reach or dangerous shots. I have been using them for years.
When I first started using POV it was from www.helmetcamera.com back when I had a tape DV camera hooked up to their very tough little lens. This was used mostly for windsurfing videos. The lens was mounted on the visor of a hat and the waterproof box was in a camel back pack. Lots of batteries back then and a lot of cumbersome weight.
Here is a clip from that setup.
The next step was going digital, which Helmet Cam offers now but I went up in resolution to keep giving my clients the best possible footage. And remember we are gear junkies as long as the gear pays is own way and more.
So I found www.helmetcameracentral.com, which offers the most up to date gear, and is a small family run company. I prefer working with small companies where I can talk to people at the other end of the phone. Twice now they have helped me out in tight situations with my gear. If you are into POV cameras give them a go.
After shooting analog going digital was fantastic. I purchased the VIO POV 1.0 they are now up to the VIO POV 1.5. This camera produces great pictures and handles very rough conditions. I had mountain bike riders me included who fell and the camera not only kept going it captured the fall Fantastic! Run time is 2 ½ hrs but again you have to have the camera in a pack on your back and it is only Standard Definition. By this time I had been shooting full 1080p and needed to move up again. Yes, you can blow it up or keep boarders around the frame but HD POV was in the works.
Enter the VholdR ContourHD 720P helmet cam last year. I jumped at the chance to start shooting 720p and after a very long delay from the manufacture the camera arrived. I still have this camera and still use it at times on shoots. It is as simple as a POV can get. The camera has one switch on the top for record, small compartment in the back with battery (last about 2hr) and a Micro SD/SDHC card. It comes with the 2GB and can take up to 16GB. I use a 8GB since it last about the same as the battery. That way when I switch batteries when I switch cards. Three of each (battery and card) seems to get me through most of the jobs fine. Also inside is a switch between SD and 720p.
Some negatives: The camera is NOT waterproof. And dust from a job in the desert of Moab, UT killed my first one that was replaced by Helmet Camera Central.
For all the POV cameras it is best to trans-coded the footage using free software called MPEG Streamclip by Squared 5. Hats off to Squared 5 for a fantastic piece of software. This software lets you pick the resolution and format. All of my footage is set to run smoothly once trans-coded in Final Cut Pro.
Next I heard VholdR was coming out with a 1080p version. Well I was sort of happy with the camera but waterproof would be nice and more control over the picture would be nice. GoPro had been making a SD POV which I had researched but until it was HD I kept passing is over. Now they had a 1080p version, which just came out fall of 2009. I pre-ordered the GoPro 1080p and it arrived early November. Too bad it missed the shoot in Moab since the footage is the best yet from all of the above cameras. I have not had a chance to directly compare the ContourHD 1080p and the GoPro1080p but my choice is the GoPro.
Reasons I like the GoPro better are the following:
Waterproof housing comes with the camera
Options for stills, quick shot stills, 720p 60fps, and 1080p 30fps looks cleaner
Better mounting options
Smaller
Both are in the same price range about $400 with most of the gear you need. I suggest you buy at least 3 extra batteries and enough cards to match. Mount options are there to match you needs.
Now don’t get too excited about the picture if you shoot for a living like me. The pixels are 1920×1080 in progressive but the bit rate is VERY low at 12Mbps. On my XDCAM EX1 and PMW-350 I shoot up to 280Mbps recorded on the Convergent Design Nano. You can mix the POV footage into the production but you won’t fool anyone into thinking it is a broadcast camera. Now Sony makes a POV HD 1080i that I have not tried. I will check it out at NAB 2010.