Motorcycle Helmet Camera
A Motorcycle Helmet Camera is really useful for hands free recording while
riding. They work in the same way as a normal video camera. I have spent
a lot of time trying to find a good motorcycle video recording setup for my own
trips and this page is the result of what I have found to work well.
If you have any recommendations or want to show off your own video recording
setup please send them to me using the form at the bottom of this page and I'll
put them on the site!
Things to consider for a good motorcycle helmet camera setup:
Usually you can get complete helmet cam sets, there are companies who
concentrate on just making helmet cameras and accessories. These systems aren't
always tailored for motorcycles, they can be used for any outdoor sport such
as cycling, skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding.
Helmet Cams available to buy
Camera Quality
As with home video cameras, generally the more you spend on the helmet camera the better quality the recording, although there are some things to watch out for:
Lens Type
The most important feature of the camera. Along
with the recording resolution, this will determine how good the overall quality of
your footage will be.
Lens sizes vary, but ideally 3mm or more will get a good picture quality.
PAL or NTSC format?
Which country are you going to watch your video in? If you are using
analogue systems to record and edit your footage (video tape instead
of a
memory card), you'll need to know which one you need.
This is less important if you are using a digital video camera and using a
PC/MAC to edit. 99.9% of video editing software can read both PAL and NTSC
so it's not a problem if you're making videos for Youtube, but...
If you are eventually creating a DVD of the videos you have made with your
motorcycle helmet camera then get the correct format for your country.
United Kingdom use PAL, USA & Canada use NTSC as does most of Asia.
If you're not sure ask the store you are buying from.
Lens Cover
At high speeds a stone flying at your new helmet cam is the last thing you
want! Make sure that the camera you buy either has a transparent lens cover
fitted or comes with a protective cover that can stay on while recording.
Bullet Cam
Called bullet cameras for obvious reasons, these will plug into most video
recorders and fit easily to the side of a motorcycle helmet. They can also be
attached to a motorcycle so are useful if you want to record different angles.
If you choose a bullet cam be careful as there are a lot that are made for
static CCTV and won't be suited to motorcycles. Sony CCD motorcycle helmet cameras are generally pretty good.
Bullet Cameras need a power source, this is normally a battery pack that holds
AA batteries (you'll need quite a few, probably 8 or more batteries at a time).
Get a rechargable battery pack like the ones used in remote control cars to
save some cash on batteries.
Recording Quality
Each camera will be capable of recording a certain amount of lines, the higher
the number of lines the better the quality. To get something that is good for
watching on Youtube go for 500TVL or more, anything under will look slightly
grainy.
Resolution
Digital Video Cameras record at varying resolutions. The higher the
resolution the better the recording quality. The highest quality cameras
will be able to record in HD. My Toshiba Camileo S10 shoots 1,440 x 1,080
resolution which is nearly full HD, but not quite!
See the latest Helmet Cameras from Amazon.
Motorcycle Helmet Camera Lens Angles
Cameras are available with various lens types, both narrow and wide angle. A
3.6mm lens will record the road in front of you and some of your bike while a
6mm lens gives a narrower angle so won't record as much of your bike.
For around £100 (roughly $150) you can buy a bullet camera and microphone. Don't
forget to make sure that your camera is waterproof!
Recording your footage
A simple Mini DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is all you'll need to save your
footage. These are essentially a multimedia player that allows an external
camera to be plugged into it. Most have SD card slots or internal memory.
Ideally get one with an SD card slot as you can then take spare SD cards on a
trip and never run out of space to record.
Ease of use
If you buy a motorcycle helmet camera pack you might find that it becomes a
bit of a hassle to setup. If you just want a simple all in one video camera
then the GoPro Hero is ideal (read more about the GoPro below). If you need
ultra high quality recordings with long running time and high quality sound
then a bullet camera pack is for you.
I personally like to be able to stick the camera on my bike/helmet, press
record and go! This doesn't always give the best results though, it depends
what you want from a helmet cam.
My Motorcycle Camera
After testing various systems
I use a Toshiba Camileo S10 which I attach to my panniers, it's really simple to
use and records in HD. The sound quality is OK but wouldn't win any awards!
The Toshiba Camileo S10 is an all in one unit that records to SD card. Each card (4GB) gets
me about 1 hour of HD footage.
Visit this link for a short video of a trip I took around Luxembourg, I strapped the camera
to the bike, started riding and then when finished I uploaded it straight to Youtube, the footage hasn't been touched by any video editing software, apart
from Youtube processing it.
Recommended Motorcycle Helmet Cameras
Helmet Cameras @ GoPro.com
I haven't been able to test this motorcycle helmet camera personally yet, when I get my
hands on it I will post a review. It's a very popular choice for sports
enthusiasts and is the 2nd generation model.
Reading the spec it seems perfect for trackdays and other times when you just want to record an hour of footage at
a time. If you want to record for longer this isn't the best option (unless
you can afford the time to stop and download the footage onto a laptop once
every hour!).
No other accessories need to be bought to use this camera, just stick it on
(using the provided adhesive pads) and press record.
VHoldR HD Motorcycle Helmet Camera
VHoldR - available in 1080p and 720p versions, this is another helmet camera that
gives top quality results.
The VHoldR has it's own storage just like the
GoPro Hero. It records onto a 2GB memory card which can be removed and
replaced. Take a few SD cards on your motorcycle tour and record all of your
footage hassle free.
All in one HD Video Camera
I use the Toshiba Camileo S10 HD Video Camera.
This HD digital video camera records to SD memory card. It's a normal family
video camera and it's small enough to carry around (smaller than most still
picture digital cameras) so for long motorcycle tours where luggage space is
tight this is perfect.
This HD video camera came with a flexible tripod so I found it is really
useful for attaching to my bike with cable ties.
I've got the standard S10 HD in black, but Toshiba also do a Ducati version,
although I haven't managed to find anywhere that sells the Ducati S10,
perhaps it will be available soon. The standard Camileo S10 can be bought
for under £100 ($150).
BikeCam
Video Camera Mount
Already got a video camera? Look at this handy tank accessory for a standard home video camera that screws into the
motorcycle gas tank fittings.
A good choice if you already have a video camera
and want to record some of your ride outs without having to buy loads of new
gear.
I've seen riders put a video camera in a tank bag and cut a hole for the lens! Quite a cool idea for a shoe
string budget, the only problem is the sound will be muffled. If the video
camera you're using has an external microphone jack then you could plug in a
microphone and mount it on the bike - there's so many different options for
recording your travels!
The Games Console Motorcycle Camera
Sony PSP
Camera Package
When I was looking for a camera to take on a trip around
Europe I borrowed by brother's PSP and bought a Go!Cam which connects to the
PSP. I then recorded footage directly onto the PSP SD card.
If you already own a
PSP this is worth looking into as the Go!Cam can be picked up quite cheaply. A
PSP Sat Nav Cradle can be attached to the bike very easily, giving you a DIY
motorcycle camera for very little money!
The Go!Cam works fine in
daylight but isn't to as good in very low light conditions, which is why I don't
use it as a Motorcycle Cam for touring anymore.
What do you use to record your travels?
Send me your Motorcycle Helmet Camera / Motorcycle Camera setup and have it featured on this page! If you have uploaded videos to Youtube that you made with your gear please add the link to that as well.
Other Visitors Have Said
View other visitor camera setups...
Two cam's plus.
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Having played with a compact camera (Canon A90) in video mode on a ball and socket mount attached to the bikes dash (K1100LT) or Land-Rover's dash, I decided ...
