Off C'Dale topic question!....AND ISSUE ON FORUM!

[promod]

OK, I posted this question about a week or so ago and it was on the forum as i seen it as posted, but somehow it got deleted...but don't know when as i thought surely someone would reply but never did...so done some research on forum today and found it gone, I have also noticed some other stuff that i have posted like questions, answers, attachments etc...has been deleted and even in my PM's so i don't know if someone else is doing this or not or just a glitch in the system! , But i do have a good hunch of who from a PM i sent to someone with tracking and the tracking part was deleted!...so looking for some explanations here from the admins/mods on this situation!

But anyway i am in the market for a helmet mounted video camera that wont break my bank, but is reliable, has good customer service and reputation, small and compact, can be quick detached to go from my many off-road to street helmets, I don't care anything about watching or editing the videos on the go as just want to be able to download them when i get home to my computer and then do that stuff!, I have done a little research on the GoPro and so many others on the market today that they all kind of confuse me which isn't hard to do in my getting old age, So looking for some advice from members on here on what they have and use and the positives and negatives about them as advice from a end user means more to me than what the companies tell you just to convince you to buy there's!

Any help from any members on this would greatly be appreciated!

Thanx & Ciao!

[Blasterboy11]

Realistically, theres very few cameras that are better than go-pro in terms in of support and quality. Theres a few that have better quality, but as far as support, parts, accessories and overall infrastructure, you cant beat go-pro. If your out somewhere and run by Walmart, chances are they'll have the battery or clip that you left at home, almost no one carries Sony cams or Contours which are the closest to Go-Pro. When it comes to these, you usually get what you pay for, if you want to save a few bucks id recommend buying a used GoPro Hero 4 black or hero 4 Plus, sometimes you can get lucky on a deal with a bunch of accessories too.

I have 4 cameras, I use them all the time even for nice wide angle photos. The App for the phone is really sluggish and their computer software isn't any better, but the quality is light years better than older models, stay away from older models haha.

[promod]

QUOTE (Blasterboy11 @ May 6 2015, 12:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Realistically, theres very few cameras that are better than go-pro in terms in of support and quality. Theres a few that have better quality, but as far as support, parts, accessories and overall infrastructure, you cant beat go-pro. If your out somewhere and run by Walmart, chances are they'll have the battery or clip that you left at home, almost no one carries Sony cams or Contours which are the closest to Go-Pro. When it comes to these, you usually get what you pay for, if you want to save a few bucks id recommend buying a used GoPro Hero 4 black or hero 4 Plus, sometimes you can get lucky on a deal with a bunch of accessories too.

I have 4 cameras, I use them all the time even for nice wide angle photos. The App for the phone is really sluggish and their computer software isn't any better, but the quality is light years better than older models, stay away from older models haha.

Thanx Blasterboy11 for the reply and your useful information on the GoPro's! Kinda thought that was the way to go but just wanted to get some feedback from helmet cam users! And i know you pay for what you get in this world, and getting support, parts etc makes a big diff on biting the bullet to pay more!

Ciao my friend!

And if anyone else has any useful input on this please chime in before i make a decision and mortgage my house!

[Nate992v]

Go Pro is the way to go. So many mounting options available, you can afford to switch from position to position on multiple vehicles without breaking the bank.

[coreyg589]

You gotta get the gopro theirs a reason all pro athlete and mx racers run them absolute best quality for a reasonable price and their easy to use. I prefer using the side helmet mount that has a 90 degree elbow i feel like the top center of the helmet mount makes everything look smaller and makes you look like your going slower just my opinion. heres a video using my gopro. Make sure you adjust the quality of the video to 720p hd for best quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVnk6EyakCc

[who_gives_a6]

Personally I'd say that your best bet would be a used silver or black edition 3+. The 3+ was a huge stepup from the older models and even the base model Hero 3. The 4 has some extra perks to it but if you just want to view videos or basic editimg the 3+ will more than suffice. I don't plan on upgrading from my 3+ black anytime soon and they can be had in the $150-250 range on Craigslist depending what they come with. The 4's are still in the $300+ used and like $400+ new range.

[coreyg589]

My walmart had the gopro hero 3 for $200 brand new cant remember if it was white or black version though and i got it about a year ago and they have the original their brand new for like 130

[jesshamner]

Go Pro is second to none in a lot of aspects, but the downsides that come to mind are:

Form factor. It's not streamlined and horrible for a helmet mount. Your options are top, side, chin, and under the visor. Under the visor effects vision, side and top get snagged on limbs all the time. When I ride my DRZ on the road, I can actually feel the wind resistance when it's mounted on the side. The chin mount is a relatively new option due to a new company call pro shot. http://www.proshotcam.com/

Battery life. The Go Pro has a very short battery life in my mind. Because the go pro camera itself is not water proof, it requires a case if you need that feature. I can't bring myself to taking the chance of getting my $400 camera wet. In order to change the battery, you have to remove the camera from the waterproof case. Then you have to swap batteries. Try doing this with riding gloves on. It's very difficult. The batteries are like $30 unless you buy Wasabi batteries which is what I have been doing lately. Now I need another waterproof case to carry spare batteries. I use a freezer bag.

I have scoured the internet for hacks to attach other batteries. They are out there, none of them are perfect. I guess it's sort of a niche that needs to be filled for off roaders that will get wet or rained on from time to time. I guess Go Pro assumes that you're not going to be surfing or diving for hours at a time so you don't need the battery life. I really wish someone would develop a lightweight water resistant case that has a water resistant cable connection that I can attach to a USB backup battery that goes into my hydration pack, just so I can record on all day rides without switching batteries twice.

[promod]

Thanx guys for all the useful information!, Everyone else i have spoke to in the Powersport's industry say the same thing!....GoPro!....So its going to be a GoGo on the GoPro!

Don't know how while looking for Helmet Cams got on sites for remote control Helicopters (Well to be honest went there on purpose as been wanting one for a long time!) and got one coming! .....like i need another hobby!

[Rally2]

I've been using GoPro for 4 years now, there are other options like Contour that have a sleeker form factor and from what I hear work nearly as well. That said the GoPro is a failsafe option and the comments from other members above are pretty well bang on. My recommendations would be:

- get a spare battery or 2
- get a spare 32Gb card or 2 because they chew through storage especially in HD
- some spare mounting bases are handy to have multiple mount positions plus they can break
- consider tethering the camera in case it gets whacked and you don't notice it's gone
- do some test clips before heading out on a ride to figure out the correct vertical angle (on my helmet the camera has to be tilted back considerably from vertical to get a proper view of the horizon)
- during rides make it a habit to turn it on/off regularly, definitely every stop and even during boring parts while riding. Otherwise you end up with superlong clips that are harder to edit and find the interesting parts
- for audio quality I find the fully enclosed case muffles the sound too much but the case with 2 open slots on the back lets in too much wind noise. I ended up taping over 1 of the 2 slots for the best audio quality
- while riding make sure you monitor your buddies so you capture that moment they do something stupid

Have fun, it's a lot of fun recording the riding adventures and going through the vids after!