Keithf
20th June 2009, 18:46
There are two main kinds of helmet cam on the market. There are wireless systems that combine a power pack/recorder and camera into a single unit that is then mounted to a helmet or frame. These units are generally cheaper than the 'integrated' units like the POV. I have been using the camera for a while now and am now an official re-seller for the Australasian agent.
The V.I.O. POV 1.5 is an integrated unit. Integrated units typically have a camera connected to a recording device. The recording device might be a camcorder or in the case of the POV 1.5 a recorder that is shockproof, dustproof and waterproof. Better still for the POV 1.5 there is only one power source for the recorder and camera-4 AA rechargeable batteries power this unit.
The POV records to SD cards. The unit is capable of taking an 8 gig card. The units are shipped with a 4gig card. I generally use the highest quality settings and get almost 3 hours storage on a 4gig card. I haven't got anywhere close to running out of battery life yet.
The unit comes with a set of mounts and I have splashed out and bought a nukeproof mount that the 110 degree wide angle camera fits snugly. There are a wide range of other mounts that can be used to attach the camera to roll cages, handlebars, goggles and just about anything you can think of. The flash dual lock velcro stuff used for some mounting systems is incredible.
The external microphone is situated on the cable that connects the camera head to the recorder. It is quite sensitive. The great advantage of this is that it can be tucked out of the way somewhere and still capture the sound of your bike at full noise but avoid too much wind noise.
The image resolution on the POV is fantastic-much better than any of the wireless cameras that are available for sale in this country. At the best quality settings POV records at 720 x 480 resolution and I was just blown away with the quality of the image when I plugged the unit into the tv to watch the first lot of video I shot. Then I realised that the camera hadn't even been set on the highest quality setting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hioFMab3Eo
There are some real advantages of a unit like the POV camera have over the much cheaper wireless units and the POV doesn't come cheap-it is priced at the top end of the market.
Image, sound quality, and data capture aside, the fact the unit runs on AA rechargeable batteries is a big plus all of it's own as anyone that has had trouble with batteries losing memory or not liking the cold would attest to.
The POV is also very robust and the great thing about these units is that you can protect the camera head so while not indestructible it is going to have a much longer life than a wireless unit perched on a helmet that is continuously getting knocked
This helmet cam is priced at the top end of the market for this kind of device and I believe that it is worth every cent that I paid for it. The only drawback with the unit is that the standard mounts leave a little to be desired for anyone riding a dirtbike so I would strongly recommend the nukeproof mount.
For any further information and a price visit www.dirtvideo.co.nz or email me at dirtv@xtra.co.nz
Sample video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Hv04IQes8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QG1WGfLd2c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QG1WGfLd2c)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ITlWIY5eZY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ITlWIY5eZY)
The V.I.O. POV 1.5 is an integrated unit. Integrated units typically have a camera connected to a recording device. The recording device might be a camcorder or in the case of the POV 1.5 a recorder that is shockproof, dustproof and waterproof. Better still for the POV 1.5 there is only one power source for the recorder and camera-4 AA rechargeable batteries power this unit.
The POV records to SD cards. The unit is capable of taking an 8 gig card. The units are shipped with a 4gig card. I generally use the highest quality settings and get almost 3 hours storage on a 4gig card. I haven't got anywhere close to running out of battery life yet.
The unit comes with a set of mounts and I have splashed out and bought a nukeproof mount that the 110 degree wide angle camera fits snugly. There are a wide range of other mounts that can be used to attach the camera to roll cages, handlebars, goggles and just about anything you can think of. The flash dual lock velcro stuff used for some mounting systems is incredible.
The external microphone is situated on the cable that connects the camera head to the recorder. It is quite sensitive. The great advantage of this is that it can be tucked out of the way somewhere and still capture the sound of your bike at full noise but avoid too much wind noise.
The image resolution on the POV is fantastic-much better than any of the wireless cameras that are available for sale in this country. At the best quality settings POV records at 720 x 480 resolution and I was just blown away with the quality of the image when I plugged the unit into the tv to watch the first lot of video I shot. Then I realised that the camera hadn't even been set on the highest quality setting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hioFMab3Eo
There are some real advantages of a unit like the POV camera have over the much cheaper wireless units and the POV doesn't come cheap-it is priced at the top end of the market.
Image, sound quality, and data capture aside, the fact the unit runs on AA rechargeable batteries is a big plus all of it's own as anyone that has had trouble with batteries losing memory or not liking the cold would attest to.
The POV is also very robust and the great thing about these units is that you can protect the camera head so while not indestructible it is going to have a much longer life than a wireless unit perched on a helmet that is continuously getting knocked
This helmet cam is priced at the top end of the market for this kind of device and I believe that it is worth every cent that I paid for it. The only drawback with the unit is that the standard mounts leave a little to be desired for anyone riding a dirtbike so I would strongly recommend the nukeproof mount.
For any further information and a price visit www.dirtvideo.co.nz or email me at dirtv@xtra.co.nz
Sample video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Hv04IQes8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QG1WGfLd2c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QG1WGfLd2c)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ITlWIY5eZY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ITlWIY5eZY)