What's the best helmet cam?

[dmc]

The Contour HD has a slightly narrower angle of view so doesn't look as fish eyed as some of the others but still wide enough to give a good field of view, I shoot at 720p 60fps which is great for fast action. Mounting isn't as good as others but once you get the hang of lining it up with the mounting options I reckon it gives better results than the others just because its not as distorted by being so wide.
All suck for footage size as HD in 720 or 1080 is huge and will hammer most computers and it can be interesting to compress it for youtube or vimeo without losing quality or dropping frames but with a bit of trial and error you can get some really impressive results.

[zeocen]

POV for quality?
LOL.

I'm sorry but the ContourHD and GoPro HD kick the POV 1.5 and POV HD to hell and back in terms of quality.

A word of warning to POV users, once you've connected the cable to the unit, never take it off. The connector pins are about as flimsy as Paris Hilton's panties and snap off at the slightest error - this would be fine if VIO sold that particular part, which is removable, for a few bucks but instead they insist you buy a whole new unit and won't take refunds. This is after they ream you with a premium price for a second grade camera, and making you PAY for a firmware upgrade to adjust their god-awful exposure levels.

The *only* thing the POV has over the other cameras is the loop/black box feature and the inbuilt mic (which is sub-par and on the new POV HD, has more problems than the original with sound levels and popping) that you can stuff inside your helmet to give ride-by-ride commentary.

If you don't mind having a cube petrubing from your helmet then the GoPro HD is miles ahead - failing that the ContourHD, while not as crisp as the GoPro, still has far superior HD footage than the VIO 1.5/HD.

Disclaimer: I've owned a VIO camera for over a year with hundreds of hours of footage - I know a fair few UK guys who have them too, most have switched to GoPro due to how flimsy the pins are on the VIO (a good friend is onto his third 1.5 and second HD).

[NotHisRealName]

All interesting points. The thing I don't like about the GoPro (I do have one) is that there's no easy way to see if it's recording - especially if it's attached to my helmet. I generally ride solo, so I can't get someone to have a look for the red light.

TBH, I saw a comparison of the three cameras, GoPro, Contour, and Drift on Youtube and the Drift seemed to give the better results. Coupled with the remote and waterproof boot for when using an external mic, it's the way I'd go of those three.

But, let's face it, of the three self-contained cameras, they all offer fairly similar specs and features. They're all in HD, and relatively similar in size.
I'd argue that any one being better than the rest is simply a personal preference and confidence in their own purchase.

I've not had any issues with the pins on the leads for the POV, myself, and my Boss had it for a few years before me. The key is patience and being gentle rather than quickly trying to jam the lead in place.

[steve_t]

All interesting points. The thing I don't like about the GoPro (I do have one) is that there's no easy way to see if it's recording - especially if it's attached to my helmet. I generally ride solo, so I can't get someone to have a look for the red light.

I just use the bike mirror. Do any of the others have an easy way to see if they're recording?

[BoristheBiter]

I just use the bike mirror. Do any of the others have an easy way to see if they're recording?

The drift beeps when it starts recording and the green light turns red, if not the removal/fitting is a one hand operation so there is no big deal.
The contour would have to be the best as it just slides forward to start.

NotHisRealName your are right when you say they are pretty much the same.
My mate has the contour and from comparing (raw footage) the two i would say the contour has a sharper image, the drift is brighter and more clear, the contour has a waterproof case, the drift has a sealed lens the drift has better mounts and the contour has a safety strap, the drift will also hold a bigger card and has slightly better image stabilization.

[Waihou Thumper]

A word of warning to POV users, once you've connected the cable to the unit, never take it off. The connector pins are about as flimsy as Paris Hilton's panties and snap off at the slightest error

The 1.5 and the HD are hard wired - no issue there and besides which, it is grooved for your convenience to match the pins up.

Disclaimer: I've owned a VIO camera for over a year with hundreds of hours of footage - I know a fair few UK guys who have them too, most have switched to GoPro due to how flimsy the pins are on the VIO (a good friend is onto his third 1.5 and second HD).

See above, the 1.5 and HD are hard wired to the unit. I can agree with the quality of the Hero, yes....But is does stand out a bit on the noggin' The cable attached to the camera and unit fits snugly down the back of my jacket, I pop the unit into the pouch and away I go. I have bought the 12V back unit for it, it will then be hard wired to my bike. There is also the option of plugging it into the cig lighter as well. Overall, I think it is a well thought out piece of kit, but like anything, each to their own and limitations/quality will decide.. Happy filming all...