A good helmet camera?

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BSRU

A Human Being
Location
Swindon
I bought the Posidon after watching BSRU's 'test footage' on YouTube.

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXwgsHbqLzQ[/media]


I'll get some stuff uploaded to 'YouTube' when I've done some so you can see...


Other advantages I have found with the Poseidon are,
you get 2 hours and 43 minutes recording from an 8GB card,
the battery lasts just as long,
the battery is cheap to replace as it is a standard np-120 battery.
 

cloggsy

Boardmanist
Location
North Yorkshire
Other advantages I have found with the Poseidon are,
you get 2 hours and 43 minutes recording from an 8GB card,
the battery lasts just as long,
the battery is cheap to replace as it is a standard np-120 battery.

I put a 32Gb Class 10 card in mine and recording doesn't even touch the sides, so I can get a load of commutes on mine before I have to get rid of any :becool:

There is only a 1 second delay between the sectional recording too :becool: :becool:
 

BSRU

A Human Being
Location
Swindon
I put a 32Gb Class 10 card in mine and recording doesn't even touch the sides, so I can get a load of commutes on mine before I have to get rid of any :becool:

There is only a 1 second delay between the sectional recording too :becool: :becool:

32Gb would be just enough for a whole week of commuting for me.
 

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
Maybe its the shaking or Flash being rubbish, but I'm not convinced of the frame rate on that vid. Be good to see some footage attached to a helmet to dampen some of the shuddering. Although it's good to see that despite the shaking you don't get that wobbly jelly cmos effect you get on the really cheap cams.
 

BSRU

A Human Being
Location
Swindon
Maybe its the shaking or Flash being rubbish, but I'm not convinced of the frame rate on that vid. Be good to see some footage attached to a helmet to dampen some of the shuddering. Although it's good to see that despite the shaking you don't get that wobbly jelly cmos effect you get on the really cheap cams.

The memory card is a good quality Samsung class 6, previously used in my ContourHD's. The camera frame rate is 30fps, I checked it with "mediainfo". Being attached to the helmet would make a big difference to the vibration but I already have a Contour on my helmet.
 

Jezston

Über Member
Location
London
The memory card is a good quality Samsung class 6, previously used in my ContourHD's. The camera frame rate is 30fps, I checked it with "mediainfo". Being attached to the helmet would make a big difference to the vibration but I already have a Contour on my helmet.

Mind trying it with the poseidon attached to your helmet on your way home tonight please please please please?
wub.gif


Regarding the frame rate - I wonder if there's some form of video analysis to measure what *true* frame rate is - I recall the furore on some phone that got released that said it could record 30fps at 720p - then it emerged it was actually recording at around 20-odd (varying depending on complexity of the action) and 'upscaling' (?) it to 30.

Sorry for all the doubting ... if I had the money I'd just go out and get a Contour+, but for almost 10% of the price the Poseidon deserves serious consideration!
 

BSRU

A Human Being
Location
Swindon
Mind trying it with the poseidon attached to your helmet on your way home tonight please please please please?
wub.gif


Regarding the frame rate - I wonder if there's some form of video analysis to measure what *true* frame rate is - I recall the furore on some phone that got released that said it could record 30fps at 720p - then it emerged it was actually recording at around 20-odd (varying depending on complexity of the action) and 'upscaling' (?) it to 30.

Sorry for all the doubting ... if I had the money I'd just go out and get a Contour+, but for almost 10% of the price the Poseidon deserves serious consideration!

Changing mounts on my helmet is a real pain in the arse, as my Contour mount is cable tied with 4 heavy duty cable ties. I will try and make the Posiedon mount a bit more steady.

I use mediainfo as it give good information about video frame rates and data rates. I used it to find my original camera, a Muvi, had a frame rate of just 20fps instead of the stated 30fps.

I don't have the money but I'm waiting for my Contour+ to arrive, should have had it last week but the retailer sent me a Contour GPS by mistake.
 

Rezillo

TwoSheds
Location
Suffolk
I've just received a Contour+ It's far too early to post a full review but initial observations from some car trips are very favourable.

Compared to the GPS (latest firmware) version, the field of view is increased without compromising fisheye too much, 720p is significantly better both in overall sharpness and edge to edge definition (quite an achievement in itself, given the fov increase), 1080p improved but not as much as the improvement for 720p in terms of overall quality increase.

It also seems to handle changing lighting conditions well. I haven't tried night time use yet, but it has been fine in mid/late evening use without changing the settings from those I was using in bright sunlight.

There's a free android app that gives a viewfinder option and camera settings adjustment via bluetooth connection to a phone. This worked first time with my HTC Desire.

Other changes - there's an hdmi connection for direct video streaming, a jack for a separate microphone, white level control, better battery retention, separate gain control of internal and external mikes and there are cover flaps for direct use of usb and hdmi connectors without opening the back door.

Does it justify the price hike over the GPS version? That's another matter - in many respects the + seems like the GPS version with the bugs and annoyances ironed out but there are enough new features to justify an increase. The lens quality is a big step above its predecessor.

I wait to see how reliable it is - my experiences with the GPS version were not good until the latest firmware release but I haven't seen too many online grumbles so far.

John
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
Can you still use 960p mode on the contour+?
 

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
What I would like is a way of mounting the Contour on my head, for the occasions where I decide not to wear my helmet.
It just seems to heavy for that, but there has to be a way.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
You could take the elastic strap of a ski mask and modify it to wrap around your head and then use the google mount on that.
 

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
You could take the elastic strap of a ski mask and modify it to wrap around your head and then use the google mount on that.

I think that might make me look like a dick (I mean more than I already do)
I have been thinking of getting one with a camera head small enough to mount on the arm of my sunglasses, but that means an external recording unit - there just isn't a bullet style cam that is small and light enough, but still of decent quality - not that I can find anyway.
 

Rezillo

TwoSheds
Location
Suffolk
Can you still use 960p mode on the contour+?

I'll have to check later but I believe that the resolution and frame rate options are the same as the GPS version. This probably means that 1080p rolling shutter effects while using a handlebar mount are the same as well (max 30fps) but I'll check that later.

There doesn't seem to be a major drop in quality going from 30fps 720p to 60fps 720p, though. I tried last night switching between the two using a 50" Kuro screen and after initially thinking there was a clear difference, ended up so uncertain that I concluded it was minimal. 60fps on the GPS eliminated rolling shutter effects (faster sensor scanning) so it should be ok for the +.

John
 

cloggsy

Boardmanist
Location
North Yorkshire
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