What setup do you have?

[BentMikey]

A topic to post details/specs and pref. pictures of your camera setup!

I have an Oregon Scientific ATC-2000 helmet camera, but mounted to the handlebars of my bikes. I managed to order a second handlebar mounting, so I just swap the camera between my fixed and recumbent as needed. (From [FONT=&quot]Bunker bound on 08701 624952)[/FONT]

 

[magnatom]

Good idea Mike, possibly worth putting up as a sticky?

I have an Archos 404 hard disk recorder (http://tinyurl.com/m8bld) with the matching Archos helmet camera (http://tinyurl.com/23a52j).

This was an upgrade from my ATC-2000. Nice piece of kit with an improvement in the video quality whilst also being better at videoing at night (I will post a video of this when I get a chance). The field of view is also better than the ATCs. It is also nice that I can review the videos instantly without having to download them to the PC. This saves a lot of time and effort. It also has a time stamp which is great if it will ever be needed as evidence.

There are of course some issues. It is recording to a hard drive and occasionally the data gets corrupted as it writes, although so far when I have tried, I have managed to repair the files. The battery is not the best and can't be removed from the case (It can on the more expensive 604, I'm not sure about the 504). My commute is 20 minutes and the battery can just about record 3 journeys (60 minutes).

I am however very pleased with it, although I believe that Archos are no longer selling the 404 and are now marketing the 405 which works with SD cards and not a hard disk. This might be better suited to recording commutes as it may be more robust. Who is going to be the first person to try it?

 

[andygates]

A Casio Exlim fag-packet camera in video mode and some zipties doesn't really count, does it?

 

[magnatom]

A Casio Exlim fag-packet camera in video mode and some zipties doesn't really count, does it?

Of course it does Andy!! My first video was made using a nokia mobile phone taped to my bag strap.

There are no camera snobs here

 

[Arch]

A Casio Exlim fag-packet camera in video mode and some zipties doesn't really count, does it?

Of course it does, I started that way too!

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I have Magnatom's old ATC2K camera, normally mounted on my handlebars.

My first attempt was using an old cameraphone mounted to my bars, but it didn't work very well.

 

[Amanda P]

Of course it does, I started that way too!

In that case, I've got a fag-packet camera too, used in video mode (got it from Aldi I think), mounted on a bottle cage (at the front end of a recumbent) using a gadget designed for clamping telescopes to the windows of cars.



Video's not as sharp as the Oregon cameras, but since I didn't buy it specifically for use as a "helmet" camera, and the mount is an item of work kit, arguably it cost nothing.

 

[Arch]

In that case, I've got a fag-packet camera too, used in video mode (got it from Aldi I think), mounted on a bottle cage (at the front end of a recumbent) using a gadget designed for clamping telescopes to the windows of cars.

I was going to say, that's a cool gadget, might get one of them...

Then I saw the price...

 

[BentMikey]

Here's one that looks interesting!!! Not released yet...

http://www.vholdr.com/

 

[Amanda P]

I was going to say, that's a cool gadget, might get one of them...

Then I saw the price...

Yeah... worth it for a £1000 telescope, maybe a little OTT for a £200 camera, let alone a £50 one. But if you have it lying around anyway...

 

[PrettyboyTim]

Here's one that looks interesting!!! Not released yet...

http://www.vholdr.com/

It's interesting, but I do wonder what on earth the 'twin laser alignment' thing is. From the website:

"Framing is accomplished utilizing twin lasers that reference what the camera sees, insuring VholdR captures what you intend."

Huh?

 

[Amanda P]

It sounds like you see dots projected immediately to the left and right of the video frame. So if I pointed the camera so that I saw a red dot on each of your ears, your face should fill the frame.

Or something like that.

 

[magnatom]

Here's one that looks interesting!!! Not released yet...

http://www.vholdr.com/

It certainly looks the bees knees. I somehow think this will cost a little over £100!!

As Tim says the lasers are a bit strange. I think you would need to make sure they were off when you were cycling. You could probably get into trouble shinning laser lights into drivers eyes.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

What they really need are *3* lasers, and for the camera to have a servo-controlled shoulder mount, just like The Predator.

Don't think the camo-suit would be very clever when cycling though...

 

[Elmer Fudd]

If your camera has a tripod mounting, the thread will be 1/4" BSW ***(British Standard Whitworth) and will take roughly 1/2" of thread.
If you have a spare quick release head light bracket and the ability to drill a 1/4" clearance hole (hand held, that is 1/4" !!).......
I think you can see where I'm coming from !
In fact I'm gonna give it a go !!
Experimenting with my Canon Eos camera which is far too heavy to be a practical reality ( plus it's a still camera ) but it may prove / disprove the theory.

*** 3/8" BSW if medium format but that would probably weigh more than most of your bikes !