Best Helmet Cam: GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera

Posted by fernando on September 1, 2011  |  3 Comments

Best Helmet Cam: GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera

Are you into extreme sports? Or perhaps you need a helmet camera to document what you do? This installment called best helmet cam is largely due to the personal need I had to have a way to video a process for a local customer that need to see exactly how I went about creating a favorite recipe. Helmet cameras are a great way to do this and the best helmet cam that I could find was the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera.

The best helmet cam field is very competitive and you will find quite a few helmet cameras on the market that will be adequate for most applications. However, I knew that once I got that cam home, I would quickly find other uses for it. Best helmet cam is a post created for the sole purpose to review this great helmet camera and its many uses and advantages. Down below or on a related link you will find a video that showcases its features.

Best Helmet Cam: Why the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera

Here are a few things that I loved about this helmet camera.

Full HD Video, 3 Flavors – The HD Helmet HERO offers three different HD resolutions, giving you three filming modes to capture the best angles for any given activity: 1080p (127º angle @ 30 fps, 16:9 aspect ratio), 960p (170º angle @ 30 fps, 4:3 aspect ratio), and 720p (170º angle @ 30 OR 60 fps, 16:9 aspect ratio).

5MP Photos, Automatically – Shoot hands-free, 5 megapixel photos automatically at 2 / 5 / 10 / 30 / and 60 second intervals until the batteries die or the SD card is full (2.5 hours). Or set it to single shot, triple shot, or self timer for more traditional photo taking.

Another best helmet cam feature: Audio Excellence – We’ve invested more in the HD HERO camera’s sound system than most companies spend on their entire camera development. You’ll only be hearing the sounds of your sport, not the howl of the wind. How? Obsessive audio engineering and an understanding that good sound is as important as good video.

Shockproof & Waterproof to 180′ (60m) – Proven in heavy surf from Hawaii to Tahiti, Southern Mexico to Northern California, HD HERO cameras can handle it thanks their highly engineered polycarbonate exoskeletal housing. Ready for action ranging from scuba diving to dirt track racing, and tough enough to take a spin across the asphalt, GoPros are built to take a beating & keep filming. Replacement lens kits & housings are available, so there’s little worry while going for glory – even while diving with sharks.

Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery, Built-in Warmer – The best helmet cam rechargeable 1100mAh lithium-ion battery (included) lasts for 2.5 hours of constant recording. It can be recharged to 80% capacity in just 2 hours when plugged into a computer’s USB port, or in 1 hour when plugged into a USB compatible wall or car charger. Camera can also be used while charging, and features an integrated battery heating system for keeping your battery warm in winter activities.

Shoot 8+ hrs of HD Video with 32GB SD Card – Media saved to SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC). Average recording times using a 32GB card: 1080p @ 30fps = 4h 21m, 960p @ 30fps = 5h 26m, 720p @ 60fps = 4h 21m, 720p @ 30fps = 8h 09m, WVGA @ 60fps = 8h 09m.

Best Helmet Cam: How to use the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera

I have used this helmet camera a couple of times since buying it last Christmas. I have used both the strap mount for my vented bicycle helmet as well as the permanent stick on mount for my dual sport motorcycle helmet. In both cases, the mounts work as well as the camera. I still have the previous generation GoPro HERO in standard definition, but not in the wide field of view lens configuration like the current HD version. I like the wide field of view of this HD model. It is great at giving a very good view of both the trail as will as your handlebar movements while riding both my mountain bike or motorcycle. The quality of the video is fantastic. The files do get large, but that is to be expected with the high resolution of this camera. I have been using a 16GB SDHC card and have filed up about half of it on one battery charge. I would recommend a high speed card reader to improve the download times from the card on this best helmet cam. A 12 min video was nearly a gigabyte. The battery last I think longer than the previous standard definition camera which ran on AAA batteries. I think that I will buy an additional battery someday for long rides with lots of action.

I am looking forward to the expansion port options being available, like the LCD screen to view the videos in the field. I am also thinking of investing in the chest strap mount so I can get different view over the handle bars as will as making it easier to see the small status display. Other than the small icons telling you which mode, this is a very nice camera that takes very high quality action videos. It is very small and light and easy to use when you have it in the right mode. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone wanting action videos of their bicycling, motorcycle, or skiing activities.

Best Helmet Cam: A few cons about the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera

Of course, all products have a few annoying glitches, it’s natural that the best helmet cam has a few worthy to mention. The quick release mounts have a bit of wiggle to them. The back of the waterproof case can be difficult to lock closed. The menu system is a bit troublesome to use as there are only two buttons and three LCD characters to use. Once set you’ll not have to go into the menu very often.

The suction mount is worthless–most are. The suction cup wouldn’t hold to any surface. I glued the suction mount’s base to a plate with a bolt extending out from the base which was then attached to a magnet which was then mounted to my truck’s roof. The magnet should not be near the camera. So all was not lost on the suction mount. I’d rather have the chest harness for motor sports than the suction cup. The helmet mounts work very well.

Filed Under: Best Helmet Cam

This Best Helmet Cam is available through several fine retailers including eBay and Amazon.