I found my new helmet cam

bwhip · 02-17-2007, 11:05 PM

...too bad it arrived a few hours after I left for trackdays last weekend!

Anyway, I finally got a chance to test it out today. After researching all of the manufacturers and models I could find, I finally decided to give this one a try:
Sportzshot PVS-6XPRO-1 Helmet Cam Package.

I have previously used both the Viosport Adventure Cam 3, and the Motorcycle Camera from Twenty20. The Viosport had very good video, tons of great accessories, but truly awful audio. I tried everything to improve the audio, without success. The Twenty20 was okay, but the video quality was really pretty poor, with weird colors and stuff. It also required power from the motorcycle battery, which could be a pain to access on some bikes.

The Sportzshot is very compact, has a good variety of lens options, and I can use most of my previous mounts with it. It also comes with a rechargeable battery, unlike the Viosport, which requires eight AA's (which have run out on me before while on the track, costing me some really good footage).

I also found a refurbished (cheap!) Sony camcorder, the Sony DCR-HC42. It's REALLY small, about the smallest Mini-DV recorder I've found. The great thing about the Sony is that it enables a LANC controller (which I could never use with my Canon). The LANC is basically a remote control button (via cable) that I can mount on my tank to easily turn the record function on and off while riding. This will save me a ton of wasted footage, as I've always had to turn "Record" on in the pits, go take my warm-up laps and so on, sometimes with lots of empty track in my footage to sift through during editing.

I took a little spin on the DR-Z today, up and down the street with each camera, to compare the video and audio quality. Although there was a wider angle lens on the new camera, the attached video shows that the new camera has significantly better audio quality, and the video quality to me looks better too, with brighter colors and good clarity. Keep in mind that to keep the file size reasonable, the video has been converted to MPEG format, which is MUCH lower quality than the original, which is DVD quality level.

I'm looking forward to the next time I get to the track, and can really put this setup to the test.

http://www.bwhip.com/images/CamComparo.mpg

ND4SPD · 02-17-2007, 11:11 PM

Video link doesn't seem to be working.

bda116 · 02-17-2007, 11:19 PM

The audio is FAR superior on that new one, and the video looked better to me as well.
Looks like the mic cord is pretty long, so you could position it just about anywhere on the bike.
Their website says they are looking for someone to offer rentals of their units. With them being just up the road, maybe I should stop in and see what they had in mind. I'd bet that at the right price there would be a grundle of guys wanting to get video for a day at the track. Both moto and auto.

bwhip · 02-17-2007, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

Video link doesn't seem to be working.

It's working now.

ND4SPD · 02-17-2007, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwhip

It's working now.

That second one is waaay better! Nice find! Keep that DVD quality turned up for the Grattan footage

bwhip · 02-17-2007, 11:40 PM

In both cases I had the microphone placed in my backpack, in the outer mesh portion. They weren't directly exposed to the wind that way, being shielded somewhat by both me and the backpack, but you wouldn't know that from the sound of the first clip!

I'll certainly experiment with different mic positions on the bikes, and also perhaps with some sort of windsock over the mic to keep the sound from being shrill.

evl_twn · 02-18-2007, 04:02 PM

That looks similar to the one I got last year from helmetcamera.com. I got the 560 line kit:

Product Listing - HelmetCamera_Kits

It came with a pretty small mic, and I had a LOT of wind noise when I first started using it. I had it mounted on my helmet, and the camcorder was in a backpack with the mic clipped on pretty high up. After watching the vids, I cut some foam and zip tied it around my mic and that greatly improved the sound. I now have a power lead mounted on the CBR, which I used at Grattan last year. I just routed that into the tankbag, and had more of the foam (wally world car wash sponges) surrounding the camcorder for shock resistance. A bit cheesy, but it works.

evl_twn · 02-18-2007, 04:26 PM

This one is a bit grainy (wmv) and the connections started getting flaky toward the end of the front straight, but here's one from last May following Kawboy around Putnam:

www.rc30.us/kawboy.wmv

(32mb)

CBRVFR · 02-18-2007, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bda116

I'd bet that at the right price there would be a grundle of guys wanting to get video for a day at the track. Both moto and auto.

If something failed to work correctly, they could get disgrundled in a minute.

evl_twn · 02-18-2007, 04:29 PM

Heh, here's a funny one from Deal's Gap last May. This is just a partial clip, I was riding the XR motard and a guy in a MINI was driving on the edge, I guess trying to keep me from passing.

www.rc30.us/OMG-MINI.wmv

(10mb)

This one was with the camera mounted on the helmet, and the mic covered up with foam.

bwhip · 02-18-2007, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evl_twn

Heh, here's a funny one from Deal's Gap last May. This is just a partial clip, I was riding the XR motard and a guy in a MINI was driving on the edge, I guess trying to keep me from passing.

www.rc30.us/OMG-MINI.wmv

(10mb)

This one was with the camera mounted on the helmet, and the mic covered up with foam.

Weird. It's like he was moving over to let you pass, and then suddenly decided to cut you off. Knucklehead.

SheepOfBlue · 02-18-2007, 05:14 PM

Be aware there are two versions of LANC on the model you have be sure to get the newer version (1.6 I think) It will allow you to start the camera in VCR mode directly with the button. The older version will allow you to start and stop recording but you cannot control power up/down with it.

bwhip · 02-18-2007, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheepOfBlue

Be aware there are two versions of LANC on the model you have be sure to get the newer version (1.6 I think) It will allow you to start the camera in VCR mode directly with the button. The older version will allow you to start and stop recording but you cannot control power up/down with it.

Thanks - yeah, that's what I got.

TraumaOne · 02-20-2007, 02:36 PM

what, no hi-def? 560 lines.. pshaw. You need 1080...

SheepOfBlue · 02-20-2007, 03:04 PM

The new Sony chip does a lot better on changes of brightness also.

bda116 · 02-21-2007, 11:44 AM

This one is intriguing.
Oregon Scientific | U.S. | Product | AT18 | ATC2K Waterproof ActionCamera#
Not HD for T1, but self contained writing to an SD card. Give it better resolution and this could be a winner.

ND4SPD · 02-21-2007, 11:48 AM

Looks like it's only expandable to 2GB though. That won't last too long...

bda116 · 02-21-2007, 12:02 PM

True, but one can always buy multiple SD cards or download it to the laptop after each session.
It's not perfect, but I like the idea.

TraumaOne · 02-21-2007, 12:15 PM

2gb at 640x480 is about an hour...

Hammer · 02-21-2007, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bda116

This one is intriguing.
Oregon Scientific | U.S. | Product | AT18 | ATC2K Waterproof ActionCamera#
Not HD for T1, but self contained writing to an SD card. Give it better resolution and this could be a winner.

I just got one about 2 weeks ago. I have only used it with the kids sledding down the park hill so no bike footage as of yet. Seems to be pretty good so far. I plan on DL the data about every 3 sessions or so into the laptop so that should not be an issue.

KF810 · 02-24-2007, 06:53 PM

How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets?
Also the camcorders, too?

bwhip · 02-24-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KF810

How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets?
Also the camcorders, too?

I use a variety of mounts, including ones found at the Viosport.com website and others. Some clamp onto parts of the bike like bodywork or the windscreen, others velcro attach to my helmet and so on.

The camcorder either goes in a small tank bag, or small Camelback backpack I have.

evl_twn · 02-24-2007, 09:35 PM

I'm with Whipper on this one. Helmet mount is velcro tape, and I usually use a backpack for the camcorder. When I've had it mounted on the bike, I stuck the camera under the "nose" of the fairing (you can see the fender in the video) and the camcorder in a tankbag. I used velcro tape, and also drilled some small holes and secured the camera with a couple of zip ties.

SheepOfBlue · 02-24-2007, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KF810

How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets?
Also the camcorders, too?

The industrial velcro on the side with the cam in the trunk. I run the cables under the seat so stuff is tucked away pretty good. I might move my LANC this year though. I have considered getting a second cam and point it backwards.

KF810 · 02-24-2007, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evl_twn

I'm with Whipper on this one. Helmet mount is velcro tape, and I usually use a backpack for the camcorder. When I've had it mounted on the bike, I stuck the camera under the "nose" of the fairing (you can see the fender in the video) and the camcorder in a tankbag. I used velcro tape, and also drilled some small holes and secured the camera with a couple of zip ties.

Aaahhh...yet another use for zip ties.

I'm surprised that the velcro holds it with the high speeds and all. The velcro tape doesn't do anything to the finish of the helmet?
The nose fairing shot would be cool.

02-17-2007, 11:05 PM	#1
bwhip Every ride a gift... Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Idaho, USA Bike(s): 1098S-SXV550-849-Ruckus Posts: 3,899	I found my new helmet cam ...too bad it arrived a few hours after I left for trackdays last weekend! Anyway, I finally got a chance to test it out today. After researching all of the manufacturers and models I could find, I finally decided to give this one a try: Sportzshot PVS-6XPRO-1 Helmet Cam Package. I have previously used both the Viosport Adventure Cam 3, and the Motorcycle Camera from Twenty20. The Viosport had very good video, tons of great accessories, but truly awful audio. I tried everything to improve the audio, without success. The Twenty20 was okay, but the video quality was really pretty poor, with weird colors and stuff. It also required power from the motorcycle battery, which could be a pain to access on some bikes. The Sportzshot is very compact, has a good variety of lens options, and I can use most of my previous mounts with it. It also comes with a rechargeable battery, unlike the Viosport, which requires eight AA's (which have run out on me before while on the track, costing me some really good footage). I also found a refurbished (cheap!) Sony camcorder, the Sony DCR-HC42. It's REALLY small, about the smallest Mini-DV recorder I've found. The great thing about the Sony is that it enables a LANC controller (which I could never use with my Canon). The LANC is basically a remote control button (via cable) that I can mount on my tank to easily turn the record function on and off while riding. This will save me a ton of wasted footage, as I've always had to turn "Record" on in the pits, go take my warm-up laps and so on, sometimes with lots of empty track in my footage to sift through during editing. I took a little spin on the DR-Z today, up and down the street with each camera, to compare the video and audio quality. Although there was a wider angle lens on the new camera, the attached video shows that the new camera has significantly better audio quality, and the video quality to me looks better too, with brighter colors and good clarity. Keep in mind that to keep the file size reasonable, the video has been converted to MPEG format, which is MUCH lower quality than the original, which is DVD quality level. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to the track, and can really put this setup to the test. http://www.bwhip.com/images/CamComparo.mpg __________________ My Gallery

02-17-2007, 11:11 PM	#2
ND4SPD I'm BATMAN!!! Join Date: 12-12-2006 Bike(s): Trek Posts: 8,052 Images: 25	Re: I found my new helmet cam Video link doesn't seem to be working. __________________ "This is your life - are you who you want to be?" Learn all you need to know about Mac OS X

02-17-2007, 11:19 PM	#3
bda116 Done. Join Date: 12-17-2006 Bike(s): . Posts: 2,113	Re: I found my new helmet cam The audio is FAR superior on that new one, and the video looked better to me as well. Looks like the mic cord is pretty long, so you could position it just about anywhere on the bike. Their website says they are looking for someone to offer rentals of their units. With them being just up the road, maybe I should stop in and see what they had in mind. I'd bet that at the right price there would be a grundle of guys wanting to get video for a day at the track. Both moto and auto. __________________ "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth." - Omar M. Ahmad, founding chairman of CAIR.

02-17-2007, 11:40 PM	#6
bwhip Every ride a gift... Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Idaho, USA Bike(s): 1098S-SXV550-849-Ruckus Posts: 3,899	Re: I found my new helmet cam In both cases I had the microphone placed in my backpack, in the outer mesh portion. They weren't directly exposed to the wind that way, being shielded somewhat by both me and the backpack, but you wouldn't know that from the sound of the first clip! I'll certainly experiment with different mic positions on the bikes, and also perhaps with some sort of windsock over the mic to keep the sound from being shrill. __________________ My Gallery

02-18-2007, 04:02 PM	#7
evl_twn CAN CRUSHER Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Central Illinois Age: 40 Bike(s): worm gear Posts: 1,646	Re: I found my new helmet cam That looks similar to the one I got last year from helmetcamera.com. I got the 560 line kit: Product Listing - HelmetCamera_Kits It came with a pretty small mic, and I had a LOT of wind noise when I first started using it. I had it mounted on my helmet, and the camcorder was in a backpack with the mic clipped on pretty high up. After watching the vids, I cut some foam and zip tied it around my mic and that greatly improved the sound. I now have a power lead mounted on the CBR, which I used at Grattan last year. I just routed that into the tankbag, and had more of the foam (wally world car wash sponges) surrounding the camcorder for shock resistance. A bit cheesy, but it works.

02-18-2007, 04:26 PM	#8
evl_twn CAN CRUSHER Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Central Illinois Age: 40 Bike(s): worm gear Posts: 1,646	Re: I found my new helmet cam This one is a bit grainy (wmv) and the connections started getting flaky toward the end of the front straight, but here's one from last May following Kawboy around Putnam: www.rc30.us/kawboy.wmv (32mb) Last edited by evl_twn; 02-18-2007 at 04:31 PM.

02-18-2007, 04:29 PM	#10
evl_twn CAN CRUSHER Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Central Illinois Age: 40 Bike(s): worm gear Posts: 1,646	Re: I found my new helmet cam Heh, here's a funny one from Deal's Gap last May. This is just a partial clip, I was riding the XR motard and a guy in a MINI was driving on the edge, I guess trying to keep me from passing. www.rc30.us/OMG-MINI.wmv (10mb) This one was with the camera mounted on the helmet, and the mic covered up with foam.

02-18-2007, 05:14 PM	#12
SheepOfBlue SRA President Join Date: 12-18-2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Age: 46 Bike(s): CBR1000RR, RC51, VT500FT Posts: 6,399	Re: I found my new helmet cam Be aware there are two versions of LANC on the model you have be sure to get the newer version (1.6 I think) It will allow you to start the camera in VCR mode directly with the button. The older version will allow you to start and stop recording but you cannot control power up/down with it. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

02-20-2007, 02:36 PM	#14
TraumaOne a mowing target Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Greenville, NC Age: 34 Bike(s): 2008 Yamaha FZ-6 Posts: 1,570	Re: I found my new helmet cam what, no hi-def? 560 lines.. pshaw. You need 1080... __________________ Need a custom cake? The Cakery

02-20-2007, 03:04 PM	#15
SheepOfBlue SRA President Join Date: 12-18-2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Age: 46 Bike(s): CBR1000RR, RC51, VT500FT Posts: 6,399	Re: I found my new helmet cam The new Sony chip does a lot better on changes of brightness also. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

02-21-2007, 11:44 AM	#16
bda116 Done. Join Date: 12-17-2006 Bike(s): . Posts: 2,113	Re: I found my new helmet cam This one is intriguing. Oregon Scientific \| U.S. \| Product \| AT18 \| ATC2K Waterproof ActionCamera# Not HD for T1, but self contained writing to an SD card. Give it better resolution and this could be a winner. __________________ "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth." - Omar M. Ahmad, founding chairman of CAIR.

02-21-2007, 11:48 AM	#17
ND4SPD I'm BATMAN!!! Join Date: 12-12-2006 Bike(s): Trek Posts: 8,052 Images: 25	Re: I found my new helmet cam Looks like it's only expandable to 2GB though. That won't last too long... __________________ "This is your life - are you who you want to be?" Learn all you need to know about Mac OS X

02-21-2007, 12:02 PM	#18
bda116 Done. Join Date: 12-17-2006 Bike(s): . Posts: 2,113	Re: I found my new helmet cam True, but one can always buy multiple SD cards or download it to the laptop after each session. It's not perfect, but I like the idea. __________________ "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth." - Omar M. Ahmad, founding chairman of CAIR.

02-21-2007, 12:15 PM	#19
TraumaOne a mowing target Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Greenville, NC Age: 34 Bike(s): 2008 Yamaha FZ-6 Posts: 1,570	Re: I found my new helmet cam 2gb at 640x480 is about an hour... __________________ Need a custom cake? The Cakery

02-24-2007, 06:53 PM	#21
KF810 D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. Join Date: 01-08-2007 Location: Michigan Age: 30 Bike(s): 600rr track, 954 Posts: 528	Re: I found my new helmet cam How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets? Also the camcorders, too?

02-24-2007, 09:35 PM	#23
evl_twn CAN CRUSHER Join Date: 12-13-2006 Location: Central Illinois Age: 40 Bike(s): worm gear Posts: 1,646	Re: I found my new helmet cam I'm with Whipper on this one. Helmet mount is velcro tape, and I usually use a backpack for the camcorder. When I've had it mounted on the bike, I stuck the camera under the "nose" of the fairing (you can see the fender in the video) and the camcorder in a tankbag. I used velcro tape, and also drilled some small holes and secured the camera with a couple of zip ties.