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What helmet/POV cam should I get?

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snakepirate
Posts: 165 - Karma: 93
So I have been researching all week long trying to decide which cam to get and i have narrowed it down to these 4 choices. I definately want an HD and all of these have their ups and downs. All of these are 1080p and HD
1. GoPro HD helmet Hero
2. Oregon Scientific ATC9K
3. Drift Innovations hd170
4. Contour HD1080
I don't really trust their website info because obviously all websites claim they are the best, and I have looked at personal videos all weekend long and none of them look as good as the footage on the websites. I don't care about the sound really. Most people say they like the Gopro but it lloks so big I am afraid I would fall on it or hit it on a tree. I also like the LCDs on #2 and 3. I just want to know what you guys have used and what you like so I can make a decision soon.
Thanks
Oct 31 2010 4:57PM
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snakepirate
Posts: 165 - Karma: 93

any of you gopro guys does it bother you that you dont have an lcd screen and cant adjust anything on the camera?

Oct 31 2010 7:42PM
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baconzoo
Posts: 8 - Karma: 10
1) I work for Drift Innovation doing R&D (since July 2010)
2) I have the Drift, GoPro, and Contour

I'd say the big selling point on the GoPro is the water-tight casing.  BUT it does fog up a lot! I don't like the small box design for hand holding shots.

The Contour is cool and super small but the battery life blows.  It doesn't have as wide of an angle view as the GoPro or Drift.

The Drift HD170 is my favorite for the sake of having a LCD to watch the shots on the lift.  That's really key to make sure you got the shot, before you get home or in the lodge on a laptop. The ease of accessing the functions via a LCD are also key features.  The form factor makes the Drift feel the best in hand as a skiing follow cam. And the Remote Wristband start/stop record function is clutch as well.

I'm really looking forward to this season as an "In the field" tester. We'll see how well  they all perform in the White Room!



Nov 1 2010 10:50AM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
Personally i LOVE the Go Pro it surprised me with how good the quality really is. There are a couple of failings of it though. The LCD screen would be great to have. They are putting a LCD backpack thingy out around December. They have inserts to stop fogging.
Nov 1 2010 12:14PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
i love my gopro and i've used it on numerous occasions (skiing, hiking, survival, diving, whitewater kayaking, rockclimbing, vacation timelapse, filming my fish in my aquarium, etc...)

and on every instance it has surprised me, the missing LCD screen isn't a really big deal once you're used to the camera, also the dozen mounts available are a real blessing (helmetmount, handlebar mount, chestmount and tripod mount are a real blessing)
another very sweet addition is to use the tripod mount in combination with a multipurpose minipod!

i think the main advantages of the Gopro is it's multipurpose use, imagine every condition you can think of and chances are the gopro can film there!
(just look into the GoPro spaceballoon videos, they're amazing!)
it's also very rugged and spare parts are super easy to find!
waterproof

main disadvantages are: ugly, and not very easy to control, takes a while to get the hang of it ...



i haven't used any other Helmetcams yet, so i can only tell you what i know from my gopro...

good luck!
Nov 1 2010 12:41PM
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snakepirate
Posts: 165 - Karma: 93
thanks for your input you guys.  Still torn.....all the mounts are what i love about the gopro but i really want an lcd screen.  I'll have to look into the mounts for the other cameras
Nov 1 2010 9:08PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2006/07/canon-xh.jpg[/img]
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Nov 1 2010 9:28PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU fail first image

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Nov 1 2010 9:29PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
Ian Provo style ?

don't think many of us are badass enough to do such a thing :D
Nov 2 2010 6:01AM
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nagelthebagel
Posts: 205 - Karma: 36
GoPro HD is the best, cause it has so many different mounts. And like all helmet cam shots from pros are done with the GoPro HD
Nov 2 2010 8:43AM
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Gknow
Posts: 627 - Karma: 358
the GoPro memory card is the same as the one you use in a digital camera, if you want to watch your footage get a camera and switch cards to watch on the lift.
Nov 2 2010 2:08PM
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snakepirate
Posts: 165 - Karma: 93
maybe in the park, most of the bigmountain guys us the POV 1.5 I think.
Nov 2 2010 3:56PM
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nagelthebagel
Posts: 205 - Karma: 36
i wouldn't recommend the POV 1.5 though, since it doesn't have 1080p and 60fps at 720p. Also the POV 1.5 costs $500 and the GoPro Hero HD coast $300. And I mean, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhHBr7bjyVA can't get any better that that.
Nov 2 2010 4:41PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
contour you mean.
Nov 3 2010 3:42AM
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