Good, cheap helmet cam: MD80
#1
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
Good, cheap helmet cam: MD80
I recently received an MD80 video recorder, purchased from eBay for $59 shipped. Search for "smallest video" to find them. BTW at this price they ship from Hong Kong so it takes about 2 weeks to get one. Maybe even a bit longer. Be patient.
Specs:
* 640x480 30fps
* records in Motion-JPEG video, 24K mono PCM audio, about 2GB per hour
* saves to micro-SD, manual says up to 16GB supported, I'm using an 8GB in mine now.
* internal rechargable 2 hour LiIon battery
* ships with clip holder, magnetic ball socket holder, a couple of strips of velcro, a 2GB microSD card, a wall charger (with USB socket), and two USB cables (one is supposedly for charging)
Here's the item, it's 2 1/4" long, 7/8" wide, 3/4" deep.
I bought it primarily to attach to kites, balloons, rockets, etc for aerial shots, but figured I'd try it on the helmet too since some people here might be interested.
Here's a sample from this morning, uploaded to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR6P7O9Cs0I
The timestamp is not mandatory - you can choose whether to embed that in the video or not, though it's not simple - you set the time by editing a text file, dragging it into the root of the thing's filesystem while it's plugged in, then rebooting the camera. If you put a Y at the end of the time, it embeds the time, if N then it doesn't.
At 640x480, it's almost but not quite good enough to pick out license plates. Here's a sample still:
Specs:
* 640x480 30fps
* records in Motion-JPEG video, 24K mono PCM audio, about 2GB per hour
* saves to micro-SD, manual says up to 16GB supported, I'm using an 8GB in mine now.
* internal rechargable 2 hour LiIon battery
* ships with clip holder, magnetic ball socket holder, a couple of strips of velcro, a 2GB microSD card, a wall charger (with USB socket), and two USB cables (one is supposedly for charging)
Here's the item, it's 2 1/4" long, 7/8" wide, 3/4" deep.
I bought it primarily to attach to kites, balloons, rockets, etc for aerial shots, but figured I'd try it on the helmet too since some people here might be interested.
Here's a sample from this morning, uploaded to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR6P7O9Cs0I
The timestamp is not mandatory - you can choose whether to embed that in the video or not, though it's not simple - you set the time by editing a text file, dragging it into the root of the thing's filesystem while it's plugged in, then rebooting the camera. If you put a Y at the end of the time, it embeds the time, if N then it doesn't.
At 640x480, it's almost but not quite good enough to pick out license plates. Here's a sample still:
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#2
34x25 FTW!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,013
Bikes: Kona Jake, Scott CR1, Dahon SpeedPro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Pics of how it's attached to helmet?
That is a klunky way to change settings. I suppose the camera doesn't have a full display / set of controls?
That is a klunky way to change settings. I suppose the camera doesn't have a full display / set of controls?
#3
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
The ball joint that came with it might work on some helmets, but on mine I couldn't get the thing pointing exactly straight, so I just bent a small piece of metal, put velcro on the helmet side, some loop velcro on the camera side just to give its little clip something to grasp, and presto.
It has a master power switch, a VOX switch for voice-operated recording (which I haven't toyed with), and one button on top. You turn on the power, then hold the top button for a couple of seconds, it comes on. You press it, it starts recording, you press it again, it stops. That's all of the controls.
Yes, it's a clunky way to change the time, but with no display, what's the alternative? I suppose you could write an app to do it, but honestly I kind of like the text file thing better, it's going to work on ANY computer. And if someone wanted to write an app to just take the current time and write it to a text file on the thing's filesystem, it would take about 5 minutes to do.
And honestly, personally I don't think I usually want the time on there anyway, I just did it for fun for this trial.
It has a master power switch, a VOX switch for voice-operated recording (which I haven't toyed with), and one button on top. You turn on the power, then hold the top button for a couple of seconds, it comes on. You press it, it starts recording, you press it again, it stops. That's all of the controls.
Yes, it's a clunky way to change the time, but with no display, what's the alternative? I suppose you could write an app to do it, but honestly I kind of like the text file thing better, it's going to work on ANY computer. And if someone wanted to write an app to just take the current time and write it to a text file on the thing's filesystem, it would take about 5 minutes to do.
And honestly, personally I don't think I usually want the time on there anyway, I just did it for fun for this trial.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#4
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
BTW, I just took it apart, and it's built like a tank. The covers are cast aluminum and it looks solid as heck inside.
The very first thing I did with it this morning was to accidentally knock it off of the helmet mount, so it fell 6 feet onto the pavement. Didn't bother it at all.
The very first thing I did with it this morning was to accidentally knock it off of the helmet mount, so it fell 6 feet onto the pavement. Didn't bother it at all.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#5
nashcommguy
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: nashville, tn
Posts: 2,499
Bikes: Commuters: Fuji Delray road, Fuji Discovery mtb...Touring: Softride Traveler...Road: C-dale SR300
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
BTW, I just took it apart, and it's built like a tank. The covers are cast aluminum and it looks solid as heck inside.
The very first thing I did with it this morning was to accidentally knock it off of the helmet mount, so it fell 6 feet onto the pavement. Didn't bother it at all.
The very first thing I did with it this morning was to accidentally knock it off of the helmet mount, so it fell 6 feet onto the pavement. Didn't bother it at all.
The amount of traffic you contend with makes me appreciate my own rural commute. When you turned the corner and I saw the dumptruck facing you in the right lane it was like...Uh-oh.
#6
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
Heh, hadn't noticed the burp. I'm sure I make all manner of rude noises when I'm commuting; isn't it one of the simple pleasures of being alone, being able to burp and fart whenever you like with never a thought?
Actually, 80% of my commute is rural. That video starts just as I start to hit traffic. I used it as a sample because it was interesting and gave a good idea of what traffic would look like in it, which is what many people want.
That truck has been there a lot in the last week, that whole section of town including the bridge and a dam that used to be under the bridge has been completely torn up and replaced in the last 2 years, and they're finishing the back roads now. They're totally rebuilding the slope on the side of the river since the manmade wetlands that were there for 100) years are mostly gone now (dam torn out, it hasn't been used for the mill that was originally there for about 90 years).
After that section, I'm on 30 to 50 MPH road with an acceptable (2 foot) shoulder and decently wide lanes for 3 miles and then I'm at work.
I have thought about the foam rubber, I may try that.
The battery is supposedly good for 2 hours. However, I suspect that it may stop after about an hour since the memory card is formatted FAT32, and you can't have a file > 2 GB in FAT32 so either it'll have to stop when it gets to 2GB or start a new file.
My commute this morning was 38 minutes, but I didn't post the whole thing because I don't want to be in the running for world's most boring video.
It would be fairly trivial to extend the battery time; a USB cable to some batteries should do it. Four NiMH AA cells would give about 5v nominal, probably close enough, and are easily light enough to velcro to a helmet.
Actually, 80% of my commute is rural. That video starts just as I start to hit traffic. I used it as a sample because it was interesting and gave a good idea of what traffic would look like in it, which is what many people want.
That truck has been there a lot in the last week, that whole section of town including the bridge and a dam that used to be under the bridge has been completely torn up and replaced in the last 2 years, and they're finishing the back roads now. They're totally rebuilding the slope on the side of the river since the manmade wetlands that were there for 100) years are mostly gone now (dam torn out, it hasn't been used for the mill that was originally there for about 90 years).
After that section, I'm on 30 to 50 MPH road with an acceptable (2 foot) shoulder and decently wide lanes for 3 miles and then I'm at work.
I have thought about the foam rubber, I may try that.
The battery is supposedly good for 2 hours. However, I suspect that it may stop after about an hour since the memory card is formatted FAT32, and you can't have a file > 2 GB in FAT32 so either it'll have to stop when it gets to 2GB or start a new file.
My commute this morning was 38 minutes, but I didn't post the whole thing because I don't want to be in the running for world's most boring video.
It would be fairly trivial to extend the battery time; a USB cable to some batteries should do it. Four NiMH AA cells would give about 5v nominal, probably close enough, and are easily light enough to velcro to a helmet.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#7
34x25 FTW!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,013
Bikes: Kona Jake, Scott CR1, Dahon SpeedPro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
As for the txt file, yeah, I wouldn't mind using that system, but it is klunky.
#8
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
You're right, I misremembered. I left the camera running after I got done with my 38 minute ride just now, I'll see whether it hits the 4gb limit or the battery dies first. It's been running for 1:30 or so right now.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Leeds UK
Posts: 2,085
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Interesting video.
One point (an observation only, not criticism): I noticed that when you moved out to go past the truck, just after your right turn, you didn't appear to glance back. Was this because you knew, from your right filter immediately before the turn, that there were no vehicles behind you?
One point (an observation only, not criticism): I noticed that when you moved out to go past the truck, just after your right turn, you didn't appear to glance back. Was this because you knew, from your right filter immediately before the turn, that there were no vehicles behind you?
#10
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
Interesting video.
One point (an observation only, not criticism): I noticed that when you moved out to go past the truck, just after your right turn, you didn't appear to glance back. Was this because you knew, from your right filter immediately before the turn, that there were no vehicles behind you?
One point (an observation only, not criticism): I noticed that when you moved out to go past the truck, just after your right turn, you didn't appear to glance back. Was this because you knew, from your right filter immediately before the turn, that there were no vehicles behind you?
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#11
Endurance junkie
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Posts: 155
Bikes: '93 GT Pantera, '03 Fuji Marseille, '05 Klein Attitude, Dahon Impulse, Bike Friday Family Triple
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Looked very familiar, then I saw you were from Michigan....
DEXTER******************************
DEXTER******************************
#12
nashcommguy
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: nashville, tn
Posts: 2,499
Bikes: Commuters: Fuji Delray road, Fuji Discovery mtb...Touring: Softride Traveler...Road: C-dale SR300
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Exactly! That's what made me laugh out loud. My wife calls me the 'master of methane' and 'burpmaster Bill' when we ride together. She never even spits..what's up w/that?
#13
Senior Moment
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,004
Bikes: Fuji Absolute 4.0
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
not bad. though I wonder if my playback was typical? not very fluid images on my system. I don't have that problem with other video's and maybe my connection was just bad this morning? noticed as you passed some signs that depth of field as the signs came into and out of focus. you probably could catch those license plates if you figured out how far away that focus spot is and caught the tags in the focus field. that would be on my wish list. I enjoy the scenery but I'd like to ID the idiots that are aggressive drivers and report them. I'm so bad?
which side of helmet was camera on or was it on front? that's not much of a shoulder to work with at the start of the video?
which side of helmet was camera on or was it on front? that's not much of a shoulder to work with at the start of the video?
#14
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
you probably could catch those license plates if you figured out how far away that focus spot is and caught the tags in the focus field. that would be on my wish list. I enjoy the scenery but I'd like to ID the idiots that are aggressive drivers and report them. I'm so bad?
which side of helmet was camera on or was it on front? that's not much of a shoulder to work with at the start of the video?
which side of helmet was camera on or was it on front? that's not much of a shoulder to work with at the start of the video?
That's actually way more shoulder than most of my ride has. Most of my ride is rural and the beginning of the video is the last quarter mile of 4 miles of that road; before that is 4 miles of gravel with bad washboarding. I don't think there's shoulder on much of any of the road in Michigan of that type. But there's not much traffic either. White line, 2 inches and then gravel. Luckily the higher-traffic road between town and the expressway, which is the last 1.5 miles of my route, does have a 2 foot shoulder.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Last edited by ItsJustMe; 08-08-09 at 10:12 AM.
#15
Senior Moment
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,004
Bikes: Fuji Absolute 4.0
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If you were coherent enough during an incident, you could read the plate number out loud, the mic would pick it up. The camera was just left of center on the front of my helmet (vent in the exact center, a Bell Metro). It would probably help if you started practicing that in general. I do occasionally read plate numbers of cars passing me, just so I'm sure I can do it. If you started doing it whenever a car did something to raise your adrenaline, you might have a good chance of doing it in case of an actual incident.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Plano Texas
Posts: 1,311
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
That's awesome! The pics of the camera itself make it look tiny and that clip just might fit into an old tail light bracket I've got laying around.
edit: Just bought one of'n da 'bay. Used with an 8gb card for 39 bucks. Free shipping too!! Thanks for the review!
edit: Just bought one of'n da 'bay. Used with an 8gb card for 39 bucks. Free shipping too!! Thanks for the review!
#17
made in italy
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: the world
Posts: 151
Bikes: Bianchi, bianchi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thinking about getting one of these. How are your cams holding up so far? Seems pretty cheap and I wonder if it might be better to just spring for the Oregon Scientific (2 1/2 times the price though...) if it means build quality/mounting options are better.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 218
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#19
Luddite
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 276
Bikes: Univega Gran Turismo, Cannondale Synapse, Bianchi Aquiletta Folder
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Actually, if it comes to that, there is resolution enhancing software available that will allow that license plate to be read, even with some pretty crummy focus on your camera. Look up "super resolution" on the interweb...
#20
Allez means go.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Two Rivers, WI
Posts: 894
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I wish I would have had one of those today. I saw a cat run across the road into some bushes and then make a 90 degree turn and catch a bunny. The bunny cartwheeled a couple of times and then made this high pitched squeak. I didn't know they made noise.
#21
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat32#FAT32
"The maximum possible size for a file on a FAT32 volume is 4 GB minus 1 byte (232−1 bytes)."
However, the camera seems to start new files occasionally, though I can't figure out what it uses to determine when to do this. I let it run for 2 hours a couple of days ago, and it created files of varying sizes, the biggest a bit over 2GB.
I bet it just shoots a given number of seconds per file (I've deleted the files so I can't check). The Motion JPEG codec would result in different file sizes since the first file was during the ride, and the rest were just the camera clipped to a drink glass pointing at a bookshelf in my room.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#22
Señior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
Specialty software may also be able to combine multiple frames as the plate went past and increase virtual resolution that way, maybe that's how it works.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,118
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I pulled it into photoshop and tried every filter I could find. If you had specialty software made for recognizing characters on plates, you might be able to do it. The sharpening helped a bit but it's still nothing I'd try to make hold up in court.
Specialty software may also be able to combine multiple frames as the plate went past and increase virtual resolution that way, maybe that's how it works.
Specialty software may also be able to combine multiple frames as the plate went past and increase virtual resolution that way, maybe that's how it works.