worldtraveller

What is the most compact and useful camera one can mount on either bike or helmet.

one this is not heavy and not noticeable.

I was thinking of getting one for perhaps when on the road to get video of bad drivers.

what do u all recommend

1nterceptor

I just use regular cameras, I haven't tried
sport specific cameras(Gopro, contour,etc)

Older pocket camera(waterproof), Olympus Stylus 820:

A bit bigger but better optics and features, Samsung HZ30W:

rm -rf

Google "keychain video". There's sample video on youtube. These are cheap usb video cameras that look like key car remotes. They are under $20! The video is pretty wobbly when shooting a moving scene. They probably can't pick up a car's license plate number either. The battery only lasts 30-40 minutes. Who knows how long they'll work before the battery stops charging, etc?

Still, it's amazing how small and how cheap they are.

dougmc

For quality, it's hard to beat a GoPro HD or Contour. (I have both and prefer the GoPro, by the way.) They're still pretty small, and the quality is great and they come with lots of mounting options (especially the GoPro.)

For price and size, the 808 keychain cameras are impossible to beat -- being $12 or so and keychain sized -- but the quality is low. There is a new 808 camera (#11?) that has 720p and quality is better but it costs $40.

weshigh

There is actually a lot of info online about these cameras. I bought one of the cheaper ones not realizing it was not true HD but up-scaling. Here are some links about them. If you go this route you one to get one of the #11 cameras that actually shots in 720p, 1280x720 h.264. The good ones usually cost closer to $40. Once i get mine in the mail I can let you know how it is.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362692
https://www.chucklohr.com/808/C11/ind...sibleReal808HD

weshigh

Here is an example video from little $15 Chinese keychain spy cam. It is on the read of my rack with velcro.

sjvcycler

This thread is a good start
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...era-for-biking

bikegeek57

Oh fun! I got my keychain camera today. deciding where to mount on helmet. this could be challenging trying to get it pointed on target. will see how this works on my commutes.

dynodonn 

My first choice was going to be a Go Pro, but when the deal fell through with the buyer, I went with the Contour HD after reading more about it. The Contour fit my need in being far more compact and covert, plus I like the switch combos and signals.

Yesterday, I was able to confidently report a motorist who made an extremely close pass, with a clear stop action picture of the license plate number, vehicle make emblems, decals, and with both right side tires a foot or more into the bike lane. I could even see the motorist looking at me in his right side mirror while he was driving away.

The motorist was doing 40+mph, fast enough for me to barely comprehend mentally what had happened until a few seconds later, by that time the motorist was far enough away that I could not make out any details. At 30 frames a second, my Contour had it all down in 1080P HD in it's highest quality setting. With my Contour, speed is no longer a motorist's ally.

Northwestrider

Thats impressive for a 15 buck camera

dynodonn 

Great for gather basic info for someone on a budget, but not for getting really detailed information. Even when the OP is traveling at the same speed with motorists, license plate numbers are difficult to read and only in a very small range of distance with this camera.

weshigh

Yeah, the only way to get the plates on the cheap camera is if they are right behind you.
Here my most recent video which i sped up 8x of one of my commutes. You can actually see a few of the plates in this.
I just received the upgrade 720p version of the same one today so I'll shoot some test video and post.

weshigh

Here is a segment from the #11 720p HD camera, same position as the one I posted above. You can see it is a lot better. Battery doesn't last as long though, still working on that part of it.

joewey

Another vote for the GoPro, I haven't got one but I've seen some results on a friend of mine's camera.

freighttraininguphill

I love my Contour. I record at the lowest setting ("Fast WVGA" 848 x 480, 60 fps), and the quality is excellent, much better than any other camera I own. Here's an example, with the camera mounted on my helmet. Helmet mounting eliminates annoying rattling noises from rough roads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_NanMq4-xw