Need recommendations for helmet cam!
 

After reading posts about using helmet cams to record idiots throwing things, bad drivers, or just your commute, I'm now wanting to get one and see just how my commute looks like on video. I've looked on Ebay to see what's out there. Completely new to this camera thing.

I see there are some $40-$60 cams and there there are the $100 and up. I want to get something with decent image quality that will at least catch license plate #, record audio, uses SD card for added storage, and uses rechrageable battery. I also want something that is all packaged inside the camera itself, as I don't want another attachment that goes on your waist or in your backpack.

I see that the Contour 1080 is a decent camera but they are in the $200 price range. Is this cam good for a novice? What about cams on Ebay that have 720 or lower resolution that goes for about $60? Are they of good quality?

What's the lowest resolution I can go? I don't want to get a cheap camera only to find the resolution makes using the camera useless as it can't get license plate #.

This thread might help:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...keyfob-cameras

They're tiny cameras made from unused cell phone camera parts inserted into car remote key fobs, sold from China over eBay. Apparently the #3 version, if you can find it, is the best right now.

And this site has a crazy amount of information:

http://chucklohr.com/808/

This thread was useful for me to help decide:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...era-for-biking

There is lots of choices out there right now. Many camera are below $50 and over $250. Things to consider is the choice of option and durability of the unit. Over the years, I had one 640x480 pen camera I used aim toward the back broke on me and another key remote that had the button popped out of the casing. Good thing is that the price is cheap enough where it really did not matter. Another thing to look into is the issue with water resistant of the unit. This is where I recommend the better quality camera.

To capture license plate, you will need a HD quality recording. My Contour does OK with it in the 1200 mode. However if the car passes me to quickly then it sometiime does not get a clear picture of the plate. I can set it to 60fps, but then I noticed that the plate number is not clear at a distant. I learned that by setting it to the 1900 mode at 30fps, plate numbers comes out pretty clear. The setback to that resolution is the usuage of the memory card. I find myself using 5 to 7 GB in that mode for a full commute video. My 16gb card is good for two days before I have to erase it. No problem until I have to load it to the computer where it take a while to read. A higher class card like a class 4 or higher may help.

The cost is major when considering having to spend over $200 or just $50<. I waited till Amazon had that Gold Box deal before I purchased my helmet cam. If cost is an issue, then get an affordable price HD from Ebay for now and see how you like it before spending more money. You can use that Ebay camera later on on something else if you upgrade when you find a good deal on the higher cost camera.

GoPro.

My buddy makes kayak movies using this item and it works flawlessly. Might be a tad more than you want to spend though.

The #3 is the best standard definition under ten bucks one, but the $40 #11 (h.264 HD version) is by far superior.

For a water resistant one, this would've been my second choice for a camera (review by Techmoan): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMkfRFkLo28

Plate numbers are pretty clear from a distance on the #11 key fob cam:

Remember that you don't need to have every single number/letter of the license plate visible.

If you have 5/7 characters, it is most likely enough for the police (they can cross-reference to the make/model).