GoPro

Two years ago I was picked up by GoPro as an athlete and have been working closely with them for that amount of time. At a retail price of $189 the GoPro Hero Wide is the best bang for your buck. This camera can shoot video or pictures that are easily stored onto a SD card. Below is footage I shot using this camera:

The lens has a 170-degree wide angle so you get an amazing perspective when using it in action. There isn’t another camera that shoots as good of footage for the small amount of money you pay for a wide-angle helmet cam.

VIO POV 1.

For this past year or so I have been kayaking for an online company Helmet Camera Central based right out of my hometown, Mt. Shasta. This company specializes in helmet cams and has great gear reviews as well as product videos.

The first camera I got from them is the VIO POV 1. This is an amazing piece of equipment and probably the highest quality footage you can get for under a thousand dollars. Although this camera retails at $650 the footage speaks for itself and is DVD quality.

This product has a killer clip reviewer system so you can see what you shot directly after you shoot it.. Out of all the waterproof cameras I have tried, this is the best, but is an expensive piece.

The big “little” brother to this camera is the POV 1.5. This recently released upgrade is a smaller camera with just as good footage. The camera head was made smaller and the wire is fully attached in the back of the camera (not a interchangeable wire like the POV 1).

I have found this to be a problematic design because I have personally went through 3 POV 1.5 heads this season. Since it’s fully attached in the back of the cam, if the wire gets twisted than the metal prongs going into review housing all bend with the twist of the wire, ruining camera connector.

Contour HD by Vholdr

The final latest helmet cam to talk about is the brand new Contour HD. This is one of the first cameras to be shooting in full HD and I have to say the footage is amazing. I got to try out this new cam riding my downhill bike in Northstar this past weekend and was very impressed with the contours design.

It has a very helpful beeping system to let you know when it turns on, off, or begins recording. It comes equipped with a laser leveling system to make sure your shooting straight and an adjustable lens if you want to mount the camera upside down or whichever way.

This camera retails around $299 and is worth every penny. Hands down the best camera for biking but since its only water resistant it is not the best candidate for water sports. There is talk of a waterproof housing coming out for it but until this product is fully waterproof on its own, it wont be the premier waterproof helmet cam.

Overall, there are many helmet-cam options out on the market so be sure to do your homework before committing to one or another. Helmet Camera Central has all these products mentioned and much more. HCC’s review section has helpful insight and product demos to make that final decision. It’s important to remember to have a camera on your head before you huck because then your friends have to believe you; it cuts out that unbelievable factor.

Community Connection

Check out some of the most incredible helmet cam footage on the internet.