Winter Park - April 2011 - Helmet Cam Review Part 2

As with still photos, there are several keys to getting good video results with a helmet camera. 1. Turn the power on (accomplished!) 2. Take the lens cap off (done!) 3. Get the camera tilt correct (Saturday, not so much; Sunday, much better) Regarding camera tilt, nothing beats a mirror. The camera has aiming lasers, but they only stay on for a few seconds, and they require a relatively close target to be able to see them. In my opinion, following a subject yields a more interesting result than "pure point-of-view." To spruce up POV, see if you can capture yourself in shadow. Throw in a mix of looking down at your "vehicle" and having your head up focused on the scenery. And add some interest by narrating--where are you, when are you, who are you with. One disappointment with the camera: battery life. I only seem to get about half a day with it. And that's not just in cold weather--same problem while cycling. I suspect that I could extend battery life by turning the camera off between uses. And it's possible that I don't have it fully charged. Perhaps the best solution, all things considered, is simply getting a second one. And one disappointment with cameras in general--they never convey the steepness of the terrain! Whether you're bombing down a double black diamond mogul run or chugging up one of the "Hills of Greenville" climbs, the pictures simply don't do the grade (and therefore bragging rights) justice.

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