Veloway Helmet Cam Test 2

This is my second attempt at shooting a lap (veloway, Austin, TX) using an iPhone with GoPro compatible LifeProof mount as a helmet cam. Also has GPS data from a Garmin 305 sync'd with the video using Dashware. The first test was fairly jiggly and the GPS data didn't sync well, so I just skipped it.

The mount works fine - it puts the camera on an adjustable arm so you can position it, and there's enough reach that it's possible to glimpse the screen to see what you're getting. The iPhone has a more standard field of view as compared to most of the Hero Cam's that have a very wide field so that aiming isn't important. The good part is that you get much better video with the iPhone when the camera is aimed at what you want to shoot. The bad part is that you have to aim it. You can't really just jam the camera flat against your helmet and let it rip - you also need access to the controls to start and stop the recording, and you need some occasional feedback on where the camera is pointing since vibration can make it drift a bit.

On the first lap, I had a lot of trouble with it sagging down into my field of view, the video was fairly jiggly, and the few ounces added by the camera seemed like a ton after a while. On the second lap, I put the camera closer to the helmet to make it easier to hold and reduce vibration - that seemed to help. I didn't take the time to stabilize the video on this one - that might help too. Generally, I'd recommend it if you want to do sports photography, but with some caveats. The weight will affect your performance, and the mount will require adjustments along the way which will distract you from your sport, so you probably don't want to use this kind of setup during a competitive event. If you just want some action shots of training, family fun, etc., it's a great setup.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• skate
• inline
• lifeproof
• gopro
• Skating

[stevearticus]

@macwing07 check out 'headcam jan 29" in my videos - that's the next one, in which I learned not to let the camera arm extend too far out, or you get jiggly video.

[macwing07]

Good ... work in progress ! Next ?? : D