Bike Or Helmet 'action Cameras' - Advice Needed

I'm a big fan of the Olfi One.Five cam. 4K, image stabilisation, record on power supply, loop recording, battery life over 1 hour and uses GoPro mounts so lots of available
mount types.

Ive got mine hooked up to the bike's power and mount it to my bike screen. Easy to take off when parking in London. I've 'MacGyvered' my case with a magnetic charger too so I can charge it whilst retaining the rainproof part.

 

I use one on a 999 screen, with a self-adhesive attached camera mount. Have it mounted right at the bottom of the screen just above the hi beam light.
If you want future versatility I'd go for a GoPro Hero 4 Silver or later, I have a Garmin Virb XE but would recommend the GoPro as stated. I just unclip the camera when not in use.

You can easily wire a 12V powered USB adapter onto the battery and run several USB devices no problem.

If you do track riding you're not allowed to have a camera placed on your body or helmet with many operators should that be an issue.

 

I can tell you that the GoPro is very well supported by third-party software and app developers, I didn't consider this when I bought my camera but have subsequently tried to use my Garmin for more varied uses than I initially thought I would, so it has become more of an issue but not really a deal breaker especially if you aren't too fussed with track or accurate GPS stuff etc.

 

I wasn't sure about using these types of cameras either but was curious. I bought an Apeman (see link below) from Amazon for only £39.99, I thought well if it's rubbish and/or I'm not happy with it, it's not a lot of cash to have possibly wasted. Anyway, I'm pleased to say it was well worth the money. The picture and sound quality are excellent and the battery lasts for over 2 hours continuous recording. You also get a whole host of accessories with with it, but I also paid £7.99 for additional accessories, one of which is a chest harness, which personally I prefer as you don't need to stick anything to your bike or helmet. It works for me.

APEMAN Action Camera Action Sport Waterproof Cam 1080P 12MP Full HD 170 Ultra Wide-Angle Lens with Portable Package Case and Kit of Accessories

 

I use the GoPro 4 with a 32gb memory card ,a bit more cash but a lot more functionality,its set up on my helmet but I also use the mounts or suction cup for a different riding angle,(a bit geeky but you can get some good ride viewing)also you can hook it up to your phone or as I use a Wifi remote that just velcros onto the bars so I can stop start record when I feel.

 

@John Mac821 how big is the apeman camera when in waterproof mode? the amazon link has 2 sizes; 34 x 67 x 62 cm, and 59.27x 41.13 x 29.28 . I am looking for something cheap for commuting on my pushbike and don't want anything too big, but would be useful to show how t**t-like some motorists are (and should anything bad happen, at least plod/insurance/cps has something to work with).

Thanks,

Pete

 

Hi Pete, I don't have the exact measurements at hand I'm afraid, but it's basically the size as a GoPro and shares exactly the same accessories. I normally use it without the waterproof case and haven't had any issues with light rain. I hope this helps mate.

John.

 

nice one - thanks John. will give it a go.

Pete

 

Plus one for the Olfi.

Not only is it a great product but it's a uk company and they are incredibly responsive, friendly and helpful.

 

I bought a Gopro 5 a short while back. Tried a handlebar mount for my Diavel, but even with image stabilisation there was a lot of vibration. I have now bought a suction mount and will try it on the small sports screen and see how that goes. Helmet and chest mount are not for me, I dont want any speedo 'evidence' being recorded !!.

Tbh I bought the cam mainly for snorkeling but thought I'd try it on the bike.

Stuart

 

This is the mount I use on my screen. Clamps onto the screen (also works equally well on mudguards/fairing vents if you use cloth to stop scratches). The mount lives on the bike and I just unscrew the Olfi.

 

Is it the GoPro suction mount? Just asking as the Fleabay and cheap Amazons fall off over the slightest bump, Also its wise to attach a tether to the camera as a safety precaution otherwise you'll see 400.00 quid's worth of camera bouncing down the road.
Rick

 

Heyup Rick,

Its called a Delkin Fat Gecko Mount Stealth Mount. It sucks damn tight and tbh I cant see it falling off. I will use a tether as well though, thanks for the tip. I've yet to try it out, I just didnt like the vibration with the Gopro bar mount which I bought and did a bit of research and the general concensus is the less arms, joints etc the less the vibration will be evident. We'll see.

Stuart

 

I have the BulletHD attached to the bike's battery (taking signal to switch on/off from the headlights). So no worries about the battery life and it can write in a loop, retaining the last N hours (depending on the SDHC card size). One 64GB card is fine for hours of footage (in full HD mode, 3 minutes take up 750MB of space). It's of course waterproof. The only problem I have is that since it's permanently on the bike, I forget to clean it regularly, so sometimes I end up with foggy footage!

 

I use a Drift Ghost, put it on loop record then when something good happens (nice road or incident) hit the remote and save about 60" of footage (30" before and 30" after)

 

So, tried the apeman and was a lot of stuff, all nicely packaged for such a relatively small outlay. Set it up on my pushbike and the video quality, even on 720p (to save on disk space), was very good.

Only problem I had was that the mount couldn't keep the camera upright (per attached photo). Tried all sorts of bracket combinations but to no avail). Would be OK if it didn't rain here and I didn't have to use the waterproof case.

Sent it back, and they tried very hard to rectify, but still no joy.

Pete