Video cameras for commuting

This kickstarter project looks pretty promising for this type pf thing.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rideye/rideye-the-black-box-camera-for-your-bike

The Rideye sounds nice because you don’t have to pull the video files off after each ride. I was using my Contour for a short time for commuting but having to plug it in and delete the file every day was a bit annoying. The stock mount wasn’t too useful either. I haven’t used a GoPro before but a friend of mine uses one regularly to make group ride videos that are pretty decent.

I ride with a contour roam. I like the form factor. Fits on the handlebar well. Simple to use. Good for capturing what is in front of you. bit of a bug eye lens.

At one point I broke the bracket that holds it on the handlebar (design failure that it was held together by three weak pins). The camera went flying out into Lee Hwy bashing along the ground….. and it still works! The plastic back door over the ports broke. But the camera is fine.

I dont wear it on my helmet. Besides being uncomfortable, if you do need to use your helmet for what it is there for, I think things protruding from it are not such a good idea.

I think GoPro is a better quality camera. But the form factor for a bike aint so good.

I have ridden with the Contour for years and never had to use it to capture an accident. I did capture a picture of a guy driving a scooter across the 14th St bridge bike path. And I have captured lots of pics of folks on the forum. And frankly it gives my a bit of psychological comfort that in one of those close call situations, it will not be a “he said, she said” situation. There have been incidents where DC cyclists have captured drivers hitting them on camera, and the police still did nothing.

@americancyclo 64976 wrote:

The widget overlays they have for watts, cadence, HR, speed and course are pretty cool. As is the map. Any idea what they use for post-production?

I think it’s http://www.dashware.net/. This is how the GoPro is mounted.

@jabberwocky 64974 wrote:

Good point. Though I already plug my Garmin in every few rides to sync rides with strava, so it wouldn’t be a huge deal.

Same, I guess I’m just being lazy. Part of it was also that I didn’t have a computer at work that could easily handle the large video files (I did enjoy watching bits of them), and I ended up mounting it to my helmet which made it heavier on one side.

@bobco85 64971 wrote:

…I have a camera, but it obviously does not work on distracted drivers. NOTHING works with them except full-on defensive measures.

You just need a bit of an upgrade to your camera.

I had the opportunity to attend Outdoor Retailer this year and can say that GoPro is absolutely dominant in this space (and their booth ooozed awesome in a place that was full of awesome…)- Contour is gone but there are at least a dozen little guys (and 4-5 BIG ones) that are building robust “life-cameras” Now that we are entering the holiday season we should see these models start hitting the market and all sorts of price points and feature sets.

That said, I can’t stand the GoPro form factor- IMO everyone looks ridiculous with a little box on their head unless that box is a light…. or a Tefillin

I want a “lipstick” style rugged waterproof camera waaay smaller than a Contour that can clip unobtrusively on the side of my helmet, has a 12hr+ battery life, 1080 resolution, and 120+ fps (so I can go back and framegrab) and BT streaming to my phone. It also needs a constant overwrite function so I only bother messing with it when something happens (naked ninjas, near death experiences, the elusive jackalope…). oh and it can’t cost any more than $100. Not on the market now but I can almost guarantee something like it will be in the next 24 months (not at that price point though).