Video cameras for commuting

[Dickie]

I’m in the exact same situation and have finally decided to take the plunge due to too many close calls lately, however there seems to not really be a good solution. A search of the forum reveals a number of threads on the topic, but all are riddled with dissatisfaction over the products. Contour’s had reliability issues then folded, GoPro’s have issues and seem pretty obtrusive, not sure where to turn myself. Perhaps I’ll pull out my old Betacam and chest harness!

[MattAune]

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

[jabberwocky]

Contour seems to be exiting the market. GoPro seems to be the go-to camera these days. The one thing I like about the newer GoPros is the wifi control/preview; if a car does hit me and I’m talking with the police, being able to show them the video right there on my phone would certainly be helpful. It seems most cameras don’t have a screen or any way to preview; I don’t want to have to get to a computer to show a cop what happened.

I know there are several companies entering the space (Garmin has one coming out, Sony has a camera out, Monoprice has an inexpensive one, etc.)

[vvill]

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.

[bobco85]

Interesting, it was almost exactly a year ago that I finally decided to get a helmet camera myself due to ever-increasing rates of close calls. I guess this must be the worst time of year to deal with drivers.

From my experience of having a helmet camera for the past year, I can say that some drivers will notice it, even commenting on it at red lights. I think there could be a psychological aspect to it with drivers becoming more cautious around me as they realize I have a camera, but it obviously does not work on distracted drivers. NOTHING works with them except full-on defensive measures. I wish it was possible to do roll to the side on a bike when needed (perhaps I’d use my hands so it would look like a cartwheel?)!

Oh yeah, make sure the camera you get is waterproof (not all of them are).

[rcannon100]

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.

[jabberwocky]

@vvill 64970 wrote:

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.

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. I’ll have to check how much storage space my commute would eat up. If I could get a card that holds a few days of commuting, it wouldn’t be a huge headache.

[jabberwocky]

@rcannon100 64972 wrote:

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.

I can remember a few cases offhand. Fortunately, the police in Fairfax seem to be a bit better about stuff like that.

So you mount on the bars, facing forward?

[americancyclo]

@vvill 64970 wrote:

a friend of mine uses one regularly to make group ride videos that are pretty decent.

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?

[vvill]

@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.

[rcannon100]

The Contour Roam has a micro card slot for memory. So you can store as much as you want to buy. I have sufficient memory to store a couple of days.

As far as downloading and deleting, that assumes you want the files. If you want video of your rides, gopro will probably give better pics. If you want video of a$$clowns and near misses, the contour fits nicely on your handlebar looking like just another light or device. You dont need to synch and download files. Just hit the little button on the back and the memory will clear and reset. You do need to recharge it. I dont leave it on my bike. I bring it up to my office, plug it in to recharge, and reset the memory every couple days.

[ronwalf]

@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.

[dasgeh]

Just putting in my standard plug for the $40 sets they sell on Woot. SO much cheaper, though you do lose quality. You might not be able to make out a license plate number unless the angle were perfect, but it’d help in a he-said-she-said…

[GuyContinental]

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).

[JorgeGortex]

@MattAune 64968 wrote:

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

Nice catch on this one. Like the looks of this one and great for this sort of purpose: durable, long lasting, and easy to use. Sweet.

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