Helmet Camera for ATV / Off Road use advice?

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motomasher
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Helmet Camera for ATV / Off Road use advice?

#1 Unread post by motomasher »

Well, as follow is my conclusion on the two helmet (atv) cameras I got for my ATV rides: (check out my original post below)

** The Adrenaline Systems ATV Cam Sport I action camera came as a complete kit (except you have to provide your own recording device). The camera is a 580 TVL Sony HAD ExView CCD camera. It comes with an extreme military grade microphone with a windsock (windguard) which works great when you get up to speed. It comes with 3 mounting devices. Two for your ATV itself and one Helmet Mount which allows you to mount the camera anywhere on your helmet.
Connecting the camera, microphone and power source together is pretty easy.

There is plenty of cable slack to allow for very comfortable camera placement. I connected the entire set up to my Sony camcorder. You can also connect it to a DVR but currently this is on my wish list.
The mounts are not typical of any helmet camera set up. You can mount the cam on your handlebar using the handlebar mount which bolts on super tight and will survive a crash. What I liked the most is that you can place and remove the camera easely with no hassle and there is no need to remove the whole mount.
There are two additional mounts. One you place on you helmet. This mounting is great as anything you look at is captured. The other is a neat and lightweight mount called the Fender mount which can lay your camera flat on the fenders or any other flat surface.

I used all 3 mounts with my camcorder either in my backpack or on the gas tank (in my homemade tank pack). The video I picked up is excellent. I was able to capture some great angles both behind and in front of my ATV. My edits captured action which I only see in pro features. I must say I was surprised. There is no comparison with the limited angles I was able to capture with my camcorder alone.
Also, it allows me to capture more radical footage as I am not afraid to damage my expensive camcorder. It now sits safely tucked away.


** The Oregon Scientific ATC2K Helmet Camera is completely self contained unit which comes with on board recording via an SD card. It is easy to use and mount, though it does not come with atv specific mounts. For this I had to adapt some clamps to hold it on my handlebar. Mounted on my helmet felt ok and was realtively easy to complete the whole mounting procedure.
Functionality is good with no real hickups during use. The buttons are easy to set and recording is easy as well.
As I had read in reviews, once I downloaded the video files to my computer, the quality was not good at all nor was the sound. It looks more like video you would want to use on video sharing sites but nothing of any decent quality. Moreover the recording length is limited by your SD card. For the price this helmet camera is ok as a hobby camera.

In conclusion I will have to say the Adrenaline Systems ATV Cam produces super performance and quality with the most flexibility and pricing is reasonable when you compare to other systems out there which can get pretty prices. The Oregon scientific is great as a hobby cam but nothing more. For a few more dollars you can get what the documentary makers are using.


I got the adrenaline systems kit at the Adrenaline Camera website (Adrenaline Camera website (their dot com) and the Oregon Scientific at their corporate sales site.

Please PM if you have any input and thanks for your suggestions!





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I finally got around to getting an action camera for my off road riding. I purchased two of them so that I can try them out and figure out which would be the best.

I would like to ask for some advice on how best to test these cameras out? what should I keep in mind? any good ideas out there?

The two systems I got for testing are The Adrenaline Systems ATV Camera which I read on the boards has some great features. I also got the Oregon Scientific sd cam.
the adrenaline systems atv cam comes with the full set up, including a real neat microphone which allows me to put the mike anywhere I want. The mounts look very well made.
They are very sturdy. I already ran into some brush and the mount did not move an inch or get damaged. Also, the camera was very easy to hook up to my camcorder.
The oregon scientifc is next.
I will post my results as soon as I can. Any feedback will be appreciated on these sports cameras.

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