Chestnut Lady
New User
Hi all what lightweight headcam do you recommend please?
Headcam recommendations
- Thread starter Chestnut Lady
- Start date
Foxaunt
Well-Known Member
not what you asked; I love my gopro, but it is heavy!
Chestnut Lady
New User
Thank you, I wondered whether go pro do lighter ones now
Iris1995
Well-Known Member
My Cambox Pro V4 is utterly useless. Very poor quality and the app doesn’t give the function that others do. The company have been very poor to deal with so have spent £600 on a camera that doesn’t work But as I bought it directly from France I have no come back on them. I now use a Geekam which has good quality pictures, stays on when switched on and easy to download over its own wifi.
Hackback
Well-Known Member
I did a lot of research and bought an Akaso V50 Pro which is supposed to be as good quality as a GoPro but a lot cheaper according to the reviews.
It seems OK quality, has lots of options (if only I knew what they all meant) and is relatively easy to transfer files over WiFi to my Galaxy phone. However it has exactly the same issue as my previous two headcams - I don't know when it's switched on. There is a blue light that comes on but I can't see it when it's on my head and it isn't even on the front so I have to pull the camera down and ask someone to check if my light is on. It makes a noise when you switch it on and off but it's quiet and I can't hear it in group situations, and I think it's the same noise anyway so I don't know if I'm switching it on or off! You can operate from your phone but it's fiddly and uses more battery. It also has a remote control but again its the same button for start and stop, so unless you've got a good memory you don't know which you're doing.
I suppose it would be ok for those scenarios where you want to leave the camera running, but for something like a day's hunting where you just want to switch on for the good bits it's a bit disappointing.
Friend has a GoPro and although she has the same issue with not knowing if her light is flashing, it does at least make a loud noise which is different for start and stop recording so she is able to manage quite well, although her battery seems to always run out before the end of the ride.
(Mine comes with 2 batteries and a double charging port but I've never needed the second battery)
It seems OK quality, has lots of options (if only I knew what they all meant) and is relatively easy to transfer files over WiFi to my Galaxy phone. However it has exactly the same issue as my previous two headcams - I don't know when it's switched on. There is a blue light that comes on but I can't see it when it's on my head and it isn't even on the front so I have to pull the camera down and ask someone to check if my light is on. It makes a noise when you switch it on and off but it's quiet and I can't hear it in group situations, and I think it's the same noise anyway so I don't know if I'm switching it on or off! You can operate from your phone but it's fiddly and uses more battery. It also has a remote control but again its the same button for start and stop, so unless you've got a good memory you don't know which you're doing.
I suppose it would be ok for those scenarios where you want to leave the camera running, but for something like a day's hunting where you just want to switch on for the good bits it's a bit disappointing.
Friend has a GoPro and although she has the same issue with not knowing if her light is flashing, it does at least make a loud noise which is different for start and stop recording so she is able to manage quite well, although her battery seems to always run out before the end of the ride.
(Mine comes with 2 batteries and a double charging port but I've never needed the second battery)
dixie
Well-Known Member
oh that’s disappointing. I have the version 2 and it’s great. They are very pricey though but very lightweight and discreet. I don’t have an app that works with my version which I thought would be useful.
Dyllymoo
Well-Known Member
I had a Cambox V3 and it was excellent. Quality of the recordings was great and the app was good too. I used a powerbank if I was going further etc. but it was so lightweight.
Rowreach
Adjusting my sails
Depends on your budget I suppose, but if you want low budget, very small and lightweight, very simple to operate and download content, then a veho muvi is an excellent buy. The battery life isn't great, but I flick it on for the stretches of busy road I have to go on, and off for the quiet bits. It has a little spring clip so I attach it to a hi viz hat band. I don't even know it's there, unlike a previous couple of cameras which made me feel I'd got a brick on my head.
thommackintosh
Well-Known Member
@Hackback - I use the same Akaso camera. If you download the Akaso app to your phone you can use it to stop/start and see what you're recording. Really handy to make sure you're getting everything in shot that you need to.
Birker2020
Well-Known Member
My partner bought me one year before last but told me you had to wear it on your chest as it wasn't hat mounted and that was no good to me as I wore an air jacket when I hacked.
Then the following year I found it was able to be hat mounted and had all the attachments. I wore it a couple of times but couldn't get it to work very well and gave up with it.
I used to have a bullet one mounted on a hat band. It was brilliant. But sadly it got water inside it and rusted and then didn't work. It was simple to use and worked very well although I was told I couldn't use it for a SJ class only clear round due to insurance I think it was (they can be dangerous if you fall off with one on) so most show centres won't let you use I believe.
In the end I used it for hacking purposes in case of mad drivers.
Then the following year I found it was able to be hat mounted and had all the attachments. I wore it a couple of times but couldn't get it to work very well and gave up with it.
I used to have a bullet one mounted on a hat band. It was brilliant. But sadly it got water inside it and rusted and then didn't work. It was simple to use and worked very well although I was told I couldn't use it for a SJ class only clear round due to insurance I think it was (they can be dangerous if you fall off with one on) so most show centres won't let you use I believe.
In the end I used it for hacking purposes in case of mad drivers.
Hackback
Well-Known Member
Thanks, how do you find it affects the battery life of your phone/camera? Do you have to reconnect the WiFi each time you switch the camera off and on again? I have tried it out at home so I know I have the capability haha but never tested it on a long ride. Also its tricky to operate phone when wearing gloves, trying to calm an excited horse who knows he's about to set off in gallop and phone is buried securely in a zipped pocket somewhere! There must be a solution though ?
Chestnut Lady
New User
Thank you
thommackintosh
Well-Known Member
@Hackback I tend to get it started on my phone and then just let it keep going. I'll get a good 90 mins out of it. Doesn't drain the phone too much.
Spottyappy
Well-Known Member
I have the cambox origin and love it. The battery life seems good as is the quality of video.
Violet
Well-Known Member
I have had the same experience with the Cambox V4 Pro I bought. Terrible customer service, they promise to sort things out but it doesn't happen. Battery life only lasts for about 40 minutes and therefore useless on a hack. I was told they only had this problem with the cameras sold to the UK as in France they could get 90 minutes of recording on one charge...
The only positive is the design which makes it feel safe to use on my helmet.
If anyone has a solution to how to increase the recording time please let me know.[/QUOTE]
COldNag
Wasting my time successfully....
Cambox v2 is so far excellent (fairly new purchase so only used a few times).
Bought direct from France - they had a special offer on.
Beware the import duty though!
Bought direct from France - they had a special offer on.
Beware the import duty though!
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
For simple security purposes I use these cheap little things from ebay, one forwards one backwards. They have a couple of hours battery life and they work and they're so cheap it doesn't matter if you drop them. I turn them upside down if it rains, just in case the buttons leak. They come with velcro hat attachments.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motor-Bi...-/384177147427?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motor-Bi...-/384177147427?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286
Leafcutter
Active Member
I had a GoPro white, what a load of rubbish, it just randomly turns off all the time, regardless of battery charge. I have faffed around with it for months trying to get it to work properly, finally given up and binned the damn thing, never again! Also the screen over the lens is not replaceable, so if you break/crack it, the thing is ruined. It was by far and away the worst £180 I ever spent!
All
Well-Known Member
I have a go pro 8 ( there is a newer one out now)
Expensive yes
But well worth it for my purposes
It is mount on the top of one of my helmet's
it is heavy and you can feel it is there ( you can clip it on low branches when hacking) it's not a big deal to me
You can control if from you phone it's useful to make sure items are in shot and to start/ stop recording ect
Thay have very good image stabilization
You can get go pro insurance it's like 3 quid a month and covers up to 3 total losses per year
Only bad thing I can say is the video that comes out of it won't work directly off my computer ( it's something to do with the video compression and my old computer is not rated for 4 k video )and the uncompressed video take,s up a lot of storage ( I do a lot of filming )
Expensive yes
But well worth it for my purposes
It is mount on the top of one of my helmet's
it is heavy and you can feel it is there ( you can clip it on low branches when hacking) it's not a big deal to me
You can control if from you phone it's useful to make sure items are in shot and to start/ stop recording ect
Thay have very good image stabilization
You can get go pro insurance it's like 3 quid a month and covers up to 3 total losses per year
Only bad thing I can say is the video that comes out of it won't work directly off my computer ( it's something to do with the video compression and my old computer is not rated for 4 k video )and the uncompressed video take,s up a lot of storage ( I do a lot of filming )
Chestnut Lady
New User
Has anyone tried the DC1Dual Helmet Cam?
awelshandawarmblood
Well-Known Member
I have this! The Techalogic DC1 - records both infront & behind & its mounted on the side of your helmet.
Charges quickly, lightweight, fab battery life, can control via the wrist strap & excellent quality for pulling of registrations!!!
Only gripe is its fiddly to set it up & get it going & talking to your phone - I'm used to it now but still took me a while as its so clunky.
Chestnut Lady
New User
awelshandawarmblood Thank you for that I think this will be my choice