[Johnnyvee]

I’m not wanting to become a cycling vigilante however I have experienced a few close passes recently.  So…

Anyone got any good recommendations for front and rear facing cameras that aren’t going to cost a huge amount?  I’m more interested in what people on here have experience of and the pros and cons of use of each.  Don’t want anything too bulky or too obvious to be honest as I sometimes think drawing attention to them may gave an adverse reaction. 

 

Thanks for any help. 

Topic

[dottigirl]

bendertherobot wrote:

Have a look at the Apeman 4k on Amazon.

Yeah. Various events in the last few days are finally persuading me to took up.

http://amzn.to/2pXwRdc

[bendertherobot]

Have a look at the Apeman 4k

Have a look at the Apeman 4k on Amazon.

[Team EPO]

GoPro overpriced the Session

GoPro overpriced the Session 4 at launch and now superceded so pretty good value from the usual suspects of Amazon , Argos etc, also jessops in store had some good deals to clear stock

[Team EPO]

I have used the Cycliq Fly6

I have used the Cycliq Fly6 but at £148 it is not cheap but is very easy to use and has a decent battery life unlike the GoPRos and the like.

PS One top tip is to shout out the numberplate in case the footage is too blurry eg at night.

 

Some footage of mine in action

 

[hawkinspeter]

I used to use a Contour Roam

I used to use a Contour Roam 2 on my helmet and it was okay, but a bit heavy for helmet mounting. You have to manually make room on it which is annoying when you forget and then it can’t record anything more. The Fly12 is an improvement, but is much heavier and not suitable for helmet mounting in my opinion.

[Johnnyvee]

Thanks for the advice…  I

Thanks for the advice…  I think the fly6 looks the best for rear facing and mounting on the seat post.

I like the idea of decent quality footage on a helmet mounted cam but the hero 5 is quite pricey. 

Anyone on here used the contour roam? And if so what kind of results did you get?

Am thinking this is a less obvious type of camera to have on a helmet but of course if the video is no good there’s very little point. I tend to ride first thing in the morning and sometimes commute… 

[tritecommentbot]

Nice, going to check that out

Nice, going to check that out.

 

Edit: balls, not available for the 5 Black 

[turboprannet]

I didn’t even know the

I didn’t even know the extended battery was a thing. £32.99 on Amazon for an Ecstapro. Just bought one.

[tritecommentbot]

I need one of those battery

I need one of those battery packs. My 5’s almost useless cos of the battery life, hate starting and stopping to pick and choose when to get it recording.

[CXR94Di2]

Ive got the Hero5 Session,

Ive got the Hero5 Session, battery pack and 132gb card gives 8+hrs of recording.  1080p with image stabilization is great.

[tritecommentbot]

I got the Hero 5 Black and

I got the Hero 5 Black and the footage quality is amazing, especially with stabilisation on. Really does smooth out the vibrations. 

The Hero 5 Session is smaller again and more discrete. 

Rubbish battery life. 2 to 2.5 hours max on the 5 Black. 

Biggest problem I found was that it’s time consuming and changes your mentality. First time I took it out we had a super dangerous close pass at high speed on a blind spot with a car coming the other way too. Really nuts. Police ignored it. 

 

 

[sminchnz]

I’ve got a Panasonic HX-A1M,

I’ve got a Panasonic HX-A1M, which is small and light, and seems to work well in low light. The battery is a bit rubbish, lasting a bit over an hour. The app to format the SD card etc is okay, does the job, but a bit clunky.

Cheap and works well enough, but I wouldn’t rush out and buy the same again when it eventually dies.

[DaveE128]

I have a Sony AS30. The
I have a Sony AS30. The footage quality is pretty decent in day time. Can rarely read registration plates at dusk or night on either lit or unlit streets. The form factor and mount are somewhat awkward (many Sony mounts are junk, there are some good 3rd party ones but much harder to find than gopro compatible). The battery life isn’t amazing, but is ok for my commute if I charge at work in cold weather. It doesn’t loop record. Menus are slightly fiddly.

[Shades]

For the hostile commutes I

For the hostile commutes I run a Fly6 on the back; 2 years on and going strong.  Good video, even in the dark.  I’ve got a Drift Stealth 2 helmet mounted; again good video but not great in the dark.  I use the (supplied) goggle mount ‘bodged’ to fit on the vents using a velcro strap I had in my ‘might come in useful’ box.  Not as crazy looking as a helmet mounted GoPro.  The first Drift I got had a duff battery; replacement seems OK after a years use.

I just use the cameras for commutes and some road rides where I’m on my own so I don’t become totally paranoid.  Probably get knocked off when I’m not using them!

[hawkinspeter]

I’m a Cycliq fan – the Fly6

I’m a Cycliq fan – the Fly6 for rear view and the Fly12 for the front. I reckon the Fly6 can’t be beaten for ease of use although you need to be careful with the seatpost bracket they supply – it looks like you slide the Fly6 into it, but it’ll break if you do that so you need to use the rubber straps to remove and attach it.

The Fly12 is good, but very expensive and quite heavy (presumably due to the batteries inside – non replaceable unfortunately). It’s got a built in front light, but I only use it as an emergency/backup light as you can’t point it down onto the road whilst keeping the camera facing straight ahead. The Fly6 also has a light, but it’s not as powerful and so doesn’t matter where it’s facing.

The other issue I’ve had with the Fly12 is finding a decent quick-release. As it’s heavy, you need something very secure and strong so that vibrations aren’t transmitted to it (shaky videos).

[Author]

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