Update on the Dissapointing World of Helmet Cameras

A while back I went throught the painful process of trying to aquire a working Vholdr camera. See post below. It worked well for a while, until it started "locking". I could not get the unit to start or stop recording. So I would try to power it off in an effort to "reboot" the unit. It would not power off, so I was forced to remove the battery. This turned it off, but didn't resolve the problem. As a result, I decided I would return the Vholdr camera and try the GoPro helmet camera. I received the GoPro and was immediately impressed with the wide assortment of attachements & extra stickies to mount the camera with. Unlike Vholdr which charges you for every additional attachment. I was also impressed with the buttons on the plastic case that encloses the unit - they worked very well and seemed very tough and rigid. See the VholdR experience post below for some of my difficulties with the VholdR buttons. So, after I finally figured out how to unpack the GoPro, I installed the batteries that came with it and threw in a MicroSD card. Nice not to have to hunt the planet for a special MicroSD card. Mounted the camera on the TOP of my helmet - note top, I wouldn't mount to the side again because when any camera is mounted to the side of the helmet, you won't see your buddies when your turn your head to look back. If this is confusing, place your hand on the side of your head and turn back as though you where casting a glance at the bike behind you. You'll quickly see what I am referring to. Anyhow, took off pressed the power button, heard a faint beep or two and then presses the record button. I could only assume that it was working because the GoPro does not have any audible method of communicating whether it is recording or not. This is a very very big problem and this missing feature alone puts the VholdR miles ahead of the GoPro. Even if you have a semi-working VholdR. So, I took my helmet off to confirm that it was in fact recording and it was. This is confirmed by a large flashing LED. Inside, out of the sun, this light seems really large, but once it's out in the sun you can't see it at all. Went for a short 15 minute blast, came home and watched the video. About 5 seconds in, the video stopped. This was incredible. I emailed support requesting some advice. They immediately called and informed me that the batteries that ship with the GoPro are only good for still photos and to purchase Energize Lithium batteries. I spoke with Royal Distributing and they suggested using Duracell batteries. The lithium are quite expensive, so I tried some Duracell and had the same results. Needless to say, I returned this camera as well. For the headache, I'll pickup a cheap HD camera from Costco, thrown it in a zip lock bag and duck tape it to my helmet. In summary, my opinion is that the helmet cameras have been rushed to market. Over the next 6 months I think we'll see these cameras mature.