Monday, 6 July 2009

Are There Any Benefits To A POV Cam And Why Are They Indispensable For Water Sports Videographers?

By Mike Brooks

Petite point of view cameras which can be connected to a helmet have resulted in becoming a bit of a craze within the last few years. These helmet cams, as they are also called, are used by all sports enthusiasts right from hang gliders to mountain bikers, surfers to automotive riders.

You may ask what is the definition of a hat camera?

Sometimes called a bullet cam, it is a petite video camera meant specifically for capturing typically outdoor sports action footage and other additional videos. No wonder consumers are often confused as these camcorders go by so many names. All point of view cameras are embedded into the helmets of outdoor sports enthusiasts and hence are also nicknamed helmet cams. All these helmet cams use wide angle lenses which facilitate capturing "in your face" action scenes. As these cameras are fixed to the helmets, the audience can feel and sense everything from the perspective of the character. Point-of-view or POV camera technology has recently been embraced by a lot of action sports enthusiasts and they have at the same time found their way into numerous job interrelated uses for computer technicians, security personel, firemen and even many police tactical units.

These helmet cameras are specially built so that they can be easily mounted or removed from the helmets. The ensuing unique hands free methodology makes it extremely helpful to skateboarders, cyclists, and motorbike enthusiasts as they can easily capture wonderful videos without the need to endanger their well-being by taking their hands off their sports equipment.

One might wonder whether these helmet cams would be able to resist all kinds of natural rugged locations. Given that these cameras were designed with a "tank tough" reason in mind, they have been designed to be water resistant, shock resistant, and tough in order that they remain totally functional during the user's rides. Riders won't have to be concerned about loose debris hitting their point of view cameras, while due to the fact that they are water resistant there should be no worries about outdoor elemental damage for most sports enthusiasts.

Several brands of POV cams are completely waterproof. Waterproof helmet cameras are customized for water based action such as surfing, swimming and wind surfing. There is even a brand of HD snorkeling goggle video cameras.

As for mountain biking enthusiasts, their former "helmet cameras" included full sized camcorders stuck to the helmet which never allowed a full viewing experience for the viewers. However, the newest created point of view cameras are built to stand against not just the abuse of bouncing but also any kind of mud or wet spots that it is likely to come across.

These point of view cameras are typically mounted either directly onto the front of the helmet or to the side; depending on the user's preference. When a user turns on the camera, the lens turns on and captures the scenery with automatic contrast, white balance and other features. This data is then dispatched electronically to the recording unit which video records the action. This recording will keep going till the battery dies or the SD card is totally full.

Considering the fact that these kinds of hat cameras are little in weight, fits in your palm and are very robust, they have very reasonable price labels. Prices vary from about $100 for the low point whereas mid price cameras are about $280 and high end cameras like the Vio Pov 1.5 go for approximately $700. Thus all these cameras are available for everyone's financial plan. It doesn't matter if you're a professional or semi pro sports aficionado. A helmet cam is destined for you!

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