Ski and Snowboard Video Cameras

Sport Video and Helmet Cams

 

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Consumer Ski and Snowboard Portable Video Cameras

Helmet Cams and POV Sports Action Video: This consumer video category includes the light rugged and portable video cameras which can mount to helmets, skis, arms, chest, etc. They are typically water and snow resistant as well as shock resistant. They also must be very lightweight so they can mount to a ski or snowboard helmet without hindering mobility or one's coordination and balance during actions sports activity. All helmet cam or "Point of View" (POV) video cameras listed are HD compatible:

Camera
Description
Apple and Mophie
Apple iPhone and Mophie Outrider video case

Apple iPhone 5 and the Mophie Outride case

Apple iPhone and Mophie Outrider video case
Apple iPhone 5 and the Mophie Outride case:
HD Resolution: 1080p (30fps). User facing camera: 720p.
Aperture: F2.4
Weight: 4 oz/112 g
Still images: 8 MP
Features: includes built-in LED/flash, GPS receiver and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n.
Contour
Contour video camera

Contour GPS


[Buy now]
HD Resolution: 1080p (30fps), 960p (30fps), 720p (60/30fps)
Field of View: 135 degree lens (980p/720p), 110 degrees (1080p), 170 degrees F2.8
Format: MOV/H.264
White Balance: configurable
Weight: 5.1 to 5.3 oz
Lens and CCD can rotate to accommodate mounting 0 to 360 degrees off axis.
Features: Advanced model includes built-in GPS receiver (position, speed, elevation and path), Water resistant, 5 Megapixel camera, Bluetooth (connects to mobile phone and Contour Connect App), Time lapse 3,5,10,30,60 seconds, built-in laser to align shot, omni-directional microphone, rugged anodized aluminum body
HD Resolution: 1080p
Field of View: 150 degree wide angle view
Still images: 8 MP
Weight: 3 oz
Built-in 1.5 in TFT LCD view screen and HDMI, Digital 3x zoom.
Waterproof

Mounts by Fat Gecko recommended.

Resolution: HD
Video Formats: 1080p/60fps, 1080p/30fps, 720p/120fps (High Speed), 720p/60fps, 720p/30fps, WVGA/240fps (High Speed)
Still image resolution: 5M(185 degrees), 3.5M(165 degrees), 2M(135 degrees)
Field of View: 185/165/135 degree wide angle view
White Balance: Auto/Night/Daylight/Cloudy/Light Bulb/Florescent
Features: Live WiFi streaming while recording: WQVGA (400 x 240), WVGA (800 x 480)
HD-1080
HD Resolution: 1080p, 960p (30fps), 720p (30fps), WVGA (60fps)
Field of View: 168 degree wide angle view
Sensor: 1/2.5" 5M CMOS
Format: MPEG-4/H.264
White Balance: automatic
Still images: 8, 5 and 3 MP
Time Lapse: 2,5,10,30,60 sec
Weight: 7 oz
Digital 4x zoom, 3 AA batteries, not waterproof

GoPro Hero 5: Black
HD Resolution: 4k (FPS: 30, 25, 24), 2.7k (FPS: 60, 50, 48, 30, 24), 1440p (FPS: 80, 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24), 1080p (FPS: 120, 90, 80, 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24), 960p, 720p (FPS: 120, 100, 60, 50), 960p, 720p, WVGA
Still Images: 12 MP
Battery: 1220 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
Features: Video time lapse (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 sec), Wi-Fi for view control by mobile device or GoPro control, micro SD, voice control, USB-C, micro HDMI, RAW and WDR photos


GoPro Hero 4: Black (discontinued)


GoPro Hero 3: "Black" edition (discontinued)
HD Resolution: 1440p (FPS: 48, 30, 25, 24), 1080p (FPS: 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24), 960p, 720p (FPS: 120, 100, 60, 50) and VGA.
Still Images: 12.7, 7 and 5 MP modes
Aperture: F2.8
Battery: 1050 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
Features: Video time lapse (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 sec), Wi-Fi for view control by mobile device or GoPro control, micro HDMI, white balance, USB, micro SD (64Mb max) and 3.5mm mic adapter.

The Hero 3 is available in the "Black", "Silver" and "White" editions with the "Black" edition having the most features.


GoPro Hero 2: (discontinued)
HD Resolution: 1080p (30fps), 960p (48,30fps), 720p (at 60,30 fps), WVGA (120,60fps)
Field of View: 90 (narrow), 127 (medium), 170 (wide) degree view for 1080 and 720p. 170 degree view for 960p and WVGA.
Photo: 11, 8, 5MP
Time Lapse: 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 sec
LED: 4


GoPro Hero: (discontinued)
HD Resolution: 1080p (30fps), 960p (30fps), 720p (at 30/60 fps)
Sensor: 1/2.5" HD CMOS
Field of View: 127-170 degree view
White Balance: automatic
Format: H.264 Video Compression (MP4)
Photo: 5MP
Weight: 7 oz
Time Lapse: 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 sec
LED: 1

Features: Waterproof case. Leader in the compact portable sport video camera field.


GoPro Hero5: Session
HD Resolution: 4k (FPS: 30, 25), 2.7k (FPS: 48, 30, 25), 1440p (FPS: 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24), 1080p (FPS: 90, 60, 50, 30, 25, 24)
Still Images: 10 MP
Aperture: F2.8
Battery: 1000 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
Features: Video time lapse (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 sec), Wi-Fi for view control by mobile device or GoPro control, USB, micro SD, looping video

GoPro Hero4 Session shown

Sioeye Iris4G
HD Resolution: 4k (FPS: 30), 2.7k (FPS: 30), 1080p (FPS: 120, 60, 30), 720p (FPS: 120, 60, 30)
Still Images: 18 MP (4:3 aspect ratio), 13 MP (13:9 aspect ratio), 8 MP (4:3 aspect ratio)
Aperture: F2.8
Sensors: GPS, altimeter & gyroscope
Battery: 1160 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
Features: Video time lapse (2, 3, 5, 10 sec), Wi-Fi for view control

Live streaming video transmission (and recording). Uses cellular 4G mobile cell phone technology and Android OS. Add sim card (LTE-FDD/WCDMA) and stream. WiFi, Blue tooth.

HD Resolution: 1080p
Field of View: 170 degree view
Has white balance control, WiFi, 3-Axis Gyro, 3D accelerometer, barometric altitude sensor and lighting-fast GPS receiver
HD Resolution: 1920x1080 (60p/50p), 1080 (60/50p), 1080 (30/25p), 960 (30/25p), 720 (60/50p), 720 (30/25p), 480 (30/25p), NTSC and PAL, 8MPixel and 16 MPixel photos (burst mode up to 15 photos/sec)
Field of View: 160 degrees (GC-XA2)
Video Formats: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (MP4)
Aperture: F/N=2.4
Weight: 0.3 lbs/135 g
Features: Image stabilization with gyro sensor, time lapse stills every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 sec. Rolling shutter cancellation to correct fast moving scenes. HDMI. Built-in 1.5" LCD. Wi-Fi with video transfer to Android and iOS smart phones.
HD Resolution: 720p (30fps) and 1080p available
Field of View: 159 degrees
Sensor: 1/3.2" 5.0 Mega Pixels CMOS sensor
Lens Type: Fixed focus 1.2m+
Aperture: F/N=3.2
White Balance: automatic
Features: Point of View. Video built into ski goggles.
Sony
Sony Action Cam POV helmet cam

Action Cam HDR-AS10 or HDR-AS15 (with Wi-Fi)

Sony Action Cam POV helmet cam

HD Resolution: 1920x1080, 1280x720 (at 30 fps). Also supports VGA.
Field of View: 120 (steady mode) or 170 degree view.
Focal length (35 mm equivalent): f=15.3mm
Aperture: F2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens
Formats: MPEG 4 AVC, H.264
Weight: 90 g with battery
Battery: 1240 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
Photo: 2 MP 1920x1080
Features: Image stabilization (this is huge!), Time lapse (every 5/10/30/60 seconds), still JPEGs (2 Megapixel), waterproof (with case SPK-AS1), Wi-Fi 802.11b for smart phone controls (HDR-AS15 only), micro B USB 2.0, micro HDMI, auto white balance, Zeiss Tessar lens, built-in stereo microphone and mini-jack, standard tripod mount.

This camera is a game changer in this market due to image stabilization enabled by their BIONZ processor and algorithms brought in from their DSLR line. Image stabilization does reduce the field of view from 170 to 120 degrees.

The menu system and buttons you have to press are not user or glove friendly. It is even worse when using the waterproof housing. Use the smart phone app.

Tachyon XC

MicroHD

HD Resolution: 720p (at 30 fps)
Field of View: 125 degree view
Formats: MPEG 4, H.264
Features: Time lapse (every two seconds), waterproof to 100ft
HD Resolution: 1080p/30fps, 1080p/24fps, 720p/60fps, 480p/30fps
Field of View: 142 degrees (1080p), 95 degrees (720p), 120 degrees (480p)
Sensor: 1/2.7" HD CMOS
Format: MPEG-4/H.264
Weight: 3.5 oz
VIO Point of View. Waterproof. LCD view screen. Four AA batteries. Wrist video controls.

VIO-POV video camera
HD Resolution: 1080p and 720p video, 12MPixel photos
Field of View: 170 degrees (1080p)
Lithium-ion battery with three hour run time.
Point of View. In-goggle viewfinder optional. Adjusts for light levels. Infinity focus. Controls on side of frame.

Video Camera Notes:
  • The larger the CCD sensor, the better the image quality. A 1/2.5" sensor is larger than a 1/3.2" sensor.
  • Sixty frames per second (fps) is for shooting slow motion video as it is replayed at 30fps.
  • Video file formats of AVI, MOV, etc are just the wrapper/container to the actual video file codec. Typical codecs are MPEG 4/H.264, DivX, WMV 7, etc.


GoBandit:

This helmet sport video camera has it all: GPS, G-meter, gyro, heart rate monitor and yes, it also has a video camera. It uses a wireless connection to your iPhone to view and edit the video.

GoBandit "Race" (entry level) and GoBandit "Live" (all features)
GoBandid video camera:
GoBandid video camera video tour of product features and use
GoBandit iPhone app
GoBandit iPhone app
GoBandit iPhone app to view and even edit video.

GoPro Accessories:

GoPro video dipslay

Detachable video LCD "BacPac" display and protective case extension. The display plugs into the socket on the rear of the video camera. Note that GoPro cameras do not normally come with video display and that this accessory is required to view video upon recording, playback or while on standby.


 

GoPro 3D Video:

GoPro 3D video camera

3D video for display on 3D enabled televisions.


Contour Video:

The Contour has built-in blue tooth support which can connect with Apple iOS and Android based mobile phones. The Contour Connection App on the mobile phone can connect with the Contour video camera to act as a real time viewfinder. This app may require you to upgrade the firmware on your Contour video camera. The App can also change and view settings to adjust video mode, GPS settings, volume, check battery and memory, check GPS signal, etc.

Accessories:
  • Connect View Card: required to connect the Contour with Apple iOS mobile product.
  • Storyteller app: video editor and manager. Combine video and location map as defined by the GPS to locate where the video was taking place.
  • Camera mounts: strap, bar mount, surfboard mount, helmet mount, suction cup mount, roll bar mount, hat mount, headband mount, helmet vent mount, pole mount, MIL-STD-1913 tactical weapon Picatinny mount, universal tripod adapter.
  • Waterproof cases: buoyant and good to 60 meters
  • Chargers: Automobile and wall chargers

Camera Accessories:

Video camera ski pole mount

Video camera ski pole mount

Goal Zero: solar power charger for USB devices

Goal Zero: Nomad 7 - solar power charger for USB devices

Goal Zero portable power:
Goal Zero solar charger, battery and portable power for USB rechargeable devices

GoPuck USB charger

Go Puck: USB battery charge

GoPole helmet extension

GoPole: helmet extension

VuVantage harness and pole extension

VuVantage: body harness and pole mount

Polar Pro: Backpak strap camera mount

Polar Pro: Backpack strap camera mount

Polar Pro: Go Pro camera filters

Polar Pro: Go Pro camera filters

Polar Pro: Go Pro camera microphone kit

Polar Pro: Go Pro microphone kit

Polar Pro: Go Pro camera battery and pole

Polar Pro: Go Pro waterproof hand grip, long duration external battery (12 hr), and light bar

Polar Pro video accessories:
Polar Pro filters and selfie stick tripod

Ski Video Cameras and Accessories:

Ski Video Tips:

  • Filters: Bright light conditions may require a polarizing filter
  • Don't pan too fast: The video processors may not keep up and the video may be less crisp and clear
  • Anti-Fog: Cameras with sealed waterproof cases may experience condensation when the camera is in the cold environment. Employ "ant-fog" inserts. [GoPro anti fog inserts - buy now]
  • Keep the camera steady: The Steadycam Pilot and other tools can be employed if required.
  • Clothing color: The subject should not be dressed in white. White cloths against a white snow background does not provide enough contrast.
  • Framing: Practice will help. Aim the camera properly and be aware of what is being filmed. There is nothing worse than viewing a helmet cam POV shot which points to the sky or down to the ground.
  • Frame rate: Taking video at 60 frames per second (fps) and viewing at 30 fps will slow the video 50% rendering a slow motion video sequence.
  • Mounting Options:
    • Helmet mount: This hands free option allows full freedom of movement. Not likely to block the camera. Less perspective due to the lack of any foreground view of the skier/boarder.
    • Pole mount: This is especially popular with boarders who have free hands for use with a pole. Provides some unique close-up views of the boarder. Placed behind the boarder it looks like the camera man is following very close.
    • Chest Mount: A harness is worn to hold the camera on the chest. (GoPro sells such a mount). On powder days the lens can get sprayed. Shows skiers poling.

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