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Mounting camera on a helmet - which side?

p4i1

p4i1

weekend rider
Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Location
Cupertino
Moto(s)
2011 Honda CBR250R (Sold), 2008 Honda CBR600RR
Name
Phil
I bought me a camera - Contour Roam. I want to mount it on my helmet and thinking what side will be better?

Mounting on top:
+ symmetric,
+ probably wider view
- cannot leash it to the helmet (i am not sure)
- cannot adjust vertical angle since mount will rotate horizontally - no use.

Mounting on left:
+ probably will be easier to operate it with left (clutch) hand.
+ can adjust vertical angle with rotating mount
+ can leash it to the helmet
- side of the helmet might obstruct a view (i am not sure)
- not balanced, not symmetric

Mounting on right:
All the same as left, with one difference which is a minus:
- will need to operate with right hand, which is usually on the throttle or break, more busy than the left one

So given that I more inclined to mount it on the left side, or maybe on top. But not on the right.

Opinions? Experience?
 
Recommend top mounting. Otherwise the helmet will block part of the view.

Yes you can leash it to the helmet... or I could anyway, by drilling a little hole in the rear vent cover. See second pic below.

As for the vertical angle, you just have to get it right the first time. The laser sight thing helps with that. Put the helmet on, move the mount/camera around til it's just right, and have someone help you mark the position on the helmet.

No problem reaching the switch with my left hand.

DSC04610.JPG


DSC04607.JPG
 
I mounted on the right side but if I had to redo it I'd put it on the left side because I need to take my hand off the throttle to turn it on.

helmet.jpg
 
HappyHighwayman said:
I mounted on the right side but if I had to redo it I'd put it on the left side because I need to take my hand off the throttle to turn it on.

helmet.jpg
Click to expand...

Does helmet obstruct the view when mounted on the side?
 
One thing to keep in mind for helmet mounting (mine is on the left, btw): Make sure you put on the helmet and set the camera angle by looking at a wall/mirror. Mine looks like it is pointing up way too high, but is perfect. If I had set it to an angle that looked right without the helmet on, I would be taking videos of my gauge cluster instead of the road.

Regarding leashing, I have mine leashed to one of the D-rings for the helmet strap.
 
I'm pretty sure that outside works best.
 
p4i1 said:
Does helmet obstruct the view when mounted on the side?
Click to expand...

It does in 720p mode but when I switch it to 1080 it has a deeper view and you can't see the helmet.

Sample video from my crash last week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAlqRiTUhXk

(Video compressed from original).


Bonerov said:
One thing to keep in mind for helmet mounting (mine is on the left, btw): Make sure you put on the helmet and set the camera angle by looking at a wall/mirror. Mine looks like it is pointing up way too high, but is perfect. If I had set it to an angle that looked right without the helmet on, I would be taking videos of my gauge cluster instead of the road.

Regarding leashing, I have mine leashed to one of the D-rings for the helmet strap.
Click to expand...


That's why I used the swivel mount. You can get on your bike, sit in your natural position facing a wall, and push the laser button. Then swivel the camera until the laser is the level and position you want, and lock the swivel.

I think I mounted it on the right side in case I ever got a SENA bluetooth module I wanted the microphone to be on the left.
 
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I mounted mine on the right side. I wish I mounted it on the left side. Easier to manipulate while moving.
 
My Contour is on the right since my Cardo Scala Rider Solo was already on the left, it won't mount on the right. I haven't had any problems. I go out, I turn it on. I get back, I turn it off.

I got it to document road incidents, not really for a travelogue so all I did was use the sights to make sure it was in the middle of my normal view.
mount.jpgcamera.jpg

What I see/look will be recorded and the helmet is only on the edge of the field.
view.jpg
I was concerned about loosing it during a ride so I made a small loop and put it over the strap behind the pad. It's already saved the camera once.
safety.jpg
 
p4i1 said:
Does helmet obstruct the view when mounted on the side?
Click to expand...
A little. This is a Contour Roam (720p mode) mounted almost exactly as pictured on the black helmet above.

[youtube]vkG-PF2yIYg[/youtube]

Yeah I have to take my hand off the important throttle/brake control but it's very brief for the easy slide switch. I do it a lot. It's not something I would want to do on the freeway (get off the gas).

I have it mounted on the right to be compatible with the Quick-Strap goggles. On my street helmet I would consider mounting on the left.
 
That's about right but my view has less than half of the helmet shown in 2strokeYardSale's post. I think I set mine just a bit further back along the helmet's curve as my view is more central. Sorry I don't have any pic to show as I just delete unless I need it as evidence.
 
lam@barf said:
That's about right but my view has less than half of the helmet shown in 2strokeYardSale's post. I think I set mine just a bit further back along the helmet's curve as my view is more central. Sorry I don't have any pic to show as I just delete unless I need it as evidence.
Click to expand...
Hmm, how could you mount it farther back and see less helmet in the FOV? (Ignoring the fact the dirt visor protrudes and the goggles are set back from where a street visor would be.)

My mounting position was largely determined by the location on the helmet that provided the most contact area for the adhesive mount. Other nearby locations didn't have the right curve, or had a horizontal ridge, something to interfere with 100% adhesion.

When you relied on the leash, is that because the mount/adhesive came off the helmet or because the camera came off the mount? I find the former possible and the latter highly unlikely.
 
rodr said:
Recommend top mounting. Otherwise the helmet will block part of the view
....
As for the vertical angle, you just have to get it right the first time. The laser sight thing helps with that. Put the helmet on, move the mount/camera around til it's just right, and have someone help you mark the position on the helmet.
Click to expand...

I wonder, when mounting it on top, how much it depends on riding position? Like when you just stand on the feet, or ride standard bike, or ride sport bike - i wonder if you actually bend your neck or just move your eyes up? I never tried to understand what my body is actually doing. If I use neck then probably camera will shoot straight in every position. If I adjust by looking more up - than I need to adjust a camera. Most probably its a combination on both.

So question to those who mounted camera on top - if you stand or ride - does it actually shoot same angle or different? And if different - then how much?
 
2strokeYardSale said:
Hmm, how could you mount it farther back and see less helmet in the FOV? (Ignoring the fact the dirt visor protrudes and the goggles are set back from where a street visor would be.)
Click to expand...
If it's just slightly further along the curve of the helmet from the front toward the back then that changes the angle of view on the vertical plane toward the center. That change in that axis also reduces the amount of helmet in the view.

2strokeYardSale said:
My mounting position was largely determined by the location on the helmet that provided the most contact area for the adhesive mount. Other nearby locations didn't have the right curve, or had a horizontal ridge, something to interfere with 100% adhesion.
Click to expand...
The mount adhesive is on a pad with some flex/give and seated firmly despite the slight curve. The lower edge is actually sitting on the shaped area but I haven't had any problems with it coming off. I did follow the 'clean it first' instructions and that may have helped.

2strokeYardSale said:
When you relied on the leash, is that because the mount/adhesive came off the helmet or because the camera came off the mount? I find the former possible and the latter highly unlikely.
Click to expand...
When I researched cameras I read about problems other people had so I did the leash as a preventative measure, attaching to the helmet instead of just the mount for that reason. Recently at a stop light I checked to see that the record switch was on and bumped the camera. Maybe because I take it off to hook up to the computer it slides easier than it used to but it slipped off the mount and the leash kept it right there.

When finding your install position just make sure you're standing square to the wall and looking directly ahead. With the paper still on slide the camera on the mount along the helmet base until the dots are straight in front of you. Mark with a grease pencil but be careful not to wipe them out completely when you clean the mount area.
 
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i don't think that tethering a camera to a vent cover is such a good idea. most of the covers ive seen are held on w/ double-sided tape.... not exactly sturdy enough to catch a falling/dangling camera.
 
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