Hat Cams

[MAKE READY]

What is the best hat video camera to use for competition?

[Matt P.]

I have tried and owned the majority of the camera's and my favorite one is the pov 1.5 for various reasons such as ;

battery life (AA batteries btw)

durability (drop it, kick it, what ever, it can take it)

weather proof ( dust and rain will not hamper it)

remote on and off (let's you focus on shooting)

standard usb download (no special software needed)

http://www.vio-pov.com/products/pov_15.php

That is my preference

[Aristotle]

I've been using my POV for over a year now, and love it. It's probably the most expensive unit out rite now, but I have no regrets.

- ability to review video on the field.

- built beyond mil specs, mine has gone through some pretty bad conditions and is still ticking.

- very user friendly.

- rechargable AA batteries. I've recorded major matches of video of me and several of my teammates and I've never had it even come close to dieing.

- Easy on/off wear.

[scribble]

I prefer my samsung slc-300 unit as I can use it as a hat cam and also a regular camcorder. Just saves on having to buy 2 seperate peices of equipment, only down side is they don't make them any longer.

[sslav]

I like my Tachyon XC. Now they have now added the The Micro Model. So I may have to upgrade. Though I am getting a little burned out on video.

Positive points include :

1. Self contained - no wires.

2. Water proof to 30 ft.

3. Actually delivers 30fps unlike many similar cameras that claim to but do not.

3. Costs about the same as many other cameras that are inferior to it. (costs 1/5th of Pro).

Edited January 5, 2010 by sslav

[MemphisMechanic]

ContourHD. Under $300 for DVD-quality video, and it's a small self-contained unit that charges automatically when hooked to your PC.

The only thing I wish it had, was a screen to playback at the range.

[sslav]

What is the best hat video camera to use for competition?

I feel that I need to change my answer. After spending about a full season of doing video I now feel that the best camera for competition is none. I have recently not been in the mood to take videos and have noticed a significant drop in mental errors and an overall improvement in performance. I think this has to do with spending the last few moments just prior to shooting focusing on how I am going to shoot the stage and not on getting the camera on my head and turning it on. On the flip side I have not seen anything on the first person video that I did not notice during the match so as a training aid it has not been of help. I think being filmed from the side gives you more when it comes to that side of it. Your mileage may vary.

[smokshwn]

What is the best hat video camera to use for competition?

I feel that I need to change my answer. After spending about a full season of doing video I now feel that the best camera for competition is none. I have recently not been in the mood to take videos and have noticed a significant drop in mental errors and an overall improvement in performance. I think this has to do with spending the last few moments just prior to shooting focusing on how I am going to shoot the stage and not on getting the camera on my head and turning it on. On the flip side I have not seen anything on the first person video that I did not notice during the match so as a training aid it has not been of help. I think being filmed from the side gives you more when it comes to that side of it. Your mileage may vary.

That is one of the advantages to a higher end camera such as the POV. It can record in loop mode so that you can leave it in place and running all day. All that is needed to record a stage is to press a single button and it is saved.

[Aristotle]

After spending the past 3 years videoing almost every single match I have ever shot, I still think it's one of the best training aids you can have. I run a POV hatcam and I usually have one of my regular shooting partners filming 3rd person view as well. I have regular shooting partners and after several years we have the video thing down pretty well.

Today I MD'd a match, played squad leader, RO'd half of my squad and ran all my camera's and finished 3rd out of 88 overall.

I will say, it's not for everyone, but it's also not impossible to do both and perform well.

Edited March 1, 2010 by Aristotle

[TGibe]

After doing a lot of looking and watching Aristotle with his cam at matches I picked up a barely used POV 1 for under $300.00 so I can geek out without paying full retail.

It took some searching and negotiating, but it is pretty cool

Time will tell if it helps or not, but I am a gadget guy by nature so it wasn't real hard for me to pony up for this one...

Cheers,

Allen

[Flyin40]

Hat Cams really don't offer much in the form of training. The best video is from someone else filming. The hat cam is mostly for the fun factor or if you don't have anyone to video you. Don't get me wrong, I love hat cams but learned long ago they affect your overall performance. If you have one that you can turn on and leave on or has a simple one push to record button then there its not really a problem. Anything that requires you to get ready to film before shooting takes away from performance. There are some nice units out there now that take minimum effort to use. I like Aristotles idea of having both the hat cam and someone else video taping him.

Flyin

[TerryO]

Hat Cams really don't offer much in the form of training. The best video is from someone else filming. The hat cam is mostly for the fun factor or if you don't have anyone to video you.

Flyin

I don't know. It's helped me. I can watch my reloads and any gun failure in slow motion and it's amazing the things you can see. Yes the third person is good but they go together. I have a ContourHD. The entire unit is mounted on the band just above my right ear muff. No wires or cables to get tangled in or caught on a prop. One slide switch turns it on and it gives a beep so you don't even have to look at it. That same slider turns it off, it gives two beeps, you know it's off. Total weight 4oz. I can not tell that I have it on.

You can see some video here: Click Here

Terry

[sifu128]

Have you guys every tried to take away from the hat cam what you did in a match? What I mean is some times it is hard for one to remember what you were looking at because you are shooting from a second nature persepective. You get ready, you don't think and you do your thing. I was hoping to catch small mistakes from the hat cam, like double looks, took too long, etc etc

[Xfactor]

After spending the past 3 years videoing almost every single match I have ever shot, I still think it's one of the best training aids you can have...

In the first match I used my POV 1.5, I was able to figure out how I ended up with a Mike on a target. I could clearly see in the video that my head had already turned to the next target before seeing the sights lift in recoil on the 2nd shot... and my gun drifted off target. If I hadn't seen it on video, I'd have never believed that I did it! Lesson learned...

(Here's the video of the stage I'm talking about - look for the 2nd array, 3rd target I engage, 2nd shot.)

Incidentally, I didn't feel that the camera distracted me at all... which I had been wondering about. I was very satisfied with my match performance overall (except for the one Mike that I had, as described above, that is - which I can't really blame on the camera !! )

Edited March 12, 2010 by Xfactor

[sifu128]

After spending the past 3 years videoing almost every single match I have ever shot, I still think it's one of the best training aids you can have...

In the first match I used my POV 1.5, I was able to figure out how I ended up with a Mike on a target. I could clearly see in the video that my head had already turned to the next target before seeing the sights lift in recoil on the 2nd shot... and my gun drifted off target. If I hadn't seen it on video, I'd have never believed that I did it! Lesson learned...

(Here's the video of the stage I'm talking about - look for the 2nd array, 3rd target I engage, 2nd shot.)

Incidentally, I didn't feel that the camera distracted me at all... which I had been wondering about. I was very satisfied with my match performance overall (except for the one Mike that I had, as described above, that is - which I can't really blame on the camera !! )

Very interesting. It almost looks like you took one shot there

[Xfactor]

After spending the past 3 years videoing almost every single match I have ever shot, I still think it's one of the best training aids you can have...

In the first match I used my POV 1.5, I was able to figure out how I ended up with a Mike on a target. I could clearly see in the video that my head had already turned to the next target before seeing the sights lift in recoil on the 2nd shot... and my gun drifted off target. If I hadn't seen it on video, I'd have never believed that I did it! Lesson learned...

(Here's the video of the stage I'm talking about - look for the 2nd array, 3rd target I engage, 2nd shot.)

Incidentally, I didn't feel that the camera distracted me at all... which I had been wondering about. I was very satisfied with my match performance overall (except for the one Mike that I had, as described above, that is - which I can't really blame on the camera !! )

Very interesting. It almost looks like you took one shot there

I might as well have...

Edited March 12, 2010 by Xfactor

[TGibe]

Hat Cams really don't offer much in the form of training. The best video is from someone else filming. The hat cam is mostly for the fun factor or if you don't have anyone to video you. Don't get me wrong, I love hat cams but learned long ago they affect your overall performance. If you have one that you can turn on and leave on or has a simple one push to record button then there its not really a problem. Anything that requires you to get ready to film before shooting takes away from performance. There are some nice units out there now that take minimum effort to use. I like Aristotles idea of having both the hat cam and someone else video taping him.

Flyin

Hi Flyin,

I will admit part of the draw for me is the fun factor, mostly because I haven't found a gadget I don't like...

But I will say that getting myself filmed in the 3rd person has really helped me see some things I can improve on - I hope I will see more with the POV.

When I first brought the camera to a match I wondered if I would act differently knowing I was being filmed, but to be honest I am so focused on the shooting that it hasn't crossed my mind. Will the hatcam be a distraction? Time will tell.

Cheers,

Allen

[sifu128]

Ok, so I picked up the Contour HD today. I have to say that for the price I was not overall impressed with the back door rubber feet, etc. I hope this thing can take some cool video. For those of you guys that have put this through its paces, how was it using it on the range, in the rain, etc?

[MemphisMechanic]

The rear door is not water tight - I can see daylight under mine. Go easy on it in the rain.

I use it in light drizzle, but not in actual rain. If weve gotta bag the targets... uh-uh.

[sifu128]

The rear door is not water tight - I can see daylight under mine. Go easy on it in the rain.

I use it in light drizzle, but not in actual rain. If weve gotta bag the targets... uh-uh.

Thanks MM. I am in the process of redoing the firmware upgrade so I can adjust the settings on the camera. I wish it was waterproof, however I do not plan on recording on those days

[Flyin40]

Hat Cams really don't offer much in the form of training. The best video is from someone else filming. The hat cam is mostly for the fun factor or if you don't have anyone to video you.

Flyin

I don't know. It's helped me. I can watch my reloads and any gun failure in slow motion and it's amazing the things you can see. Yes the third person is good but they go together. I have a ContourHD. The entire unit is mounted on the band just above my right ear muff. No wires or cables to get tangled in or caught on a prop. One slide switch turns it on and it gives a beep so you don't even have to look at it. That same slider turns it off, it gives two beeps, you know it's off. Total weight 4oz. I can not tell that I have it on.

You can see some video here: Click Here

Terry

You linked my video but if you didn't notice there is only 1 hat cam and that is only because I had to post if for the airsoft postal match. Here is the last match with a hat cam I have posted. It was 4yrs ago and starting my second yr.

Hat Cams have come a long way since then. Here

They do help some but for every one thing you find on a hat cam a video camera will give you 10x's that much. The amount of stuff you can learn from 3rd person is where your real improvement comes. If you want to figure out how to take 5 or 10 seconds off a big field course the hat cam isn't going to show you. The 3rd person will. Entering/exiting positions, setups, shooting on the move, target engagement and stage analysis and stage breakdown. I like the hat cam but they are for fun to me. If your using both thats great, you get to see both views. With the newer hat cams if you get a one button record that helps. Its when you have to get your hat cam prepared to record or put it on just prior to shooting that causes the distractions. I have been looking at new ones out there and I might end getting another one because they take no effort to run prior to shooting.

Its not that I don't like them but when a beginner or someone new to the forum reads this stuff and see video they sometimes want to get one. I'm just saying for the 1st camera get a video camera and make the 2nd camera the hat cam.

This is a good thread though. They are really making leaps and bounds in the hat cam area. Some of the stuff out there is pretty nice. I'm a gadget guy myself and I ended up getting a hat cam 4 yrs ago. I just realized time was better spent dryfiring than editing.

Flyin

[Aristotle]

It's all in the timing is all. You can make anything look painfully difficult if you try, kinda like those Infomercial's where they make chopping onions look so dangerous and clumbsy.

With my POV, I simply go to the starting position as they are scoring the person that shot rite before me, and I turn it on, hit record and lock the unit and put it in my back pocket. My video is already recording before the RO even gives me the "Make Ready" command, it's that simple.

With the POV, they actually give you a remote control bracelet that has "Stop" and "Record/Tag" button. You can put it on your belt, or on your wrist and simply hit "record" and the unit beeps.

What I like about the POV now, is with the latest firmware it allows you to manually adjust exposure, which really helps when shooting in overcast and sunny days, etc.

As for water tight, ask the 60 something shooters at Space City last year that watched me run straight into a flooded ditch and submerged up to the top of my head. Yeah, I was wearing my POV Vio at the time, as well as my gun, cellphone, wallet, etc. LOL

POV was just fine, I shot video of the rest of my match the next day.

[TerryO]

I don't know. It's helped me. I can watch my reloads and any gun failure in slow motion and it's amazing the things you can see. Yes the third person is good but they go together. I have a ContourHD. The entire unit is mounted on the band just above my right ear muff. No wires or cables to get tangled in or caught on a prop. One slide switch turns it on and it gives a beep so you don't even have to look at it. That same slider turns it off, it gives two beeps, you know it's off. Total weight 4oz. I can not tell that I have it on.

You can see some video here: Click Here

Terry

You linked my video but if you didn't notice there is only 1 hat cam and that is only because I had to post if for the airsoft postal match. Here is the last match with a hat cam I have posted. It was 4yrs ago and starting my second yr.

Hat Cams have come a long way since then. Here

They do help some but for every one thing you find on a hat cam a video camera will give you 10x's that much. The amount of stuff you can learn from 3rd person is where your real improvement comes. If you want to figure out how to take 5 or 10 seconds off a big field course the hat cam isn't going to show you. The 3rd person will. Entering/exiting positions, setups, shooting on the move, target engagement and stage analysis and stage breakdown. I like the hat cam but they are for fun to me. If your using both thats great, you get to see both views. With the newer hat cams if you get a one button record that helps. Its when you have to get your hat cam prepared to record or put it on just prior to shooting that causes the distractions. I have been looking at new ones out there and I might end getting another one because they take no effort to run prior to shooting.

Its not that I don't like them but when a beginner or someone new to the forum reads this stuff and see video they sometimes want to get one. I'm just saying for the 1st camera get a video camera and make the 2nd camera the hat cam.

This is a good thread though. They are really making leaps and bounds in the hat cam area. Some of the stuff out there is pretty nice. I'm a gadget guy myself and I ended up getting a hat cam 4 yrs ago. I just realized time was better spent dryfiring than editing.

Flyin

Flyin, it must be your cache because that link goes straight to my video on YouTube. The first two or three videos are picture in picture. I agree the third person video shows the movements you're making and what you can do to improve but the hat cam shows the things you'll never see in the third person.

Terry

[TGibe]

With my POV, I simply go to the starting position as they are scoring the person that shot rite before me, and I turn it on, hit record and lock the unit and put it in my back pocket. My video is already recording before the RO even gives me the "Make Ready" command, it's that simple.

Mine came with 1.3 loaded so I got a class 6 8GB card, which gives me 343 minutes of recording time. I plan to start it recording as the guy in front of me finishes his run. This way I have time to get mentally ready.

What I like about the POV now, is with the latest firmware it allows you to manually adjust exposure, which really helps when shooting in overcast and sunny days, etc.

Eventually, I will need to get that version... That is 1.4, right?

thanks,

Allen

[Xfactor]

They do help some but for every one thing you find on a hat cam a video camera will give you 10x's that much. The amount of stuff you can learn from 3rd person is where your real improvement comes. If you want to figure out how to take 5 or 10 seconds off a big field course the hat cam isn't going to show you. The 3rd person will. Entering/exiting positions, setups, shooting on the move, target engagement and stage analysis and stage breakdown. I like the hat cam but they are for fun to me. If your using both thats great, you get to see both views.

You're right - each shows you different aspects of your run. I also agree that if I could have only one as a training aid, then 3rd person is more valuable. (But there are aspects that only a first person cam will show... plus it's pretty cool to watch )

By the way, one other benefit of the hat cam is you don't need anyone else to shoot it for you... sometimes I end up at a match without anyone I know in my squad, so it's really the only option.

What I like about the POV now, is with the latest firmware it allows you to manually adjust exposure, which really helps when shooting in overcast and sunny days, etc.

Eventually, I will need to get that version... That is 1.4, right?

Yep.

Edited March 13, 2010 by Xfactor