Action camera for motorcycles and bicycles: how to select and attach

A motorcycle action camera must work in conditions of fast speed, sharp maneuvers and shaking. Therefore, special requirements are placed on both the parts of the device and its housing. How to select and install a camera, as well as which models you should pay special attention to, is described in detail in this article.

Main criteria

An action camera for a motorcycle helmet is selected based on technical parameters and consumer characteristics. Among them, video quality, housing properties and shape, type of stabilization and others are of great importance.

Video quality

An action camera for a motorcycle must produce very high-quality footage even in conditions of constant shaking and sudden driving maneuvers. Therefore, when choosing a model, special attention should be paid to several indicators:

1. Permission.
2. Frame frequency.
3. Matrix size.

An action camera for a bicycle must shoot in Full HD format, which corresponds to a resolution of 1920*1080. Moreover, many models operate in 4K or 5K resolution. Thanks to this, the videos are almost perfect, very detailed.

An action camera on a motorcycle helmet should also have a sufficient frame rate. It is quite enough if it is 50-60 frames per second. Devices that shoot in 4K mode have this indicator. However, you should not choose models with a very high frequency, for example, 100-120 frames.The fact is that due to such a high indicator, the resolution itself decreases.

The camera on a cyclist's helmet must also have a sufficiently large matrix. Since the devices are compact, the size is 6.17 * 4.55 mm. This is quite enough for high-quality shooting.

Body shape and strength

The action camera for a bicycle is made in a sealed case, which is resistant to various influences:

• water (including for shooting in a pool, pond);
• moisture;
• dirt, dust;
• blows, shaking;
• high or low temperature.

In addition, when considering an action camera for a motorcycle helmet, you should pay attention to the different shapes of the body:

1. Mini-cube is the most compact and lightweight device. Shoots high-resolution Full HD video with a battery life of up to 3 hours.
2. The glasses are an original model that really looks like sunglasses. There is no need to mount the camera on the motorcycle, because you just need to put them on yourself.
3. The traditional shape (rectangular or square) is inexpensive and widely available on sale.
4. A helmet-mounted motorcycle camera may have a lens on the end. This is a very convenient model, since it allows you to get video from the angle in which the operator himself sees it.

Stabilization type

When considering which camera to choose for a motorcycle helmet, you should take into account that the shooting will be carried out during shaking. Therefore, it is important that the model is equipped with a stabilizer, which can be optical or digital.

Optics simply moves the lenses in the direction opposite to the movement (while driving). Thanks to this, the image will not be blurry or blurry.Such devices are quite expensive and consume a lot of electricity.

There is also digital stabilization - it crops the video along the entire perimeter by 10% of the area. Such a video camera for a motorcycle helmet is cheaper, but you need to be prepared for the fact that the field of view will be slightly reduced.

Top 10 best cameras

When choosing a suitable device, you should consider several models at once. If you compare them by technical characteristics, as well as taking into account customer reviews, you get the following rating:

1. Moto action camera SJCAM SJ4000 shoots at 1080p resolution. The case is waterproof, the fastenings are sealed. The frame rate is 30/second, and it is possible to connect an external microphone.
2. AC Robin ZED5 – the device allows you to get high-quality 4K video, the frame rate is 240/sec. Designed for both terrestrial and underwater photography.
3. DJI Osmo Action – motorcycle handlebar camera with 4K resolution and frame rate up to 240 per second. The case is waterproof, the device can be connected via Wi-Fi.
4. GoPro HERO7 Black Edition - an example of a model on the basis of which you can understand how to choose a camera for a motorcycle. Provides detailed video with 4K resolution. Works in both day and night shooting modes. The frame rate is up to 240 per second.
5. Insta360 ONE works in 2K and 4K formats. The frame rate is low - 30 per second, but this is quite enough to obtain very high-quality, detailed frames.
6. AC Robin ZED2 – another high-quality motorcycle action camera that shoots in 1080p format. The frame limit is 120 per second. Designed for both terrestrial and underwater photography.
7. GitUp Git2 (Pro Pack) – an inexpensive device, one of the best in terms of price and quality ratio. Films in 1080p and 1440p format. The maximum number of frames is 120 per second. It is possible to use an external microphone.
8. GoPro HERO9 Black – a model that operates in day and night shooting modes, provides 2K and 4K formats, and can also function in Full HD at the user’s choice. Supports Wi-Fi and underwater photography.
9. YI 4K – a device that shoots video in any format from 720p to 1440p, as well as 2.7K and 4K. It has stabilization and supports Wi-Fi. Allows high-quality shooting underwater.
10.  EKEN H6s EIS – an inexpensive camera that allows you to shoot video in 4K format. The frame rate limit is 60 per second. Stabilization is provided, thanks to which the video turns out to be of high quality, without blurry frames.

How to attach a camera to a helmet

The best helmet camera only works really well once it is mounted properly. It is often installed on a helmet or directly on the steering wheel. In the first case, they act like this:

1. Attach the strap to the camera body.
2. Thread the belt through the holes in the helmet (for ventilation).
3. If the helmet is closed, double-sided tape is glued to the surface, and then a plastic form is glued to it, to which the body is screwed using hinges and an adapter.

You can also place the device directly on the steering wheel. For this purpose, a special mount is used, which is fixed in the center or on the left, on the right using fasteners. It is important to understand that each device uses its own mount.

Thus, choosing an action camera is not that difficult. It is only important to think in advance about where to attach it.If you want to get an interesting video without foreign objects in the angle, it is better to place it in the center of the helmet closer to the eyes. If you want to shoot closer to the road surface, you can place it directly on the steering wheel.