Helmet Camera Review: Hel Cam Race Day [Archive]

Techno Destructo

27-03-2006, 03:01 PM

Hi Scott,

I purchased the 520 line camera 3 weeks ago. I took it to threadbo and got some awesome footage. The best footage came when we faced the camera backwards and then 3 of use rode behind the camera.

Hi VTSS350! TD here...

Yeah, once you get the proper angle set up, back-aiming footage is fantastic. What I'd love to try to do soon is side-aiming footage... but this is probably going to be the most problematic.

Was it a Hel-Cam helmet cam? If not, what brand was it?

I am having trouble with the quality of movie when I convert in premier 6. Do you have any surjestions.

Just some quick questions...

1. Are you using Mac or PC?
2. How are you capturing your footage? Are you doing it in Premier?
3. Tell me more about the captured footage you get... is it an AVI file or a MOV file? What format/codec/compression is the video in? DV-PAL? Or something else?
4. Since it's difficult to answer this question without seeing your captured/converted footage, describe what you don't like about the quality.

*warning!* I'm not much of a Premier/PC guy anymore since I've started working primarily on Macs several years ago... But I'll do my best... other Premier gurus might want to speak up? ;)

VTSS350

27-03-2006, 05:30 PM

Hi Mate, here are the answers to your questions,

Yes it is a Hel Cam, one of the 520 line ones.

1. Using PC

2. Capturing in Premier

3. The video is in DV-Pal and the captured footage is an AVI file.

4. A couple of times I have converted the timeline to a movie and the quality has gone from being very high to a bit blurry.

I am just not sure which of the 10 or so options to capture in and then which option I should use to convert the time line.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Techno Destructo

27-03-2006, 05:55 PM

It sounds distinctly like the export settings in Premiere are set to a lossy codec/compression, causing the loss in sharpness.
I've taken the conversation, due to slight off-topicness, to PM. Still, any PC Premiere gurus are invited to PM VTSS350:)

Scott

27-03-2006, 09:54 PM

If you're making the videos for computers only (not PAL tv), create the project as a microsoft avi and set the pixel ratio to 1:1.

If by blurry you mean blocky?

VTSS350

28-03-2006, 08:27 PM

Yes it turns out blocky. Its very anoying.

7.3minute video come out as a 2.3gig movie and looks crappy.

Techno Destructo

28-03-2006, 09:11 PM

Ah... definitely compression then. I quickly found this through Google:

1. Import your video into Premiere. (File > Import)

2. Go ahead and edit your video, adding any transitions, breaks, or effects.

3. Save your file and preview the movie (Project > Preview).

4. Export your movie (FILE > Export > Movie)

5. Click the Settings button. Go to the Video option on the pull-down menu and change your CODEC, fps, and size as necessary. Click the OK button to continue.

6. Give your file a name and click the OK button to start exporting.

Obviously, the key step is 5 here. This is when you choose your codec and the amount of compression you're using. Unfortunately, a discussion of this escapes the scope of this thread. I recommend reading the help files in Premiere about codecs and compression, and/or doing some research online. It's a bit of a trial-and-error process to find the right balance between compression and file size. Good luck!

Goobs

28-03-2006, 09:29 PM

Do these helmet cams record in widescreen (16:9) format? is it is camera dependent?

Techno Destructo

28-03-2006, 10:24 PM

Good question! I'll do some research on this... I'll have an answer by tomorrow, hopefully.

I assume that the helmet cams will record in 4:3, and then the camcorder will crop that image down to 16:9, but I'll verify this soon.

Scott

28-03-2006, 11:48 PM

Yes it turns out blocky. Its very anoying.

7.3minute video come out as a 2.3gig movie and looks crappy.
I still think you've got your project set to PAL. PAL looks good on a TV, but crap on a computer. PAL has a different pixel width to height ratio (like NTSC).

jda

29-03-2006, 09:10 AM

I still think you've got your project set to PAL. PAL looks good on a TV, but crap on a computer. PAL has a different pixel width to height ratio (like NTSC).

He uses a PAL camcorder therefore he should have his project set to PAL, I have always used PAL and its never looked crap.

Anyway escaping the whole "which codec do I use to export from Premiere problem" I have found the best way to export from Premiere is using a frameserver, this allows your encoding program (encoding to mpeg2 or DVD format) to extract your video straight from Premiere's timeline bypassing the need for a codec. This is assuming you want to make DVD's as I think you do.

Available for free here http://www.debugmode.com/frameserver/

Techno Destructo

29-03-2006, 09:57 AM

He uses a PAL camcorder therefore he should have his project set to PAL, I have always used PAL and its never looked crap.

Well, there is a bit of fuzziness that comes with DV-PAL, but it doesn't sound like the problem that he's experiencing.

VTSS350... is it possible to do a screen shot of one the frames that best displays the "blockiness" you're talking about?

This is always the problem with diagnosing video problems... the media in question is always so large, it's really tough to do it over the net and you end up trying to describe the problem and solution. This is the kind of thing best done in person... ah well, we'll persevere!

jda

29-03-2006, 11:02 AM

Thanks for the very infomative review TD, I've been keen to get a helmet cam attachment for my DV cam for some time now but have been a bit skeptical of the claimed resolution from some of the manufacturers.

Well, there is a bit of fuzziness that comes with DV-PAL, but it doesn't sound like the problem that he's experiencing.

The PAL format may have a slightly slower frame rate than NTSC but it actually has 20% higher resolution. As for fuzziness I'm not sure what you mean here, any DV format be it PAL or NTSC has associated artifacts but generally its best to stick with the original capture format which is PAL for Australia.

Techno Destructo

29-03-2006, 11:24 AM

The PAL format may have a slightly slower frame rate than NTSC but it actually has 20% higher resolution.

Very true... That's one thing I don't miss about North America at all... NTSC is such a stupid format. Not only is it 720x486, whereas PAL is 768x576 (I know you know this jda, I'm just informing other people reading this thread who might not), but what is with the frame rate of 29.97?!?! I mean, I know the history of it, but seriously... do you want to deal with something like that instead of nice round number like 30 (or even better, 25!)? Then you get into the dropframe/non-dropframe crap. Aigh!

As for fuzziness I'm not sure what you mean here, any DV format be it PAL or NTSC has associated artifacts but generally its best to stick with the original capture format which is PAL for Australia.

Well, when you export to uncompressed 10 bit 4:2:2, you can instantly see more sharpness... but then again, you introduce all the interlacing as well... I suppose that's why you would want to put up with DV-PAL... much smaller size and no interlacing to deal with....

Does anybody else understand what we're talking about?:p

thevish

29-03-2006, 12:44 PM

i am almost 100% sure, there's no bullet/helmet cam out there that shoots 16:9 but.. i could be wrong.. i've been known to be wrong a few times in my life.
the highest res cam i know of right now is viosports adventure cam 3 with 520
tv lines..
and still the picture is nothing great, hopfully they will pull there fingers out as 16:9 is becoming standard def, 4:3 is rotting some people just hav'nt smelt it yet hehehe
if you hav'nt seen my latest set up already...
www.thevishfiles.com/cam1.jpg
www.thevishfiles.com/cam2.jpg
www.thevishfiles.com/cam3.jpg
the sony HVR-A1U which will slowly become my thrash cam when i get a bigger one sometimes in the long distant future as i'm completly broke after shelling out around $3500 for it..
i'm hoping i'll get a few wedding jobs to get the rest of my gear.

Techno Destructo

29-03-2006, 12:53 PM

i am almost 100% sure, there's no bullet/helmet cam out there that shoots 16:9 but.. i could be wrong.. i've been known to be wrong a few times in my life.
the highest res cam i know of right now is viosports adventure cam 3 with 520
tv lines..
and still the picture is nothing great, hopfully they will pull there fingers out as 16:9 is becoming standard def, 4:3 is rotting some people just hav'nt smelt it yet hehehe

Well, pending my investigations into the 16:9 question... If the 16:9 screen merely crops the top and bottom of the 4:3 screen, then the easiest way to guarantee no growing pains is to just get a higher resolution helmet cam. Considering you can get resolutions up to 625 horizontal/tv lines :eek: (from Hel-Cam (http://www.helmetcameras.com.au)), you really don't have much to worry about. Except the cost of the cam. Even so... There are also resolutions at 560 and 580 available from Hel-Cam.

By the way, thevish, nice rig!:cool:

thevish

29-03-2006, 12:54 PM

i guess things have changed since november last i checked :P

thecat

29-03-2006, 12:54 PM

https://helmetcamera.com/ do one at 560 lines.

jda

29-03-2006, 01:57 PM

It's all these claimed resolutions that stopped me buying a helmet cam in the first place, my Sony semi-proffessional camcorder which retails just under $5000 has a resolution of 530 lines, so how does a $500 dollar helmet cam get 520, 560 or 580 lines?

Something smells funny.

There isn't any 16:9 helmet cams available yet that I'm aware of, you would have to change it to 16:9 in post losing some resolution in the process.

Well, pending my investigations into the 16:9 question... If the 16:9 screen merely crops the top and bottom of the 4:3 screen, then the easiest way to guarantee no growing pains is to just get a higher resolution helmet camera

Its true that lower end camcorders just crop the 4:3 image "in camera" but the higher end camcorders use true 16:9 CCD's to capture the image, this is what would be needed in a helmet cam to produce 16:9 video.

Techno Destructo

29-03-2006, 02:49 PM

It's all these claimed resolutions that stopped me buying a helmet cam in the first place, my Sony semi-proffessional camcorder which retails just under $5000 has a resolution of 530 lines, so how does a $500 dollar helmet cam get 520, 560 or 580 lines?

Exactly. That's why I'm doing the resolution tests with each of them. Although we're not holding strictly to the guidelines to do the res tests (such as using a 1kW flood/spot/whatever to light the chart), it does allow for comparisons between the different brands. I probably wouldn't try to discern the actual resolution of the cams with the test I do, though (since, as said before, I didn't have the complete, proper setup)

thecat

29-03-2006, 03:12 PM

jda

29-03-2006, 03:16 PM

Exactly. That's why I'm doing the resolution tests with each of them. I probably wouldn't try to discern the actual resolution of the cams with the test I do, though (since, as said before, I didn't have the complete, proper setup)

But just as a comparison, the helmet cam looks very roughly around the less than 400 lines mark and your sony just over 500 lines? What do you think?

I still find the claimed resolutions of these helmet cams a bit hard to swollow and I'm not trying to single out any one brand either.

VTSS350

29-03-2006, 03:16 PM

He uses a PAL camcorder therefore he should have his project set to PAL, I have always used PAL and its never looked crap.

Anyway escaping the whole "which codec do I use to export from Premiere problem" I have found the best way to export from Premiere is using a frameserver, this allows your encoding program (encoding to mpeg2 or DVD format) to extract your video straight from Premiere's timeline bypassing the need for a codec. This is assuming you want to make DVD's as I think you do.

Available for free here http://www.debugmode.com/frameserver/

Thanks for that mate. Will download it and give it a shot.

jda

29-03-2006, 03:40 PM

I'd imagine the diffenece is that the bullet cams don't do any recording. They are simply an imput device.

The $5000 camcorder has also sort od functions (Play back, record, zoom...) that a bullet cam hasn't.

This is true but the bullet cams do contain a lens and a CCD which is where most of your resolution is determined, especially the lens.
With a bullet cam you are bypassing your camcorders optics and simply using it as an recording deck, all other adjustments (iris, WB, focus etc.) are done in the bullet cam.

Thanks for that mate. Will download it and give it a shot.

No problem, once the software is installed just go export/movie in Premiere and under the settings choose the frameserver as your codec, I prefer to export audio separate as a windows wave file first. Then open your encoding program, locate the file you saved it as and use it as your source file for the encoding.

Techno Destructo

29-03-2006, 03:55 PM

But just as a comparison, the helmet cam looks very roughly around the less than 400 lines mark and your sony just over 500 lines? What do you think?

I'm not making any judgements on this one... I'm just putting up the results so you can compare the resolutions of different helmet cams to see their varying sharpness. The image from the camcorder was merely a benchmark. It shouldn't provide much weight in your judgement between helmet cams.

Also, as I've mentioned before... the test guidelines weren't strictly adhered to simply because I don't have the gear or resources, so using these results as a measure of their true resolution would be inaccurate.

They're simply for comparison reasons only and they don't vouch for any more than that.

With the next review, of the Twenty20 Helmet Cam, you'll be able to compare the results of it's resolution chart to the Hel-Cam one, as you will with all further reviews. I would use that primarily for your judgement between helmet cams, than with the camcorder I used.

risky

29-03-2006, 04:18 PM

i am almost 100% sure, there's no bullet/helmet cam out there that shoots 16:9 but.. i could be wrong..

I tried to record the footage from the Twenty20 helmet cam of Tom Patton and Squid http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=48895 on the Ourimbah DH track in 16:9 to tie-in with some other wide screen video. The Sony TVR-900 I used to record the helmet cam footage is a native 4:3 camera, but has a 16:9 setting, so I switched to this mode only to find that the setting is by-passed when you plug in an external device (such as the helmet cam) and use it in “VCR” mode. So, that stuffed that idea.

I didn’t try it, but I'd guess that if the helmet cam was plugged into the native 16:9 camera (a Sony HDR-FX1), then it would have recorded in the wide screen format, cropping the top and bottom. If I had the equipment handy, I’d try it to see what happens.

Anyway, there was no way that camera was going down Ourimbah in a backpack :eek:

Techno Destructo

29-03-2006, 04:23 PM

I didn’t try it, but I'd guess that if the helmet cam was plugged into the native 16:9 camera (a Sony HDR-FX1), then it would have recorded in the wide screen format, cropping the top and bottom. If I had the equipment handy, I’d try it to see what happens.

That's what I'm going to try to accomplish... at least in a showroom somewhere...

Anyway, there was no way that camera was going down Ourimbah in a backpack :eek:

What... you're not saying you fall, do you? :D

risky

29-03-2006, 04:54 PM

What... you're not saying you fall, do you? :D

Yes. I only have to look at a bike to fall.

Tom Patton was carrying the camera on the helmet cam footage. I felt a bit guilty making him carry the smallish TVR-900, the FX1 is big and probably weights as much as he does.

thevish

29-03-2006, 10:07 PM

risky, i could'a told ya that :)

whatever you plug your helmet cam into be it a sony HVR-Z1U or a HC32...
it will all look the same exactly like jda was saying, it just acts as a recording deck.. all the settings are in the bullet cam, chip size, resolution etc etc..
and i'm pretty sure the only settings you can really play with are changing filters and lens.
soon they will have 3ccd helmet cams, with rock solid wireless connection,
then we can have some fun hehehee.
untill then.. it's duct tape and bolts from the hardware store to rig up a proper
helmet cam with solid resolution.

jda

30-03-2006, 10:14 AM

soon they will have 3ccd helmet cams, with rock solid wireless connection,
then we can have some fun hehehee.
untill then.. it's duct tape and bolts from the hardware store to rig up a proper
helmet cam with solid resolution.

3 CCD's, now your talking! I was looking at strapping one of these (http://www.sony.com.au/business/catalog/product.jsp?categoryId=22157) to my helmet until I checked the price....ahh.

Techno Destructo

30-03-2006, 10:49 AM

3 CCD's, now your talking! I was looking at strapping one of these (http://www.sony.com.au/business/catalog/product.jsp?categoryId=22157) to my helmet until I checked the price....ahh.

LOL! Better have a strong neck!:D

But yeah... the 3 CCD with wireless... that's definitely the holy grail of this stuff.

Maybe 7-8 years from now?

jda

30-03-2006, 11:53 AM

LOL! Better have a strong neck!:D

But yeah... the 3 CCD with wireless... that's definitely the holy grail of this stuff.

Maybe 7-8 years from now?

They're not that big, a lot of movies have been made by strapping handycams or 16mm film cameras to helmets, Kranked series, The collective etc. these Sony cameras are much smaller than that, have 3 CCD's, 800+ (true) lines of resolution but unfortunantley cost over $2k USD.

Some helmet cam companies are offering wireless right now I believe, I'm not sure how well it works.

Techno Destructo

30-03-2006, 12:23 PM

They're not that big, a lot of movies have been made by strapping handycams or 16mm film cameras to helmets, Kranked series, The collective etc. these Sony cameras are much smaller than that, have 3 CCD's, 800+ (true) lines of resolution but unfortunantley cost over $2k USD.

That's true... I totally forgot about that... mind you, they have their recording device outside and exposed (more or less) on the helmet, in order to balance the weight on the head of the user. Still, would you feel comfortable doing drops and jumps with that setup on?

Not only would the weight still be an issue, but your recording device could be damaged from a decent crash. At least with the options we're talking about, you could protect the expensive recording device within an impact proof casing, within a backpack...

Some helmet cam companies are offering wireless right now I believe, I'm not sure how well it works.

I'd love to see the day you could have the recording device up to 50m (maybe more?) away from the user, and riding with just the cam and the transmitter... and still get full feed :cool:

twitchy

30-03-2006, 10:03 PM

It's all these claimed resolutions that stopped me buying a helmet cam in the first place, my Sony semi-proffessional camcorder which retails just under $5000 has a resolution of 530 lines, so how does a $500 dollar helmet cam get 520, 560 or 580 lines?

Something smells funny.

There isn't any 16:9 helmet cams available yet that I'm aware of, you would have to change it to 16:9 in post losing some resolution in the process.

Its true that lower end camcorders just crop the 4:3 image "in camera" but the higher end camcorders use true 16:9 CCD's to capture the image, this is what would be needed in a helmet cam to produce 16:9 video.

Pretty simple really the "Bullet Camera" is just a capture device with a chip in it (usually sony) that sends the signal back to the capture device of choice.
Your argument is like saying I bought a TV with 520 lines for $5k how can a $500 telly have the same resoloution?? Its the rest of the compontery that has the difference.

josh

30-03-2006, 10:40 PM

Fantastic review Rob!

Well done.

thevish

31-03-2006, 04:13 AM

thevish

31-03-2006, 04:44 AM

Techno Destructo

31-03-2006, 08:55 AM

on a side point to this topic, some interesting things are going on with jim jennard the founder of oakley,( Jim is ranked #606 at a net worth of $1.3B http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/S37W.html) owning 44 million shares of Oakley which is worth about $660M US today.
he's trying to start his own camera company (www.red.com) and things look promising, as he's going to give the big camera companies like sony, panasonic a run for there money by launching a camera able to shoot up to 100mbps
and at a resolution that is over double that of the highest of high end HD camera's shooting at 2540P and if your not a nerd and don't know what i'm talking about.. 1080P is the highest resolution in HD camera's that are in the price range of a basic house package.
anyways its a shit hot camera and if anyone is interested they'll run aound the 16,000 US and up mark
i just hope he engraves an oakley symbol into one of his camera's .. that would look so cool haha.

Amazing. I remember seeing ads for Oakley grips in BMX magazines back in the day. After all the markets Oakley has spread into, they've chosen electronics, and not a new concept, but digital video?!? Something you'd think was continually refined and totally dominated by Sony, Canon, JVC, etc... These guys have been at it for... how many years?!? If Oakley, the upstart, even makes a blip on the map... I'll be blown away. He MUST be working in conjunction with one of the big companies. Where's his infrastructure to do R&D and production?

jda

31-03-2006, 09:23 AM

Pretty simple really the "Bullet Camera" is just a capture device with a chip in it (usually sony) that sends the signal back to the capture device of choice.
Your argument is like saying I bought a TV with 520 lines for $5k how can a $500 telly have the same resoloution?? Its the rest of the compontery that has the difference.

So the sony tape deck, plastic case and other options are worth $4500?

Don't get me wrong I think the Helmet cameras are a great idea, I just wish they wouldn't claim higher resolutions than they really have!

From the review the Hel Cam Race Day is claiming 560 horizontal lines and is compared to a Sony PDX-10P "pro-sumer" camcorder with a claimed 530+ horizontal lines, now looking at the test charts just as a comparison without counting any lines its very clear to me that the camera which is supposed to have more resolution actually has far less.

siz

31-03-2006, 09:35 AM

Not wanting to take away from the quality item on review......But,
For those wanting to do a helmet cam on the cheap, this is my set up.
I bought a 3.1mp digital video camera on ebay that is about the size of a pack of ciggies. It has an sd memory card that is 128mb and capable of taking up to 40 mins of footage(it can use up to a 2gb card)
I placed it and secured it in a cut down stubbie holder and used that velcro plant holder tape to strap the crap out of it to my full face helmet. This Camera only cost me $120 odd bux including postage and as you can expect it produces the quality you would expect for such a cheap setup. All in all though the excitment it gives you when you see the completed project set alongside a kick ass soundtrack is worth it.
Now ive got the bug to go for a better quality unit and the item on review is something ive researched in the past and will hopefully get soon.

twitchy

01-04-2006, 07:43 AM

yeah, we triiiiiiiiiiied to tell him haha..
nah i think he understands now.
nice site by the way.

Thanks mate, I am learning these electronic thingies from the bottom up....lol.
I am trying to build up my business with a family & not a lot of cash, it's getting there bit by bit & I haven't had any problems & complaints SO FAR. I have used my set up now for about 6 months & it runs fine still.

My aim is to give people with family & not a lot of dollars a good COMPLETE system they can use.

projectsplat

02-04-2006, 04:22 PM

Also worth checking out :
http://www.samsungsportscamcorder.com/

Have yet to suss out compression & lines etc, but it certainly looks interesting. Bullet camera and camcorder in one kit. MPEG 4 solid state recording. Unit is powered from the camcorder, so no seperate battery needed. It also looks like there is a remote record switch on the camera, and it comes with mounting straps and brackets.

Downside, only available at the moment in NTSC.

Cheers

Al

SmUrF

06-04-2006, 12:14 PM

jda

06-04-2006, 12:34 PM

iam finding it hard to see how the picture comes out of the camera in 4:3 then some how gets converted to 16:9 on the VCR ( camcorder ), this is not possible as true 16:9 is 22 % wider view. so how can u take a 4:3 image and add 22 % more picture to the screen ?? you cant , you can only stretch the footage from 4:3 letter box to 16:9 widescreen in a program like final cut pro , priemere etc

Are you talking about helmet cameras or handycams in general?

Unless the camera has true 16:9 CCD's then its simply a 4:3 image which is then cropped top and bottom to fit a 16:9 screen giving poorer resolution.

SmUrF

06-04-2006, 01:06 PM

Are you talking about helmet cameras or handycams in general?

Unless the camera has true 16:9 CCD's then its simply a 4:3 image which is then cropped top and bottom to fit a 16:9 screen giving poorer resolution.

sorry bro iam talkin about the headcams , it was a reply to an earlyer post about usin the headcam in 16:9..

a 4:3 image can not be croped top and bottom to make a 16:9 image, iam a water photographer and shoot with a sony PDX-10 3ccd sony and it does true 16:9, when u drop 4:3 footage into a 16:9 timeline on a program like final cut pro u have to strech it to somethin like 33% to fill a true 16"9 screen , you cant just put black bars top and bottom like some people do...

jda

06-04-2006, 01:54 PM

a 4:3 image can not be croped top and bottom to make a 16:9 image, iam a water photographer and shoot with a sony PDX-10 3ccd sony and it does true 16:9, when u drop 4:3 footage into a 16:9 timeline on a program like final cut pro u have to strech it to somethin like 33% to fill a true 16"9 screen , you cant just put black bars top and bottom like some people do...

Actually it can, it happens "in camera" on camcorders that don't do true 16:9 widescreen. The 4:3 video is zoomed to fill the 16:9 image and then the top and bottom are cropped.

You can also do it in post too with your editing software (if its good) but I'm not going into how to do that here.

PDX-10, nice camera! I was considering one of those but went for the VX-2100 because they work so well in the dark, i.e. forest. I've actually filmed trials riding in the city at night with just street light and got very good bright video.

SmUrF

06-04-2006, 02:41 PM

Actually it can, it happens "in camera" on camcorders that don't do true 16:9 widescreen. The 4:3 video is zoomed to fill the 16:9 image and then the top and bottom are cropped.

You can also do it in post too with your editing software (if its good) but I'm not going into how to do that here.

PDX-10, nice camera! I was considering one of those but went for the VX-2100 because they work so well in the dark, i.e. forest. I've actually filmed trials riding in the city at night with just street light and got very good bright video.

this is very interesting, if u have time email me sa_snoozers@hotmail.com with some more info.. thanks mate

Techno Destructo

08-04-2006, 07:05 PM

Finally went out this weekend and sampled a few couple of 16:9 camcorders with the helmet cam.

Sony, with their 16:9 lcd screen, just chops the sides of the screen, so you get a 4:3 image, with black bars on the side.
Canon's lcd screen is 4:3 which goes letterbox when you choose 16:9. Inputing the helmet cam just gave 4:3 output.

EDIT: More research on Sony 16:9 camcorders has shown that the camcorder will register the aspect ratio of the incoming video feed (in the case of a typical helmet cam... 4:3) and then FORCES the camcorder to switch to 4:3 mode... even if you set it to 16:9 beforehand. After unplugging the helmet cam, the camcorder reverts back to 16:9.

Techno Destructo

18-04-2006, 09:46 PM

Well, after finally clearing up some spare time again, I managed to sort through some of our heli-biking footage I shot in New Zealand with the Hel-Cam Race Day helmet camera. Check out the article here (http://www.farkin.net/page.php?zp=82e6c7) to see the new vid!

Jack_toda_Max

09-05-2006, 08:50 PM

In the Oirumbah video there's a blurry circle in the middle of the screen. Why?

Techno Destructo

09-05-2006, 09:34 PM

In the Oirumbah video there's a blurry circle in the middle of the screen. Why?

I was in too quick of a rush to set up the cam, and it ended up being too close to my mouth and pointed to much downwards.... so it was catching all my hot breath as I was panting and wheezing down the run...:o

agriff77

01-06-2007, 05:18 PM

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on the customer service they have received from Helcam.

I forked out over $600 for a helmetcam pack and a few cable glands via a direct bank deposit over two weeks ago and despite 7 calls and 5 emails the equipment has still not been sent to me. It was straight forward, in that I did not have any special requests or requirements. Just a standard Helmet cam kit and glands. My patience is wearing thin and the owner is now not answering any of my calls or emails.

I purchased the helmet camera specifically for a race meet (surf life saving) this weekend so it's pertty frustrating not to have it in hand, especially given the amount of time that has passed since I paid for it.

Should I have reason for concern here? Has anyone else experineced similar issues?

I was going to be purchasing 10 of these for various clubs here in Melbourne but now I'm starting to think I'd be better off going somwhere else.

MTB-ChiK

03-06-2007, 07:00 PM

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on the customer service they have received from Helcam.

One word..... SHIT.

Helcam customer service simply does-not-exist.

We ordered the Six Day package with the remote LANC, all up cost $849 (paid by credit card) It was ordered the week before Easter with confirmation it was in stock and said he'd do his best to get it to us via Express Post by Thursday so we could take it away with us to cover an offroad racing event.... Well, it didn't show up by the expected date, but being Easter we thought it was a long shot. But then it didn't arrive the following week, or the week after, or the week after that....Over a month later amid numerous phone calls & emails, many of which were either unanswered, went to message bank or were not returned, the box finally arrived in a post satchel - no care taken for packaging material, and the LANC was missing. Infuriated, 'he' from Helcam was contacted again... Responses - "he'll get right onto it", another week later 'you're on top of my list, just waiting for them to get in', and so it goes on....The few times he was able to be contacted during his 'work hours' when we were chasing up the camera kits whereabouts, he was either out of the office & unable to check up on the order, or gave vague & false information that the package was 'on the way', or 'yes, I think it was dispatched yesterday' (it wasn't) We also requested a tracking number for the package but were never given one...

2 months on and we're still waiting for the LANC so we can use this damn helmet camera. The thing is we were also keen to buy a whole lot more from this guy too... Now we're looking at other options. His Helcam stickers went straight in the bin and we won't be promoting his business through the many sports we partake in.

Best of luck with getting ALL your equipment agriff.... don't hold your breath.

bikekid127

03-06-2007, 07:01 PM

MTB-ChiK

03-06-2007, 07:24 PM

Ive always wanted a helmet cam. What company was it because after reading this I wont be going to it. Is there anything wrong with the cheap ones because they are what I most probably what I will be looking for.

HEL-CAM - http://www.helmetcameras.com.au/

If they treated every customer like we've been treated their headline would read "over 3000 unsatisfied customers" not the other way around

agriff77

03-06-2007, 10:36 PM

Wow, this is a bit of a shock!

I'll wait to see what happens tomorrow. Everyone makes mistakes and I was hoping that's what it was... just an honest mistake.

We missed out on what could have been some really fantastic footage over the weekend and the guys were not happy!

Have left several messages for Helcam and will keep you posted on how they decide to act on this.

MTB-ChiK

03-06-2007, 10:50 PM

Yep, well yours isn't a once off mistake unfortunately. We are extremely disappointed with the whole Helcam experience, and furious with the lack of customer priority & communication. I'd say he just doesn't have his act together. If he can't run a business properly, he shouldn't own a business.

Keep me posted :) Your camera pack is probably still in Taiwan where our LANC is!

GDonehue

04-06-2007, 11:57 AM

Bit of shameless self promotion - but we will hopefully be bringing in a new product soon from Vio (previously vio-sport) that is a self contained unit. It uses a 2GB SD card and requires no additional device. will update when we get the first delivery

agriff77

04-06-2007, 03:07 PM

I have just spoken to Paul at Helcam and he said that the camera was definately sent out last Wednesday. I'll take his word for it and assume the delivery has just somehow gone missing in the mail.

He said that he would mail another one out tomorrow via overnight express and that I would definately have it by Wednesday. I'm not sure what to make of all this just yet so I'll reserve judgement until Wednesday.

I've confirmed my address with a txt message to Paul so I know there's no mistake there. I've been very patient up to this point but if things haven't been sorted out by Wednesday I'll have to report the matter.

MTB-Chik, I'll mention that you are also still after your LANC. I'd like to think that this was also just another honest mistake but it certainly sounds like a long time to be waiting for something like a simple LANC.

MTB-ChiK

04-06-2007, 06:08 PM

Ha! sounds all too familiar. Lets see, he said it's been sent last week, but he'll mail another one out tomorrow?! Meaning it wasn't sent last week at all. Yep, been there, heard that. I'd fall off my chair if he was telling the truth & it did arrive tomorrow... Keep me posted. And yeah, let him know he has a very disgruntled customer from Mt Gambier, SA. He should know who it is (actually no, he probably wouldn't because he doesn't give a shit about customers)

Best of luck!

agriff77

12-06-2007, 11:08 AM

Hmm, almost a month on and still no sign of the helmet camera or purchase invoice from Helcam. There were a few interesting developments last week that I thought I would share.

Last week after still not having recieved the equipment I contacted Paul again. He indicated that he was not happy about me posting enquiries relating to his customer service and said that he would not send the equipment as promised. It was clear that he was not interested in my concerns since he spent the entire phone converstaion talking over the top of me.

A quick internet search revealled that there have been a number of other similar stories posted by other discruntled Helcam customers, so I sent an email to Helcam requesting that the $614 be transfered back into my account.

The email went as follows:

Dear Paul,

I refer to earlier conversations and emails regarding the Helmet Cam.

More than a reasonable amount of time has passed and the transaction remains incomplete.

I therefore formally request that you return the $614.00, paid to you in advance and in good faith, by close of business tomorrow, Thursday 7th June.

Please also send me a copy of the transaction receipt demonstrating a successful transfer to avoid me unnecessarily escalating matters.

Bank details are provided below.

************

If the Helmet Cam turns up I undertake to return it to you at my cost.

Regards...

agriff77

12-06-2007, 11:20 AM

Of course I received no reply from Helcam, so I contacted him AGAIN to make sure that he had received the email.

His response was that he would not return the money as requested.

I then requested that Paul provide me with the tracking number for the delivery which he claims to have made via express post (which is registered). He said he had "sent out half a dozen.... no, a dozen helmet cameras that day" and could not be sure which tracking number was mine.

Ok simple, I then ask him to just provide me with all "12" tracking numbers and I'll contact Australia Post to find out what happended to them. Paul then spends the rest of the phone conversation talking over me so that he would not have to comply with the simple request of providing the tracking numbers :rolleyes:.

agriff77

12-06-2007, 11:29 AM

At this point I'm pretty frustrated by the whole experience. $614 and countless phone calls and emails later and still nothing from Helcam.

I asked Tim, my business partner, to look into it for me since I was sick of being given the run around by Helcam.

Here's Tim's email to me following his phone discussion with Helcam. I'll let you be the judge, but I think it just shows Helcam's lack of customer service and I certainly wouldn't want to run my business this way.

Dear Andrew.

I spoke with Paul Phelps from HELCAM yesterday at close of business as we had previously discussed and I was rather upset by his attitude.
While it is difficult to fully summarise the conversation he had not done anything about your email sent Wednesday, 6 June 2007 6:43 PM and appeared unconcerned generally with your plight. Curiously he stated more than once, that the $614.00 you were seeking returned to you was "a small and insignificant amount", as far as his business was concerned, and that it was neither "here nor there" whether he paid it back or not. If the amount is truly "small and insignificant" then I cannot see why he is not able to meet your reasonable request. Given that I assume much of his business relies on "Good Faith" inherent in the up-front payment for goods, there appeared to be a significant lack of "Good Faith" in respecting your position as an out-of-pocket customer. One possibility that comes to mind is that the $614 might matter to him far more than he would have me believe and that raises a whole series of further questions.

It was an extremely unpleasant conversation to have on your behalf and I am afraid that it involved a good deal of talking over one another.
Please feel free to post this feedback on the internet if you think it will help as there may be others out there that feel the same way. Please note, I am happy to stand by this summary and assist you further if the matter requires escalation.

I include a copy of your email to Mr. Phelps for your reference.

Regards
Tim

cc. Paul Phelps.

MTB-ChiK

12-06-2007, 11:35 AM

Ok simple, I then ask him to just provide me with all "12" tracking numbers and I'll contact Australia Post to find out what happended to them. Paul then spends the rest of the phone conversation talking over me so that he would not have to comply with the simple request of providing the tracking numbers :rolleyes:.

LMAO! This guy is a joke...

Regarding our case of the missing LANC - it has still not arrived. Nor did my partner receive a proper response to the email he sent to Paul last week asking for the hundredth time the status of said missing item... Instead, helcam wrote:

"Wouldn't happen to be active on the farkin forum would you?"

If he's that concerned with his reputation being put on the line with honest discussions regarding his customer service (or lack thereof) then wouldn't you think he'd be doing everything possible to correct his mistakes & send the products he claims to 'have in stock' that were meant to be sent immediately, or at least give a refund since he's giving US the TOTAL RUNAROUND??!!!!

Tosser :mad:

agriff77

12-06-2007, 11:38 AM

Yes it certainly raises some serious questions about Helcam.

Here's a thread from another customer given the run around by Helcam:

http://www.adbmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=58823&highlight=#58823

MTB-ChiK

12-06-2007, 11:53 AM

It seems his lack of customer service far extends our 2 cases then.... I wonder how many other people he's ripped and/or pissed off?

trent_ktm_786 "i had the same problem with my helmet camera package, but it only took two months, and the money i bought was from the local police/ community project to makle safety videos, we almost had to get the police involved because we thought he had done a runner, on us, and after the emails my sent him once we got it, i dont think he would of even tried to argue the point"

MTB-ChiK

12-06-2007, 11:56 AM

As Leon said - "At least I'm not alone in this crap service, hopefully some word of mouth will stop someone else going through the pain I did."

I say spread the word!!

roxy12

12-06-2007, 07:55 PM

Wow Im glad I read this Jo, I was looking into purchaseing one.

I certainly will not be now...........better off makeing my own if it takes that much effort to get one.:rolleyes:

MTB-ChiK

12-06-2007, 09:09 PM

Wow Im glad I read this Jo, I was looking into purchaseing one.

I certainly will not be now...........better off makeing my own if it takes that much effort to get one.:rolleyes:

Hey Rox,

Yeah don't go anywhere near this 'Hell'cam business... You may as well be flushing money down the toilet :mad:

Launch Helmet Cams are the way to go: http://www.launchhelmetcams.com/

Grip

13-06-2007, 08:26 AM

What an unbelievable situation! The bottom-line is that when you're in business, mistakes (such as lost goods, lost emails and even simply forgetting to do something etc) do occassionally happen and you're always going to upset some people at some time. But this guy seems to have made bad service a target to actually aim for.

I have to say that every person I know that runs a successful business takes the attitude that "yes, mistakes will happen... and when they do we'll apologise and bend over backwards to fix them".

I originally thought (having seen his site) that MTB is such a small part of his business that he simply doesn't care, but as per the link to a forum for moto riders (somewhere in a post above this one) it's obvious he was rude and unhelpful there too. Maybe the guy is suffering a breakdown or something? If not, then wow... what an attitude.

PyletSnviper

13-06-2007, 03:48 PM

just a question.. anyone know a complete helmet cam kit that actually comes with the memory as wel? i keep seeing ones with the whole kit.. minus like the cam corder

cheers

Techno Destructo

13-06-2007, 03:58 PM

just a question.. anyone know a complete helmet cam kit that actually comes with the memory as wel? i keep seeing ones with the whole kit.. minus like the cam corder

cheers

Do you mean a helmet camera package with the recording device included? Is that what you mean by "memory"?

PyletSnviper

13-06-2007, 04:04 PM

like i mean basically the handheld cam is put in a nice safe box and used as a memory to record to... do any packages come with i dunno... like a usb harddrive or something instead of a camcorder?

Techno Destructo

13-06-2007, 04:24 PM

like i mean basically the handheld cam is put in a nice safe box and used as a memory to record to... do any packages come with i dunno... like a usb harddrive or something instead of a camcorder?

Well, if you're worried about protecting your camcorder, the Hel-Cam and Launch packages usually come with a Pelican case which holds your camcorder and protects it from dirt, dust, impacts, etc... Barring submersing it in water, your camcorder will be well protected against any crashes you do.

Very few, if any, helmet camera packages come with a camcorder (or a recording device in general). The usual helmet cam package provides you with your helmet cam (the device that transmits vision/video/images to your recording device), a microphone, a power unit, and a protective case. You bring your own recording device to the game, which is the way you should do it since you have control over how the images are recorded (which is a personal and technical thing).

If you're looking for a package that includes a recording device, I believe that Hel Cam and Launch have just introduced new packages with "ELMO" that sounds a little like what you're looking for:
http://www.helmetcameras.com.au/
http://www.launchhelmetcams.com/products_elmo.php
Twitchy, who's posted on here, is producing one, I believe... PM him for more details.

There are others out there as well.

I'd REALLY be careful though buying a helmet cam package that comes with a recording device. Check the quality of the recording device first, it's recording capacity, and everything else. In my opinion, NOTHING beats having your own (tape) camcorder you chose yourself. You'll get the best quality you can get, with expandable storage (just change tapes), and you can make sure it has the features you want.

This ELMO package sounds promising, but I haven't done any research into it. I HAVE seen a lot of helmet cams that have their own built-in recording device, and just about all of them are TERRIBLE. We're talking toys. Kids stuff. Go with a camcorder.

*EDIT* Took a quick peek at this ELMO system at http://www.elmo.co.jp/suv-cam/en/
Looks fairly good. A nice, encapsulated helmet cam system that's definitely less bulky than the usual system. This kind of system looks like it could fit easily in one of your cycling jersey pockets on your back. Looks easier to waterproof the casing as well.
Not sure about the quality, since I'd need to see some raw footage, not what's been shrunk and compressed for the web.
The resolution is less than NTSC and PAL (PAL resolution is 768x576, this ELMO is 704x480).
The media is SD cards, which are getting pretty cheap right now, with a 2GB going for under $50. However, to fit 2.5 hours of footage onto 2GB would indicated to me that footage is heavily compressed by the hardware. I wonder if there's compression options, and how much video footage could you record at a lossless quality onto 2GB?
With a typical digital (tape) camcorder, it's going to be recorded at a fairly lossless quality (DV PAL is a pretty sharp codec) for a pretty cheap price and for a true 2 hours or more of filming per tape

PyletSnviper

13-06-2007, 04:35 PM

yeh i was looking at the launch pro kit... and maybe doing the elmo kinda thing with it.... will have to look into it more.. thanks anyways

agriff77

14-06-2007, 08:56 AM

I looked into getting an elmo kit but was put off by the video quality.

It uses a 480 line camera and records onto an SD card (2Gb max) in a compressed MP4 format, which is great if you're just wanting to post vids on the net but not so good if you want to make DVD's. There are all sorts of conversion issues with converting the MP4 format (.asf) files for DVD. At it's highest quality setting, a very reasonable 704x480 @ 25fps, it will record 66 minutes onto a 2Gb card.

Price may also be a factor. I think they sell for around the $1,200 mark.

If you're after DVD quality then go for a kit and camcorder, but if lightweight and portability takes priority over image quality then definately go for the Elmo.

If you want more info on the Elmo you can find it on their site over here:

http://www.elmo.co.jp/suv-cam/en/index.html

paddycowan

14-06-2007, 09:51 PM

hey i found this helmet camera on ebay for $50 do you reckon it would be any good because i would like a helmet camera and if this one is any good i might as well get it.

Sports Bullet type helmet color Camera with microphone

Wide Angle, Day color viewing

Product Specificaton

Connect the video & audio jack to the recorder, camcorder or camera
Connect the power input jack with power supply (9-12V)
Image Device: 1/3 inch color CMOS Camera
Color system: PAL
Pixel Number: 628 X 582
Horizontal Resolution: 380 Tv line
Size : 24mm D x 55mm L
-Weight: 83 gram

Video output: 1Vp-p 75Ohm
Audio function: yes
Min. Illumination: (3 LUX / F1.2
S/N Ratio: >48dB
Storage temperature: -30 to 60
Working temperature: -10 to 50
Power Supply: DC 9-12V (the power adapter is NOT included)
Color:black
The bullet camera comes with a cylindrical clip and screws for helmet mounting

Techno Destructo

15-06-2007, 05:35 AM

Image Device: 1/3 inch color CMOS Camera
Color system: PAL
Pixel Number: 628 X 582
Horizontal Resolution: 380 Tv line

It's not very good. 380 is a pretty low resolution. Definitely not good enough for putting together footage to show on a tv, however, it'll probably be good enough to make small movies for the web. CMOS cameras are also not terrific for accurate colour. *EDIT* That kinda answer just left you hanging, eh? Let me add to this and say you'd be much better with a CCD camera than a CMOS camera.

But how much is it being sold for? Got a link to it? If it's super cheap and you don't care about high quality, then why not?

agriff77

18-06-2007, 09:11 AM

Paul at Helcam has finaly remibursed me for the amount paid after I applied pressure through a private investigator.

It's a shame that it had to come to that but I'm happy with the outcome and thank Paul for finally returning my money.

I'll be sure to return the camera gear to Paul if it ever shows up and hope that he takes the time to resolve issues raised by other customers in the very near future.

takai

18-06-2007, 09:36 AM

MTB-ChiK

18-06-2007, 04:08 PM

Yep, we're still waiting for our 'issue' to be resolved & have taken the next step... It's rather frustrating having to pull the camcorder out of the bag every time you want to start & stop recording. If Paul sent the LANC in the first place with the rest of the gear then it wouldn't be a problem.... But, what do you do :mad:

takai

18-06-2007, 04:15 PM

The LANC being missing is probably the worst thing. The ZR1000s are about $350 on their own, and arnt an "incidental" item.

The slight consolation is that you can get aftermarket remotes for $75 off eBay. I got one to run the race car camera.

MTB-ChiK

18-06-2007, 05:51 PM

Yeah, if the LANC we ordered nearly 3 months ago doesn't arrive soon we'll be buying one from LAUNCH Helmet Cams... Or, Ebay is always your friend :D

ontrack57

24-06-2007, 06:51 PM

Hi guys, saw this and i too suffered at the mongrels hands.
In 2005 i bought 4 complete units to use on motorcycles,got them ok but he only offered a thirty day warranty.
One camera died at 3 months and the others soon followed.I have one left and only because i don't use it.
I purchased other items like Lanc's and had trouble with slow deliveries and promptly sent them back.
Guess i was lucky,it only took a month to get my money back.
He always seems to have some story.
I took apart one of my dead cams and came to the conclusion he is just selling survielance cams from dick smith or somewhere.
They will not handle vibration or knocks.
I ended up getting a couple of cameras from helmetcamera.com.au and they are the real deal. Had them involved in a few crashes and they work no worries.
I have also got one from launch helmet cameras , not quite the res as the other ones but good service. Got it all the way from WA in less than a week.
I've been using these cams in a hire situation at bike ride days hiring them out so i've managed to get a fair bit of experience with them now having recorded a few hundred hours of bike,cars and ultralights.
I also tried out the setup from Twitchy which is basicly a MP4 player/recorder and a cam but quality wise i prefer recording to a digital camcorder.
well thats off my chest now
goodluck to you that have to deal with as i call him "paul the c###.

MTB-ChiK

24-06-2007, 07:32 PM

Hi ontrack,

Another victim of HELL-cam eh? Sorry to hear :mad: I only wish we knew beforehand the trouble we were in for. What a total fraud! Sounds like he's been getting away with it for a long time too (at least a couple of years now) Your story confirms my belief that the camera we received is probably not a 580 line, but of inferior resolution and possibly be defective as well. We tested it out 2 weeks ago & weren't overly impressed with it. The real test will be in a months time when the boys go offroad racing with it for 2 hours straight, see how long it lasts with those kind of bumps! We still haven't received the LANC, or an invoice for the order, so, we're going to have to buy a LANC elsewhere :mad: Hopefully our case will be resolved with him soon & we'll get the money back on that. Mr Tax Man might not be so impressed with him either. His business sounds all underhanded, what a SHONK!

ontrack57

25-06-2007, 10:31 PM

Hi MTB-Chick,
If i was you i would try to get rid of the cam to some one you don't know and go for one from launch or helmetcamera.
As for the lanc's,i have seen them for between 50 to 70 bucks on ebay.
I paid 129 for mine from helmetcamera, the best invention plus now they have a little plug pack that you connect the lanc and power for the cam into.
This will turn off not only you vid camera but also the power to the helmet cam. About 90 bucks but great as you don't have to go digging about to turn off your battery.
Good luck with paul the c??? .:eek:
By the sound of it i was lucky except for loosing about 2 grand on cameras that shit themselves.
What it is to i have found out is that the good cams are "foam filled" which protects the innards from the vibes and hard knocks.And i have tried them to the extreme during some of my customers get offs. All i had to do was wipe the dust off and away they went.
Cheers
Dave:)

johnny

25-06-2007, 10:36 PM

Hi MTB-Chick,
If i was you i would try to get rid of the cam to some one you don't know and go for one from launch or helmetcamera.
What, and do the same to some one else as he did to you?

Sounds like you might actually deserve the treatment you got if you're the kind of person that is willing to do the same yourself.

MTB-ChiK

25-06-2007, 11:41 PM

If our '580' line Hell-cam turns out to be defective it will probably be pulled to bits to prove the inferiority & illegitimacy of the product. I wouldn't want to sell it to another person if I knew it wasn't working, or wasn't a 580 line camera.

We'll see how long it lasts ... and if/or when it breaks it will just be further proof that Hell-cam is deceiving customers by making them think they are buying quality gear, when in fact they are not. It's an expensive lesson! I just hope this serves as a huge warning to others :rolleyes:

We're now getting a lanc from LAUNCH... still no delivery or communication from Paul the dickwad

rossi

26-06-2007, 12:19 AM

Go Launch Helmet Cams its the only way to go they also support MTB by sponsoring Joel Bain

MTB-ChiK

26-06-2007, 12:37 AM

Go Launch Helmet Cams its the only way to go they also support MTB by sponsoring Joel Bain

LAUNCH also respond quickly to emails & are friendly and helpful with inquiries. In other words they want to care about their customers so they deserve our business...

We never got a reply from helmetcamera.com.au regarding our inquiry for another LANC - I'm thinking both Hel-cam (www.helmetcameras.com.au) & Helmet Cameras (www.helmetcamera.com.au) are run by the same people (?)

Night_Train

26-06-2007, 01:12 AM

i dont know exactly if this is the right place but could someone shed some light on what set-up the black phoenix guys used to get the front on shot in drift 3 and what helmet cam they were using..........if they were in fact using one at all??

and how they got such a good resolution?

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n106/luke_mclellan/cam1.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n106/luke_mclellan/cam2.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n106/luke_mclellan/cam3.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n106/luke_mclellan/cam4.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n106/luke_mclellan/cam5.jpg

thanks Night Train

MTB-ChiK

26-06-2007, 01:17 AM

i dont know exactly if this is the right place but could someone shed some light on what set-up the black phoenix guys used to get the front on shot in drift 3 and what helmet cam they were using..........if they were in fact using one at all??

and how they got such a good resolution?

High end equipment & used a boom to mount the bullet cam facing back towards the rider (mounted on the riders helmet). I think wide angle lens was used to :)

sullivanvizual

27-06-2007, 06:53 PM

Hey,
They use an old aerial with a sony pencil camera on the end . I have made my own helmet cam using a peice of zinc metal bent in a metal folder and then attached a small dv sony onto that it works sick ! See my trailer for my film THE CONCEPT on youtube soon!SEEYA SULVIZ

Lushy

25-01-2008, 04:46 PM

Hey guys...

My name is David, im from Brisbane Australia, and have been totally ripped off by Paul Phelps from hel-cam. I have actually registered a complaint with office of fair trading and consumer protection and it seems that their are a few of u out there whom have been ripped off also.
Paul has now been issued a summons for court and I guess after coming across this forum, i would like to offer the others whom have been ripped off, the chance to get their money back if they can provide specific evidence.

Email me back guys

Lushy1@gmail.com

zap

04-02-2008, 10:48 PM

Just checked previous posts, this "Paul" bloke seems to have caused alot of dramas, have any of his units he has sold worked?

zap

04-02-2008, 10:52 PM

ridgeracer27

05-02-2008, 10:20 AM

I too can vouch for Launch, don't have a camera, someone I know does, but have spoken to them on the phone and they are super nice and really most helpful. The feedback too I have heard about them is also really positive. So why not support guys who really care about their product and go out of their way to make sure the customer is kept happy. :)
I've heard good things too. A mate of mine bought a helmet camera from Racerecall (http://www.racerecall.com) He said they were super helpful and delivered quick.

Belge

10-03-2008, 06:20 PM