Using MPEG2 compression with a helmet cam. good or bad idea?

Hello Everyone,

I'm an avid skier and am looking to start filming some of my runs using a helmet cam. I'm trying to use the most compact setup i can possibly find so i can fit everthing in my coat pocket.

I was considering getting the panasonic av100 because of its very compact size. My only concern is the fact that it records in MPEG2 format. I'm worried that since my head will be moving around, i may get a lot of blurring or compression artifacts.

I'll be using a 480 line cmos camera for my helmet cam. It's not as high quality as some of the other bullet cameras out there.

My other option would be to use a very compact minidv camera like the Sony PC55. But i'm going to leave this as a last resort because it is about twice the size of the av100 and wouldn't fit in my pocket nearly as well.

I guess i'm wondering if there will be a large difference in the quality between MPEG2 and minidv? Is it possible to capture fast motion video in MPEG2 with good results?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated, Thanks.

Sledhead,

Speaking from a strictly "helmet cam" perspective, finding a good Sony HC 32 online is the best you can do considering the bang-for-buck ratio. Not saying it's the best for hand-held features, but for this application it can't be beat for the price. Other choices (in this order):

Sony HC42 or 40
Sony HC96

Only the HC96 is still in production so it's the only one you'll find on a retail shelf. Naturally it's also the most expensive. No, spending more will not add to your "helmet camera" video quality. That's dictated by the quality of the Helmet cam.

We can supply the special right-angle 10pin AV you will need to reduce the overall solution size (we are the only game in town on this part).

For Firefighters we developed a helmetcam system (using the HC32) that runs off the camcorders power - no external battery needed. This made it a true "one unit" solution that is super easy to slip in/out of their jacket pocket. You still have the remote control option if you like. This is as far, and small, as DV based solutions go today.

Mpeg2 is compressed more than DV so you do loose a bit of quality - but make up for it in the ease of capturing/post processing the video.

The real factors limiting Mpeg2 is the recorders themselves. There is a fear (though probably not well tested yet) that disc based recorders are not as rugged as tape models and you may have difficulties getting the remote to work on some models. We don't have the mountain of data yet to make a call on this one.. but we can tell you we beat the hell out of Sony HCs all day long. With a proper right-angle AV connector, they can take most anything short of submersion.

Hope this helps.

Sargon

Xtreme Recall (http://www.xtremerecall.com)

Advanced Helmet Camera Designs