Product: BikerCam
Manufacturer: TACHYON, Inc
Product Website: http://www.tachyoninc.com/bikercam.php
Cost (MSRP): $189.99
Reviewed By: Lucky
Overall Rating: Excellent
Where to Buy: tachyoninc.com
[Tachyon Profile] [Additional Product Photos]
Review of New Features:
Added November 22, 2013
The review of this product (below) was originally done in May of 2012. Since that time TackyOn has upgraded the BikerCam to include a New Longer Life Internal Battery that they claim provides up to 5½ hours or recording time. We tested the new system and actually saw a slight bit more than that. In our test with a fully charged battery we were able to record 6 hours and 3 minutes of uninterrupted recording. We also test the camera with a fully charged battery turning it on and off periodically (as you would when you ride and stop) and were able to record 6 hours and 37 minutes of total video on one charge.
This new longer battery life plus the Charge and Record Feature of the BikerCam provides the longest recording capabilities of any Bike or Helmet mounted camera on the market.
Manufacturers Description:
Tachyon’s new BikerCam delivers exceptional audio and video quality and utilizes a wide-angle lens which captures a wide swath of the rider’s surroundings. While plugged into your bike’s electric system, it makes use of its infinite recording-loop technology, allowing for over 8 hours of recording on a 32GB micro memory card (sold separately). The Quick-Release Handlebar Mount is designed to remain securely attached to the bike while the camera can very easily be removed from the mount when the rider is away from the bike. While away, the fully-charged camera will be able to record for over four hours. The BikerCam is also capable of taking time-lapse photos. One photo will be taken every two seconds. Each photo is time and date stamped, which is extremely useful for recording your events.
Video Specs: HD 720p - 30 FPS - MPEG 4, H.264. Continuous loop recording can record continuousy when used in combination with Charge n' Record 12V Charger. 125° - Wide Angle. Gather more of the action than ever. * With the wide angle, there will be a slight fish-eye effect.
Image Sensor: High-Dynamic Sensor for extraordinary light sensitivity and adaptability.
Time-Lapse Photo: One Image Every 2 Seconds until you stop. Photos are marked with a time and date stamp for your reference.
Shockproofing: Internal shock-proof battery prevents loss of video. (the most common problem with helmet cameras)
Operation: One-button easy-to-use operation.
Memory Cards & Recording Time: Micro SDHC 4 GB-32 GB. Cards are not included in the BikerCam package, but can be purchased on this site. With a 32GB card, your camera can record 9 hours of video before it begins to overwrite the earliest files. All files are recorded in 15-minute blocks.
Batteries & Battery Life: Internal Rechargeable Batteries. When fully charged and disconnected from your Charge n' Record 12V Charger, you will still have around 4 hours of power remaining on the lithium ion battery. Lithium Ion Batteries are Great for Cold Weather!
Review:
My TACHYON BikerCam arrived in a box that was a little bigger than I expected, but that's because it included a bunch of useful accessories that come along with the kit. In the box was, of course, the camera, along with three different types of camera mounts (a tripod mount with an attaching handlebar clamp, a contour mount to attach to a hemet and a clip mount that can be clipped on just about anything); 3M Dual Lock fastening strip; a rain proof cover; 12V charger (cigarette lighter style plug); USB cable; and the optional 16BG micro memory card.
Now I'm a pretty technical guy and can figure out how to work just about anything, however I prefer the things I use to be as simple as possible, and the TACHYON BikerCam is just that... SIMPLE. It is basically a one-button operation; push the button once to start recording, push it again to stop. There are two other small buttons on the camera: one to change modes from video recording to time-lapse recording (one photo every two seconds); and another button to lock the record mode so you don't acccidentally stop recording by inadvertently hitting the record button.
The camera has an internal battery that lasts for about 3.5 hours of continuous recording without re-charge. Charging is simple and just a matter of connecting the 12v adapter or plugging in the USB cable. You can also run the camera connected via the 12v adapter connected for unlimited recording time.
Downloading the videos is very simple too and can be done one of two ways. Plug the camera into your computer via the included USB cable and your computer will automatically recognize the camera as an external drive and you just drag the video files from the camera to your computer. Or you can remove the micro card and insert it into an adapter and plug it in to your computer's SD card slot (if your computer has an SD card reader). The videos are saved on the camera as standard .MOV files so they can be viewed with pretty much any movie player. The great thing about the camera is that it stores the videos in indivual files of 30 minutes recordings - every 30 minutes the file is saved and a new file is started. This makes the video very easy to edit using any video editing software, including Windows Movie Maker which is included with all new versions of Windows.
The installation of the camera on my Road King took all of about 5 minutes. I first mounted the camera on my handle bars using the included handle bar clamp that attaches to the tripod mount. However I found that with my style handle bars I was getting the edge of my winshield in the frame, so I moved the camera and mounted it to the post on my left blinker. The quick release tripod mount makes it easy to remove the camera and put it away when the bike is parked or to bring in the house to download the movies.
After creating a number of videos on the road, I found the overall image quality to be very good. Of course the combination of the vibration from the Harley V-Twin motor and the bumps in the road, there was some slight image vibration noticable in the final video recording, however this is no greater than I have experienced or seen on any other type of motorcycle mounted camera. The camera also records sound, but with the camera mounted anywhere away from the motorcycles engine, you will only here the sound of the wind and not the sound of your motorcycle. The 30 minute clips that the camera records made it very easy to edit my long trips down to just a few minutes of the best footage to share with my friends. (see my sample video below - this was the first video I ever made with the camera).
Overall based on price, video quality, ease of use, and accessories included - I find the TACHYON BikerCam one of the best values on the market for a motorcycle/helmet mounted video camera.
Sample Video...
Video filmed with my TACHYON camera and edited in about 15 minutes using Windows Movie Maker...
Start making your own great videos today!!!
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December 16, 2013- -
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