GoPro did not make helmet cams for the 720P era, deciding instead to concentrate their energies on the 1080P HD Hero Helmet Camera, now available. Their brand is very popular amongst sports lovers and their products have been among the top sellers for the past 2 years or so.
One of the outstanding features of GoPro cameras generally is the waterproof case which enables you to video down to 60 meters.
When the POV team tested the GoPro HD Hero range they concluded that the video quality was as good as or better than any other camera.
There are several smaller and lighter helmet cams available but the GoPro HD tips the scales at only 5.9 ounces so it will hardly cause fatigue!
The GoPro HD has a field of view of 127 degrees which is not as big as some but is nevertheless very respectable.
Helmet Cams in general have so far been hampered a bit by wind noise but this is an aspect that GoPro have tackled and first tests produced a greatly reduced wind noise level.
GoPro have introduced a visionary design feature on this camera with a small slot at the back of this camera which they have called a 'Hero Bus'. The slot gives you the ability to incorporate future hardware options called 'Bakpacs', as they become available, thus increasing your camera's versatility. One 'Bakpac' planned for release in the not-too-distant future is an LCD plug-in which will enable on-camera preview and playback.
Initial trials of the Helmet Hero were completed in the snow and gave stunning results on a helmet and on a broom pole. Early customers have used their HD Helmet Hero cameras in various sports and action situations. Consider just some of these current uses of the Go Pro HD Helmet Hero:
Kayaking
Off-Road Biking
Stock Car Racing
Airplane Stunts
Skiing
Ice Climbing
Snowmobiling
Rafting
Sailing
Scuba-Diving
Earlier GoPro cameras shot at 512X384 resolution. However, the Helmet Hero HD models give you much more, as follows:
1080p at 30 frames per second
960p at 30 frames per second
720p at both 30 and 60 frames per second
480p at 60 frames per second
There is a video showing a guy bringing his home-built plane in to land with his GoPro HD attached to the inside of the canopy.
Another enthusiast took his GoPro camera on a Kite-Boarding vacation to Peru. This was a free-of-charge trip on condition that he took some promotional shots of this new hotel for the owner. The problem that he faced was that his normal, hand-held video camera only had a standard narrow lens. He retrieved the situation with his GoPro Hero HD and, with the tripod mount and tripod, completed every one of the wide angle shots with it!
Read more about this very popular helmet camera at HiDefHelmetCams
