After another incident was missed by my bar mounted ATC-2K I was basically told by Mel to get a new camera (who was I to argue?). After a bit of digging I plumped for the tiny Veho Muvi.
PositivesIt is uber-small, the size of my thumb, which also makes it light, so I can mount it on my head without it looking monstrously daft, or causing any stress to my neck.
Picture quality seems good. Same recording size and frame rate (640x380(?) and 30fps) as the ATC-2K, but just seems a little clearer.
Good wide angle of view. The ATC-2K had something like a 43 degree angle, the Muvi has a 72 degree angle.
Price. It's £80 normally, which isn't bad, but the manufacturer sells them direct through eBay as well, for £55. The ATC series runs from about £90 for the 2K up to £150 for the 5K I think.
Charges through USB, so no more keeping stacks of rechargeable batteries (the ATC-2K ate them all up).
The microphone isn't too bad. Certainly picks up a couple of things I've said to drivers, and even things muttered under my breath.
Will take up to 8GB micro SD cards.
Recording time on a single charge is about an hour and a half - and given it charges through the USB, unless you plan on filling the 8 gig card in one go that should be plenty time - it also charges quickly.
Low light capability seems good. The ATC-2K would just have a dark morasse on screen, but the tunnel I go through in the mornings seems pretty clear (with a sort-of high-ISO noise to it).
NegativesNo counter, so you can't see when the memory card is getting full.
Not waterproof which brings about another negative...
The 'extreme sports kit' is an optional extra, and comes in at between £15 and £20. Which is a bloody rip off. You get another clip mount (you get one with the camera anyway), a universal bar mount, some velcro straps, a stretchy headband strap and a little silicone cover. The silicone cover provides a bit of waterproofing, but with it on the camera won't fit in the mounts properly, so I retained it with one of the velcro straps. The handlebar mount 'aint bad, and has a pivot on it, so that gets attached to my head, and can be angled so it's looking straight ahead. But 20 quid? Please. They've launched a new completely waterproof case, with built in mount, but that's retailing at £40...
The 2GB card it ships with is awful. You need at least a Class 4 card I think, otherwise you get a little jump in the image every 5 seconds or so. I got a 4GB card and it solved the problem perfectly.
OverallIt's a cheap camera, and so you can't expect crystal clear perfection, but as a day-to-day commuting camera it's proved handy for me. Not wearing a helmet made head-mounting the ATC-2K a bit difficult, but with the Muvi I just wear a cap and stick the headband round it. This means I can look at whatever is happening a lot more easily. Obviously any other camera can be head-mounted as well, but this just feels so unobtrusive.
The aluminium body feels robust, and everything I've wanted it to pick up while I've been riding it has. No regrets, and no massive dent in the bank balance. Couldn't really have asked for much more.
Some example vids
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/z046F66kI5k&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/z046F66kI5k&rel=1</a>]]>
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LoyYAhnsyJs&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/LoyYAhnsyJs&rel=1</a>]]>
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Nyqhb0pqYY&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/_Nyqhb0pqYY&rel=1</a>]]> (and yes, it's a Pug 107, not a Citroen C1)
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/7baRTCdqp2s&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/7baRTCdqp2s&rel=1</a>]]>
