GoPro or other action camera for recording sport climbs via helmet mount?

I'm looking for an action camera to record sport climbing from POV (via a helmet mount). The features I really care about are:

1. Wide field of view, so you can easily see handholds and footholds (many action sports don't involve your head being super close to a wall where it's hard to capture a wide enough FOV)
2. Bumping into rock not destroying the camera/lens (I tried the AKASO Brave 7 LE and although the quality wasn't great, it was enough for the price IF they had a protective frame/case/housing other than the underwater one…they don't ((which makes no sense because it doesn't record sound when in the waterproof case, and it comes out blurry)) so you're stuck either not protecting the camera at all, or doing all activities with it in an underwater case)
3. Good enough quality to see some rock feature details, get some nice stills of the view at the top of routes and hear sound clearly enough to make out commands)
4. Battery life that lasts reasonably, nothing too crazy
5. Indication that it's recording without taking the helmet off (so, beeps to indicate you've hit a button) 

I do not care one bit about live streaming, underwater recording, filters or other fancy features. It's hard to find specs specific to rock climbing (wide enough field of view for recording while in such close proximity with the rock, for example) so I thought I'd ask here. Surely some of you have recorded climbs with action cams?

If the AKASO Brave 7 LE was slightly better quality and had a protective shell mount I'd probably go with that for the budget option. It was pretty nice otherwise. The screen slept to save battery while recording. Its widest field of view option is 170°. Didn't seem perfect but maybe I needed to mount if further back rather than center of helmet. Slightly better FOV would be preferred.

Don’t do it. 

Why not? I've used a friend's before and I enjoy documenting some climbs for myself. I studied my crux and was able to plan and rehearse the moves before attempting it again. It helped me see what my stuck point was and how to improve.

That, and I've kept a few stills of great views.

Alaina G wrote:

Why not? I've used a friend's before and I enjoy documenting some climbs for myself. I studied my crux and was able to plan and rehearse the moves before attempting it again. It helped me see what my stuck point was and how to improve.

That, and I've kept a few stills of great views.

I think what Marc is trying to get at is that gopros scream “noob” and are generally thought as machinam non grata among the climbing bourgeoisie.

They have a camera mount that goes your back or shoulder, which gives better perspective and you get kind of a bird's eye view of the climber. I haven't seen a ton of footage but what I have seen is world better than the helmet mounted cameras. 

it seems that the newer gopro is better than the osmo action 3, the closest competitor. One other thing that you could try is using a GoproMax 360camera in third person, attached to your harness and above your head, that would show you not only the rock features, but also your movement/positioning. might be worth considering.

And, the gopro max is cheaper now, since it's a few years old(there's a rumomr that they will release a new 360 version this year)

like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3gfXqMSjIg

and this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2sU-Zs7V8c

Tradiban wrote:

I think what Marc is trying to get at is that gopros scream “noob” and are generally thought as machinam non grata among the climbing bourgeoisie.

That's fine by me. I still enjoy the footage for myself. 

Philippe Queiroz wrote:

it seems that the newer gopro is better than the osmo action 3, the closest competitor. One other thing that you could try is using a GoproMax 360camera in third person, attached to your harness and above your head, that would show you not only the rock features, but also your movement/positioning. might be worth considering.

And, the gopro max is cheaper now, since it's a few years old(there's a rumomr that they will release a new 360 version this year)

like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3gfXqMSjIg

and this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2sU-Zs7V8c

Thanks! I'm looking for something a little more basic, but those were incredible to watch.

Alaina G wrote:

That's fine by me. I still enjoy the footage for myself. 

Thanks! I'm looking for something a little more basic, but those were incredible to watch.

Please post on YouTube so we can critique it.   

Wearing a gopro doesn't worsen the experience of other people in the area. That makes them different than drones.

Do not suggest the GoPro Max. Great camera, but it's very easy to scratch the lenses, as there's two, and they stick out, without any sort of lens protector. Once scratched, there's no way to repair it except replacing it. And once scratched, the 360 stitching doesn't work anymore. 

You also then have to re-edit the footage to turn it from a .360 video to a regular video. If you don't want to invest in that time, you're going to just have a pile of .360 video that never gets used. 

Ben Crowell wrote:

Wearing a gopro doesn't worsen the experience of other people in the area. That makes them different than drones.

Nor does taking selfies.

Long Ranger wrote:

Do not suggest the GoPro Max. Great camera, but it's very easy to scratch the lenses, as there's two, and they stick out, without any sort of lens protector. Once scratched, there's no way to repair it except replacing it. And once scratched, the 360 stitching doesn't work anymore. 

You also then have to re-edit the footage to turn it from a .360 video to a regular video. If you don't want to invest in that time, you're going to just have a pile of .360 video that never gets used. 

That's helpful, thanks! That's my main issue with the AKASO Brave 7 LE. No way of protecting it without the underwater case. I'm looking for a camera that's protected from rock but not sealed in an underwater case that makes the video blurry and muffles the sound!

A regular GoPro should have a simple enough and replaceable lens protector. No underwater case needed.

Tradiban wrote:

I think what Marc is trying to get at is that gopros scream “noob” and are generally thought as machinam non grata among the climbing bourgeoisie.

Sounds like a them problem haha

So has anyone here used a helmet-mounted action camera? If so, any recommendations for one less fancy than the latest GoPros but still decent?

Second hand Hero 10. I have one and it’s so fun to use. I love hearing the fear from my family when I share what I’ve shot with them. 

I film a fair amount of stuff with a GoPro 7 and like it. There’s really nothing fancy on that camera and you can get them used for about $100 nowadays 

I use the Akaso V50X.  It's lighter than the GoPro and the battery life is great if filming at 1080P (2+ hours) without stabilization.  Swappable batteries, of course.

Also purchased the accessory bundle which comes with a case which has a swappable backing, one of which has slots in it for better sound.  I use the head strap (removing the top portion) so the band is sort of like a headlamp, and then place it on my helmet like a headlamp.  Look me up on Youtube if you want to see the product.  Hours of aid climbing film...

Christopher Chu wrote:

Look me up on Youtube if you want to see the product.  Hours of aid climbing film...

So one pitch of c1?

John Clark wrote:

I think you have the wrong channel. Literal hours of El Cap, Washington Column, and HD video

Just making a joke about aid climbing, I'm sure his channel is dope

Levi X wrote:

So one pitch of c1?

Yes, 40 hours of video on the Pine Line.