Body Cam brand recommendations - UK

[black cat]

Hi all,
i have put this in the off topic section, as i couldnt find a better place to post this.

im looking into getting a body cam. key things i want are
- can film day and night and will record things clearly within 50cm or less, eg i might be working on an engine and have something in my hands i want to capture.
- low enough quality for easy uploading, but good enough to clearly see items like m4 screws.
- long battery and filming time eg 12 hours
- reliable and can handle being accidently knocked/dropped/shocked
- optional , handling very bright light ( welding)

Im looking on a ssearch browser and ebay and there is alot of brands, but im not sure if what im looking at is going to be unreliable and or fails to live up to the points i mentioned

 

[Nigel]

within 50cm or less,

Most body cams will be fixed focus, and focused to infinity, so 50cm is right at the closest limit for being in acceptable focus. Don't expect them all to manage an M4 at 50cm. Probably feasible to refocus one, so that it is in focus from 20cm to 5m, you might want to check if this is possible when selecting.

- optional , handling very bright light ( welding)

I wouldn't be surprised if the UV light from welding at 50cm would cause permanent damage to the image sensor, just as it is not good for human eyes. Probably needs to be able to have a welding filter fitted, which is perfectly feasible, but I've not noticed many body cams being designed to take filters.


I will be interested to hear what you end up with, but I haven't looked at body cams for ages, so I can't give any recommendations.

 

[kamkar]

I also have not looked at body cameras for a long time, by the sound of it, it also sound more like you want a head mounted system, CUZ that will at least pan / tilt and follow where you look.
But that is pretty far away then for a wide angle lens at least in regard to following / seeing small things, i would be more inclined to want a lens with a little but of " zoom " 4 - 6 mm or so, this should also give a more natural distance feeling.
That will of course mean lesser Field Of View, but if it is head mounted and set up so it is " zeroed" right where you look it should be fine.

But something like that would not work with a welding mask as it would be outside the glass of the helmet, but you could of course move it to a mount on the welding helmet for that part.

The requested 12 hour recording time, that i think you can only do if the camera is connected to a power bank, CUZ a internal battery for that kind of recording duration will be pretty big.
You will probably have to make do with something smaller / shorter recording duration, and then you will just have to pause to recharge, of if possible change battery though i think with these replaceable battery is probably rare.

Regarding welding you probably also want it some ways away to not get splashed on the lens, but as glass ( dark ) in front of it will probably also be needed, i would not gamble on the sensor being able to handle it in the long run.

I do think you will have to do a little Gerry rigging here to get a camera to meet all your needs.

The small insta 360 cameras will be good for size, also able to focus pretty close.

Insta360 GO Ultra – Tiny Hands-Free 4K Cam

Capture immersive POV footage in stunning 4K60fps. Compact and lightweight. Enhanced low-light performance and long-life battery.

www.insta360.com

Insta360 GO 3S – The tiny mighty 4K cam.

Capture hands-free POVs and unique angles with the tiny waterproof action cam, now in stunning 4K. With a flip touchscreen Action Pod for remote control and preview.

www.insta360.com

 

[Oliver_70mai]

I recommend DJI Osmo Nano and Insta 360 GO
Small, excellent image quality, and super anti-shake, but the battery life may not meet your requirements

 

[Oliver_70mai]

Pocket 3 has been reduced to $330 in mainland China. I suspect pocket 4 is coming soon🤔

 

[mentadent]

I have used two Boblov cameras. They have long battery life. My favourite is Boblov A22:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805290767442.html

It is light, not too delicate, has night vision with IR illuminators, can easily be turned on with just a sliding switch instead of needing menus, quality is reasonable but not crazy so it is easy to upload.

I had it about 2 years and it still works fine. Charging is older USB cable, not USB-C but I can live with that.

 

[mentadent]

Quick test in dingy indoor light, from approx 50cm to super close, then IR night vision illuminator: