Need Some Video Advice (Blog Note)

I'm not a video guy and I don't know video and don't do video. So, please speak at me as if you were talking to a dummy.

I see videos on YouTube that appear to have been made with a camera strapped to the person's forehead. As they speak the camera seems to follow their eyes and swing this way and that with what appear to be head movements. For instance, this video (made by an individual who is crazy, but happy).

Is that a thing? The camera-on-your-head camera I mean? Can someone out there school me about that? I don't even know what such cameras are called, so I can't even Google it.

I need a camera that aims where I look and simultaneously records what I say. Is that possible? If it is an actual thing and not just something I'm imagining is real, could you recommend one?

If you think it might be too complicated for a dummy, warn me.

Thanks for any help!

Mike

UPDATE Saturday evening: Okay, got it! Thanks everyone. Closing the comments now because 'most everyone's saying the same thing.

P.S. By the way I just want you to know that it snowed here yesterday and it's snowing right now and there was dew on the grass this morning that turned out to be ice. (I checked it out because when I walked on it, it crunched.) Spring here this year was apparently one day—May 3rd, when it was 74 degrees with balmy breezes and so clear it looked like another planet. Clear days in the Finger Lakes are intensely clear. Glorious Spring day, much gratefulness, but the next day we were back to gray, cold and wettish...and now this.

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

UPDATE no. 2: Here's the Comments Section, in a nutshell:

Almost everyone: "GoPro! How could you not know that?"

Me: Okay, okay.

Comments

[David Ringoen]

I think he’s using a GoPro attached to a head strap.

https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html

[Wayne Taylor]

Isn't that a GoPro? https://gopro.com/en/us/

[Matt Kallio]

Perhaps you've heard of these things action cameras, like GoPro?

[James]

Could be a GoPro or similar "action cam"

[Tom]

GoPro head mounts are pretty popular. I also saw someone do it with a phone and some duct tape recently that is actually really slick.
https://youtu.be/9nQn8D0yUnc?t=232

[robert e]

Could be a GoPro head mount or chest mount. Review and links here:

https://youtu.be/L27YS7l5kso

[John Joh]

Action cam is what you are looking for. There is also one called an Osmo--looks like a camera on a stick that has image stabilization built-in to smooth out jerky video.

[Gordon Buck]

Gopro camera and a head strap.
https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/cameras?ds_rl=1274407&ds_rl=1268236&ds_rl=1274407&ds_rl=1268236&gclid=CjwKCAjwqdn1BRBREiwAEbZcRz5_fPFhi0x_WigrAgli73fVlR8t_JKIlbrzImkKsokPrFZ26mu7JxoCa_wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Edward Taylor]

Mike -

Sure, there are many cameras (in fact all small cameras) that can do that. A GoPro, of course, is the first thing to come to mind. There is a head strap accessory for it. For better audio, (much, much better audio) get a lapel microphone and plug it into the camera or an external recorder. And, don't move your head around too fast or too much. You'll give your viewers whiplash!

Ed

[Lynn Cox]

Go Pro
https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html

[Lawrence Plummer]

Hi Mike, sorry, but have you not heard of GoPro?????

[Andy Munro]

Mike, GoPro Hero 8 and a headstrap. You can set the GoPro editor to automatically level the horizon. Probably set it to 1080p as you'll get smaller files. Set stabilisation to max.

Sorry this is a bit short but there are a ton of tutorials out there. How to use the GoPro Hero 8 by Jordan Hetrick is a good one. He has tutorials as well but they're on Youtube...

Hope this helps. It'll probably be followed up with tons of similar suggestions.

Cheers, Andy

[Frank]

The video you linked seems to be film using an action cam (barrel distortion). With an action cam you have two common options. Mount in on your forehead (e.g https://gopro.com/en/de/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html) with allows you to film and talk at the same time, but your hands are to far away from natural eye level (view point of the cam), which I do somewhat feel is the case in that video. Second opinion, if you can and are willing to do voice over (record audio after the video) you can use a snorkel like mouth piece (https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/bite-mount-plus-floaty/ASLBM-001.html), which gives a much more natural perspective at the cost of being able to film and talk at the same time. Look for “GoPro mouth POV” in YouTube and you find a ton of videos demonstrating the difference between the two options.

A frequent reader / seldom commenter from Germany. Cheers, Frank

[alan sailer]

I am far from a video expert but a GoPro style camera is small enough to strap to your forehead. GoPro is one of the originals but I'm sure there are many knock-offs.

A link to the strap.

https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html

Cheers.

[Oldsweng]

GoPro with headband mount.

[niels]

Try google something like 'pov iphone video rig' (pov as in Point of View).

[Vincent Garofalo]

hello mike, probably just a go-pro, or similar sized camera, held on by an elastic strap.

[Gary]

You're thinking about a GoPro. You can strap it on your head. Take stills and video. Usually water resistant to 10 meters.

[Bruce alan greene]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?InitialSearch=yes&N=0&Ntt=gopro+camera&c3api=4680%2C%2Cgopro+camera%2Ce&msclkid=eefd0295019a1b2d46305c23ef9319ca

Go Pro :)

[David Graham]

Action sports people attach action cameras like GoPro Hero to their helmets

[Jared S.]

Clint from Lazy Game Reviews uses a pair of camera glasses to give a first-person perspective in his Thrifts series, and also to avoid getting kicked out of thrift stores for recording. He made a video about his process a while back, and it shows the equipment he's using.

Hope that helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSAkiNnHljI

[Frans Evenblij]

Hi Mike,
Search for "action cam". GoPro is one of the well known brands. As far as I know they work with simple SD cards, so familiar territory for you.
Cheers,
Frans

[MikeR]

Check out GoPro on Amazon. Their gear is sort of higher end. Lots of much cheaper alternatives, if you just want to play around a bit, to see what it's all about.

Spring will return by next weekend, for a day or two, then it's summer.

[Ed Bacher]

My guess is that they are using a GoPro camera. They're often used for sports like mountain biking and surfing, but this is new!

[Bassman]

Easy - get a GoPro and a head-mount harness.

[Earl Dunbar]

I know nothing about what you are asking but I confirm the P.S. and am beginning to think Spring in these here parts is scared to death of Covid-19. At least my garlic and onions in the ground don’t mind.

[Bill]

Mike,

Just in case you haven't already got the answer 243 times, he's using a GoPro (https://gopro.com/en/us/) with a head mount (which comes standard with the camera).

You can get a chest mount that points the camera forward to see what you are looking at, but without all of that head swing. Even the internal image stabilization that is in the last two generations of GoPro can't settle that head swing down.

[John Camp]

You can't possibly not know about Go-Pro?

Google Youtube Go-Pro

[Justin Watt]

GoPro + HeadStrap. J. Kenji López-Alt has been doing a serious of quarantine cooking videos with one on. I'm pretty sure he's using this: https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html

[Justin Watt]

You can see him wearing it around the 21-minute mark in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpbFetR6QiE

[Clayton]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnMk-Fl-_SA
B&H once had an ad for "The camera you wear". May have been the one in this video.

[Michael J. Perini]

Probably a Go Pro, although many companies now make 'wearable Action Cams, that get mounted wherever you want, on your hang glider/race car/surf board frame or on your helmet.
They are tiny little bricks usually with a fixed wide angle lens and can shoot up to 4k video
Often used as B or C cams to get point of view.
GoPro was founded on the concept by Nick Woodman in 2002
....It was big news back then.......;-))

[Duncan]

One way to do that is with a GoPro camera along with a head strap. For example, https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/cameras/hero8-black/CHDHX-801-master.html?gclsrc=aw.ds.

[Ed Nixon]

I'd Google for "GoPro for YouTube" or some such. The GoPro is small and famous; quite capable. And you can get a head mount strap for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2WGoqkRImE

Just be aware that the footage you get may not be all that stable or easy to follow. That, plus the whole video idea your having, is a whole new can of worms. Be prepared. I'm not saying don't do it; I'm saying it's not going to be strap it on and off you go. And yes, you can record directly to the camera but again, it may not be as great as you envisage. Another new discipline, skill set. But there are hordes of people out there willing to talk at your about it. So go for it! ...edN

[Scott]

Yeah, it snowed here in Michigan too, and was below freezing last night.
All the trees had just popped and today the leaves are looking kind of wilty. I know less about trees than you claim to know about video, but I hope that's not permanent.

[Dirk]

The action cameras, most famously the GoPro, are what folks use. You can get mounts to put them on almost anything you can imagine, and they're fairly small, waterproof, etc. And the audio and video quality is quite good.

[Tom]

I think it is a gopro camera

[Egils Zarins]

Personally, I'm not into video and don't know much about it. But this video seems to address your needs. You have to concentrate on his English, however.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMEmJqpRRKY
Egils

[Animesh Ray]

GoPro with voice control and head mount! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKJ_a2T6OXE

[Steve Greenwood]

Mike:

Not a video guy either, but this would seem to do it:

https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html?skipredirect&gclid=CjwKCAjwqdn1BRBREiwAEbZcR-eMOE4QSDkroFNXXCfDXnuJuhP0Gj1YQGneiOFzQqxu_sfZTF_tWBoCaEoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Nigel]

This is the kind of thing you are after is a GoPro Camera (this company was very early into this, but there are other brands). Go to Amazon and look for that plus head strap. Mountain bikers, surfers and goodness knows what use them all the time. I can’t wait to see a point of view shot of you hand gliding. Good luck.

[Nigel]

Regarding simplicity, it’s all very easy. You pop a SIM card in (probably a miniSD), set it off and then remove the card and download to your computer. They are incredibly high quality. You’ll find GoPro quick start guides on line, and of course all over YouTube.

[c.d.embrey]

Here ya go https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html a head mount for a GoPro. BTW GoPros have built-in mics.

Edit using the GoPro app https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/softwareandapp

I'm sure that there will be many more solutions presented using *real cameras,* but this is all you need for Youtube/Vimeo videos.

[R. Edelman]

The camera category that you are interested in is termed "Action Cameras". The GoPro brand is probably the best known, but others such as Sony also manufacture these. If you need video of yourself, you could probably strap one on Butters and have him follow you around as your camera dog!

[Joseph L. Kashi]

As a general rule, I prefer text articles with real substance and avoid videos whenever possible. Many photo sites now use video links to someone else's work rather than provide thoughtful original content, a trend that I find mostly an avoidable waste of my time.

One of the primary reasons that I confine most of my photo-related web viewing this site and Kirk's is that I can read and grasp your points quickly rather than the usual 12-15 video. People can read and comprehend roughly three times faster than they can intelligibly speak.

I don't have the time to view a lengthy video to, hopefully, get the same amount of content, even if the first three minutes are not a musical paen to the person making that video or to the spectacular places to which they can travel. Metaphorically, there is a massive amount of photo-oriented videos on the Web, which dilutes everyone's visibility and impact.

The innate hassles of making and editing videos take a lot of time away from thinking about, and clearly explicating, the content of an article. That's even true for someone like Kirk, who makes videos for a living and is familiar with the process.

[Don Craig]

Those are "Action Cams" or something like it, typified by GoPro. As in GoPro.com. A big fad in the last decade, they used to explain all this at the GoPro website, but it's now considered mainstream and everybody knows. Mike must get out more when this is all over.

cheers,
Don Craig

[Mike Plews]

They make headbands for gopro type cameras. A cheap lavalier mic will give better sound. Is that what you are thinking of?

[schralp]

They make hat brim mounts, helmet mounts and headstrap mounts for GoPro cameras. Also, chest mounts. I suspect other formats do the same.

[Bill Pearce]

You can watch that without getting motion sickness? Is that something you want to give your viewers?

Most online videos seriously lack production values. For one person to do that, it's well, insane. And what you see on TV involves post production that is far more than just PS.

Aside from the visual issues, is there anyone doing online videos that has ever studied public speaking? Can anyone among them manage to remove all the ums and awws and stammering? Can they stop making small jokes like "Oops, I nearly dropped that 24,000 dollar lens." All answers are no.

That's why I don't watch online videos. I timedon, it was a half hourlong, and if after all the crap was removed, inside jokes, stammering and other verbal crutches, and god help us pictures of the person taking photos by dashing around and getting in strange positions straight out of an old movie it would have been about 11 minutes. More filer than meat. The very definition of empty calories.

I have about 28 years experience in broadcasting, 4 in TV, and at least 10 writing, and I wouldn't even think about trying to do an ad lib online video.

If you do to online video, you'll do it without me. And you can't kid me, it won't be any easier than a written blog, it ill take more time and trouble and the video version of rewrites.

[Frank Gorga]

I'm not a video guy either, but I think that the camera used in the link you cite falls into the category of "action cameras". This category was originated by (I think) and is typified by the GoPro line of cameras.

Your weather sounds like about what we have been seeing in southern New Hampshire... it is sunny right now, but literally five minutes ago the snow was coming down sideways.

I commented to my wife at breakfast (while contemplating the inch or so of white material on the deck) that we sure had a short summer... referring to that one nice day earlier in the week.

I guess, calling that day "spring" that makes you an optimist compared to this crusty old New Englander! ;-)

[Dana]

Hey mike GoPro cameras with a head strap is what you can use for this kind of video. Just go to goproessentials.com. And of course Amazon has many head mounts for cameras as well. The GoPro Hero 8 is a serious little camera if you like doing this kind of thing and the mount for attaching is part of the camera.

[John A Krumm]

I know as little as you, but there's this: https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts/head-strap-plus-quickclip/ACHOM-001.html .

The camera is perhaps more expensive than you need unless you plan to start mountain biking and posting your videos, but they do have an established system. It has some kind of image stabilization, probably digital, to smooth out the jitters.

[Bill]

Its a GOPRO or equivalent

[hilm3]

Google GoPro + Headband.

[Stephen S. Mack]

I recall some years back a film called "The Blair Witch Project", where the camera apparently provided the point-of-view of a person who did a LOT of moving around. I had to quit watching after about two minutes, because I would have barfed if I had kept on. The POV movement was enough to make one giddy and nauseous if watched for any length of time. At least it was for me. Is this what you're referring to?

With best regards.

Stephen

[Chuck Rhoades]

Mike...it's called a GoPro with an elastic headband. Try looking at YouTube videos to tell you how to set one up.

[David Dyer-Bennet]

The big brand-name is "GoPro". Head or helmet mounts are common (they're small and light enough, it's easy). And they have competition.

It's an application that repays active stabilization in the camera, perhaps not surprisingly.

But no, nothing particularly hard about it. Video in general tends to repay work and planning, and can of course consume up through an infinite amount of resources (Hollywood block-buster movies). As you know from YouTube, the standards aren't that high.

87 other people probably already answered, but no sign of it here, so I'll answer too.

[Max Young]

Michael after bushfires and intense drought, us Aussies would give anything for a month of deep snowfalls. However I imagine it does get tiresome after an endless Winter.

[Skip]

Mike, I am not a vidio person at all. As a rule I never open a vidio on any website as they are usally really really bad with even worse music in the background.

I think what you might be looking for is your all time favorite camera from a few pages back... GOPRO ;-) Hey maybe they will give you a deal on one after your glowing semi review of there product. Sorry Mike, just could not resist.

[Julius]

Take a look for "POV camera” online, where POV = Point of View. There are various mounts, including headband and ones you hold in your mouth.

[James Jones]

If you’re being serious - then sure there are helmet mounts for go pros - just think headlamp mount. As for is it a thing - not really. But if you want to take it further you use a 360 camera or an iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 will allow you to record both directions (front face and back face camera) at the same time (you and your subject). 360 camera captures a 360 and allows you to point it in post processing (editing).

[Chris C]

Surely you’ve heard of Go Pro?

Once you splash on the camera, you then end up spending as much again in mounts to stick it all sorts of places.

Of course there are all sorts of Go Pro clones as well as a few other “action cam” brands.

[RX Hunter]

Mike: the most common one is probably the GoPro. If you google "GoPro head strap" I think you might be in business. I have one of the older Hero models (5 maybe?), and they are very lightweight. Never tried the head strap, but it doesn't seem crazy. And yes they do sound with a built-in mic, or with an external mic and the appropriate dongle. The built-in would probably work for voice memo quality when strapped to your head, but you might want some kind of lapel mic if you're narrating for "pro-grade" finished videos.

[Kristian Wannebo]

Mike,
it depends on the angle of view you want:
Very wide, and not too sudden head movements will work fairly well.
Narrower, and you have to turn/incline your head *very* slowly and carefully.

Google for "action camera".
The so called action cameras usually have a very wide fixed lens on a smallish sensor. You'll find them in all qualities and prices, with or without weather protection, occasionally with an additional case. Some have a fisheye effect eliminated by camera firmware.
I don't know about variation of their angle of view.
There are often a lot of accessories for fastening them in different places.

( Don't forget mike input if you need it, and battery life - the smaller/lighter ones might have a problem with that. Earphone output is probably very rare.)

Perhaps you'd better make test shots to see how
much or little you might need to discipline your head movements.

A tighter band around your head holding the camera can give a slight headache after some time, a looser one with a band over your head helps. It also depends on how high on the forehead it sits - from my wearing of headlamps for hours.
( Action cameras are heavier than the weaker smallish LED headlamps, but probably weigh about the same as strong LED ones.)

[Geoffrey]

I think the most common brand of such cameras are made by GoPro.
Here is another video made by someone with a GoPro strapped to their forehead, the great Kenji Lopez-Alt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIfxBh0RF30

[Kristian Wannebo]

Addendum:
And I wouldn't be too surprised if some have IS.