Toolbox: Sports Video GearelptGoing for hands-free shots
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By Kim Castleberry
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Page 1 of 3 
There’s
no time to fumble with a camera when scaling steep mountains or cycling
through deep canyons. With action sports attracting more devotees every
year, the gear for capturing these athletic feats on camera is becoming
more affordable. Of course, choosing the right sports video camera
depends on the kind of action you’re into and what kind of video
quality you’re looking for. Most helmet cams now are about 1.5 inches
wide, up to six inches long and weigh less than a pound. So capturing
your mad dash down a black diamond trail is as simple as strapping the
camera on your helmet and hitting record.
There’s no shortage of sports video cameras on the market today, but
most of them are fairly similar in style. Picture a small,
lipstick-shaped body, with wires for connecting to a video-recording
device such as a camcorder, plus an external battery pack, although
more manufacturers are moving toward integrated systems that eliminate
most of the wire hassle. Durability, how the camera is mounted and
extras like built-in microphones are additional features to consider
when looking for a sports video camera. Here are a few products that
got our attention.
 Water-Resistant Armband Cam
The slim, light Samsung SC-X210L sports camcorder offers MP3 playback,
1 GB of built-in flash memory that records up to 34 minutes of
high-quality MPEG4 video, and a rugged, compact body that fits into
pockets or other gear. The water-resistant, hands-free camera unit
comes with an armband for easy attachment and has a built-in
microphone. Samsung also added its electronic image stabilizer to help
minimize blur.
The SC-X210L records video at 640 x 480 resolution, has a two-inch LCD
and takes additional video footage or stills with an SD or a MMC memory
card. It also doubles as an MP3 player, voice recorder and data storage
device. The camera measures 2.3x3.7x1.2 inches and weighs 5.3 ounces.
List Price: $599.
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