Bikes, camera, action!
Action cams have been big business for many years and our younger generation’s addiction with capturing every minute of their lives shows no sign of abating. For motorcycle riders, both on and off road, the right action cam is as much about the ruggedness and fit as it is about the features. When suited up with a helmet and gloves you don’t want to be struggling with fiddly mounting brackets and tiny buttons, you just want to slap it on, turn it on and forget it.
The new Mohoc Elite Ops camera from Spearpoint Solutions and Technology fits the bill. It captures the action in HD format and is shockproof, waterproof and dustproof. In fact, it’s so tough that the American Special Forces use it in the field of battle.
Mounting is via super-tough Velcro that ensures the camera is securely held in place while allowing just enough movement to reduce vibration in your footage. The camera is contoured to fit snugly onto the top or side of a motorcycle helmet (or any other rounded surface) and an adjustable horizon setting ensures your footage is always straight and the right way up.
We liked
Using the camera is child’s play. A single switch on the back is easy to activate even when wearing gloves. Vibrations, easily felt through a helmet, let you know if the camera is armed and filming.
While it’s larger than some other action cams, it fits snuggly to your helmet, and even if it does snag on a branch when you’re riding off road, the super-strong Velcro keeps it locked to your helmet – no more arriving at your destination to discover only the broken end of a camera mount remaining on your helmet. The Velcro mounting system is quick and easy to use. There’s also talk of a range of mounts which will allow the camera to be fixed to a tripod.
Battery life puts other action cams in the shade – I got just under four hours’ continuous recording. No need to stop and start the cam each time you come to a halt (or when nothing is happening) in an effort to save battery power, just turn it on at the start of your ride and forget it. In addition to the long-life rechargeable battery, the camera will also run on two CR123A batteries (rechargeable and non-rechargeable).
The MOHOC films in 1080p HD and provides a 140º field of view with great colour and clarity thanks to a non-reflective lens. It’s low-light image quality is also very good and at the press of a button the cam takes 12MP images.
We didn’t like
While there an Android app that interfaces with the camera, the iPhone software is still under development so iPhone users are forced to use the tiny buttons and LCD screen located behind the battery cover.
The base of the camera is contoured, making it a perfect fit for a helmet, but not much else – its uses could be expanded greatly by a base adapter which allowed it to be mounted on flat surfaces.
If you’re after an action cam with a mind-boggling array of functions and endless amount of plastic mounts then the MOHOC is probably not for you. However, if you are after a rugged, easy to use cam that delivers hours of battery life and a quality image then the the MOHOC should be added to your riding kit. Our test unit is being shared with our sister publication Australasian Dirt Bike, and the off-road boys have failed to damage it – try as they might.
RRP $825
SPEARPOINT SOLUTIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Phone: (02) 6298 1122
Spearpoint.net.au
STARS
3.5