Product Reviews

Average Joe Consumer here. First if you don't want to read my whole review here are the bullet points. Pros It comes with a lot of mounts and possibilities. Allows To tilt, pivot and get practically any angle you want Allows a much more peace of mind for bicycle helmet mounting compared to just slapping the adhesive mount on the top Very good for motorcycles or full helmets Good for regular headband recording Cons Side mount is too heavy on a bicycle helmet Bulky I decided to purchase this mounting kit because I bicycle in my city and wanted more flexibility in mounting my camera. I also ride a motorcycle as well so it seemed like a win win. First thing I noticed when opening the package was very unclear directions. You can kind of get the jist of what it's trying to say but the pictures have no words to back them up. I decided to try out the bicycle head mount first. I will go on to review each mount separately now. Bicycle mount The bicycle mount was a little confusing at first, but after some time I figured out how to thread it through and tighten it. I first tried it on the side of my helmet. I don't quite like that Sony designed this for bicycle helmets that they know are curved but make the mount bottom flat. This made the side a little unstable until I pulled and tugged on the cords to get it as tight as possible; even then only a little bit of the mount was actually making contact with the helmet. I then attached the side mount adapter and put on the helmet. What I immediately realized was that when you have the Action Cam, the mount adapter, the mounting clip, the angle mount adapter and then the bicycle mount clip you have a very heavy one sided helmet. I did some jumping and shaking of my head and no matter how tight I made the adjustment straps of my helmet it still slid to the side the camera was on. On top of this I did some footage testing and realized that if I wanted the most unobtrusive video quality I would either have to remove my helmet's visor or angle the camera to the side in that it won't actually be looking directly where I look. I decided to take off the angle mount adapter and simply use the bicycle mount on the top of my helmet which was much more balanced and secure to the helmet itself as well as gave a full view without anything in the foreground. I also mounted it closer to the front of my helmet so that it tilted slightly down giving a more direct view of what I am able to see. The only downside to this method is that first you have a camera sticking out on the top of your helmet but at least it's not bluntly going against the wind like a GoPro would. Second you have to remember that your footage will be slightly higher than what you are actually seeing. This resulted in my footage of a bike ride with my friend making me look much taller than him. All in all I would still recommend this kit for bicycling as I had previously just had the curved adhesive mount on the top of my helmet and even though it felt really strong, I was unsure of when the day would come when something knocked it off or the adhesive loosened too much and it fell off during a ride as the adhesive bottom didn't fully touch my helmet . This mounting kit for bicycling gives peace of mind. The Head Band Mount I took the headband and screwed in the side angle adapter and then the camera. After some adjusting I was actually surprised how firm it felt against my head compared to the bicycle helmet mounted on the side. After jumping, running, head shaking I can safely say that the band didn't slide anywhere nor did the camera change angels or views. The only con I would give this headband is that there is a foam piece on the bottom under the camera that is supposed to press against your head or helmet to keep it in place. I wear glasses and this bugged me a little as my glasses were pressed against my head. If you have a helmet that curves more than the foam can reach the package comes with an adapter of foam to reach and press closer to your helmet, nice touch. Side Mount Adapter The side mounting adapter is good and bad at the same time. The good is that it allows you to adjust the side angles of the camera, allows you to move the camera closer or farther from the mount, and can pivot up and down with a satisfying clicking noise as you move through each increment that makes me feel at ease that the angle won't just fall or slip out from what I set it as while i'm riding. The side angles are adjusted by loosening a tab on the back by unscrewing it which allows you to freely set your angle of side to side. If you want the camera to point in or point out simply loosen the mounting screw under the camera, point it at the angle you want then re tighten it. Unlike other mounts there are not any small pegs locking the camera straight ahead. The downside to this mount is that it is bulky and heavy when fully put together. Mounting this kit to a motorcycle helmet was a breeze. You just take the curved adhesive mounting clip that comes with your camera and stick it on the side. I removed mine from my other helmet and simply used some double sided tape to re apply it. This turned out to be a very firm bond as unlike my bicycle helmet it fully pressed against the side of my motorcycle helmet. After this I just slapped in the side mount adapter and it was good to record. Wearing a motorcycle helmet was much better than my bicycle helmet as it fully goes around your head and you don't even notice the weight difference. If you are getting this for a motorcycle I would highly recommend this kit. Lastly the small clips that help the band stay pressed against your helmet is a nice touch. I didn't end up needing them but more than less is welcome for the price. All in all I say it's a pretty good kit for what it is. If Sony could make either the camera lighter or the side adapter lighter I might put it on my bicycle helmet and call it a day but as of now it makes my helmet slide too much. The regular head band works well and I might use it for recording on hand reviews if I need to one of these days as it frees up my hands and is very stable. Lastly if you are using this for a motorcycle or a more secure helmet then the weight isn't an issue and it's a breeze to install. Hope this review helped some Action Camer's out there!