UPDATES after this video was released: As I mentioned in the video, I have had this camera sitting around for months waiting for the new mount. I received a newer version of the camera from the manufacturer, and am very happy to say that: - There is no Wifi or RF noise of any kind in the audio - The volume of the internal microphone is now much louder - The detachable microphone now functions correctly So all of the concerns that I had, have been addressed by replacing the original, older model with this newer one - which is the one being sold today!
I love the fact that you’re using your phone as the actual screen because it makes everything a lot easier and you can actually see what you’re recording live.
Just realized that I have a number of Sweetwater audio rack tape measures that I used to use when I was installing equipment years ago. They had the audio formulas on the back of the tape measure, which I was always impressed that they had done that. A tape measure that was also metered in rack units was very handy.
Hello, Scott. Great review, indeed. First of all, I fully agree that the guys at Innovv are among the best I've known so far in terms of responsiveness, politeness and wish to help their customers. I also agree that the quality of the videos, especially considering the price of the camera (though I had to pay almost US$80 import duties here in Belgium, is very good in daylight. I tend not to go motorcycle riding at night, so image quality ion the dark is not a big issue for me. The camera is well built and is indeed waterproof (Belgium is infamous for its weather!). I am surprised that you got two separate microphones. It was definitely my fault that I did not notice that a battery pack with microphone was available (as well as a powered microphone), so I am stuck with the in-built one, which is simply useless. Not too much of an issue, either, as I agree with you that talking and riding at the same time is perhaps not the best idea, unless you are Motojitsu... Where I do have an issue is with the new mount. I have a GoPro camera and now and then attach it to my helmet, on the right-hand side (left side is taken by the Cardo system). If I want to use the H5 on my helmet, I need to unstick the GoPro support. The whole point of using the GoPro attachment is precisely the interchangeability it allows. The Innovv team have been kind enough to provide me with the old system, which should be arriving any time now. Besides, the new system does vibrate a bit, as the stem on which the clamp is mounted is rather thin and has to cope with the weight of the camera and the push of the airflow. Bottom line: great camera, great idea, but they should at least send both sorts of clamp in the box, as well as the microphone. Hopefully, Innovv will also find someone selling their stuff within the EU, including accessories. For now, only one seller in The Netherlands provides the camera, but does not sell accessories separately. Importing from outside the EU basically doubles the price.... Keep up the great work!
Hi Scott - Following a further review, I have been advised that the H5 Helmet Cam is not able to display any of the following GPS metrics on the output video (Co-ordinates, Elevation, Speed etc) I am advised that it is capable of displaying Date & Time. I recently ditched a Hero 10 in favour of the H5 which does have all of those metrics available to the user, as I'm sure other makes would do also. Seems to be a great product with just a few missing user features which now makes me unsure if this is really the helmet cam that I would want to buy.
I tested my mic and aiming and everything sitting in my chair in the house to avoid all of what you went through. Get it all adjusted before you ever leave for your first ride and it's all perfect and set to go. 🙂
I have always put my helmet on in the bathroom mirror and adjusted the camera angle perfectly every time for each new camera. Totally perfect adjustment when you don't have a smartphone. 🙂
There were some major issues (not mounting issues) when the camera was first released in July. I had one of the first releases. Since then, there have been a number of firmware and software updates, which have fixed most of the issues. It's a good camera, but there are still some major issues with it. Sound - without the additional charging adapter with attached mic, there is no usable audio. The in-camera mic is really not worth using. The parts you got with the mic are all extra, and the latter part with the detachable mic isn't yet available for purchase yet. You have the first one I've seen. A boom type mic is also less useful than a small mic that you can fix in your helmet, but using a 3.5mm jack is much improved idea. 2.7k 60fps video won't work on a mac. All other configurations, 4k 30fps, 2.7k 30fps, 1080 60fps, etc all work, but not the 2.7k 60fps. On 4k 30fps, with the camera battery, you get just over 4 hours record time. Using an external power supply gives you much longer shooting time, obviously. Otherwise it's a good camera. Decent 4k, image stabilisation, etc.
My original camera (the one I am reviewing) is also from July. I just received an updated version, and it fixes ALL of the problems: the detachable mic works properly, the internal microphone recording level is MUCH higher, no more RF Wifi noise, and according to the notes on the latest firmware, battery life improvements.
I find with my helmet camera, when looking around, the camera does not always follow as far as my eyes do, my head may stop moving but my eyes go on just a little farther and the camera does not get that.. I also have no need for 4K so everything is 1080, and I use a USB converter plugged into the bike power so the camera will run all day. This looks like a great camera, I do not have a smart phone though and have been using a DRIFT 1080HD for years now and have one main problem ( My hard drive is getting filled up with videos) LOL.
Good morning, Scott. Thanks for the initial review and quick follow-up. Looks to be a great helmet cam. Have you had any problems accessing the Innovv website, lately? Every browser I use denies access because it cannot establish a secure connection.
Hey Scott, I currently have the Innovv K5, This has a similar slow Wi-Fi down load from the SD Card and as with the H5, it is a pain to remove the card from the K5 camera also. something we have to live with.
It's just a fact of life with the tiny 2.4 GHz Wifi chipsets they can use. They could put high-speed 5.8 GHz chipsets in there, but that would really up the cost, and I don't even know if they would be supported in that platform. The cards need to be sealed and weatherproof, so by design they're not easy to get to!
@@GoldwingDocs Yeah, I get that. The K5 is not an ideal camera for naked bikes as all the wire connections are too close to the camera(which is also the DVR) it is more suited to faired bikes that way you are able to hide the connections away. As I've bought & installed it on my naked 1st Gen Valkyrie (wasn't aware of the cable connection problem, 'til it was in my grubby mitts)., I've had to fab a suitable bracket/cable tray! (they should have stuck with separate dvr & camera. 😁
Hi when did they change to this latest mount I brought last week and the mount was completely different to what we’re showing Looked very weak and stuck out from the helmet.
Hey, Scott, I got to your video from Innovv web page. I don't ride a barkalounger on wheels, my Guzzi's windshield is not that big. I was wondering if the camera only mounts on the right side of the helmet? another thing I would like to bring up is how many helmet mounted cam have you tested? Not picking on any one cam, but your body is a great shock/ vibration absorber. I have a old Garmin vibr elite my problem is mounting to my neotec 2. I might have to try this one. thanks for the report Mike.
Scott, is there a way to record more than 12 minutes at a time? I get a bunch of 12 minute recordings. I would like to get like a continuous recording of like, let's say, 25 minutes. Thanks
Absolutely. The first mount I showed has a standard GoPro fitting on it, so you could use any of the millions of GoPro clamps available out there. I also show a bicycle mount in the video as well.
SCOTT, THAT WIND BUFFETING SURELY PICKS UP WITHOUT THE WINDSCREEN. Is the camera really limited to a 3 min video max? That is far too little, especially if you wanna save it and store more video.....limited to card I'm Guessing? Bigger SD Card bigger file size? Is that a possibility. ???? Did you know there is a guy that custom fits a rear camera view into one mirror (typically right one) and a GPS in the left one. I don't need the GPS unless I was going to Alaska thru Canada, likely never gonna happen anyway. I like the idea cause rear views are not good in a mirror so much, but, unless one has engine guards, slider protection the mirror is one of the first things to hit the ground on a tipover.......... 800 bucks for a mirror camera? Like the idea especially at night but can't pull the trigger due to the mirror tip issue. My sportbike (ZX11)has hit the deck twice on a tipover. Once by me and once by my best friend. He damn near dropped it on me.......My body stopped the total tip and managed to save it. (sigh) I have the GoPro10 so while I enjoyed the cruise views, I will not be buying one anytime soon.
The 3 minute video is not a limit - what that means is it splits the files up into 3 minute chunks. You can fit as much video as the card will hold. But if you recorded two hours of 4K video, that file would be 40GB in size, which is a really unmanageable file. I set it to 3 minutes, which means each chunk is 1 GB. If you want to edit it into a single video afterwards, just put the chunked files end-to-end and they play back seamlessly. Pretty much every dash camera does the exact same thing (including your GoPro).
It depends. You do have to connect via WIFI. Some phones (my Samsung, for one) will identify that the Innovv WIFI connection does not supply Internet, and as a result will continue to use its regular phone data connection for Internet when connected to it.
@@GoldwingDocs thank you have answered the question. I wanted to use the innovv h5 as a dashcam for traveling safety reasons. Also, I wanted to have wifi (4/5GLTE) connections using Google maps or pandora while connected to the innovv h5.
24hrs with a 512GB? Not using H.264 at that rate. H.264 at 4K60fps gets you about 11hrs on a 512GB. Could that have been a boo-boo? Or recording a static black room with no light or movement? Or is it using H.265? Cannot find that info anywhere on their website. The H5 is equivalent to the GoPro Hero6 Black, pricewise, resolutions (4k30fps vice GoPro 4K60fps), nearly as good as GoPro stabilization, the GoPro Hero6 Black is smaller, lighter, is waterproof (IP67) without an extra case to 33ft, vice the H5 being splash proof (IP65). Not that IP65 is bad, my Sena's are IP65 and have never failed in the rain. Cardo's ARE IP67. I get that the H5 is a new product for $270ish and understand a brand-new GoPro Hero6 Black, which is over five years old, sells for $270ish, the only differences are, for the H5, you get a water resistant audio input and a battery life five times as long as the GoPro, if you use the GoPro batteries. I run my GoPro Hero6 blacks (have four of them, all purchased in 2018) with 512GB at 4K60fps for up to 10-11 hours on a chip. The battery life on the H5 is nice, if you don't run an external battery on the GoPro. If you do run an external, the battery means nothing. The external mic is nice, but I record sound to a Sony digital recorder, so, doesn't mean much to me. I do collect sound, road noise, etc, with the GoPro's, but not conversation. The H5 external USB power unit cable comes integrated with the H5, so that avoids buying an additional $35 water resistant cable for the GoPro. Not bad for an intro level vlogging camera. Takes most of the work out of things for you. Pretty dummy proof. 1. Brand new for Innovv. 2. External sound recording for vlogging. 3. Lots of mounts. 4. Lower FPS at 4k. 5. Stabilization good enough, but not on par with GoPro. 6. 5x longer battery life. For twice the cost, I can get an Insta360 X3 and farkles. I'll save my money. FYI, low light level recording, lower frame rates allow more light collection. I would have liked to see what the white balance range was. Not your fault. Innovv, instead of actual values, decided to use Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent. The Skydio2 has issues with auto, it flares and adjusts automatically, when set auto, so you have to set it to a static value, so your color palette doesn't change. 5500k is usually a good value. The GoPro also adjusts but is very fast in the transitions and uses 5500k as the auto median. A good video, good info, helps with purchasing decisions.
The Insta 360 is sweet but costly, 2024 i think this offers good value w added mic. Mothers day sale on currently as well this 5/24 $218 shipped is very decent just get a good micro sd card and off ya go. Not sure whats better for price
UPDATES after this video was released:
As I mentioned in the video, I have had this camera sitting around for months waiting for the new mount. I received a newer version of the camera from the manufacturer, and am very happy to say that:
- There is no Wifi or RF noise of any kind in the audio
- The volume of the internal microphone is now much louder
- The detachable microphone now functions correctly
So all of the concerns that I had, have been addressed by replacing the original, older model with this newer one - which is the one being sold today!
I love the fact that you’re using your phone as the actual screen because it makes everything a lot easier and you can actually see what you’re recording live.
Very informative. Thanks. Every other review is a marketing piece. Your’s allows my to follow along to set mines up. Mahalo!
Just realized that I have a number of Sweetwater audio rack tape measures that I used to use when I was installing equipment years ago. They had the audio formulas on the back of the tape measure, which I was always impressed that they had done that. A tape measure that was also metered in rack units was very handy.
Hello, Scott. Great review, indeed.
First of all, I fully agree that the guys at Innovv are among the best I've known so far in terms of responsiveness, politeness and wish to help their customers. I also agree that the quality of the videos, especially considering the price of the camera (though I had to pay almost US$80 import duties here in Belgium, is very good in daylight. I tend not to go motorcycle riding at night, so image quality ion the dark is not a big issue for me. The camera is well built and is indeed waterproof (Belgium is infamous for its weather!).
I am surprised that you got two separate microphones. It was definitely my fault that I did not notice that a battery pack with microphone was available (as well as a powered microphone), so I am stuck with the in-built one, which is simply useless. Not too much of an issue, either, as I agree with you that talking and riding at the same time is perhaps not the best idea, unless you are Motojitsu...
Where I do have an issue is with the new mount. I have a GoPro camera and now and then attach it to my helmet, on the right-hand side (left side is taken by the Cardo system). If I want to use the H5 on my helmet, I need to unstick the GoPro support. The whole point of using the GoPro attachment is precisely the interchangeability it allows. The Innovv team have been kind enough to provide me with the old system, which should be arriving any time now. Besides, the new system does vibrate a bit, as the stem on which the clamp is mounted is rather thin and has to cope with the weight of the camera and the push of the airflow.
Bottom line: great camera, great idea, but they should at least send both sorts of clamp in the box, as well as the microphone.
Hopefully, Innovv will also find someone selling their stuff within the EU, including accessories. For now, only one seller in The Netherlands provides the camera, but does not sell accessories separately. Importing from outside the EU basically doubles the price....
Keep up the great work!
Hi Scott - Great review of the Innovv H5 Camera. I already have the K5 and will probably now go & buy the H5.
Hi Scott - Following a further review, I have been advised that the H5 Helmet Cam is not able to display any of the following GPS metrics on the output video (Co-ordinates, Elevation, Speed etc) I am advised that it is capable of displaying Date & Time. I recently ditched a Hero 10 in favour of the H5 which does have all of those metrics available to the user, as I'm sure other makes would do also. Seems to be a great product with just a few missing user features which now makes me unsure if this is really the helmet cam that I would want to buy.
I tested my mic and aiming and everything sitting in my chair in the house to avoid all of what you went through. Get it all adjusted before you ever leave for your first ride and it's all perfect and set to go. 🙂
Hello Scott, thanks for the color tour. Nice camera. Have a great day!
I have always put my helmet on in the bathroom mirror and adjusted the camera angle perfectly every time for each new camera. Totally perfect adjustment when you don't have a smartphone. 🙂
I tried something similar - problem was, I just didn't realize how "down" I pointed my helmet while riding!
Lol… same here.
exceptionally done review. congratulation.
Great review Scott and camera.
There were some major issues (not mounting issues) when the camera was first released in July. I had one of the first releases. Since then, there have been a number of firmware and software updates, which have fixed most of the issues. It's a good camera, but there are still some major issues with it.
Sound - without the additional charging adapter with attached mic, there is no usable audio. The in-camera mic is really not worth using. The parts you got with the mic are all extra, and the latter part with the detachable mic isn't yet available for purchase yet. You have the first one I've seen. A boom type mic is also less useful than a small mic that you can fix in your helmet, but using a 3.5mm jack is much improved idea.
2.7k 60fps video won't work on a mac. All other configurations, 4k 30fps, 2.7k 30fps, 1080 60fps, etc all work, but not the 2.7k 60fps.
On 4k 30fps, with the camera battery, you get just over 4 hours record time. Using an external power supply gives you much longer shooting time, obviously.
Otherwise it's a good camera. Decent 4k, image stabilisation, etc.
My original camera (the one I am reviewing) is also from July. I just received an updated version, and it fixes ALL of the problems: the detachable mic works properly, the internal microphone recording level is MUCH higher, no more RF Wifi noise, and according to the notes on the latest firmware, battery life improvements.
I find with my helmet camera, when looking around, the camera does not always follow as far as my eyes do, my head may stop moving but my eyes go on just a little farther and the camera does not get that.. I also have no need for 4K so everything is 1080, and I use a USB converter plugged into the bike power so the camera will run all day. This looks like a great camera, I do not have a smart phone though and have been using a DRIFT 1080HD for years now and have one main problem ( My hard drive is getting filled up with videos) LOL.
Nice camera and really nice resolution video 😎🔥
And really great image stabilization!
The mount is great most like it no issue. For the price a decent option aside from needing ext mic
Good morning, Scott. Thanks for the initial review and quick follow-up. Looks to be a great helmet cam. Have you had any problems accessing the Innovv website, lately? Every browser I use denies access because it cannot establish a secure connection.
Thanks for the kind words. Nope, no problem at all getting on the Innovv website.
Hey Scott, I currently have the Innovv K5, This has a similar slow Wi-Fi down load from the SD Card and as with the H5, it is a pain to remove the card from the K5 camera also. something we have to live with.
It's just a fact of life with the tiny 2.4 GHz Wifi chipsets they can use. They could put high-speed 5.8 GHz chipsets in there, but that would really up the cost, and I don't even know if they would be supported in that platform.
The cards need to be sealed and weatherproof, so by design they're not easy to get to!
@@GoldwingDocs Yeah, I get that. The K5 is not an ideal camera for naked bikes as all the wire connections are too close to the camera(which is also the DVR) it is more suited to faired bikes that way you are able to hide the connections away. As I've bought & installed it on my naked 1st Gen Valkyrie (wasn't aware of the cable connection problem, 'til it was in my grubby mitts)., I've had to fab a suitable bracket/cable tray! (they should have stuck with separate dvr & camera. 😁
Great review thanks. Can you just unplug the camera from USB power while recording?
Well explained video.. my Q, is can you turn on and of recording or take a photo Bluetooth or wi-fi on phone screen? Again ty .
Hi when did they change to this latest mount I brought last week and the mount was completely different to what we’re showing
Looked very weak and stuck out from the helmet.
Hey, Scott, I got to your video from Innovv web page. I don't ride a barkalounger on wheels, my Guzzi's windshield is not that big. I was wondering if the camera only mounts on the right side of the helmet? another thing I would like to bring up is how many helmet mounted cam have you tested? Not picking on any one cam, but your body is a great shock/ vibration absorber. I have a old Garmin vibr elite my problem is mounting to my neotec 2. I might have to try this one. thanks for the report Mike.
Scott, is there a way to record more than 12 minutes at a time? I get a bunch of 12 minute recordings. I would like to get like a continuous recording of like, let's say, 25 minutes. Thanks
Nice review. Is there any way to clamp mount the camera if I didn't want to have it on my helmet?
Absolutely. The first mount I showed has a standard GoPro fitting on it, so you could use any of the millions of GoPro clamps available out there. I also show a bicycle mount in the video as well.
@@GoldwingDocs Thank you, I guess I'd better watch again and pay more attention!
Apologies if I missed it but what is the battery life at 1080p in real world conditions?
SCOTT, THAT WIND BUFFETING SURELY PICKS UP WITHOUT THE WINDSCREEN. Is the camera really limited to a 3 min video max? That is far too little, especially if you wanna save it and store more video.....limited to card I'm Guessing? Bigger SD Card bigger file size? Is that a possibility. ???? Did you know there is a guy that custom fits a rear camera view into one mirror (typically right one) and a GPS in the left one. I don't need the GPS unless I was going to Alaska thru Canada, likely never gonna happen anyway. I like the idea cause rear views are not good in a mirror so much, but, unless one has engine guards, slider protection the mirror is one of the first things to hit the ground on a tipover.......... 800 bucks for a mirror camera? Like the idea especially at night but can't pull the trigger due to the mirror tip issue. My sportbike (ZX11)has hit the deck twice on a tipover. Once by me and once by my best friend. He damn near dropped it on me.......My body stopped the total tip and managed to save it. (sigh)
I have the GoPro10 so while I enjoyed the cruise views, I will not be buying one anytime soon.
The 3 minute video is not a limit - what that means is it splits the files up into 3 minute chunks. You can fit as much video as the card will hold. But if you recorded two hours of 4K video, that file would be 40GB in size, which is a really unmanageable file. I set it to 3 minutes, which means each chunk is 1 GB. If you want to edit it into a single video afterwards, just put the chunked files end-to-end and they play back seamlessly. Pretty much every dash camera does the exact same thing (including your GoPro).
@@GoldwingDocs Thanks for that clarification.
Can you still use the internet when connected to innovv h5? I want to have Pandora or the GPS in the background while connected to innovv h5.
It depends. You do have to connect via WIFI. Some phones (my Samsung, for one) will identify that the Innovv WIFI connection does not supply Internet, and as a result will continue to use its regular phone data connection for Internet when connected to it.
@@GoldwingDocs thank you have answered the question. I wanted to use the innovv h5 as a dashcam for traveling safety reasons. Also, I wanted to have wifi (4/5GLTE) connections using Google maps or pandora while connected to the innovv h5.
24hrs with a 512GB? Not using H.264 at that rate. H.264 at 4K60fps gets you about 11hrs on a 512GB. Could that have been a boo-boo? Or recording a static black room with no light or movement? Or is it using H.265? Cannot find that info anywhere on their website.
The H5 is equivalent to the GoPro Hero6 Black, pricewise, resolutions (4k30fps vice GoPro 4K60fps), nearly as good as GoPro stabilization, the GoPro Hero6 Black is smaller, lighter, is waterproof (IP67) without an extra case to 33ft, vice the H5 being splash proof (IP65). Not that IP65 is bad, my Sena's are IP65 and have never failed in the rain. Cardo's ARE IP67.
I get that the H5 is a new product for $270ish and understand a brand-new GoPro Hero6 Black, which is over five years old, sells for $270ish, the only differences are, for the H5, you get a water resistant audio input and a battery life five times as long as the GoPro, if you use the GoPro batteries. I run my GoPro Hero6 blacks (have four of them, all purchased in 2018) with 512GB at 4K60fps for up to 10-11 hours on a chip.
The battery life on the H5 is nice, if you don't run an external battery on the GoPro. If you do run an external, the battery means nothing.
The external mic is nice, but I record sound to a Sony digital recorder, so, doesn't mean much to me. I do collect sound, road noise, etc, with the GoPro's, but not conversation.
The H5 external USB power unit cable comes integrated with the H5, so that avoids buying an additional $35 water resistant cable for the GoPro.
Not bad for an intro level vlogging camera. Takes most of the work out of things for you. Pretty dummy proof.
1. Brand new for Innovv.
2. External sound recording for vlogging.
3. Lots of mounts.
4. Lower FPS at 4k.
5. Stabilization good enough, but not on par with GoPro.
6. 5x longer battery life.
For twice the cost, I can get an Insta360 X3 and farkles. I'll save my money.
FYI, low light level recording, lower frame rates allow more light collection.
I would have liked to see what the white balance range was. Not your fault. Innovv, instead of actual values, decided to use Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent. The Skydio2 has issues with auto, it flares and adjusts automatically, when set auto, so you have to set it to a static value, so your color palette doesn't change. 5500k is usually a good value. The GoPro also adjusts but is very fast in the transitions and uses 5500k as the auto median.
A good video, good info, helps with purchasing decisions.
The Insta 360 is sweet but costly, 2024 i think this offers good value w added mic. Mothers day sale on currently as well this 5/24 $218 shipped is very decent just get a good micro sd card and off ya go. Not sure whats better for price