We're there now

I have been wondering for a while when current technology would deliver a product that would be able to capture true Full HD movies in a first persons view. A lightweight yet powerful video camera that doesn't make you look like a geek 'wearing' a box or a big cigar on your head.

Well, it has arrived in the form shape that answers my question: the Pivothead sunglasses. There are several styles of sunglasses with built in 8 mp camera able to capture full HD 1080p movies in 30 frames per second (fps). In 720p quality it does 60 fps.

The best part is it comes in several styles and one even with interchangeable polarized glasses! The bad part is it has a hefty price tag: $350 (ouch!).

The view captured isn't as wide angle as many other sports videocameras: 75 degrees rather than almost 180 degrees (GoPro). That might result in a too narrow view for some. There is 8Gb of memory on board, which will record about 60 mins of 1080p video. Since there is no screen built-in there is no way to view the captured video or even erase a footage. You'll need to hook up the sunglasses to a computer to manage the captured video or clear up the memory for the next outing.

The quality of the videos I've seen so far made with Pivothead isn't really exceptional. I will be experimenting with my new Sony HX9V for a while, but when the Pivothead gets an improvement over time it's probably worth a look.




Update Jan 2013:
Here's a slightly less expensive, yet nurdy looking, glasses capturing 720p video.