Drift’s new HD helmet cam is smaller and lighter than the previous HD170 model, but still manages to pack in an LCD screen and plenty of other useful featuresJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The screen on the Drift HD enables you to line up shots and play back footage, as well as change settings via a menu systemJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Drift HD has a wide-angle 170-degree lens that can be rotatedJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Drift HD comes with a choice of rear covers – one is solid and the other (pictured here) includes access ports for a USB cable and external microphone leadJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Drift’s HD helmet cam is charged via USB and has a microphone input and HDMI outputJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Drift HD helmet cam comes with a USB lead, a selection of mounts, a choice of two rear covers, and a remote control with wrist strapJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Drift HD’s remote control means you can start and stop filming without having to reach up to the cameraJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Drift HD helmet cam comes with goggle strap and adhesive mountsJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
We were impressed by Drift’s HD170 Stealth camera when we tested it earlier this year but its bulk meant it wasn’t ideally suited to being mounted on a cross-country helmet.
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Enter the new Drift HD, which retains its predecessor’s best features – 1.5in LCD screen, full HD recording (1,080p at 30fps), 9MP still images, rotatable 170° lens, Micro HDMI output, microphone input, remote control, good weather resistance – but is 30mm shorter (104x50x33mm) and weighs a claimed 120g, compared to 171g for our Stealth sample.
The HD170’s screen is a real boon, allowing you to perfectly line up the camera, shoot at some interesting angles and play footage back out on the trails, so with this new smaller, lighter package, Drift could be onto a winner.
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It comes with a goggle strap mount, as well as curved and flat adhesive mounts, for £329.99/US$369. You can view some footage filmed with the previous generation HD170 model below (please note: video file has been compressed):
James Costley-White is the editor of Mountain Biking UK (MBUK), the UK's best-selling mountain biking magazine, founded in 1988. James, often known as JCW, has been an avid mountain biker since 1992, during which time he's amassed a huge amount of knowledge about the sport and masses of riding experience. He can regularly be found riding the trails around Bristol and south Wales. As well as editing MBUK, JCW contributes regular product reviews and other articles to the magazine. He's a fully-qualified professional journalist, certified as a senior reporter by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and holds a postgraduate diploma in journalism from Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Culture. As well as heading up MBUK, he's worked for other cycling titles including BikeRadar.com, ChopMTB.com and Triathlon Plus magazine, along with the Bristol Post, Western Daily Press, Gloucestershire Echo and Gloucester Citizen newspapers.