Digital Camera Gadgets: Hot Camera Gadgets - Hatcams For the Flip Video Recorder

I bought a Flip Video Camcorder last year on sale at Costco - I ended up paying right around $100 for it - and my life has never been the same since! I love this little camcorder because it is so light and so easy to use it's incredible.

However, I was trying to find a way that I could use the Flip Video Camcorder hands free - enter the Hatcam!

In my opinion, the hatcam is one of the neatest inventions ever - it is certainly one of the hot camera gadgets that is a must-have for the photographer and videotaping enthusiast!  Visit their website for more information on hatcams.

Since I already had the Flip Video Camcorder, and had tried it out on several outings, I was trying to think of a way that it would be easier to use - as in hands free. As usual, I turned to the Internet and discovered much to my delight, a baseball style hat that was made for my Flip Video Camcorder (it might also fit other lightweight camcorders).  Being a dedicated consumer, I just had to try it out!

I bought it as a present for my husband so that he could film mushing and give us a 'bird's-eye' view of the action rather than me trying to capture it on video as they approach. But that was not the only use I discovered for it! There are some other great things you can do with a hatcam.

How it works:  You basically place the video camera bottom onto the screw that is located on the hat, and screw it down. Place the hat on your head if you'd like and push the 'on' button - it's as simple as that!

While wearing the hatcam you can:

• Videotape a hike and capture all the wildlife or beautiful scenes while walking your dog and carrying a backpack
  
• Tape a fishing trip and be totally hands free when you real in the big marlin
  
• Videotape your kids or grandkids playing at the park while pushing them on the swings for instance - totally hands free
• While cross country skiing or snowshoeing, wearing the hat you can videotape the entire thing while maneuvering your skis or snowshoes and poles
  
• Wear it while jogging
• Video tape a program without having to hold the camera out to get a good view with other people in front of you and enjoy the show - hands free!
• Place the hat and camera on the dashboard of your car and videotape the trip - my husband did this while mapping out a route for someone and the quality of the videotape was perfect. He could drive and narrate the entire thing.
• Wear it horseback riding or canoeing - get great footage
• Wear it while demonstrating 'how to' - wear it and narrate how to paint a perfect corner
• Videotape a cooking demonstration - either wearing the hatcam or have someone else wear the hatcam. It provides a good angle of perspective at close range or further away
• Use the hatcam while training your dog - if you want to make a video, it's the perfect opportunity to capture the steps on video but have your hands free to give commands, work through the training and give treats.

There are many, many uses for the hatcam and too many to name of course. It really is a clever little gadget that you can take or wear anywhere.  Simply attach your video camera, shooting away while you do whatever you were doing.  It's a great little gadget to enable you to use your hands for other things such as skiing.

I plan to use mine this winter for making a demo of sledding with the malamutes. When you're done with your video, all you have to do is come home, detach the video camera and plug the camera into your computer via the USB pop-out that is on the side of the video camcorder.  Voila - movies at your fingertips to email, convert to youtube or save for posterity.

Purchasing the hatcam was one of the neatest things I've ever purchased just spur of the moment - as was the Flip Video Camcorder! I had no idea about the quality of the videos but I can attest that the videos are crystal clear and so much fun to make.

Add to that the hot little camera gadget called the hatcam and there is just about nothing you can't do and do it hands free! I look forward to many hours of wonderful videos using the hatcam or having Bob wear it to capture the 'flavor' of mushing activities. The uses for the hatcam are simply endless and hope you will get a chance to try out this hot camera gadget!

There are other models available of course - and some that are actually hidden hat cameras, but for my purposes, the hatcam is just the ticket for hands free videotaping!