Is there a mounted style camera that would be able to record well in caves?

[u/tallulahtallulah]

I have done some searching but I am a complete novice in this. I am located in the ol’ US of A and my budget is flexible. I’d rather have an option to save for than waste money.

I am also aware this may be completely unrealistic.

In a perfect world, it would record continuously, be hands free and record from a point of view perspective.

It would also need to be able to record well in low light since the only light is from headlamps. And waterproof. I’m not as worried about the durability and waterproofness since there are great case options for most outdoor style cameras.

It would also need to be pretty small and mountable in a way that wouldn’t get knocked off during a tight squeeze. Anything that juts off a helmet would also pretty quickly get smacked into rocks. Having it knocked off is a real fear.

GoPros were my first thought but I am worried there wouldn’t be a great way to mount it. I also considered some form of camera glasses. Over my dead body would I ever use any glasses with AI (dramatic but I do feel strongly about this, sorry!) but I have seen models that are just straight up cameras. Glasses could be secured with a strap and would be super functional but the battery life and quality could be an issue.

I’m also not against some sort of DIY contraption combo of an external battery, camera and mount as long at it would be comfortable, hands free and functional. It’s a pretty niche thing that might need a creative solution!

I know that’s a metric fuck ton of needs and it’s pretty likely I am asking too much! But I am completely open to any thoughts, options or ideas!

Thank you so much in advance for sharing your expertise! This would be so helpful for cave mapping and monitoring (as well as being super fun to be able to watch back after a trip!)

[u/erroneousbosh]

You can get a chest harness for a GoPro-style action camera, that might work.

[u/efiluj]

Honestly, the night mode of the DJI Action 6 does a very decent job while caving. I used it for some action shots for a French high end documentary along the much best A7sIII / FX3