As somebody with a hand-related disability, I've been seeking a way to record travel videos. So, I've decided to pursue a alternate method of videography, one which creates intriguing and unique results.
Filming in first person has only become practical (relatively cheap while delivering good quality) in the past decade, as miniaturized "action" cameras have become widely available for consumers to purchase.
However, making great videos isn't as easy as buying a great camera, especially when novel techniques are involved. I've created this guide to help share what I've learned about first-person videography, so that you don't have to repeat the same mistakes that I have.
This guide assumes that the reader understands fundamentals of video and audio recording and production.
It would be impractical for me to create a guide covering all possible techniques used to create first-person video. As a result, this guide will only use the techniques which create the best quality end product reasonably possible.
However, this guide would not be complete without at least a brief explanation of why these choices were made, and what tradeoffs were necessary to reach our end goals.
There are two common methods used to record first-person videos using action cameras: Head mount and chest mount.
Comfortable chest mounts can be found cheaply, and a chest mounted camera allows for more discrete recording compared to a head mount.
However, head mounted cameras more accurately capture the wearer's point of view by following head movements and being located closer to the eyes. As a result, this guide will use a head mounted camera setup.
Recording in first-person provides us with a tool which allows us to create more accurate sounding recordings: Our own body.
The shape of our heads and ears influence how we hear the world by physically interacting with sound waves. Ordinary stereo microphones cannot take this into account, resulting in a less distinct stereo image when played on headphones.
Binaural recording is a technique that uses a human head to create more natural sounding stereo recordings by placing microphones in or near the ear canal. This technique can create recordings which sound much closer to "being there", especially when played back on headphones.
Since headphones are frequently used by viewers for video playback, it makes sense for us to take advantage of the uniqueness of first-person recording to create a more immersive sound recording.
If you are new to binaural recording, I recommend that you read this article on binaural recording techniques before purchasing a binaural microphone setup. Binaural recordings made with in-ear microphones will require equalization to sound correct.
There are two main types of binaural microphones: In-ear and over-ear.
In ear microphones provide a more accurate auditory image of where sounds are located, but they may end up creating unnatural sounding recordings on some individuals due to considerable variation between the shapes of different people's ears. In addition, they require equalization to sound correct, make it harder to hear while you are wearing them, and usually do not capture the wearer's vocals well.
Over-ear microphones provide a less accurate auditory image, but they more easily produce correct sounding recordings, and may be more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The article Imagery of the Mind, published by an over-ear microphone manufacturer, provides more detailed information on over-ear microphones.
The increasing availability of consumer virtual reality headsets has created a new opportunity to create more immersive videos.
Stereoscopy is a technique for adding depth to video by displaying different images in each eye. Just like how binaural video allows us to create a more immersive soundscape, stereoscopy can add a whole new dimension to video when done correctly.
However, the hardware and software required to create stereoscopic videos is still in it's infancy, and most viewers are not yet watching videos using virtual reality headsets. As a result, this guide will not yet take advantage of this technique.
As consumer display technologies have improved, it has become possible for viewers to play back a wider range of content.
High dynamic range is a technology which allows video to display a larger range of brightness levels, and wide gamut is a technology (almost always used alongside HDR) which allows video to display a larger range of colors. This can improve realism and immersion by allowing for more true to life imagery to be displayed.
The latest action cameras can already record in HDR by simply changing a few settings. Most video streaming websites already support HDR, along with automatic tone mapping to allow viewers without HDR-compatible displays to still receive a watchable end product.
However, a HDR-compatible display as necessary to edit HDR video, and not all video editing software supports editing HDR video out of the box. Despite these difficulties, I recommend producing HDR video if possible.
Three basic items are required to capture high-quality first person video: An action camera, a binaural microphone which can be connected to the camera, and a head mount for the camera.
However, the most time consuming and expensive aspect of assembling a recording setup is sorting out the details. As a result, this guide will list the set of compatible equipment I use, along with the choices made when choosing that equipment.
This is not necessarily the "best" first-person recording setup, and it's definitely not the cheapest. All decisions involve making tradeoffs, and the choices that made the most sense for this guide's author may not necessarily be make the most sense for you.
My goals for this recording setup were:
- Recording "YouTube quality" HDR video & binaural audio in a variety of lighting conditions
- Keeping costs reasonable without compromising on quality
- Comfortable to wear for hours at a time
- Capable of recording for hours at a time
Although the below setup is functional, I plan on testing further improvements to:
- testing over-ear microphones
- camera positioning (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1810723-REG/neewer_66603282_all_aluminum_alloy_extension.html)
- reducing cable noise (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1799503-REG/bubblebee_industries_bbi_ist_40_the_invisible_skin_tape.html)
- weight balance? (might be good enough as-is)
- packability/transport
There is currently a very limited selection of over-ear binaural microphones available. After ruling out products outside of my price range, I was left with only two options: the SonicPresence SP15V and the Sound Professionals MS-EHB-2-MKII.
However, in my experience, the SonicPresence SP15V has serious design flaws. It is very poorly fitting due to a lack of adjustability, leading to discomfort from extended wear. However, comfort isn't the biggest issue this causes. The microphones are difficult to position consistently and frequently get dislodged from their proper position, leading to noticeable imbalances in the recorded stereo image.
[THIS PART OF THE GUIDE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS]
I plan on trying the Sound Professionals MS-EHB-2-MKII with the Windtech WT-10377 windscreens in the near future.
Like over-ear microphones, there is currently an extremely limited selection of in-ear binaural microphones available. After ruling out products outside of my price range and products which would be too uncomfortable to wear, I was left with only one good option: the Microphone Madness MM-BSM-8.
However, they are by no means perfect. They're a bit less comfortable than wearing a pair of in-ear monitors, and they feel worryingly fragile. The left and right channels are not marked (you will have to do this yourself with a piece of tape), and the paper specifications are worse than that of over-ear microphones at a similar price point.
But, they sound perfectly fine and are very usable, so I can't complain that much. Just keep in mind that you cannot use windscreens on in-ear microphones.
There are three main companies which produce quality action cameras: GoPro, DJI, and Insta360. On paper, all three cameras are fairly close in terms of capabilities.
However, according to online action camera communities, GoPros are more prone to overheating than other action cameras. This matched their paper specifications: GoPro cameras consistently had a lower rated maximum operating temperature compared to offerings from DJI and Insta360.
Image quality comparisons involve a degree of subjectivity, and there are countless online videos comparing the different cameras.
My personal opinion was that, as of the time this guide is being written, GoPro has the best image quality, followed by DJI, with Insta360 having the worst image quality. However, GoPro seemed to have the worst low light performance, with DJI and Insta360 having roughly comparable low light performance.
Due to reliability concerns and my need to record in a wide variety of lighting conditions, I choose the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro camera, along with a compatible SD card.
One happy accident with this choice was that the DJI Osmo Action 3.5mm Audio Adapter (not to be confused with the DJI Mic Transmitter, which does not support stereo microphones) seems to support plug-in-power for microphones, despite this not being stated anywhere on the product page.
This choice ended up reducing cost and increasing portability, as I didn't need to buy an external recorder.
Every action camera head mount I've tried sucks from a comfort perspective. I've tried the ActionHat, the GoPro Head Strap, the Insta360 Head Strap, the Ulanzi CM027 Strap, etc... I was unable to wear any of them for more than 10 minutes without experiencing physical pain.
However, they are all relatively cheap, and people who are less susceptible to compression headaches may find them suitable for their use case. I recommend trying a conventional head mount before pursuing more expensive mounting options.
I eventually settled on something unconventional: Using night vision headsets as an action camera mount.
Night vision headsets are perfect for this use case: They are designed to carry heavy head-worn equipment (sometimes weighing over 0.5kg!) for potentially hours at a time, and the Revo NVG GoPro Mount allows you to attach an action camera to any night vision headset. However, due to being very specialized pieces of equipment, they are quite expensive.
Due to my prioritization of comfort over cost, I purchased the 4D Tactical SOF Cap (w/ Low Profile Shroud & Crown Pad), which night vision communities consider one of the most comfortable head harnesses currently on the market. In addition, I used some 4x2 inch Velcro strips to allow me to use the DJI Multifunctional Battery Case (along with three DJI Batteries) as a partial counterweight (if you encounter any neck pain while wearing this, consider using a slightly heavier counterweight).
Although this head harness is overpriced, it is definitely the most comfortable mount I've used so far. The harness will need some adjustment to get a snug fit without any pressure points (I ended up removing the crown pad and slightly repositioning the foam pads), but once you have done that, it can be comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
The harness fits snugly without the chinstrap for low-intensity use, so I would argue that the chinstrap upgrade is only necessary if you plan on using this for higher intensity activities.
[THIS PART OF THE GUIDE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS]
These are the settings I have chosen (for DJI Osmo Action 5 w/ Feb 2025 firmware) to give the most flexibility in post processing:
- Video
- 4k resolution (4:3 aspect ratio) / 60 fps (switch to 30fps in low-light)
- HLG color, -0.3 EV
- RockSteady stabilization, Standard FoV
- "Texture" -2, "Noise Reduction" -2
- High Bitrate enabled
- Audio
- Stereo
- +0 dB gain
- AGC on
I use a slightly tweaked version of the equalization preset listed in the article to improve timbre & vocal intelligibility:
480 Hz Low shelf, Gain = +2 dB
4 kHz Bell, Gain = -11 dB, Q = 1
8 kHz Bell, Gain = +8 dB, Q = 2
14 kHz Bell, Gain = +2 dB, Q = 1
Master gain = 0 dB
Even with the best equipment, recording first person video will have a bit of a learning curve.
Current recording technology cannot perfectly capture your point of view. There will always be a discrepancy between what you see and what the camera sees, what you hear and what the microphone hears, and you will have to learn how to take that into account as you create your videos.
Since you will likely be unable to monitor your video and audio as you record, the best way to learn to work with your new recording setup is to practice using it. Over time, as you get more experienced, your recordings will better capture what you want them to capture.
It just takes practice.