VHOLDR

Words by Mirage, Photos by Mirage

Lights, camera, action! Cut-cut-cut. Directing a movie is no small feat which is why it’s best left to the professionals. Still, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like directing my own action movie. Since Warner Brothers or for that matter any other major motion picture studio wasn’t kicking down my door for me to direct (or star in) their next summer blockbuster, I’d have to find another way to make this dream become a reality. Luckily there’s VholdR.

VholdR (pronounced vee-holder) is a portable camcorder that mounts to nearly anything, from helmets to handlebars or it can just be held in your hand and used as a typical point-and-shoot camcorder. The beauty of this camera is that it’s small in size but big on features. The camera itself measures in at a height of 95mm (3.75 in.), a width of 34mm (1.35 in.) and a length of 53mm (2.1 in.) all while weighing a mere 4.8 oz. The camera is an all inclusive unit and the outer shell is made from brushed aluminum, baked fiberglass and rubber. Its internals are silicon treated and insulated from the elements, so if you’re planning to ski in Vail or go dirt biking in Colorado you won’t damage the VholdR. Those who Scuba dive need not apply.

Although you should always read the instructions before operating any electronic device my caveman like tendencies took over and the lovely, well put together Quick Start Guide which was provided for help was quickly filed in the round receptacle. Thankfully the VholdR is straightforward and extremely easy to use so you don’t need five degrees from MIT to use it successfully. It comes with a helmet mount which was perfect as I was well on my way to start my action movie: “Untamed and Uncut.”(same video as above but on Vholdr's site)

Mounting the VholdR on my helmet literally took 2 minutes. The helmet mount I used was attached via an adhesive backing and the camera locks into place via channeled grooves which then is pressed to the helmet to complete the mounting. I also used the handlebar mount which can be used around handlebars between 7/8” and 1¼” in diameter. Unfortunately the clip-on’s on my R1 left no room to mount the VholdR so I used one of my mirror stalks which did the job quite nicely. I also re-attached my rear seat pegs and fastened the camera to one of them, facing backwards and forwards for some pretty unique shots.

Now you’re probably worried about how you’re going to push the Record/Stop buttons aren’t you? Well don’t be as the VholdR only has one button (located at the rear) and that’s only used to put the camera in a ready state. After that it’s either on or off.  On the top (or side depending upon how you have it mounted) you’ll notice a switch. Slide it forward and a beep indicates that it’s on. Slide it back and two beeps indicate that it’s off. It’s that simple! Hearing the beeps with a full-face helmet on was a bit hard but I had zero problems turning it on or off with my Alpinestar gauntlet style type gloves so (sing it with me) don’t worry be happy now.