Wearable cameras that can be strapped on your chest, shoulders, helmet or vehicles have become widely popular among sports enthusiasts and recreational hobbyists alike. Because they allow you to capture the action as it happens from your own perspective, it's a great way to get footage for activities that you love doing or for those that you rarely get the chance to do. It seems that like a television set, computer or a mobile phone, a POV camera is considered a necessary gadget, especially if you are in the business of doing extreme sports.

However, no matter how much you desire for a helmet camera, you can never get one if you don't have the cash for it. You will need to fork out at least a hundred dollars for a basic standard definition POV camera without the frills. A quality non-professional camera can cost you anywhere from $200 to $300 while a professional grade camera can cost you anywhere from a thousand to a couple of thousand dollars. It is no wonder, then, that if you're on the market for cheap point of view cameras, you are going to have to do a lot of research and shopping around before you can get your desired features in a wearable camera at the price you want. If you only have a hundred dollars (or less, yikes!) to spare for your first helmet camera purchase, here are some tips to help you get a decent camera within your financial means:

1. Decide what you are going to be using a camera for. Will you be using it for your extreme sports activities? Will you need it only as part of your safety aid in your daily commute on your bicycle? If you are just going to be using it for recreational purposes, then you're in luck. A basic standard definition camera that allows you to capture still photos and shoot an hour or so of videos can be yours for a hundred dollars. And if you're not choosy, a black and white video can be captured by a camera that costs about thirty dollars. Now that's a cheap point of view camera!

2. Determine where you'll be using most of the camera. Will you be taking pictures and videos of your haunts on land or on water? While there are helmet cameras that can work on both environments, thanks to durable housing that can protect the camera from serious bumps and enable it be used underwater, you are going to have to force yourself to choose on which environment you will most often be using your camera if you have a very low price limit. If you're going to be using your camera on land, then you don't have to pay extra for water-resistant features.

3. Consider buying "bundle" helmet camera packages that include batteries, charger and additional mounts for a fraction of the price should you get them separately. Some manufacturers sell these accessories separately and they cost more on their own than when "bundled" with the camera upon purchase.

It is possible to buy cheap point of view cameras. You just have to be very specific and knowledgeable about what you want. When you're on a limited budget, it pays to do your research beforehand.