Some in-car videos

[iceman]

Got myself a little go-pro camera w/ suction cup mount and cage mount, going to use it this season..

Took it out for the first time last weekend to try a few things out, and thought I'd share the videos with you guys. Like just about any digital video camera, when the car is inside and facing the driver, and it's sunny out, you can barely see outside of the car. To combat this, I tried shoving some window tint film in there (20%), it's a step in the right direction but I will try something darker this weekend, or try to find some sort of polarizing film.. That is also the reason that the in-car examples here have a little streak in the lens, that's because I kind of just shoved the tint in there as a test, I need to form it to the lens to get the creases out.

This one I stuck on the wheelie bars on a 7.64 pass

Rear facing camera

This one was inside the windshield on an 8.50 index car pass

In+Car+Video+-+Craig+Buscio+Chevy+Nova

[Matt95GT]

I'm glad he pulled the chute... that was cool to see up close.

[PontiacGT201]

great videos.

[iceman]

Here's one from inside the Lincoln from Friday night .. shuts it down about halfway down the track, car burped up some water and got under the tires. I have a few more from Sunday to post

Christy+%26+Kasper+Racing+-+Outlaw+10.5+Lincoln+Mark

Originally Posted by Matt95GT

I'm glad he pulled the chute... that was cool to see up close.

Yeah well... trapped at 182mph, the kid took his jolly old time throwing the laundry

I had a vid of Tommy's 6.92 @215 pass on the wheelie bars, but either the crew guy didn'th it record or I took the SD card out without stopping it.. oops...

[TA^Guy]

Awesome.

I need a wide angle lense for my video camera.

Watching thismakes me wish I purchased a regular DV camera and not a DVD one. I made a mount fo rmy bike but there was too much vibration.

[iceman]

John, it will be with me in Albany, we can try sticking it to your helmet

[Matt95GT]

Originally Posted by TA^Guy

Watching thismakes me wish I purchased a regular DV camera and not a DVD one. I made a mount fo rmy bike but there was too much vibration.

I'd stick to flash memory only for high-vibration... even MiniDV tapes will have limitations... it still has spinning video heads.

[PontiacGT201]

Originally Posted by iceman

John, it will be with me in Albany, we can try sticking it to your helmet

Duck tape FTMFW

[Foxy]

Hmm, interesting - I was looking pretty hard at getting one of those Motorsports Hero cameras. Still can't decide between that or a Vio POV 1 Is yours the wide or normal FOV?

[TA^Guy]

Originally Posted by Matt95GT

I'd stick to flash memory only for high-vibration... even MiniDV tapes will have limitations... it still has spinning video heads.

Eh, yeah wish I known that then. lol

Other thing I thought about trying was a pin point type camera mounted somewhere with the video recorded in a padded bag or something.

Originally Posted by iceman

John, it will be with me in Albany, we can try sticking it to your helmet

Stick it where ever you'd like.... Um. Nevermind.

[iceman]

Originally Posted by Foxy

Hmm, interesting - I was looking pretty hard at getting one of those Motorsports Hero cameras. Still can't decide between that or a Vio POV 1 Is yours the wide or normal FOV?

This is what I have, plus the roll bar mount for it

http://www.goprocamera.com/index.php...2&productid=2#


Only two problems I have are I lose the acorn nuts (fat fingers) so have to get some replacements.. it's kind of a jigsaw puzzle getting this on a roll cage then getting it aimed right, but I'm getting better at it.

2 is the glare on a sunny day when the video is inside the car on the driver, you don't see much out the front windshield. To combat this I am using some window tint film, just have to figure out the right combo.

[TA^Guy]

Gus ever think of replacing the acron nuts with wing nuts or threaded knobs? Less change of dropping them, and if you do might be able to find them easier.

[iceman]

Originally Posted by TA^Guy

Gus ever think of replacing the acron nuts with wing nuts or threaded knobs? Less change of dropping them, and if you do might be able to find them easier.

Wrong fat dude, and yes, have a few ideas -- just have not hit up the drawers of nuts and bolts at the store yet. Hard to explain but the bolts are not long enough to accept wing nuts, but I think I may just secure the acorn nuts in place with some kind of adhesive.. would do the trick. I'll try and take pics of all the mounting stuff to help explain

[cavingman]

awesome.

[Foxy]

Originally Posted by TA^Guy

Other thing I thought about trying was a pin point type camera mounted somewhere with the video recorded in a padded bag or something.

I've been researching in-car camera mounts for a little bit now, and I don't know if this is the optimal way to go. It all depends on what you're after.

I want a setup I can mount in my car for autox, or mount to my helmet for karting, mountain biking, etc. That drastically affects my choices; the more activities you want your setup to do, either the more you have to spend or the more limited your choices become.

Some of the basic choices:

-Camcorder with audio/video input. The bonus is that if you already have a good camcorder, you're partially there. If you don't, then you need to spring for one. It's hard to find a camcorder with AV in, and even harder to find one with AV in that has good resolution on that input port. As mentioned, you want something that records straight to flash memory. Flash is cheap, durable, and vibration resistant (though some cameras don't like being vibrated; I've seen them cut out on tough hits like from mountain biking).

If you can get a lightweight camera to mount directly to your roll cage or something, you can get good video quality.

To get a bullet camera and external audio though, you've got to run cables all over your car, and it can be hard to aim the cameras, etc.

I was looking hardest at the Aiptek Action-HD, which had audio/video in (but not at HD), and is dirt cheap (I've seen as low as $150 at Wal Mart).

But for me, having to deal with all the cable running, and having a jury-rigged system just wasn't appealing. I already have a camcorder, so didn't need another one.

-All in one camera system (Gopro Motorsports Hero - what the OP is using)
Fairly inexpensive, but the downsides are poor resolution, and the mic is built into the camera with no external options. There's a lot of wind noise, and no way to really reduce it or record somewhere else. For instance, I want to have a bumpercam on my Lotus, but the engine is in the back - there's no way to hear the engine sounds and all you can hear is wind noise. Also, it takes fairly limited resolution video. Good for Youtube, but blurry on my computer and TV. They are tough and convenient though. I may end up getting one just for those "hard to get" shots like of the suspension moving, etc.

A new option that recently came out is the Vholdr and Countour HD - these look very promising, but I am worried about battery life on them, and mounting options.

-Integrated bulletcam systems - the best one I was looking at was the Vio POV 1. This is a recording unit with a bullet cam/mic built all into one streamlined package. I love the integration, the battery life, the recording capacity, and the mounting options, but it is very expensive. Also, it'd be hard to use as a traditional camcorder.

There are tons of options out there, but these were the ones that attracted me the most. With the way Youtube and other video sharing sites are gaining popularity, there are a ton of new products on the way too, and you know how technology is...

[TA^Guy]

I'll have to look over my camera to see what kind of imputs are on it. I have a Sony DCR-DVD403. Knowing Sony crap, it most likely doesn't lol. I'm beyond the phase of dumb stuff on my bike and recording it, so now the camera is pretty much used for family home videos.

Originally Posted by iceman

Wrong fat dude, and yes, have a few ideas -- just have not hit up the drawers of nuts and bolts at the store yet. Hard to explain but the bolts are not long enough to accept wing nuts, but I think I may just secure the acorn nuts in place with some kind of adhesive.. would do the trick. I'll try and take pics of all the mounting stuff to help explain

Dude that is the second time I've done that!! Sad thing is I knew who I was thinking of... I think it's because I'm always replying to Gus's goofy ass posts in the Albany section. lol

Well anyhow good luck with them, I wasn't sure if they were nuts that were often adjusted, etc. We used to have a Sears Hardware store here that closed, I miss it because they had any nut and bolt you could ever need, right down to left hand tightening threads, etc.

[iceman]

Here's some more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wgFIvFLA50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU9itefoHUE