NemesisC5

I know this has been asked many times, but with technology advancing I am sure new alternatives are on the scene. I am new to the roadcourse scene and have been looking for a camera or system to mount on my Hardbar. Tonight at Circuit City I saw several video cameras that use the SD card format with image stabilization for $3??, one particular unit was a Samsung widescreen 1080P HD unit but it was $699. Please respond with what you guys are using and mention also if there is anything you do with remote microphones to enhance the sound experience. Thanks In Advance

wallyman424

I shot this: http://vimeo.com/1751714 with a 199 dollar chinese 1080P HD camcorder. Records to SDHC card.

http://www.amazon.com/DXG-DXG-595V-M...2484865&sr=8-1

It works WAY better than I thought it would.

ptindall

I use a $179 POS JVC I bought at Wally World. Uses mini cassette tapes. I heard that mini DVs can skip and error due to shock. It works great for the money but the quality is not that good. Even worse after uploading to youtube. I'll be trying out a remote mic for the first time in two days for the bumper mount on my brother's MR2.

NemesisC5

Very nice deal, I knew something like this would turn up if I posted

NemesisC5

Any details on the remote microphone

Gray Ghost GS

Looks like a really good deal! I might pick one up.

ptindall

My other brother was a Blackhawk crewchief and he used an earbud speaker as a remote mic for filming in-flight of the very loud helicopter. So we are going to try doing the same thing with the MR2. The camera mounts very low under the front bumper and we are running the wire through the car to the earbud in the back of the car where the engine and exhaust are. Haven't even tested in out yet so I have no idea how good or bad it's going to sound.

boerio

I have been using a MiniDV for a few years. Of course, I only hit the track (mostly autocross) 3-6 times per year. I have never had a skipping problem using the mini DV tapes.

You definitely do NOT want to use straight-to-DVD camcorders. Those will definitely skip.

If I had it to do over again, I would use something like ChaseCam. Their systems look great, and I don't think there's a single moving part. SPEED World Challenge forces all teams to use their stuff.

Jeff

johninar

I have a Sony MiniDV. It has image stabilization and NEVER skips. It accepts a screw-on wide angle adapter that gives a better image.

autoxer6

Stay away from OPTICAL image stabilization. I bought a cannon HF10. Great Camera untill I put it in the car. Optical image stabilization is a mechanical floating piece in the image path to stabalize the image. When you put it in a race car, it just vibrates back and forth in it's housing. The image was extremly jumpy. You cant turn this off.

Digital image stabilization works great. Does any one want to but a Cannon HF10?

Now I have a JVC with flash memory. Works great.

NemesisC5

I just read where this unit is actually made here in the USA

Available through Wal-Mart online for $179

sperkins

Me too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/68ray

Wayne O

I bought a small, cheap Flip video camera to use on the track. It has an mounting accessory you can buy and I attach it to my harness bar.
I have a better Sony Handycam but I haven't found any need to use it.

The Flip only holds an hour of video so when it's full I download the video onto my laptop. I tape a small piece of foam over the microphone to muffle the wind noise. The Flip camera works fine for me.

wallyman424

it really does make great quality videos. the best part is not having to deal with all the skipping of a tape based system.

R Mackow

Do any of these camcorders have an outlet for a remote camera lens? I saw something called a "helmet cam". it's a lens and lead that would plug into acamcorder and also has aremote on/off button. The remote button is water proof and 6the camcorder can go in a watertight box.

Why water proof...I would like to do some kayaking and some eskimo rolls while the "tape" is running.

NemesisC5

Does the camera have an jack for a remote microphone?

wallyman424

no, but i didnt have any problem with the built in mic.

may just be because my car is so loud though....

95jersey

how much do you want to spend and what quality are you looking for? I use an 8+ year old 8MM camera and just download the video into my PC via software. You can capture and edit it just like digital video once it is downloaded.

I wouldn't go out and buy an 8mm for this purpose, but if you have one lying around, it can easily be used and cheaply turned into digital without buying an expensive camera and I think 8mm quality is pretty good for our purpose. Just another alternative. Also, I have never seen my 8mm skip or blink while recording under the most harsh conditions.

http://home.comcast.net/~g5x3z06/Poc...Infield_II.mpg

BEZ06

Yes - probably most of them will have an "AV In" connector to plug in input from a remote camera (helmet/lipstick/bullet cam) and input from a remote mic.

I use this:




and have input to it from this:



The small digital video recorder records to SD cards, and you can use the display to aim the bullet cam properly.

It also has an external microphone. I've since moved the bullet cam to the trim piece under the halo. The first location gave a great view of the track. The new location won't show the track quite as well, but it will give indications of what I'm doing in the cockpit, primarily steering wheel inputs.

In the first location I ran the wire from the bullet cam down to the recorder in the glove compartment. In the new location I've got the recorder in the console.

My recorder is an older generation with only VGA resolution, but it still takes great video for analyzing my sessions. I believe it will only accept up to 2GB cards (I haven't tried any larger capacity ones). At VGA resolution it will record 48 minutes on a 1GB card.

Therein lies the problem - with the HD resolution of some of these cameras, you'll need very large memory to record a track session. If I had an HD camera I'd probably only use about VGA resolution so the file from a 30 minute track session wouldn't be HUGE.

Also, I reviewed the specs on some of the HD recorders and, if you're using an input from a remote bullet cam, it will only record at a max of VGA resolution anyway.

Below is a video of a couple laps at VIR when the bullet cam was in the original location in the upper right of the windshield. The external mic pickup was not connected properly.

The other video was the other day after moving the bullet cam and I was just checking it out on the street - and I will point it down a little further to pick up steering and shift inputs.

Bob

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Click here for link to VIR video


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RusherRacing

I use a Canon S3 mounted on a Ram Mount (7/8") to a BK harness bar.
Works good. Something dedicated to the car might work better. But in a minute I can pull the camera out of the car and take great stills around the pits!

Ryan