944-Spec#94 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Ok, Any suggestions on cameras. Maybe for less than $200 complete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianacole Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10965667 You can see examples here: http://www.wasabiraceteam.com/gallery.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbrew8991 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 GoPro is cheap & easy... not the best, def not HD quality, but it gets the job done and you can come in at about half your budget with 'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryW Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 GOPro rely on batteries which will probably not last a full day (especially if,like me, you forget to turn off the cameras). I've started using an Aiptek and frankencable setup (search Rennlist Racing forum for details). Aiptek is as cheap (actually cheaper) that GoPro. I've built the brace to steady the camera ( again search Rennlist) and it functions just great for what I need. Unfortunatly it doesn't work with the traqmate (yet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbrew8991 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 good point - I only film my races so its limitations are not a big deal two 20 min races are easy to cover on one set of AAAs and a small 2gb card Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianacole Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 RaceRender (http://www.racerender.com) provides a great syncing function for synchronizing TraqMate and any video source, to include the native Aiptek format. You can see what it looks like on my vimeo videos: http://www.vimeo.com/6763787. The display of the TraqMate data is completely configurable. This is by far the easiest video editing software I've used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryW Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Thanks Ian - I'll check them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbuzz Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Had a Go Pro for one weekend and got rid of it. Uses up batteries like crazy. Poor quality video. Can only accept a 2gb card so you need a few of them. Very poor excuse for a sports camera IMO. I'm sure it is great for a helmet cam on a bike or something else. Just not good for a car cam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhdinyuma Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hate to disagree. I really like the GoPro I wish I had got the standard instead of the wide angle though. I run mine for an hour on one set of AAA's, more than enough. I got a good charger and a couple of extra sets. More than adequate for a days racing. Price is great too. Comes with virtualy every kind of mount imaginable if you get the motorsports version. No shake which can be a problem with Aiptec. I believe it is much more rugged and versatile as well. SD cards are cheap so no problem with storage either. Comes with a waterpoof case which helps protect the unit. Only downside for me is that you have to remember to start recording before entering the car if the camera is not accessible from inside as there is no way to start remotely. Also, there has been some complaining about audio quality. Hey, it's cheap so you get what you pay for. Here is a link to some video shot from Norm's roof earlier this year at PIR. No fancy setup, just stuck it on the car, hit record, and off he went! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbuzz Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I would much rather have a Sony for double the price and 10 times the video quality. IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvantAddict Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 For a little more than $200, you could get this system. http://www.cedigital.com/xcart/product.php?productid=137&cat=77&page=1 Bullet cam, external mic and digital recorder for $259. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryW Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 For a little more than $200, you could get this system. http://www.cedigital.com/xcart/product.php?productid=137&cat=77&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Bullet cam, external mic and digital recorder for $259. Can it be the car power supply ? How about remote recording start ? I couldn't find those features on the site - It looks interesting though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbuzz Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 If it is using 4 AA batteries then you will need a 12v - 6v converter. These are available at Radio Shack and other places. Over all it looks to be pretty good. Don't like that it does not have wide screen capability. I think that is a must have for future playback as well as giving a wider field of view. There are lots of cameras with built in memory or memory sticks that will have alot more features. If you are going to use it for only your race car and not anything else then the lip stick cam is a good way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b f cybronetics Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Each suggestion appears to have its pluses and minuses. Specifically to GoPro I would suggest several things to get the most out of the camera. First due to it's use of AAA batteries one needs to use the most expensive lithium type. I am not sure one gains much using rechargable batteries as over time they will hold a smaller and smaller charge. Next location is key as one needs to be able to start the camera as close to the begining of a session so as to maximize battery life. This leads to another key and that is location. I found that if it is attached to the roll bar behind my seat the camera focuses its light sensor on the interior of the car and opens up the apiture (sp) which results in too much light coming in from the track and thus a washed out view of the track. I have it mounted on the dashboard with a secondary teather in case it comes loose. This focuses the camera on the track and results in a better quality picture. It also enable me to turn the camera on once the race session starts. The camera should not be used for play back as this is a battery killer. I bought a Targus TGR-CRD25 USB 2.0 Memory Card Reader/writer which I plug into the laptop USB port and download the recorded session. The cost was $12.95 on sale at Radio Shack. It will take a variety of memory card sizes. This way I can clear the card out after each session and not run down the battery. This will work for any memory card camera. I am using it with a Toshiba Laptop and Windows XP operating system It says it will work on a MAC (which I have also) but I have not tried it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Squid Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 As much as it pains me to agree with Charlie, I really like my Sony DVD810 video camera. We both have the same camera. The picture is much better than my old Hi8 camera. The camera mounts on my rollbar camera mount so you have both forward and rearview mirror views at the same time. It has hard drive, a mini-dvd and memory stick recording capibility. I use the hard drive and it hold about six races. The rechargable battery is usually good for two races and recharges plugged into the cigarette lighter. It has a remote control so I can start it when strapped in. The sound quality is so good that you can almost hear the rod going through the side of my block. The cost was a little under $300. This is $100 more than the requested target price but well worth it IMHO considering the PITA factor of some of the lesser cameras. Jim Richmond #35 Squidmobile SoCal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvantAddict Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 For a little more than $200, you could get this system. http://www.cedigital.com/xcart/product.php?productid=137&cat=77&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Bullet cam, external mic and digital recorder for $259. Can it be the car power supply ? How about remote recording start ? I couldn't find those features on the site - It looks interesting though. I haven't got mine on car power, yet. Plan to do that soon. As for the remote record start. I haven't found a need. I've got the little recorder Velcro'd to the center console within easy reach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genikz Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Joe, Here's a sample of my Aiptek 720P HD (720P @ 60fps): I use a $8 external microphone plugged into the jack on the camera, and a $25 wide-angle lens. All in all, I paid less than $200, even with the extra batteries and 8gb SD memory card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
54h Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I got ur back, Hal. for the money and ease of use and versatility, GoPro. I'd like to see you stick your Sony on the roof......or better yet, the bumper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbuzz Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 No doubt that Go Pro has those things, what it does not have is good quality video. All depends on what is important to you. I use my sony as my main video camera. Go Pro will not work for that, too many limitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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