What kind of camera do you use?

[rs911t]

I wanna hear the less obvious examples. Anyone can mount a Sony to a roll cage or harness bar (unless, like me, you have neither) or spend $1k+ on a RaceCam system.

So, anyone use/seen lipstick cameras? Helmet mounted? Under-the-seat VCR? WebCam and computer?

Memories saved with things you find around a spy or geek's house!

[pwd72s]

You're wayyy ahead of me Greg! I use either an 80's version Nikon point & shoot or a 70's version OLympus SLR...both 35mm.
Stone age...that's me!

[APKhaos]

Greg,
I've done the though experiment on this several times, while mulling the roll bar yes/no question. The roll bar looks likely for me, but here is what I'd do if that were not the case:

1. Use a Brey Krause harness truss as the camera mount. This is the kind of thing you can bolt in when you want - does not need to be a 'fixture' in the car.
2. Fabricate a four legged aluminum 'quadpod'. The feet attach via the shift coupler housing screws. Should be relatively light and simple, but rigid enough to provide a good camera mount. Should pass tech, but best to check with Kurt on that.

Both of these options assume a smallish VCR with typical tripod mount capability.

If your VCR supports remote video input, then the lipstick camera is a good alternative. Mount it just about anywhere - helmet, fender, roof - limited only by imagination. Perhaps the only place you can't mount it without some kind of rigid frame is the 'over the drivers shoulder center of the windscreen' postion. The myriad other options may outweigh that one limitation, but you won't see your head bobbling around through the esses

[kstylianos]

Greg,

Here is damn coolest thing you've ever seen:

Cone Cam

It's a mini lipstick type cam the you can mount anywhere (mounting accessories are sold separately). The camera feeds its video output into a camcorder/VCR/laptop PC you have stashed somewhere in a car. Also an external microphone is avail as well. I think the kit is about $200 or so.

They have great clips on their site from a bumper, window and dash mounted cams.

-Charlie

[Jack Olsen]

I'd agree on the lipstick camera. Get that, and an old camcorder (one that allows a line in, for the lipstick camera). Then you can attach the lipstick camera anywhere you want, without dropping another hundred bucks on a mount, and lash the camcorder to something solid -- with enough padding to keep it from rattling apart.

I initially tried attaching a Canon DV camera to an I/O Port camera mount. The image quality was lousy, in spite of the high-tech image stabilization -- and I know I must have been shaking the camera to death. (Then again, my car is pretty stiff.)

[rs911t]

This is a cool geekie topic. I've been canvasing the web for alternative. Lot's of lipstick camera setups out there. These guys sell to bikers

http://www.helmetcamera.com

Others, lots of monitoring and "spy" applications.

http://www.helmetcamera.ca/index.htm
http://www.microvideo.ca/tube.htm
http://www.thespystore.com/colorcamera.htm

You can get everything from mobile HiFi VCRs from Jensen and JVC ~$150, cameras in the same range. What about WebCams and a computer? I'm going to play with that - the computers I have. The challenge is CHEAP and crufty.

You know what the Lord said - "the geeks will inherit the Earth"

[dtfastbear]

Finally! A thread where I can add value instead of just ask questions!!

I've been experimenting recently with a "lipstick" camera for track days. You can see the results here:

http://www.momentarylaps.com/videos/Chasing_WideBody.rm

Keep in mind that the quality of this clip is severly impacted by the Real format compression. Go here if you want to see some clips taken with this camera in higher quality formats: http://www.momentarylaps.com/autocross_videos.htm

I mount the lipstick cam to the top of the windshield. I think this gives the best view of the line you are driving. Mounting low (bumper) makes for a cool video, but I don't think it is as good for learning about your driving. I simply use racer's tape to mount it, so I have infinite flexibility for where to mount it.

I bought my camera for $99 at Supercircuits: www.supercircuits.com If you call, talk to Randy Thompson 1-800-335-9777 Ext. 111 rthompson@supercircuits.com

Tell him I sent you! They have high quality camera setups at bargain prices.

I've found this method to be far more stable and vibration-free than using a camcorder on a mount. The problem is that no matter how much vibration isolation you use, the camcorder still has considerable mass and is bound to shake quite a bit.

Most of my clips don't have sound, but I just ordered two mics from Randy ($12 each) and will mic the car (near the exhaust) on one channel and my helmet on the other so I can provide some play by play. I'll get to try this setup at Thunderhill on the 8th and 9th, so I'll post the results.

Dean

[rs911t]

Thanks Randy. I'll check'em out. This is a fun application. I was thinking it be cool (read 'expensive') to install a intercomm for track days (I'm a greenie) so you could communicate with the instructor and record the conversation on top the video.

Another day!

[bell]

i'm using a kodac dc 240 zoom, picked it up off of a friend for $110, simple with lots of memory, isn't too bad on batteries and gets killer pics.

[john_colasante]

I used to have an IO Port camera mount but since I got the lipstick cam I got rid of the IO Port, I never felt I would use it again. The lipstick cam picture is very good and it can be taped anywhere for a better view of the track. My favorite place is on the roof looking down over the hood and fenders.

I plumb the lipstick cam into a Sony DV camera with anolog input which is secured to the floor.

Once you go lipstick you never go back...

[rs911t]

John, where did you get your camera?

[ChrisBennet]

See the Mini Cameras for in car video? thread.
The mini camera thing is fun but the battery pack for the lipstick camera is a bit of a pain.
-Chris