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Cameras
Tim 45 - 24/10/05 at 10:53 PM

What type of cameras are the best for use in the seven style car, and what have people found easiest to use?


Hellfire - 25/10/05 at 07:37 AM

Mini DV seems ok - Ned has apparently shagged one so not that sure.

ATEOTD - it's a risk, as such don't buy a new one. There are plenty on ebay for not a lot. At least then if you shag one you've not lost much!


ned - 25/10/05 at 08:45 AM

dampen the vibrations ie don't clamp directly to chassis and it should be ok. it was the payback/record heads on mine that got knackered at goodwood.

Ned.


Tim 45 - 25/10/05 at 11:29 AM

I was thinking more along the lines of bullet cameras, like the style of kit that Caterham are offering. However i did find a good website that does kits for £145+vat here

What camera have you used Hellfire? Or have you used a mini DV?


flak monkey - 25/10/05 at 11:43 AM

My mate uses a mini DV camera for incar shots at banger races and even through all the big smashes and rolls he hasnt knackered one yet. He just built a box and filled it with high density foam (similar to camping mat) and then bolts it to the roll bar. Good vibration free picture.

David


gingerprince - 25/10/05 at 01:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Tim 45
I was thinking more along the lines of bullet cameras, like the style of kit that Caterham are offering. However i did find a good website that does kits for £145+vat here

What camera have you used Hellfire? Or have you used a mini DV?


I just bought a bullet camera setup, which I will use for snowboarding as well as track days etc.

The cameras from rfconcepts come very highly recommended (get at least the 480 tv lines models). sports-camera.com is the same company (they have a few websites, including cameras-cctv.com

If you buy that helmet camera kit from most of their sites it's 145 quid. I bought it from here where they have it on promo for 135 quid!

http://www.cameras-cctv.com/products/0/1013/

I spend the saved tenner on an extra lens (2.9mm for extra wide angle).

Can't fault their delivery, ordered at 10am, arrived 9am next day.

Also if you need a cheap camera with analog in I can recommend the Canon Outlet on ebay. I got a Canon MV700i for 120 quid, factory refurb with 1 years warranty.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Canon-Outlet_Camcorders_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Make sure you bid at the right time though, I saw the same camera model sell for 180 quid another time!


Basically including the VAT etc for the bullet camera I got the whole setup for just shy of 300 quid. Haven't tested it in anger yet but as I say they do seem to be the dogs danglies from what I've read.


Sy


gingerprince - 25/10/05 at 01:52 PM

Oh and a top tip for you. With the RF Concepts cameras you get a static mount (ball/socket with screws to mount to wall etc). If you go to B&Q and buy one of their suction mounted soap dishes, the thread on the sucker is the same as the ball/socket mount. So far i've tested my camcorder held to my wall overnight, and my pocket camera on the roof of my tvr whilst driving bumpy roads and it didn't budge. I'm confident it can hold the bullet camera amply well (usual disclaimer etc). They're not plain suckers either they are screwable (yub yub) to get a better grip.

Not bad for 4 quid


scoobyis2cool - 25/10/05 at 02:36 PM

Get one from Argos, then if it breaks take it back under their 16 day guarantee

Pete


britishtrident - 25/10/05 at 05:04 PM

Bought one of these off Ebay 99p + 22 pounds postage ;-) fairly quick delivery

380 lines Rescued attachment cc_1_b.JPG
Rescued attachment cc_1_b.JPG


Tim 45 - 25/10/05 at 05:22 PM

Trident, have you used it on a seven style car, and is it waterproof? What is the update like on it, ie can it record fast moving objects relatively clearly, or do they just blur like a webcam?


steve_gus - 25/10/05 at 09:28 PM

from recent evidence hes moved on to exhaust pipes

atb

steve



quote:
Originally posted by Hellfire
Mini DV seems ok - Ned has apparently shagged one so not that sure.

ATEOTD - it's a risk, as such don't buy a new one. There are plenty on ebay for not a lot. At least then if you shag one you've not lost much!



wilkingj - 25/10/05 at 09:39 PM

TIP.... If you get a wireless Camera, make sure you only get one that transmits on 2.3ghz (2300Mhz). There are some cheap ones about transmitting on 1250Mhz (1.25ghz).

The 2.3ghz band is licence free in the UK, 1.25ghz is NOT Licensable in the UK. Primary Users are the UK Military and Airports / Craft. Secondary users are us Radio Hams who use it for TV, and will spot you and report you... Its a jealously guarded band!.

Max Fine is £5k and 3 or 5 years in clink, and confiscation of your kit... Cameras, recievers, and recorders.. Be Warned and aware.


PS... £125 for a Bullet Camera is ROBBERY.
380 lines is OK, nut not brilliant. Remember that normal tv is 635 lines, and thats not that good. If you want good resolution go for 420 / 430 lines or better, but will cost U more.

OR... get a Sony Colour Cam from Steve2Shirst on Ebay for £35 and a portable 12v VCR you will get VERY good results,, good Cameras. Only downside is NO autofocus, unless you buy a good Cam.
Cheap DV Cam with auto focus, and image stability would be nice.
Mount so you get no vibrations.
Geoff

[Edited on 25/10/2005 by wilkingj]


greggors84 - 25/10/05 at 10:51 PM

I got a mini PVR to record onto, has line in, so just connect up to your camera with the supplied leads. Only has small memory but takes MMC and SD cards so can be easily expanded. Doesnt record to a very large size, but good for showing on your PC and web.

You can get them on ebay for less than £50 so a good solution for portable recording.

This bloke uses the same setup and has videos

www.zetecinside.com

[Edited on 25/10/05 by greggors84]


britishtrident - 26/10/05 at 04:50 PM

It is fully water proof but the AV connections are on a short fly lead and would proctecton, the lens is wide angle -- gives some fish-eye distortion. Higher less blurry frame rate than USB web cam but haven't tested it in full day light . It is fairly robustly made and I think it could stand a fair amount of vibration.



I bought it as a reversing camera for the road car, I intended to connect it to an LCD monitor but so far I have only connected it to the AV inputs on my TV .