pjavon
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 06:21 PM |
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Best bullet cam
I've got a canon mv830i video camera and would like a cheap bullet cam for it. It has got an av input, is this what i need for the cam???
The cheaper the better as funds are short at the moment but i'm doing my last trackday of the year on sunday and would really like some incar
footage to remind me how much i love the car over the long dark winter nights
Thanks very much for any help
Paul
Always keep a big hammer and a condom in your toolbox, if you can't fix it with the hammer
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Jubal
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 06:30 PM |
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I have a similar Canon DV cam and someone lent me a bullet cam earlier this year and it was so good I went straight out and bought one. Their kit was
from www.fastfilmsshop.co.uk. It was the base model, 420TVL but I have to say the results when transferred to DVD were still excellent. £102 plus VAT
for everything you need to go with your camera. Except a mount of course. They sell those too.
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wilkingj
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 06:49 PM |
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420TVL... Its that a 420 line camera?
DONT buy a camera with only 380 lines, the results will show!.
Get as many line on the Camera as poss.
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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rgrs
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 07:06 PM |
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Try going direct to a cctv wholesaler, such as
y3k-linky
480 Tvl is medium resolution 520 is high resolution and most cameras run from 12vdc.
Invest in a good quality mount or make one it makes a big diference if there is no vibration.
Avoid buying a cheap fake import as the image sensors are normally pretty rubish.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 08:09 PM |
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Im pleased you posted this. Ive just bought a MV750i for the same reason. Ginger Princes cam is giving superb results. I think his bullet cam kit is a
sony lens and either 480 or 520 lines. IIRC was £110 but not sure what size lens he bought.
The 4Kam cams are quoted as 520 lines.
Im led to believe the best results are had with a good bullet cam fed into a mini dv camcorder. As said the mount must play a key role.
I could be tempted in a good bullet cam if you find a god deal for a few, just depends on pocket money situation on the day.
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hobbsy
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 08:48 PM |
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Yeah don't buy a sub 420 line bullet cam. I did cos it was cheap but now regretting it. I'm not always sure the 480 or 520 ones are
worth the premium they sometimes ask for them and some people claim that some vendors sell 420's as 480's or above because most people
can't tell the difference etc.
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Jubal
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| posted on 7/10/07 at 10:12 PM |
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The footage from my bullet cam (520) vs. the footage from the borrowed cam (420) that sold me on the idea is not radically different. Like everything,
buy the best you can afford but from my own experience a standard cam gives great results with a DV camcorder. Easily good enough for transfer to DVD
and playback on a standard telly.
My camera is a Canon MV880i I bought cheap last year so will have similar internals to the others mentioned.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 8/10/07 at 08:30 AM |
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The thing that worries me - as said above, how do you know a stated (eg) 520 tvl cam is actually 520. Is there some marketing licence on these things
like when you buy hi-fi gear ref power outputs???? GP's is supposed to be 480tvl but the results in my un-educated eye could pass for something
better. Maybe its the Sony lens. Im now wondering if a good make 480 is better to have than a lower brand 520???
Anyone know what lens is in the 4Kam bullets?
When ive looked at the kits it also seems to make more sense to but a full kit with cables for a few quid extra rather than buy just the cam alone to
keep the cost down. Buying the accessories seperate seems to add loads.
The other thing that i couldnt get straight in my head - i was looking at a cam and recorder package but wasnt sure if the recorders capped the
resolution, hence getting my 750i. Without proof it would seem like a 420 or 480 tvl cam on a mini DV recoreder gives better results than a 520 tvl
cam and PVR or similar. Its a bloody minefield!
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v8kid
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| posted on 8/10/07 at 09:56 AM |
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Spookey or what! Ive just bought a cannon MV 850i camcorder for the same thing - what are the odds against that happening?
Some of the chaps at our club have 380 line bullet cams and the quality is awfull - you get the gist of the action but no detail.
Must be a market here for a bulk buy?
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 8/10/07 at 09:57 AM |
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If you've already got a budget DV camcorder such a Sony, Canon, JVC etc with AV input then they are well suited to the output from a bullet
camera. I would recommend at least a 480TVL and the latest revisions are getting much better at handling varying light conditions.
From what I've seen you still need to spend a bit on the solid state recorders. The £100 recorders just don't quite have the same quality
as the decent budget DV camcorders.
I was going to buy a Chasecam solid state recorder to replace my Sony DV. However after downloading the video and compressing it to a smaller size the
quality wasn't that different so I've stuck with the Sony for a bit longer. The Chasecam was more convinient to use with less wires to
tuck away and faster to download from.
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 8/10/07 at 10:10 AM |
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Here's a link to some of my footage using my Sony DV camcorder receiving from a Sony 480TVL. This was using either a 3.6 or 4mm lens to get a
slightly wide angle shot.
The quality has been reduced by Google but I think you can see the potential is good. Also note this is on a proper race car with rose joints and
solid engine mounting. I tried the Sony DV once direct and it almost broke completely after one lap (it now lives in a foam lined box). The footage
totally distorted!
Radical Clubsport race footage
[Edited on 8/10/07 by bimbleuk]
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