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  • In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

    No footage to post yet, but I've viewed some great in-car videos using our cheapie Aiptek now. Just need to edit/upload them. Since the harness bar came out for the as-yet-unfinished roll cage I needed a quickie camera mount to bridge the gap, and I found a winner from Solotime. Bought a single suction cup camera mount from their trailer on-site last weekend at the SCCA National Tour event and it was $29.95. I don't see it on their website but I know they sell them - call Dave and ask him for the $30 single-suction-cup camera mount.


    Solotime sourced suction-cup mount and Aiptek A-HD

    I was blown away by the mount's simplicity, ruggedness, adjustability and the view it offered. More than one other person saw it and went and bought ones for themselves on site (or said they were going to). The in-car videos we made using this mount just stuck to the right/top corner of the windshield in 2 different cars came out great, even with only a $129 HD video camera (Aiptek A-HD, 720P, solid state video recorder). Our best videos to date, even comparing to a MiniDV tape vidcam we've used in the past.


    note the camera mounted in the top/right corner of the windshield of both cars

    The cheap Aiptek still has drawbacks, namely a lower frame rate than I'd like, but the videos I looked at for the first time on a full sized screen last night look pretty dang good considering the cost of everything involved. Even the sound was pretty accurate and wind-free (being mounted so close to the windshield I guess it was "shielded" from the wind noise from the nearby open side window).

    The best part about this windshield mount was the ease of in-car playback - since it was mounted on the windshield we could just flip down the LCD screen and playback the videos after each run while sitting comfortably in the passenger seat, which helped the drivers immensely at this only-3-runs-per-day Tour event, including myself. You could quickly see what you did on your last run, check your lines, note mistakes, etc. And swapping the unit from car to car took ~2 minutes. I won't go to a track or autocross event ever again without my Aiptek and this Solotime supplied suction cup mount!

    Now of course that the vidcam is mounted upside down in the pictures above and the videos it makes are upside-down as well. But viewing them in-car was rightside up, thankfully, since the screen can flip around 270°. Once I flip the videos (editing software) and push them online I'll post a link. Hanchey took some additional 1080P video from outside as well, using his cool $1000 Casio digital camera/vidcam, which of course looks even better. Way better, in fact. I'll resize that to 720P, edit those videos a bit, and host/post that link also when I get some time.
    Last edited by Fair!; 05-06-2008, 11:16 AM.
    Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
    2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
    EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

  • #2
    Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

    Hanchey finally took the videos made from my Aiptek and edited them for upload. Here are two from last weekend's SCCA National Tour autocross taken with the Aiptek A-HD 720P unit. Compressed a bit for upload, but they still look pretty good.


    Alpha E36 LS1 XP class, in-car (click thumbnail for video)


    E30 318is STS class, in-car (click thumbnail for video)

    I watched these on my main PC with a 24" screen at full rez and they looked great. I just rewatched them on a crappy laptop and it was all hitchy and laggy. Pretty big files. So if your connection stinks and/or your hardware ain't so good it might not look so hot on your PC.

    Here's another cheap vid camera - video from our GoPro Hero3 "on-car" set-up. Not HiDef. I was playing with some new video editing software and chopped this one up myself. I don't have a Mac or iVideo like the cool kids do. Camera mounted on roof.


    E36 M3 STU car, on-car (click thumbnail for video)

    Finally took pictures of the suction cup windshield mount I got from Solo Performance ($30). This is how we took the first 2 videos.


    (click thumbnails for larger pictures)
    Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
    2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
    EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

      I am currently running a Nikon S9 (small point and shoot camera) on a SM31 suction cup mount. I had it on the rear windshield to get a shot of the steering wheel and outside, but the combination of wind noise and the defroster strips not letting the suction cups do there job was enough for me to move it to the front.

      The camera is not mounted next to the rear view mirror as high up as possible. I don't really notice it's there during my runs.

      front windshield mount example

      This setup works pretty well for capturing the course but not for capturing what the driver is doing. I was previously using a MiniDV camcorder with wide angle lens on an I/O port mount in the old Miata. That did a great job but I don't have anywhere to install a mount like that in the RX-8.

      Miata example

      The Nikon point and shoot does an ok job with video but has problems in direct sunlight as you can see in the first video. I borrowed a friends Panasonic point and shoot and mounted it with a shorter chase cam mount to the roof and had my nikon in the corner of the front windshield (pointed at the driver) at an A&M event earlier this year. The effect is great, the Panasonic camera takes much better video (in widescreen also), but the video was somewhat time consuming to sync up.

      2 camera, panasonic for main video
      Thomas
      AST '04 S2000 (STR)
      '04 R32 with AST 4100s

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

        BTW, I picked up an Aiptek A-HD a couple of weekends ago and should be trying it out this weekend. I'll probably run it in VGA mode since my 6 year old computer can't really handle the HD video processing.
        Thomas
        AST '04 S2000 (STR)
        '04 R32 with AST 4100s

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

          Originally posted by Miatamoto
          BTW, I picked up an Aiptek A-HD a couple of weekends ago and should be trying it out this weekend. I'll probably run it in VGA mode since my 6 year old computer can't really handle the HD video processing.
          I should be loading some video of the LS1 car at MSR shortly. Mount is a little wobbly at high speeds, but WHO CARES?! I hardly notice when I watch the video. Fair, Ronnie, and I went to TWS yesterday. I'm sure it would have been even worse there as fast as it is.
          Brian Hanchey
          AST Suspension - USA

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          • #6
            Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

            http://vorshlag.smugmug.com/gallery/...688_9eK4d-A-LB
            Brian Hanchey
            AST Suspension - USA

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

              What are you guys using to process your files off of the Aiptek??? I have an older version of Adobe Premiere Pro and it doesn't seem to want to import H.264 quicktime files.
              Thomas
              AST '04 S2000 (STR)
              '04 R32 with AST 4100s

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                Originally posted by Miatamoto
                What are you guys using to process your files off of the Aiptek??? I have an older version of Adobe Premiere Pro and it doesn't seem to want to import H.264 quicktime files.
                Apple MovieHD
                Brian Hanchey
                AST Suspension - USA

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                  Here's some unique in-car video from an RC car... with a camera you can pan using your head and see real time thru some vid screen goggles. Wild!

                  http://www.red5.co.uk/VTS-Camera-Car...on-pr-536.html

                  <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fbngw8q8JLc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fbngw8q8JLc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

                  Is that cool or what???
                  Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                  2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                  EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                    I gotta have that!
                    Brian Hanchey
                    AST Suspension - USA

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                      That head sensor/panning camera action could be put to use for full sized car in-car video... gotta get that!
                      Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                      2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                      EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                        I didn't have any software to process the video but here's the footage from the Grayson event. The lack of stabilization and the fact that my computer can't handle the HD is making me think I should return it.

                        run 7
                        Thomas
                        AST '04 S2000 (STR)
                        '04 R32 with AST 4100s

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                          Originally posted by Miatamoto
                          I didn't have any software to process the video but here's the footage from the Grayson event. The lack of stabilization and the fact that my computer can't handle the HD is making me think I should return it.

                          run 7
                          Wow... that site is such a mess. Glad we didn't go to Greyson. I went to one event there, walked the course, and left. I don't think I'll ever find the need to enter an event at that site until they can get the "lawn mowers" out before each run.

                          And the layout of the site limits course design to "slalom, offset, slalom, mini straight, slalom, 180° turn around, slalom, offset, slalom, mini straight, slalom, finish!"

                          Anyway, the video. Yea, the lack of image stabilization is a big detrement. But its a $129 HD vidcam, what do you expect? The audio blips and chirps were odd.. what was that? I noticed some noise on Amy's in-car runs as well (the Alpha car makes nice loud engine noises that cover this up).
                          Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                          2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                          EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: In-Car Video - Post your links and tech here

                            There wasn't really a grass problem this year. The bump obviously was a little silly. I don't think it's worth running over the bump just to get down to a concrete turn around.

                            Overall, the site seemed ok to me other than the asphalt patches peeling up in a couple of spots (but I didn't notice any problems during my runs).

                            I think runway courses have their place and I'm a big fan of high speed offsets and slaloms. With a more open course design, this course would have been killer IMO. Think protested national course at Ft. Myers 2 years ago (75 MPH offsets, I was there in STU).

                            I'm not sure where the popping noise is coming from on the recording, but the gain on the mic is definitely up a little high. Supposedly there are some firmware updates to turn in down, but I think I'm just going to return it and get something different.


                            Originally posted by Fair!
                            Wow... that site is such a mess. Glad we didn't go to Greyson. I went to one event there, walked the course, and left. I don't think I'll ever find the need to enter an event at that site until they can get the "lawn mowers" out before each run.

                            And the layout of the site limits course design to "slalom, offset, slalom, mini straight, slalom, 180° turn around, slalom, offset, slalom, mini straight, slalom, finish!"

                            Anyway, the video. Yea, the lack of image stabilization is a big detrement. But its a $129 HD vidcam, what do you expect? The audio blips and chirps were odd.. what was that? I noticed some noise on Amy's in-car runs as well (the Alpha car makes nice loud engine noises that cover this up).
                            Thomas
                            AST '04 S2000 (STR)
                            '04 R32 with AST 4100s

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Z4 V8 M Coupe at the Ring Vid.

                              Z4 V8 M Coupe at the Ring: In-car Video

                              http://www.vimeo.com/1050350

                              In the words of our esteemed president... "That was AWESOME, Pope!"

                              BMW + V8 FTW!
                              Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                              2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                              EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

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