grantar2

So fairly regularly someone asks if a Go Pro will work on a track, and would it be any good. I autocross so mine hasn't seen the track yet, but I like it a lot. Well I was shooting the Long Beach Grand Prix I couldn't help noticing the number of cars equipped with Go Pro cameras. There were others such as Chase CAM, but tons of Go Pro's. Thought I would post some pics.

jcsperson

In that first photo, every car has the same camera in the same place in the same housing. I wonder if all those are rigged to some kind of microwave network to send live on-track video to the TV truck.

John Shiels

They use them now regularly in Hollywood movies. Now that they went to a simpler format as to reading the dam thing they are perfect. I wish I had them when I raced offshore boats for some wild footage.

2MCHPWR

my friend found his on the bottom of the ocean in bahamas, and it still worked. previous owner flipped catamaran.
SO i borrowed it:



and it worked great for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZFNW...&feature=g-upl

grantar2

Yes the cameras on the top of the car are for the series although not all of them are active at each race from what I understand. However the focus of the photo was the Go Pro looking through the Corvette's passenger side windshield.

grantar2

Sort of the Timex of camera's takes a licking and keeps on snapping.

Han Solo

Those are some great photos. I like this one best.

I have a couple of cannon 720IS point and shoot cameras that work pretty good. Not high def but they shoot clear 640x480 AVI format so it's easy to edit and plays in any player. Here is a pic-n-pic video I did with them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zuinl2fpkQ&feature=plcp Sun glaring off the concrete pretty bad but nothing you can do about that with any camera.

Ordered a couple of those 808 spy cameras to play with last week. Can't wait till they get here from Hong Kong. I ordered one standard def @ $7.19 and one high def @ $32 with the car charger option.

grantar2

I have a couple of cannon 720IS point and shoot cameras that work pretty good. Not high def but they shoot clear 640x480 AVI format so it's easy to edit and plays in any player. Here is a pic-n-pic video I did with them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zuinl2fpkQ&feature=plcp Sun glaring off the concrete pretty bad but nothing you can do about that with any camera.

Ordered a couple of those 808 spy cameras to play with last week. Can't wait till they get here from Hong Kong. I ordered one standard def @ $7.19 and one high def @ $32 with the car charger option.[/QUOTE]

Nice Run

Armycop

I run two mounted at various points on the car. Here's some video:

http://s646.photobucket.com/albums/uu184/Armycoptoo/

John Shiels

not a good spot if you want it to record an accident.


My case is now leaking

I found a place for the black clip if you lose one for three bucks. Mine cracked.

cadguymark

I've never understood the attraction to these cameras, if you want to shoot video of the guy you are chasing, to learn what he is doing, a great choice.

but if you want to know what you are doing, and how you could go faster, ... you'll have to check the vid of the guy chasing you.

MongoZ06

^ I think the attraction was due to marketing and Go Pro may have been the first to say "look at what our cameras can do" I know a lot of people that bought them and love using them. I talked to their people a couple of times at trade shows and they we nothing but d!cks towards me so I promised not to buy because of that. (Not knocking their product as I think it's great)

I ended up with a Contour HD and it gives me more versatility in mounting locations/options so I'm glad things worked out the way they did. (I do have a video just need to upload it, when I do I will edit this post to include the link)

sebdavid

In-car video with correct mounting and angle can be quite revealing of driving technique and line.

Han Solo

My next mission for autocross video is to mount a camera outside the car on both sides to see how close or far away I am getting to key cones. I have used my previous in car videos to study my hand positions and how I handle the steering wheel. I think it's a useful tool.

I also like the HPDE videos where I am passing all sorts of hypo cars in my 260 HP Mustang.

cadguymark

I didn't say it doesn't have any utility, I just think it is better for studying the guy in front of you, than your own ca.

he way 90% or more mount them, really isn't much more useful for your own driving other than "gee, isn't this cool"

a camera mounted on each side = I am assuming above cone height

grantar2

The key is to calculate your height when the car rolls and set your camera above that. I watched one set his above the cone height only to have it knock off when the car body rolled a little and suspension compressed.

Scooter70

So make friends with the guy behind you and get a copy of his video (or mount your camera on someone else's car and have them follow you). Armycop and I share videos a lot when we're at the track together.

Armycop

Yeppers, I've got quite the collection of Scooter in front of me!