[wiseman]

I'd like to buy an incar camera that bolts to the roll bar for Autocropss and DE recording. Looks like the GOPRO Hero camera is built specifically to do that but it would be great to have a camera that you could use free hand also.
Any other suggestions?

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[flash]

you can get just about any camera to work with a mount, since you have the brace in the back

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[Cloud9...68]

A couple of months ago, Car & Driver tested several video cameras, and selected one as a clear winner, if I recall correctly. I'll se if I can find a copy of the magazine and let you know which one they picked. But Flash is right; any decent camera should work fine, once you get a mount for it.

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[wiseman]

What I have heard is that some camera's don't handle the vibration well and have a problem with focus. Also, the sound can be a bit "windy" with the top down. Use on my motorcycle would be great also for trips to the mountains.

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[flash]

if audio is a concern, then get a camera with external mic input - then you can put the mic out of the wind path

as for vibration, most cameras now have "steady-cam" features that handle most of that - you do need to make sure the mount on the camera is solid, and weight centered - sony made some small cameras that were NOT good at that

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[Renalicious]

On camera image stabilization will only really go so far unless the camera is solidly mounted and the mounting point doesn't vibrate either. There are some excellent free stabilization solutions available (VirtualDub + DeShaker 2.4). Generally, the faster the shutter speed the cleaner the end result will be because of lack of in-frame blur.. but that also tends to make things look less natural because of the lack of blur. Experimentation is required for best results with your setup [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

I've known cameras with hard drives to stop record because of too much vibration, that was a few years ago, but it's worth noting.
Saddly you'd be hard pressed to find a lower end camera that has external mic hookups, so if you don't mind playing around with syncing up your video to an audio track from an external source (like Flash mentioned) then this shouldn't be a problem. For the most part the audio will sound the same from one camera model to the next (using internal mics).

I myself have a Sanyo FH1 camcorder, it was cheap-ish, it's small and light, and it can record in a lot of different formats (which was the key selling point for me).
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V758DDTI <-- Here is a (boring) in camera clip I took last month of a drive home; camera was sitting on a tripod buckled into the passenger seat (hehe, really [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]. First half is with the windows down, then I roll them up. I'm driving about 80-90kph, and didn't use any image stabilization.

Check out a site like www.camcorderinfo.com and compare different models, but remember that just because something is rated high and costs a lot, doesn't mean it'll be what you're looking for [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

Also keep in mind that these days you can also get an SLR camera that will take videos too. Panasonic GF1 and G2, Olympus E-PL1 and E-P1, Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5, Samsung NX10, and even the Canon 5D Mark 2 if you're feeling rich [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img] Don't know if I'd personally recommend such an investment, but the option is there [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Needless to say there are a lot of options

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[pmcrespo]

A LOT of racers use the Action-HD GVS - 1080P HD Camcorder w/ 5x Optical Zoom & Gyroscopic Stabilization. Full HD at 30fps or 720HD at 60 fps. Under $200. Get an external mic (in-camera sucks). And depending on where you place it, get the Sunpak wide lens conversion ($29). get a 4 or 8 gig card and you are good to go all day for at least 4 sessions.

Not munch out there that can beat this setup at even twice or more the $$$.

Go Pro is less video quality but more flexibility as you can suction suck it (easy there flash...) anywhere...

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[wiseman]

<b> LOT of racers use the Action-HD GVS - 1080P HD Camcorder w/ 5x Optical Zoom & Gyroscopic Stabilization. Full HD at 30fps or 720HD at 60 fps. Under $200. Get an external mic (in-camera sucks). And depending on where you place it, get the Sunpak wide lens conversion ($29). get a 4 or 8 gig card and you are good to go all day for at least 4 sessions.</b><i></i>

Thanks Crespo....................thats the info I was looking for.

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[wiseman]

Just ordered everything on line thru Amazon. $156 for the camera, spare battery, 8Gig card, Sunpak wide lens, cigarette charger.............all shipped for about $225.

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[968Oz]

That's an incredible price. How are people mounting these in car?

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[wiseman]

I haven't bought one yet but when you google camera racing brackets or on Ebay.......a buttload come up..........take your hoice. I have Flash's Chassis Brace (rollbar) so it will mount right between the seats. Or you can buy a suction cup mount for the windsheild and mount it there outside the car. It won't fall off.

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[flash]

one of the reasons i chose 1.5" tubing was the abundance of brackets and clamps for that size

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[pmcrespo]

try to find a mount with a damper to isolate the vibration... especially if you are running hard motor mounts, stiff springs, etc. I/O has a functionally great mount but it is big, bulky, and ugly....

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[Willem968RS]

I have the Gopro, which is great if you want to mount it outside the car. I like to mount it in the car behind me to see the action on track and what I am doing. With this camera that is not an option because the backlight will blind the lens so you can see what you are doing but not the track!

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