f4 plt

I have not done video in the car for awhile so therefore the question what camera are most used today. I have an original GoPro and a Go Pro 3 which I know are old compared to what is out there today. Looking for one for the car for drives track etc. I want it portable not hard wired so I can move it around
Thanks

Mussl Kar

Garmin VIRB Ultra 30. Love it and easier to use than Go Pro. Easier to turn on without changing settings. Built in GPS for speed, track map driving line, altitude, g forces in any direction and more. Put what ever you want right on the video.

GiuseppeM

redyps

I use 4 GoPro Hero 3+ Black edition cameras that are all controlled with a single wi-fi remote. Out of all the models I still love these the most.
1) The front camera attaches to the the folding tow hook from Rennline.
2) The interior camera facing forward is to the right of the driver's shoulder with a suction cup to the back of the seat.
3) Another interior camera faces the driver with a suction cup to the inside of the windshield next to the passenger A-pillar.
4) The rear camera with a suction cup to the rear bumper just below the model designation has an external stereo mic that I clip to the license plate frame.
Basic functions:
Each camera has the battery backpack and easily lasts the entire track day.
You power on the cameras, turn on the wi-fi for each, turn on the remote and it detects the cameras.
While the car is sitting, just use the remote and turn-off all the cameras. They go into a 'standby' mode.
When you are ready to record, just turn the remote on. You hear all the beeps for the cameras turning on. The remote tells shows 4 cameras.
For the cameras you can see, the red lights on their faces will flash red. Press the record button and off you go.
When you are ready to stop recording, just hit the stop button on the remote.
Then turn the remote off and the cameras will go back into standby mode which is indicated by a periodic blue light flashing on their face waiting for a wi-fi signal to power up.
Speed, RPM, etc.
I also connect a Solo DL to the ODBII port to capture all the ECU data.
Here is a recent example of what you can do with a program like RaceRender 3,

No affiliation to any of the above.
Note - in the video below the camera to the right of me was positioned too low and has been remedied.

FastLaneTurbo

Been using a GoPro Camera for several years - never had an overheating problem with it.
Have also been using DashCams for past year. Dash Cams record in discreet segments ranging from several seconds to a few minutes per recording.
My Garmin 45 Dashcam records each segment for a MAXIMUM of 60 seconds making it, IMHO, totally unsuitable for typical 20-30 minute HPDE Track Sessions,
Any action continuing beyond the discreet short DashCam segments would require extensive editing and splicing.

redyps

Agreed, no over heating. Been using them for years.

GiuseppeM

When mounted inside the car (no air flow) and shooting at 4K they would shut down after 20 mins, it was mostly due to the batteries overheating so running them on USB cable would help a bit but they'd still shut down after 30-40 mins.

If you look it up on Google it's a well known issue.

Wild Weasel

Hey man! I just got mine last weekend and I have to say... if you haven't paired yours to an OBD2 dongle yet then you're seriously missing out.

Reading your list of metrics suggests that you haven't. Once you do, you'll also get all the vehicle data like RPM, throttle and brake position, vehicle speed (from car, not GPS), etc.

1963SWC

If possible, please post exactly which OBD2 dongle you are using; searching the topic brings up lots of stories about ones that didn't function well -- I'd rather know the one that does.
Thanks, CP

Wild Weasel

I'm going to be useless to you on that one. I bought mine used and the guy I bought it from provided the dongle with it.

I'll have a look and see if there's any identifying markings on it.

A/S

I did a lot of testing for months borrowing cameras from friends for my events, and one camera came up to as the clear winner.

Gamin VIRB Ultra 30.

All these cameras have a deficiency with batteries. GoPro has now switched to a new video format that only late O/S Windows systems can edit with their GoPro software, and trying to edit with other editor is nearly impossible.

I added an accessory that connects to the camera and provides 4 connectors: audio-in, audio-out, mini-usb extension and video-out. From this connector I run a mini-usb cable to a battery pack the equivalent to 20 Garmin batteries, and the audio-in is connected to an Olympus stereo mic.

I can mount the camera in or out as the lens is protected, sound quality is as good as the mic, video quality is awesome.

I need to experiment as I supposedly can connect the VBox and the MXLink ODB2, and have accelerometer info plus GPS from the 20Hz Vbox, as well as car info: oil, rpm, tps, brakes. If this works, that'll be awesome.

aalencar

Have you guys had any problems with gopro outside with the suction cup? Supposed to be fine but just the idea of that thing flying away scares the hell out of me....

robmypro

Sony FDR X3000. Thank me later.

Wild Weasel

I got that thing with it too. And now... thanks to you... I know what those other two connectors are. The guy I bought it from just said "you don't use those two". I mean... he's right... I won't... but at least now I know what they are.

He also gave me an external mic which I may try out if I use that connector thing. The sound right now is better than my dashcam but still has lots of wind noise. I think if I shove the mic under the seat or something it might be better. First I need to cut a hole in the case though so I can plug that thing in while it's mounted in the car. Or spend like $60 on the open frame case that has no business being more than $10.

I can only suggest that you make sure both surfaces are clean and wet the suction cup before attaching it. I got the suction cup mount with the camera (man... I got a lot of stuff with it... HUGE thanks to the seller!) and in the first two sessions I tried to use it the cup came loose. It didn't fall off, but it would have soon after I'm sure. It loosened so the mount could bounce around. I figured that if everything was nice and clean it would seal just fine because of the softness of the plastic suction cup and didn't want to leave a slobbery circle behind later. I was wrong. Definitely wet it first.

Akunob

I use a GoPro Hero 3+, center mounted on RAM mounts between the seats on the half-cage. Easily movable (so long as you have the appropriate mounting hardware to reposition the cam anywhere in/around the car such as suction cup mounts etc.) The GoPro has never overheated (powered via a charging cable in the cigarette lighter plug). Additional vehicle info is sourced via OBDII Bluetooth dongle (GoPoint BT1A) captured using the Track Addict app and merged in Race Render. It’s a simple solution that is flexible and provides great track video footage