Phokaioglaukos

The Aiptek outputs a MOV format file, right? What are you using to edit it in the computer? Does Vegas do MOV?

Mark in Baltimore

Does anyone have any experience with the JVC Everio GZ-HD7? It's a hybrid camcorder (can record onto SD and SDHC memory cards) that, according to a JVC customer support person, uses a similar hard drive to the non-high defintion camcorders that Bob and Tom have, except the hard drive is much bigger at 60GB. Because it uses a hard drive that Bob and Tom have had luck with in a track environment, it should not have any shutdown issues if one records to the SDHC card.

The Sony is a damn nice camera, but the JVC seems to be, too, and because it has a great manual focus ring (I use manual focus on autofocus cameras fairly frequently), it's been getting my attention. One of the downsides to the JVC is that the OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) is not that good at 10X or greater, but that should not be an issue in a car since the lens will be zoomed out to the widest angle. At least, that's what I'm hypothesizing

http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp...Id=141&page=10

mglobe

Three things I can recommend to you wrt the audio. First of all, go to the Aiptek support site, tell them you're having problems with sound, & ask them for the latest firmware (V2.0 I think). It improves the sound. Secondly, you can slide the cover off the microphone & speaker easily (just push it & it will come right off). Take it off, & put some sort of sound deadening material in there. I used small pieces of felt. Finally, I placed a piece of masking tape over that same cover over the microphone & speaker. With all of those fixes in place, the wind noise you get when driving is diminished to the point where it is bearable.

GT3CAR

I couple of more data points on the Aiptek. After reading this thread I went to Target today and picked on up. The A-HD 720P was on sale for $119.00. The box reads as follows:
HD Quality Video 1280 x 720 @ 30 FPS
8 megapixel Max photo resolution
Supports SD card up to 32GB SDHC
Night Shot for picture capture in low light
Includes: Strap, Lens Cap, USB Cable, AC Adapter, AV Cable, Compenent Cable, Li-ION Battery, Manual, CD
In HD mode it says it will record 240 minutes on a 8 GB card.
4x digital zoom

I needed a better camera for the car. I tried to get away with a cheap sony 8MM system and the camera was a cheap piece of crap (my fault for buying it). Hopefully, this will be better. I do not know much about video and photography. I am one of those customers who takes it home and plugs it in and does not appreciate all the functionality or technology that is in place.

Just another data point....

I will be trying it out this weekend at Homestead.

Lindsey

mglobe

By request, I've taken a still shot with the Aiptek A-HD camera from the approximate location it would be placed if mounted to a cage/bar. The camera was 48" (+/- an inch or so) from the windshield in my 997S. This should give you an idea of the field of vision you get from the camera.

To answer another question I received, you can not use an external microphone on this camera unless you are also using an external video input as well and using the Aiptek as purely a recorder. If you plug a microphone into the camera, it assumes that video input is also coming in from the AV input, and you get not video. I have tried this.

Hope that helps folks out a bit.

APKhaos

Hey Mike,
Is that still image taken from a video clip, or is it a still pic taken with the camera?
Asking because the aspect ratio is all wrong given we know the Aiptek produces 16:9 video frame size [shown in the test clip I posted earlier in this thread].

mglobe

Still image taken in photo mode. Good catch, I didn't think of that.

IPSC

THANK YOU ! ! ! That is what I needed to know. With the added width in 16.9 that ought to be about right.

IPSC

Rob S

For those interested in improving the sound on the Aiptek camcorder, here are a couple of threads that discuss various mods, including how to add an external microphone:

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/fo...14&forum_id=92

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/fo...62&forum_id=92

mglobe

Here is some video I shot at the track with the Aiptek A-HD camera this weekend. I have done some minor modifications to the camera to improve sound. Specifically, I've placed some felt under the microphone cover, and some masking tape on top of it to help deaden the wind noise. It helps quite a bit. The camera was mounted at the very lowest point on my rear window using a Woods suction mount. I zoomed in a bit to fill the screen with more track and less of the back of my seats. The video was converted to .avi with Quicktime Pro, then edited with Final Cut, and finally uploaded to Vimeo, which apparently does some downscaling. I'm going to try to figure out how to get Vimeo to display full HD.

http://www.vimeo.com/611741


Before you ask, I was running on a cold track & cold tires, & failed to take that into account on my entry speed. Stupid move. Once I got into turn one, I realized I wasn't going to make it, and decided to just drive off. You can see my hands turn to the right just as/before we go off. So at least I made a graceful exit.

Rob S

Mike,

Any chance you could post a clip without the background music? I'm most interested in the raw sound quality, and the music is drowning that out. Also, which windows did you have open? And was this the standard lens or a wide angle lens?

Thanks for your help.

Rob

mglobe

Standard lens, both windows open. I'll have render another version without the music. I would consider the sound tolerable, but certainly not great. That's why I put the music on there (in addition to accentuating my droving off the track). It will take a day or two, but I'll get a low res one there for you with no music. I'll have one in true HD with music tomorrow morning. It's uploading right now.

IPSC

Nice, can't wait to see it.

IPSC

mglobe

Ok guys, here is the HD version. I still suspect vimeo is doing some compression. It looks more pixelated than I had hoped, but still not bad from a $120 camera I think.

http://www.vimeo.com/611950

mglobe

OK, one more version. By request, an HD version without the music so you can hear what the sound "quality" is like. Not great, but not too bad as far as I'm concerned. I used a different setting on Final Cut to output this file.

http://www.vimeo.com/613813

It would be nice if we had a way to embed vimeo videos like we can for youtube.