Looking for a hard drive camcorder that has an AV input jack for a lipstick camera
12-31-2007, 10:29 AM
#16
Three Wheelin'
Mark, I think TD started with a harddrive and quickly gave up on it for the reasons stated herein. I don't know if it went with the car, but he had a very elaborate system with a splitter and a lipstick cam to see hands and feet as well as the track. You should check in with him.
12-31-2007, 10:36 AM
#17
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Guys, thanks for all of the terrific input. I am resigning myself to the fact that I will just have to drop the $600 for a new general-use/work camcorder, and then get a specific race camera. Dammit. Looks like I'll be trying to snag one today so I can get the expense in for 2007 taxes.
Thanks, Bob. I'll google Archos and see what they offer.
Hey, Charlie,
I'm not sure what AVCHD means, so I'll have to do some research. Let us know how it works. Sebring will be a great test, especially T17.
Cool, Bob. You should have let me return it. I've encountered similar issues with the sales people at Best Buy and CompUSA and was extremely persistent in getting the store managers to allow me to return the items for store credits.
No tasers were used for these returns.
Maybe this is the best fall-back position to take, Manny. Even though I only do five or six races a year, I'm growing more opposed to storing hard-to-access tapes. I just bought a 500GB Western Digital external hard drive for $169; that is some damn cheap storage for my laptop.
Mark, I have an Archos hard drive that has worked just fine for 3 years. The key was mounting it in the glovebox on the lid. When you close the glove box, the unit sits in a nearly vertical position minimizing direct vibration to the drive. Holds an entire season and can record widescreen.
I'm not sure what AVCHD means, so I'll have to do some research. Let us know how it works. Sebring will be a great test, especially T17.
Mark, given my experience with hard drive recorders, I would not even try it. I received one as a gift and tried many different ways to use it. None worked when recording to the hard drive in the car. Best Buy refused to allow a return/exchange because the 14 day period to do so had expired, even though the sales person sold the unit to the person buying it for me as the "perfect camera for that application" when she told him what the only use would be. I can use it with SD cards, but it has no AV input capability. One of these days I will get a ChaseCam set up.
No tasers were used for these returns.
Yup, mini-dv tapes. I don't keep very many tapes, so having them accumulate isn't a problem. I mount it directly to the rollbar. Very little to no shaking on the video. I'm sure the camcorder itself is getting vibrated a bit, but the stabilization seems to do the trick.
12-31-2007, 02:58 PM
#19
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Mark: Yes, the PDR with camera is $875. My point was that if you buy a good quality camcorder for $500 and then add $275 for a good quality (520 line) bullet camera, it's nearly the same price. While the videos that get posted to the internet are usually very compressed (like 320 x 240), the ChaseCam at high resolution records at 720 X 480 and looks great on a television (DVD quality). Recording at this resolution using MPEG2 takes about 4 Gb per hour of video using a CF card at 80x or better speed.
12-31-2007, 06:33 PM
#21
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Cool, Bob. You should have let me return it. I've encountered similar issues with the sales people at Best Buy and CompUSA and was extremely persistent in getting the store managers to allow me to return the items for store credits.
No tasers were used for these returns.
..........
Good luck with your purchase!
12-31-2007, 07:24 PM
#22
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Thanks, Bob.
I just pulled the trigger on the Sony HDR-CX7 camcorder at Best Buy. I bought three batteries, two 8 GB cards and the four year, drop-it warranty for $1,700.00. I may change my mind and return it all, unopened, of course, but at least I have the expense as a 2007 write-off for the business.
I was going to get two cameras, one for home/business in the $600 range and the other for the track ($900?), but I'd really prefer to have just one camera, one type of battery, one charger and one piece of software to deal with.
I just pulled the trigger on the Sony HDR-CX7 camcorder at Best Buy. I bought three batteries, two 8 GB cards and the four year, drop-it warranty for $1,700.00. I may change my mind and return it all, unopened, of course, but at least I have the expense as a 2007 write-off for the business.
I was going to get two cameras, one for home/business in the $600 range and the other for the track ($900?), but I'd really prefer to have just one camera, one type of battery, one charger and one piece of software to deal with.
12-31-2007, 07:32 PM
#23
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Mark: Keep us up to date on how well it works next year. While the ChaseCam is nice, as pointed out by others, it doesn't do HD. Does the SONY have an external input for a bullet camera or audio? FWIW, I find one other use of the ChaseCam is to function as "helmet cam" when mountain biking. Great fun after a day of riding to have a few beers and watch the ride again, especially the crashes.
12-31-2007, 08:20 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
Mark, you can easily append another camera into the video using a video editor such as the Sony Vegas Studio. It's pita to learn, but does pretty much everything you want. Just set a mark with a hand signal at the beginning of the clip and you can easily link the two together.
12-31-2007, 08:42 PM
#27
Rennlist Member
Mark - The other thing besides the wide angle lens you might want to get is this...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ter_Cable.html
It allows external mics to be used. I have the lens, but haven't ordered/tried this yet. But this should eliminate the wind noise.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ter_Cable.html
It allows external mics to be used. I have the lens, but haven't ordered/tried this yet. But this should eliminate the wind noise.
12-31-2007, 08:52 PM
#28
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Thanks, Bob.
I just pulled the trigger on the Sony HDR-CX7 camcorder at Best Buy. I bought three batteries, two 8 GB cards and the four year, drop-it warranty for $1,700.00. I may change my mind and return it all, unopened, of course, but at least I have the expense as a 2007 write-off for the business.
I was going to get two cameras, one for home/business in the $600 range and the other for the track ($900?), but I'd really prefer to have just one camera, one type of battery, one charger and one piece of software to deal with.
I just pulled the trigger on the Sony HDR-CX7 camcorder at Best Buy. I bought three batteries, two 8 GB cards and the four year, drop-it warranty for $1,700.00. I may change my mind and return it all, unopened, of course, but at least I have the expense as a 2007 write-off for the business.
I was going to get two cameras, one for home/business in the $600 range and the other for the track ($900?), but I'd really prefer to have just one camera, one type of battery, one charger and one piece of software to deal with.
12-31-2007, 09:08 PM
#29
Mark - The other thing besides the wide angle lens you might want to get is this...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ter_Cable.html
It allows external mics to be used. I have the lens, but haven't ordered/tried this yet. But this should eliminate the wind noise.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ter_Cable.html
It allows external mics to be used. I have the lens, but haven't ordered/tried this yet. But this should eliminate the wind noise.
We're preparing the next update to TrackVision 2.0, which will support AVCHD unless we strike an unexpected problem. Intial signs are good.
