How to film driving?

[Acheron]

Long story short, i want a way of filimg my forward motion when driving.

However, i want something that can be read by a normal computer, can run for a few hours and isnt expensive and can be dash mounted or window mounted.

Any ideas or suggestions for products? I know you can get Sony bullet cams like they use on several shows like top gear, but they are incredibly expensive.

I just want something simple, cheap but with a good quality in both night and day and long record time, but something that isnt too big.

If any of this makes sense

[christofmccracke]

Im tempted too as the state of driving is shocking now and have had so many near misses

[eybic]

Define "incredibly expensive" I got a bullet cam a couple of yrs ago with memory card and everything needed for less than £200

[stinkysteve]

With a mobile phone and one hand?

[rottie102]

Have you heard of ebay?

I just bought one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

[Wing Commander]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I am tempted by one/a set of these

[mikezs]

The £10 "808-clone" car fob video cameras are pretty amazing, there's a thread about them on here and you can just duct-tape them to your dash.

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

[944fan]

Sony Handycam and some blue tack

HTH

[Acheron]

I was looking at this;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Its the more up to date one than their previous one, which would still for 2 seconds every 5 minutes, as it wrote to the sd card. I dont *think* this one has the flaw.

Edited by Acheron on Wednesday 15th December 17:07

[RobM77]

Try www.dogcamsport.co.uk They do plenty of systems you can set up yourself, and also a constantly running system that they fit discretely into your car, and then if you have an accident and want evidence of what happened you just pop the card out and can view the last hour's driving. I haven't used the integrated system, but it sounds fantastic.

I had an accident that wasn't my fault eight years ago, where this camera would have been very useful indeed. I was droving down a dead straight roman road a lady reading a map lost control and swerved into the queue of slow moving traffic I was in, hitting my driver's door and punting me in a ditch. The lady claimed I'd come round a corner (?) lost control at high speed, and slid across the road into her car. I was standing to lose all my no claims bonus, and any chance of insuring a nice car. The only thing that prevented this was a witness statement, which the insurance company hadn't even bothered to read. I was so lucky. A camera unit would have removed the need for luck...

The other use of the integrated system is to keep an eye on how garages are treating your car. For example, one guy on PH caught a garage thrashing his VXR8 down a dual carriageway using one. I hate leaving my P&J with a garage, and this system would give me a great deal of peace of mind.

[cake eater]

Have a look at the range of options here:
http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/

I have the go pro, have used it 'incar' and on motorbike and have to say it was very good, HD much better than the standard version but a little bulkier and heavier. The range of mounting options are also very good.

If you do want to get fancy and want to blow a grand:
http://smartycam.co.uk/index_eng.htm

[Shmee]

GoPro

Then you get video like this in my Vantage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjqi91SOYV8

Awesome

[rottie102]

Acheron said:

I was looking at this;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Its the more up to date one than their previous one, which would still for 2 seconds every 5 minutes, as it wrote to the sd card. I dont *think* this one has the flaw.

Edited by Acheron on Wednesday 15th December 17:07

But it doesn't start automatically and it doesn't offer continuous recording, that was essential for me.

[Efbe]

mikezs said:

The £10 "808-clone" car fob video cameras are pretty amazing, there's a thread about them on here and you can just duct-tape them to your dash.

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

wow, the quality of those is amazing!

looking at the end of the thread theres one for £6.24...



... bought :P

[Daniel1]

Shmee said:

GoPro

Then you get video like this in my Vantage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjqi91SOYV8

Awesome

+1 really good

OP: want do you want to use it for? Documentary evidence incase of an accident or simply recording some hooing?

[Acheron]

Daniel1 said:

Shmee said:

GoPro

Then you get video like this in my Vantage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjqi91SOYV8

Awesome

+1 really good

OP: want do you want to use it for? Documentary evidence incase of an accident or simply recording some hooing?

Bit of both to be honest...

[Matt UK]

I bought a bullet cam for track day etc. Came with plenty of various clips and clamps for mounting (oo-er).

If it's the sort of thing you are after, I'll dig out the details.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6JCR2IKZ-M

[Acheron]

mikezs said:

The £10 "808-clone" car fob video cameras are pretty amazing, there's a thread about them on here and you can just duct-tape them to your dash.

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

You got one?

Are they like this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KEY-CHAIN-CAM-CAMERA-VIDEO-A...

[Jakg]

Acheron said:

I was looking at this;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Its the more up to date one than their previous one, which would still for 2 seconds every 5 minutes, as it wrote to the sd card. I dont *think* this one has the flaw.

Edited by Acheron on Wednesday 15th December 17:07

I have (well - had) one, brilliant bit of kit!

I say had as whenever the car got hot (i.e. parked up in the sun) the memory card would corrupt, and so it would stop recording. I eventually sent it back, and the seller was really good (he said he'd sent another one out, even though mine hadn't arrived). It's been months, it's not here, and he's not replying to my emails... helpful!

rottie102 said:

Acheron said:

I was looking at this;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Its the more up to date one than their previous one, which would still for 2 seconds every 5 minutes, as it wrote to the sd card. I dont *think* this one has the flaw.

Edited by Acheron on Wednesday 15th December 17:07

But it doesn't start automatically and it doesn't offer continuous recording, that was essential for me.

Actually YES IT DOES! If you plug it into a switched live source (i.e. cigarette lighter) it will turn on and record when theres power, and will automatically stop and turn off when there isn't. And it does continues recording (5 min chunks, ~1 seconds write time inbetween on a class 6 card, will delete old footage when full).

Heres what I bought to replace it - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?&... - wanted a different model, hoping this one is automated as well, otherwise I'll have to send it back.

EDIT - if its that Chinese one you want, I can dig some videos out tomorrow - heres one from ages ago - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjT9quQbg9g - but YouTube RAPES the quality (and the mount was a bit dodgy then). I have a lot better ones on my PC...

Edited by Jakg on Wednesday 15th December 22:32

[mikezs]

Acheron said:

mikezs said:

The £10 "808-clone" car fob video cameras are pretty amazing, there's a thread about them on here and you can just duct-tape them to your dash.

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

You got one?

Are they like this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KEY-CHAIN-CAM-CAMERA-VIDEO-A...

Yep, got an 8GB micro SD card for £10 (second hand) and I duct tape it to the back of my bike. Can get a video on youtube tonight if you need (more) examples of it working.

Battery might be on the small side for you. I've had about 2 hours out of it before.