Bullet cam or incar camcorder setups

[ajg31]

Do any of you on here use such setups? Thinking of getting either an archos 30gig HDD MP4 player and a 480 sony bullet cam, or a 30gig HDD sony camcorder with windscreen/rollcage mount. I know a HDD is not good enough for track use, but is it okay for road use
Thanks, Ad

[alex s]

I wouldn't use a HDD cam, they seem to shut down to save themselves in a Noble.
I have a couple of these.

http://www.jessops.com/Store/s49023/1-170-171/Home...

Cheap, light, easy to upload vids to pc/lappy. No issues with vibration.
They are doing a waterproof one now as well.

spend a few more £'s and you get the HD version.(linked on the above web page)

With SD cards so cheap now, think they are a good cheap solution.

HTH

Alex

Edited by alex s on Friday 3rd August 15:49

[ajg31]

Thanks for that Alex. TBH for 200 quid i would prob go the bullet cam route. Have you any footage to show the quality these cams can do? Edited to say i Youtubed the model and the quality looks pretty damn good. Also do you have a custom mount for the car? Of is there a 1/4 threaded hole in the bottom of it?

Edited by ajg31 on Friday 3rd August 18:25

Edited by ajg31 on Friday 3rd August 18:41

[mgbond]

ajg31 said:

Thanks for that Alex. TBH for 200 quid i would prob go the bullet cam route. Have you any footage to show the quality these cams can do? Edited to say i Youtubed the model and the quality looks pretty damn good. Also do you have a custom mount for the car? Of is there a 1/4 threaded hole in the bottom of it?

Edited by ajg31 on Friday 3rd August 18:25

Edited by ajg31 on Friday 3rd August 18:41

I brought a cheap dv camcorder from ebay and brought a dogcam (520 line). I made a camera mount for the noble to hold a front facing camera and the camera that the bullet cam connected to.

Example here http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i20

Mount: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i20

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i20

Daddysumo has an archos AV500 with the bullet cam. this is the way I may go in the future.

The Harddrive cameras do not work, as soon as you break a internal sensor shuts the hard drive down so the head doesn't damage the disk.

I'm thinking of puuting some bulk head connectors in the wall behind the drivers seat so I can hard wire the bullet cam in the back grill and the I just have to connect the camera inside the car.

Bondy

[ajg31]

Okay thanks. I liked the idea of the Archos 604 and a cam and mic. 30gig for recording, can be charged while in the car and i can use it for movies and music when on longhaul or hols I have found theat solid state camcorder for about 160 so thats tempting too

[mgbond]

[quote=ajg31]Okay thanks. I liked the idea of the Archos 604 and a cam and mic. 30gig for recording, can be charged while in the car and i can use it for movies and music when on longhaul or hols I have found theat solid state camcorder for about 160 so thats tempting too[/quote

If you use the archos bullet cam outside of the car then the mic will probably be no good, all your get is wind noise. The dogcam mic is on a separate lead so I have that in the car. However I use the other camera (forward facing) for my sound).

Bondy

[Mr Noble]

http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/?gclid=CLfz87nW240C...


Check out this place.

The archos wired cams or the samsung miniket 220 is the way I would go.

Cheap, simple and essy.

HTH
G

[Mr Noble]

http://www.samsung.com/he/products/camcorder/minik...

This one inparticular I'd go for. (in fact I think I will once I've sold my current cam on ebay)

G

[paulcundy]

Dear All,
These guys seem to know what they are doing. They highly recomend thisunit;

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/me1-digital-bullet-ca...

I'd be interested in your views on whether this is a better bet than the Chase Cam unit.

Regards
Paul C

[ajg31]

Archos own camera is supposed to be really poor quality. I was thinking of using a bullet cam from someone else and an archos 604 (or new 605) with travel adapter. cheapest setup works out to about 275 and should give good quality. Like the little sammy though. @ paul, that unit looks great but about double what i could justify

Edited by ajg31 on Sunday 5th August 12:41

Edited by ajg31 on Sunday 5th August 12:44

[m12_nathan]

So you can't use a HDD camcorder but choose to use another HDD device instead?

DV tapes are the way to go, much easier to edit that the compressed formats too.

[ajg31]

Read a few reports that have said so long as the Archos is put onto a seat or put on top of a piece of foam then they dont skip. Only one way to find out Agree that DV tapes are probably the best option and will definately not skip

[paulcundy]

ajg31 said:

Read a few reports that have said so long as the Archos is put onto a seat or put on top of a piece of foam then they dont skip. Only one way to find out Agree that DV tapes are probably the best option and will definately not skip

DV are rubbish! See my Youtube posts - terminated because the DV closed down over the rumble strips - they will and do skip. Same goes for HDD. The only way is solid state.
Regards
Paul C

[peterguk]

I'm totally happy with my HC96E DV. I use two 520 line cameras with a PiP unit.

I think the SS units have a little way to go yet in terms of processing power with all that compression but they will get there and be the perfect answer.

[RobM77]

www.fastfilms.co.uk Good advice and good service.

I've just bought a bullet cam from them to plug into a camcorder. Beware though, most current model camcorders don't have AV-in capability. I've picked up one of the last of the boxed stock of an outgoing Sony model that does have an AV-in.

[ajg31]

Know the guy who runs that company. Used to be a Fiat Coupe owner and filmed the Furball 5000 this and last year. Think the cam prices are good but the other stuff can be got cheaper. Emailed him about two months ago and never got a reply.