Go Pro Cameras

[omsracer]

After a really thrilling race last Sunday I wished I had a camera on board to show others just how much fun close racing is. The Go Pro seems to be the one to have but there are so many models. Does any one have a recommendation as to which model to get.

Thanks

Peter

[mwalters]

Yes...

Having had the more expensive ones I find the entry level Hero to be just the same quality, and also find that you dont really need all the fancy WIFI or screens etc. I just use mine, and watch later on my laptop. £100 from most places or slightly cheaper online I think?

Dont forget to get a good tether either, I lost mine at Snetterton on the main straight, although I was lucky enough that an honest (not implying they aren't normally) marshal returned it to race control having seen it fly off!

Regards,
Matt.

[andrewcliffe]

There are quite a number of Go-Pros or Go-Pro clones - the quality is good but my main criticism of Go-Pros is that the plastic case is quite brittle and also that the main problem is vibrations - not a problem for mountain bikers, skiers or snowboarders, but a real problem on cars, especially those with rigidly mounted engines.

On the F3 Cup cars that Tristan has been running, we've been using Replay XD cameras and we have 3D printed our own roll hoop camera mounts.

I have a Go-Pro I can loan out if you wanted to try it...

[stevenconnor]

Instead of branded GoPro cameras I am using these..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SJ4000-12MP-D ... 5673d95771

At under £30 you don’t feel so bad if they do fall off and I think they are better because they have the video screen on the back. They use the same mounts as the GoPro but the waterproof case is different (all in the £30)

The version with WiFi comes in £10 more but with the screen on the back I can’t see the need.

UK sources cost a bit more but arrive sooner!

[J Chapman]

I’ve been using a Contour Roam Action Cam for the past couple of years, although I seem to be the only person doing so. Follow the link to the amazon page.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ContourROAM2-Ha ... ntour+roam
I put in a bit of research as to the best camera at a sensible price and I think the Contour is a good shout. Its light, sleek, water proof (with no need for a case) and looks a whole lot better than the ‘go-pro’.

It shoots in HD, but I set up for 720p other-wise the file size takes up a massive amount of memory on the PC.

Plus points; there are separate mounts that glue onto the car. At first I was highly dubious, but later found that the sticky pads are so strong it’s actually really difficult to remove them. So best to buy as many as necessary fix them in various places around the car. Mine has never fallen off but there is also a loop that I use to wire lock the camera to the car just in case.

Fish eye lens capturers a wide angle without too much distortion.

There is a clever lens that rotates 180deg so even if you can’t fix the camera lever you can correct using the lens.
Negative Points; there is no way to check in real time what the camera ‘sees’ with your laptop, (even using the software) you have to actually shoot some footage then download it to check. Which makes initial siting of the camera a laborious process? However once the pads are sited it’s not a problem.