on board cameras

[happy pilgrim]

anyone recommend a good set up for touring with. need camcorder with either large capacity memory? and bullet camera i think. although not to sure where and how to mount them? presumably camcorder goes in tank bag or top box and use a renote switch to switch on and off when you want to start filming???
help???????

 

[Farmer Palmer]

On Board Camera Mount!!

Hi Pilgrim!You need what I've got!! A steady camera mount!! responds remotely to voice prompts, zooms in or out and panns right or left aswell!! Sometimes puts up the tent and makes the tea, but also can cause interference by whining through the intercom!!

Actually I've been looking for a bike mount for a Sony HC22 that doesn't involve the pillion having to hold the camera over my shoulder all the time in the freezing cold!

Amazing how these little Camcorders produce such good quality film with very little vibration!

 

[MikeP]

Be wary of mounting a camera on the bike. The vibrations are likely to destroy the internals, there are a few accounts of this happening on this site.

 

[JDH]

Hi there, my recommendation would be the Bullet Cam route, linked to a Camcorder with AV in. RF Concepts do a very good selection, Kit 4 is the one I have, excellent. PM me if you want further info

John

 

[happy pilgrim]

uummmm. yes i thought perhaps locating camera would need careful thought, re:vibration /getting wet etc but thought that would be quite easy to overcome with foam or similar. more details really of suppliers and /or prices please?

 

[Den]

Try tis one.
http://www2.oregonscientific.com/shop/product.asp?cid=8&scid=86&pid=560

 

[Marks adventure]

Hi

Just orderd a DOGCAM from CLICK ON THIS LINKY THINGY

Not tried it yet but when i do i will let you know..

 

[Timolgra]

Hi there, my recommendation would be the Bullet Cam route, linked to a Camcorder with AV in. RF Concepts do a very good selection, Kit 4 is the one I have, excellent. PM me if you want further info

John

I would second that, mount the camcorder on the handlebars with a RAM mount, and the bullet cam on the screen mount with a little bracket. No problems with vibration after 12k miles inc much offroad if you use your imagination with the mountings. perfect

 

[Yellow Peril]

Thanks for that mark their website very interesting and not as expensive as you would think

 

[happy pilgrim]

ok all makes sense.... so onto camcorders, as long as they have av input is that all that i am looking for? does price /quality matter that much as i assume picture quality won't be the greatest anyway with vibration etc?

 

[Timolgra]

I used RF bullet camera mounted onto my bike for last years Morocco trip. Even though sections of the pistes were extreemly rough no excessive vibration was evident on film. Results were so good I'm using exactly the same set up this year to make a DVD.

You want a Mini DV format, I would recomment the Canon MV700i, the 'i' denotes AV in which is where the Bullet cam feeds the camcorder.

You can find these and similar, new on Ebay.

Better still is to find a camera with LANC input, this enables you to use a switch on the handlebars to start and stop recording, otherwise it's just a case of pressing the buttons on the camcorder, no big deal.

 

[Micky]

I used RF bullet camera mounted onto my bike for last years Morocco trip. Even though sections of the pistes were extreemly rough no excessive vibration was evident on film. Results were so good I'm using exactly the same set up this year to make a DVD.

You want a Mini DV format, I would recomment the Canon MV700i, the 'i' denotes AV in which is where the Bullet cam feeds the camcorder.

You can find these and similar, new on Ebay.

Better still is to find a camera with LANC input, this enables you to use a switch on the handlebars to start and stop recording, otherwise it's just a case of pressing the buttons on the camcorder, no big deal.

I go with Tim on this one. My camera (Sony DCR-HC42E) sits in my tank bag, fed by a 12v converter (Sony) with a couple of take offs on the 12v side for the bullet cam and microphone feed! LANC switch to the handlebars. You can then, with just the one button, switch the camera on or off, record/stop record... and while off the camera battery is being recharged, while on it's running off the bike's electrics.

Camera mounted at the front, or down behind the rear brake master cylinder reservoir (F650GS-Dakar)... got some great footage aka MotoGP

And if you don't tell 'em they don't know they're being filmed

Microphone in the tank bag picks up the sweet sound of the exhaust... velcro into the helmet and you can do a 'talkover'

 

[Wapping]

If you mount the bullet cam to your helmet:

(A) Normal road use: The shots can sometimes look a bit odd as your head is always level, whilst the road tips way on on bends. It’s better to mount the camera on the bike.

(B) Off-road / trial riding with lots of ups and downs / banging around: It’s often better to mount the bullet cam on your helmet. It saves lots of shots of sky, gravel, sky and, as your legs act as suspension, it smoothes the lot out.

 

[Timolgra]

If you mount the bullet cam to your helmet:

(A) Normal road use: The shots can sometimes look a bit odd as your head is always level, whilst the road tips way on on bends. It’s better to mount the camera on the bike.

(B) Off-road / trial riding with lots of ups and downs / banging around: It’s often better to mount the bullet cam on your helmet. It saves lots of shots of sky, gravel, sky and, as your legs act as suspension, it smoothes the lot out.

I see what your saying, but the GS doesn't have that much fork travel and I find the bike mounted camera enhances the overall effect.

The bullet camera I use has a wide angle lens so you always get a good forward view, it also give the illusion of riding faster than you actually are.

Ideally I would have two bullet cameras, one on board and one helmet.

 

[Wapping]

I see what your saying, but the GS doesn't have that much fork travel and I find the bike mounted camera enhances the overall effect.
The bullet camera I use has a wide angle lens so you always get a good forward view, it also give the illusion of riding faster than you actually are.
Ideally I would have two bullet cameras, one on board and one helmet.

Take your point exactly about fork travel on non BMW bikes.

I think it's more marked on the 'normal road' shots if a helmet mount camera is used. The bike tips into a hairpin bend and the road stays level. Really marked if filming a bike in front, which tips over. All a bit disorientating.