Last year I borrowed a video camera at the end of the season to get some footage of my car. I quickly whipped together a cheap mount to attach it to the roll cage. I finally got around to making something better for this year. My new digital camera can take Quicktime video but I'd like to get a miniDV video camera like the one I borrowed. No video compression when recorded to tape. The quality of the online footage is nothing like the raw footage on my computer.

I recently picked up a cheap tripod from a local surplus store. Actually I picked up 2 different tripods. The cheaper $10 one I used to make the camera mount. The better $20 one I'll use as a proper tripod for a camera.

Both versions had a multi adjustable head to aim the camera in just about any direction. I pulled the center tube out of the tripod since that's all I need. Some aluminum angle with an exhaust clamp and a hose clamp is all that's needed to attach the mount to the roll cage.

Total cost, less than $15.

 

very nice, i made up something extremely similar except it uses a clamp for a CB antenna on thicker semi truck mirrors.

 

simple, effective, and best of all.. CHEAP. Great idea!

 

I would think it'll shake quite a bit cantilevered out like that. Another attach point or leg would reduce that, although a light camera will be less susceptible.

I'd like to get a camera inside my car sometime this year. No roll cage, though.

 

It's a more stable mount than the one I whipped together last year which was stable except when the camera tilted back once on a launch. The shaft held on with the hose clamp is adjustable so I can always shorten it if I feel it can't support the weight. The video camera I was using last year was just over a pound. The digital camera I have now is only 4.1oz but only takes video at 15 fps.

 

Do you think something like that would work if I were to clamp it to the rear sun shade thing instead of a roll cage? I would be using it for autcrossing and I don't want something suctioned to the windsheild which would block my view and I dont want it anywhere outside because then I cant make a video of a run in the rain.

On a side note, my camera can only make videos that can be watched in Quicktime movie player. This means I can't edit the video in Windows Movie Maker. Any ideas or programs I could use to convert the file type? I don't want to buy another camera just so I can edit videos. Another thing... do all caeras use the same thread size for the mount?

 

All cameras use the same 1/4" mount bolt.

As for movie file conversion, try Google searching.

 

It's just a shame you're a drag racer

I keed!!! I keed!!!

Reason I say that is that I think it'ld be cool to make a few runs with the camera pointed at different places. Forward, rearward, to you, shifter, your feet, etc. Splice it together as tho it was a single run, and a cool video results.
It's just I'm not sure that drag racing, especially a car like yours, makes the best 'foot cams'

My mount used the exhaust clamps too, but isn't adjustable like yours, I'm jealous. Looks good!

 

More cameras and mounts would be the way to go. Digital cameras with video recording capability are getting inexpensive. Less than $100. The one I now have can record about 45 minutes of 640x480 video to a 2GB SD card. There's no reason to not have 2-3 cameras in the car at the same time.

Last fall with the cheap mount I quickly whipped up for a miniDV camera, I was able to record 4 different runs. 2 inside the car and I had people record 2 runs from outside the car. On one of the inside shots, the camera tilted up when I launched giving me a 5th angle.

I pieced together the 4 runs to make a 3 minute movie of a 9 second pass. I still watch it regularly to see what me and the car do during a run.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/4...c100f1cb16.htm

 

Do any of you think the rear sun shade bar would be strong enough to mount a digital camera to using the exhaust clamps?

 

sweet vid man that thing is a monster!