Best camera for on-board video (in 2017)?

[Composites Guy]

Its obvious from Youtube that some on-board video cameras do much better than others in our high-vibration environment, but few videos mention the camera setup. Any recommendations or thoughts on which camera is best? Do you rigid mount your camera, or attempt to mitigate vibration? Anyone using an off-camera microphone?

[Claude Rouelle]

What is the goal? Why do you need an on board camera? Answering that first question will influence the answer to your main question.

[nat45928]

With regards to vibration: I've found that using a thin rubber pad between the mount and round bar, and having a mount you can tighten with an Allen key does wonders to steady video.

[John_Burford]

GoPros are useful. Audio and mounting are important to getting good videos. The ones below used the standard gopro frameless case with a little foam around the roll bar and a little electrical tap from the top of case to the roll bar. Not so pretty but effective. I recommend an external mic. The mic in the camera is not so good.

internal mic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ypzlxAZ7k

External mic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXjFxXJrAJc

Oh, this is the 1995 Formula SAE Champion still in competition trim.

[simdens]

Nice gloves, arm restraints and racing suit!

Common guys, why do you do that shit?

[Composites Guy]

John, what model of GoPro did you use?

[Composites Guy]

Claude, I'm an alumni with a car and an aerospace engineer desk job. My main purpose for onboard video would be fun to show my friends/family the latest fun run:-)

For FSAE proper, I can imagine video is useful for driver training, or simply to promote the team on the website. Our university offered no financial support for our team so fund raising was essential. Any media that we generated was very useful for fund-raising. Another use would be to mount an "eye" where it is difficult to see during hard driving (perhaps to observe proper mechanism operation, or to look for inordinate oscillatory deflections which might lead to fatigue failure). Many of these cameras now include some basic GPS and accelerometer functionality, at a cost much less than a full-blown data acquisition system (wondering though if the accuracy makes that data any more useful than a set driving course and a stopwatch).

Our high-vibration, high-noise, high-wind environment pushes some of these action video cameras beyond the intended moutain biking/surfing use. My main goal here is to find out what the strengths are of each brand (Sony, GoPro, Garmin, etc...) I'm very curious how the new balanced optical stablization from Sony performs on our formula cars.

[John_Burford]

John, what model of GoPro did you use?

Gopro 3+ I'm not sure about the settings. I believe 720p, wide, and 30fps. Here's the mic: DAGEE DG-001 Mini Clip-on Microphone

[Steve Slowboy]

Ok, not an FSAE car - a carbon tub hillclimb single seater with GSXR1100 engine (The PCD Saxon). I've tried various cameras on my car with varying levels of success; the vibration usually kills them! The GoPros do seem to be the current favorite in the paddocks - and produce some very impressive quality of footage, which seems to be across the range and not just the top quality ones. If you search you tube you'll find lots of onboard from UK hill climbs most of which have been taken with Gopro cameras. My engine builder says he can hear a lot from the in-built mike - enough to comment on the engine tune and how it's performing (a Hero Silver with open-backed case).

It does depend what you're trying to get from the video, but a clue - the BBC outside broadcast unit that did some filming at our local hillclimb turned up with a case of over a dozen gopros and stuck these all over the cars - surely that says something about the quality?

How the camera is mounted does impact on the quality of footage - try it solid and with some padding as I've had mixed results.

A note of caution though - my friend with a hi-powered car-engined Caterham uses a Braun 6 with fantastic results. When I tried it on my car as soon as the revs rose past about 7000, it switched itself off! So, what works on one car may not work on yours. See if you can borrow one first to try to avoid expensive mistakes!

Cheers
Steve

[mech5496]

Unrelated, but god I LOVE the PCD Saxon!

[Charles Kaneb]

Your safety/competition rules may vary, but in karting and motorcycling I have found that the best location for a video camera is on top of the helmet. Your neck is a very nice spring and damper. If your eyes can't focus from the vibration, neither will the camera!