If you haven't figured it out yet, online video sharing is
hotter than ever these days, and DuneGuide.com is going to gear up and add more video
content this season. To do that, we need the right equipment. If you haven't
noticed, there are lots
of remote helmet camera type setups on the market today. We reviewed a lot of
them, and in the end decided to go with a package from Sportzshot.com.
Sportzshot.com has all the pieces you need except the
camcorder. What cinched the deal for us was their Waterproof Helmet Cam
comes with 580 lines of resolution.
In order to record in-car video, you will need the following components:
1. Remote lens & Battery Pack
Sportzshot - 580 Hi-Res Waterproof Helmet Cam
Things to look for:
Resolution - 380, 480 or 580 lines of resolution
Waterproof or weather resistant
Lens replacement - sand is hard on the equipment
2. LANC Remote Video Control
LANC Remote Control
3. Some way to mount the bullet camera lens
We decided to get a few different camera mounts so we could play around
with different camera positions. In addition to their Fixed Mount (not
pictured), we also decided to try out the Cross Channel Mount, Channel Mount
and Ball & Socket Assembly. All of the mounting options pictured below are
on 1 1/2" tube.
Cross Channel Mount - Good for mounting camera
on tube that is perpendicular to direction of travel.
Channel Mount - Good for mounting camera on tube
that is in line with direction of travel.
Ball & Socket - Very flexible mounting setup that lets you get just
the right angle. Comes with protective rubber for hose clamp. The ball
is molded with a thick layer of rubber which will help absorb any unwanted
vibrations
The camcorder must have video-in capability to work with a remote
camera. Not all camcorders have this capability. Other things to look for are
LANC remote capability and recording media (mini DV, hard drive, memory stick).
Also check on
how the data can be transferred to your computer for editing.
The camcorder we already had was a Sony DCR-PC100. Although several
years old, it came with a LANC input, video input and firewire connection to
download video to the computer.
