What camera for track bike?

[Danny]

I'm looking for suggestions for a HD video camera to permanently fit to my track bike.

It needs to be at the very least 720p and preferably resistant to shocks and changes of light intensity.

Willing to spend up to around £100, preferably less though.

[G]

Do you really NEED 720p - I'd focus on better quality in the first place.

For permanent fitting, I think I'd consider something like the Samsung HMX10, wire it in to the bike electrics directly and make an anti-vibration mount.

£100 is going to be really pushing it for something that can adjust reasonably quickly to lighting changes.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Put a zero on the end of the price and get one of these:-

https://www.videovbox.co.uk/

I agree with G that you will really struggle to get anything useful for anything like £100.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[lllN30lll]

Double it and you can get a 1080p GoPro HD wide.
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Turbo R1
CRF450R

[G]

I'd also be tempted to look at the Kodak zi8, Flip HD and Samsung HMX-U10 - these are all 'flat' ones.
The samsung at least offers 60fps for 720p and lets you charge while using it, including from USB I believe - so easy to have wired in and only worry about changing SD card as needed.

[lllN30lll]

The fisheye effect is only on 720p, when you set it to 1080p it goes wide and removes the effect
____________________
Turbo R1
CRF450R

[Alexio]

[Danny]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, just need to google all those cameras now.

[Alexio]

[G]

See what you mean about the 1080p – odd that it’s got the relatively wider angle on the 720p.

[MarkJ]

I did a trackday with focused events (yeah, I know) last week and they said they won't let anyone out with a camera mounted on top of the tank or on your helmet for insurance reasons. Dunno what other companies are like but may be worth checking if you're wanting it mounting in one of these places

[Danny]

Thanks MarKJ, I try and avoid Focused Events trackdays as they are the least well run IMO. But if it's genuinely for insurance reasons then others may follow suit.

I wasn't going to mount in theses places for safety reasons, but useful to know anyway!

Not sure where I'm going to mount it yet, I guess it depends on the camera. Need to look up some mounting types, as the off the shelf mounts seem mostly to either by handlebar or tank mounted.

[Bendy]

Most companies, IME, advise against tank mounts and have done for years.

Bulletcam, pipe insulation, 2 cable ties and a couple of holes drilled in the fairing = a mounting system that never fails.

[Danny]

I'm looking at normal cameras Bendy as they seem to be better quality for the price. Although the pipe insulation idea is good.

Went into a few local tec shops and tested their HD cameras, the Panasonic HDC-TM10EB-S was by the best by miles.
But quite far above my original budget at £400!
Interesting that for £50 extra at John Lewis I can get a 3 year guarantee that covers accidental damage.

[G]

I've got a Pansonic HD-SD9 you're welcome to use in a semi permanent fashion, as I hardly use it. Could be hard wired in to the bike easily enough and I've wondered about it before.
Take headlights out I reckon, then mask the area and cut a hole for the camera.

Ideally get a cheap large UV lens to stop insects on the actual lens.

[Danny]

So the answer to the question what camera for a track bike is.... what ever your mate down the road has kicking about.