On-bike Cameras

Camcorders

MiniDV

Standard MiniDV Camcorders record to MiniDV tape using DCT intraframe compression format, i.e. not MPEG-2 nor MPEG-4. This results in approximately one gigabyte per four minutes of video. A MiniDV tape holds 60 minutes of video.

The biggest question in selecting a camcorder for this purpose is finding one which supports AV-in (i.e. "Audio Visual input", meaning composite video and sound inputs). It appears that virtually none of the current crop of MiniDV camcorders support AV in. However, ebay and Craigslist provide a wide range of used models.

Notably, Sony has traditionally been known for offering AV input, and it appears that any model ending in 'i' will provide it.

Since MiniDV camcorders read from tape, transferring video to a computer will happen in real-time. So, a 30 minute video will take 30 minutes to transfer to a computer.

Hard Disk

Hard disk camcorders behave much like the DVRs listed below. They use MPEG-4 compression, which allows them to store more data, but yields lower overall quality. Being hard disk based, it's much faster to transfer video to a computer for editing.

Digital Video Recorders

Most DVRs record using MPEG4 or DivX compression, which yields much smaller files, but detail will be poor, particularly when there is a lot of motion. Some DVRs record in MPEG-2 format, like a DV camcorder.

Solid State

MPEG 4

• Archos 405
  

  

  • 2GB built-in, up to 2GB additional via SD slot.
  • 640x480, MPEG-4 compression.
  • Requires the 5th generation Travel Dock in order to accept AV input.
  • No built-in speaker, no built-in microphone.
    
• Sting by Sonic. Custom DVRs made by Sonic were used in Long Way Round.
• Cylon Systems provides complete, Archos-based kits to UK police.

MPEG 2

• ChaseCam PDR100 is the only recorder which will automatically cycle over itself (i.e. never stop to rewind/record, simply stop and swap cards to save desired footage).

Hard Drive-based

• Archos

Bullet Cameras

HelmetCamera.com

• HelmetCamera.com offers several types of waterproof camera. All use Sony CCDs.
  • 380 - $169
  • 480 - $259
  • 560 - $299

StuntCams.com

StuntCams sells many camera models and accessories, though their website layout makes it hard to really compare products. Their higher-quality 'Tornado' camera is obviously made by a Korean company called KT&C, and the rest of their lineup seems to directly correlate with KT&C's products (for example, compare the remote supplied by StuntCam versus that of KT&C, and compare the KT&C KPA-1 microphone to StuntCam's microphone).

Their FAQ is, in some ways, more informative than their actual product pages!

• Tornado 520 Res EX-View Cam $279
  • "This camera is a bit larger and wider than our other bullet cameras, but is the best camera for DVD quality footage."
  • 520 lines 'TRUE' resolution
  • 12V, < 100ma current
  • S/N > 68dB
  • 2.1, 2.5, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 25mm lenses standard
  • optional variofocal lenses 3.5-8mm ($49), 2.8-12mm ($69), 6-60mm ($89), 5-100mm ($119)
    • Note: this could be the KT&C KPC-650CH (standard 1/3" ExView CCD, 480 lines, most likely), KPC600BH (optional 1/3" ExView CCD, 600 lines), or the KPC-DN301CZH (1/4" CCD, 480 lines, remote control).

• 550-line Sony CCD bullet camera with variofocal 4-9mm lens.
  • Image sensor Interline 1/3 inch SONY SUPER HAD CCD w/ HQ1 Chipset
  • Effective pixels 768(H) 494(V)
  • S/N ratio More than 45 dB ( AGC OFF )
  • 12V, 130mA max
  • 100% waterproof up to 6ft

• 520-line Sony CCD bullet camera with pre-wired composite, mini-mic, and battery pack for $185.
  • 520 lines
  • 1/3" Sony CCD
  • 3.6mm lens standard
  • Waterproof if mounting hole sealed with silicon or similar, not recommended for submersion.
  • Note: this appears to be similar to the KT&C KPC-HD230CWX, which is available here for $109. Of course, this version wouldn't include the wiring, battery pack, and mic.
    

KT&C

KT&C appears to be the source for StuntBike's cameras. The full KT&C catalog appears on their American site.

• KPC-HD353CW

  

  • 1/3" Sony CCD / 520 TV Lines (2:1 interlace)
  • 0.1 Lux / F2.0
  • Digital 3X zoom, A/D Key Controller Featured
  • Digital Day & Night
  • Built in Varifocal Lens (f4.0~8.0mm or f2.6~5.6mm manual Varifocal Lens)
  • Option : Remote Controller, RS-485 Interface
  • NTSC effective pixels - 510(H) x 492(V)
  • S/N Ratio - > 50dB (AGC Off)
  • A/D key Features Digital TELE & WIDE, PAN & TILT, Contrast, Negative & Positive
  • 12V (±10%)
    

• KPC-HD230CWX

  

  • 1/3" Sony CCD / 520 TV Lines
  • 0.1 Lux / F2.0
  • Digital 3X, A/D Key Controller Featured
  • Digital Day & Night
  • Fixed Board Lens
  • Option : Remote Controller, RS-485 Interface
  • NTSC effective pixels - 510(H) x 492(V)
  • S/N Ratio > 50dB (AGC Off)
  • A/D key Features Digital TELE & WIDE, PAN & TILT, Contrast, Negative & Positive
  • 12V (±10%)
    

Connectors

Most likely, any camera and recorder combination will use some variant of standard AV cables. This typically consists of a yellow composite video connector, and two red and white audio connectors. Plugging and unplugging all of these connectors can get tedious, and they don't provide any sort of locking mechanism to prevent them from working themselves loose.

• This page refers to a four-conductor phono plug in the Mouser catalog.
• This catalog page shows a four-conductor miniplug to RCA cable, which looks a lot like the one that ships with the Archos 5th Gen travel dock.
• VioTac sells cables with standard connectors (e.g. Sony HandyCam) on one end, and a mini-DIN on the other.

HR30

Hirose makes the waterproof, multi-pole, circular HR30 connector, which looks very promising. It's waterproof, has chunky plastic tabs to ensure that it's being connected properly, and supports three or six wires in the 12mm version. Several different options can be combined into a single part number. For a full list, refer to their part catalog. Some useful configurations are:

• HR30-6P-3S - Plug, 3 wires, female (S) ($12 from Newark, $10.35 from Digikey)
• HR30-6J-3P - Jack, 3 wires, male (P) (unavailable?)
• HR30-6P-6S - Plug, 6 wires, female (S) ($7.82 from Newark, $6.79 from Digikey)
• HR30-6J-6P - Jack, 6 wires, male (P) ($8.36 from Newark, $7.36 from Digikey)

Manipulating Videos

Downloading Videos

Depending on the camera and computer, downloading videos may be very simple or extremely complex.

Windows

Windows XP and Vista include MovieMakerPro, which can be used to capture from a USB-connected camera.

Downloading from a Sony MiniDV HandyCam over USB will result in an MPEG-4 compressed video. In this case, much of the quality of the MiniDV stream will be lost.

Macintosh

If you download video from a MiniDV source using iLife/iMovie, it will convert the video to MPEG-2. This is undesirable if you're seeking the best quality.

To download raw MiniDV content from a camcorder under OS X, do the following:

1. Download and install the Apple Firewire Developer's Kit.
2. Use a 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire/i.Link/IEEE1394 cable to connect the camcorder to the Mac.
3. Turn the camcorder on. Ideally, power it using its AC adapter.
4. Run AVCVideoCap (located at /Developer/FireWireSDK25/Applications/AVCVideoCapp.app)
5. Select "DV-VCR" from the list of devices. If this doesn't appear, then the camera isn't connected or powered properly.
6. Choose "Tape Control" in the Recording Mode dialog.
7. The video will automatically begin streaming to the computer. The video should display in the download window as it is retrieved.
8. AVCVideoCap will automatically stop the camcorder at the end of the segment, or you can click 'Abort'.

Resources

• This thread discusses AVCVideoCap.

Editing Software

This is a quick list of software which may be of use when processing video.

• The Deemon SuperResolution very cleverly yields high-resolution images from lower-resolution input video by combining frames. It may not work well with the high degree of motion inherent to sports video.
• VirtualDub is a simple, but very powerful (and free) video-processing application for Windows.

Resources

• This thread (pashnit) mentions LANC which allows external control of video cameras.
• This page mentions that nearly all Sony camcorders support video-in.
• Hooli-Cam, a page on setting up an on-bike camera.
• DogCamSport, in the UK, has a list of cameras with AV inputs. Note that the information may not be accurate for the US market.
• http://www.ovrlnd.com/DoItYourself/ProjectHooli-cam.html a page on setting up an on-bike camera.
• This post (advrider) contains some excellent information including mention of MPEG-2 versus MPEG-4 compression.
• This post (advrider) links to video files demonstrating a 520 line camera connected to a PDR100 (MPEG-2) and a DV camcorder.
• This page (pashnit) has a rundown of camera mounting options.