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In Car Video Camera
grusks2 - 16/7/09 at 06:04 PM

Ive fitted a camera in car to my MAC1, the picture is fine ( although it doesn't really show the speed eg looks like im doing 30mph but im doing 60mph) but im having real trouble with eliminating the wind noise.

Its only a cheep video camera with the mic on the top, ive tried putting tape over the mic, didn't work, i tried making a small aero splitter to take the wind over the top away from the mic. No Joy

ANy idea, what have you guys using camera done,

The camera doesn't have a socket for an external mic. My only option as its a cheep camera, was to remove the mic (desolder it) and extend it on some screened wire to a better position in the car .....?


Spence


Flamez - 16/7/09 at 06:11 PM

Hi spence whereabouts have you mounted the camera? is it on the rollbar? How have you secured it?

As for noise I know professionals use a furry sock to eliminate wind noise.


JoelP - 16/7/09 at 06:18 PM

when i did in car recording, i had a bullet camera so the actually camcorder was secure in the footwell. It had a remote mike though so it was dead easy to muffle it.


Macbeast - 16/7/09 at 06:26 PM

Professionals (News Crews etc ) have never found a satisfactory solution to wind noise (windsocks, muff only reduce it a bit ) and if you're doing 60 MPH you have no hope with the microphone in the airstream. Only practical thing you can do is remove mic and extend as you suggest.


grusks2 - 16/7/09 at 06:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Flamez
Hi spence whereabouts have you mounted the camera? is it on the rollbar? How have you secured it?

As for noise I know professionals use a furry sock to eliminate wind noise.


Hi phil, yep made a bracket that clamps on the roll bar, foam between the bracket and roll bar, and foam between the camera and bracket, to elminate any vibration. The camera has the screw underneath and ive cable tied it as well

I thought of a michael jackson haircut style foam cover ( got loads at work but didn;t think at 60+ it would work) So looks like im getting the screwdriver out and attacking the camera

[Edited on 16/7/09 by grusks2]


JUD - 16/7/09 at 07:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by grusks2
My only option as its a cheep camera, was to remove the mic (desolder it) and extend it on some screened wire to a better position in the car .....?



Reckon you hit it on the head with that one.


austin man - 16/7/09 at 08:06 PM

desolder the mic and add a Jack plugsocke in its place I have done this with a bullett cam. You can then place the mic wherever you want


snapper - 16/7/09 at 08:16 PM

As a professional ( i do video as well as stills) the only way is to take the Mic out of the airflow, some camcorders have an external Mic in socket which may run sound from a second Mic to track 2 (most camcorders, even the cheap ones run stereo sound), its just whether your camcorder wil a. accept a second sound input, b. whether you can seperate the Mics to a channel each, c. whether you can seperate out or turn off the on camera Mic.
You could use a simple sound recorder and put that in the footwell for just the sound and add it in the edit using just the vision from the Camcorder.

One other prudent tip, have a UV filter over the camcorder lens just to stop bugs or grit killing the optics, a filter is cheaper than a whole camcorder.


hellberg - 16/7/09 at 09:25 PM

I didnīt know my camera had a plug for external microphone until I (after five years) read the manual. it was hidden under a cover. Cam is btw a Sony dcr-pc330.

This is a test with camera mounted on the rollbar (small tripod and duct-tape) and the internal mike:
crappy youtubeclip

And this is with an external mike laying on the passenger seat:
much better youtubeclip with a descent microphone

And the microphone

(This post doesnīt make any sense to the thread but I just wanted to show the difference)

Pinto, tb:s, Megasquirt, Quaife clubman.


BenB - 16/7/09 at 09:27 PM

I'd do the solder + extend trick. Only issue would be if all that cable caused problems.. Alternatively does the bullet cam give s-video out? Couldn't you decouple of the s-video out and put in a seperate audio feed?


grusks2 - 18/8/09 at 07:59 PM

Well video camera has been taken apart ( not good with a hangover) and the mic removed, and a new one on a 2m fly lead soldered into the camera.

Fingers crossed for the next trackday..!