Cheap and Easy POV
#1
Posted 21 January 2011 - 09:23 PM
A small keychain video camera.
As stated above you can easily find one on E-bay. They take decent video when enough lighting is provided and can provide quick and easy feedback to you about how your track work is completed as well as help add interesting shots when doing a final video of your coaster.
here is what it looks like
Here is the super simple mounting
and then turn it on and create great POV's like this.
Here is a custom SS POV
a trip around the slot car racetrack
and a trip around the HO layout
Hope this helps you in your video endeavors of your Coaster layouts!
#2
Posted 21 January 2011 - 09:36 PM
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#3
Posted 21 January 2011 - 10:14 PM
#4
Posted 21 January 2011 - 10:30 PM
Otherwise, I wonder what the actual usage of this is. Spy's?! :confused:
I don't think so...
#5
Posted 22 January 2011 - 02:33 AM
1. How do you get the video onto your computer?
2. How long can you record video for (before it runs out of memory)?
3. I had another one but I forgot...
#6
Posted 22 January 2011 - 07:40 AM
I think the battery on this one is like 2 hours, but it will run until its full, dies, or you stop it.
#7
Posted 22 January 2011 - 08:25 AM
Seems the output format is .AVI which is rather uncompressed. Does it come with an Micro SD card or do you need to buy one yourself?
Also 480p is a decent quality, it most ikely is the same resolution as your regular digital photocamera.
There is a clear difference between SD and SDHC, does it also record on SDHC? I know some devices don't work with that.
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#8
Posted 22 January 2011 - 08:26 AM
I really like the idea, I have one of those micro-cams for my HO trains. It works with a wireless receiver, so you see whats happening on a TV-screen:)
I bought it a few years back, it was around 100 USD back then...
Funny how electronic stuff is getting so much cheaper.
One thing I'm wondering, how many frames per second does it have?
#9
Posted 22 January 2011 - 08:56 AM
#10
Posted 22 January 2011 - 10:20 AM
#11
Posted 22 January 2011 - 10:28 AM
EDIT: Another question: Does it always give the videos a yellow timestamp, or can you turn that off?
#12
Posted 22 January 2011 - 10:50 AM
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#13
Posted 22 January 2011 - 11:03 AM
HO is a scale size (1:87). It stands for Half of O gauge. Which is actually zero gauge because gauges first become standardize starting with 5 gauge then 4-3-2-1 (gauge referrers to the width between the rails of the track, so scale size usually has a range according to the type and style you are using to go with the gauge). 1 gauge has a range from 1:24-1:32) HO is approx 1:87- 1:75 (depending on American or Euro lines) and O is approx 1:48-1:43 scale. I know that I probably just muddied the water for you but hope it helps.
#14
Posted 22 January 2011 - 11:27 AM
#15
Posted 22 January 2011 - 12:18 PM
Ickus, I might post some pictures from model railroad soon, I think you might like it:)
I am thinking about buying one of those:
Spy Cam Lighter Hidden Cam Video Recorder 30fps DV HD - eBay (item 200558388942 end time Jan-24-11 13:19:09 PST)
#16
Posted 22 January 2011 - 12:42 PM
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#17
Posted 22 January 2011 - 01:17 PM
Ickus, I might post some pictures from model railroad soon, I think you might like it:)
I live in the UK, we have different types I think
#18
Posted 22 January 2011 - 02:21 PM
Europe is where the gauges were standardize. Marklin created the system in the 1800's. Gauge and scale is not a straight forward method. I work with 4 scales on a regular basis and there are a bunch of intermediate scales and gauges to go with those.
Now back to the Camera. More than likely is will come from someplace in Asia. Why, because it can be produced and sold much cheaper from there. The reality of it is, it is approx. $10US. It is small compact cheap and gets the job done.
#19
Posted 22 January 2011 - 04:36 PM
^ Don't get it from that ad, it's in hong-kong. Those are usually crap. I might get one of these camera's when I'm done with a coaster.
As a mather if fact, 90 procent of the things you buy come from there...
The one Ickus used are also from a factory somewhere near there.
#20
Posted 22 January 2011 - 07:52 PM
Usually it does have the time stamp. I looked it up at some time. There is code available to remove it, but I was not concerned enough to take the time to remove it.
The time stamp can be removed by hard core hacking the video camera software. However the internals of the video camera are SMD (Surface Mount Devices) I really doubt anyone on this site has the guts and skill to risk to hardcore hack his camera. It also requires some special micro controller that you have to order.
However I've been looking for a solution to that.
Some fan made a Vdub plugin that filters out the time-stamp.
It can be downloaded here, there is also a link to download Vdub (free-ware video compression software) Air Command Water Rockets MD-80 camera clone
(Here is a video of him showing a pre-plugin video and a after plugin video YouTube - Time Stamp Removal - Filter Test)
I have high expectations from this but I can not try it out myself just yet. I will let you know as soon as I get my camera in the mail. Ickus, I would really want to thank you for posting this and I'm going to make this into a staff announcement because everybody should have one!
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