I was thinking of using the "I/O Port Video Camera Mount." Anybody use this or have experience with others?
Thanks
Tomcat, I have about 6 different camera mounts, and the I/O port is the best. It's the best because it will move and point in just about any direction and configuration. In fact, I just raced 7 times yesterday and used the I/O port as a rear facing camera mount to capture the action behind my car.
A few issues I am dealing with:
I have the same set up on my RT/10 with an SVS bar (looks the same as the BTR bar.) Without the top, it takes fantastic pictures. In the GTS, because it is so dark in the car, the video it tapes of outside the car sometimes gets washed out if it is bright. You'll either need to zoom a little to cut out the dark interior so the camera records correctly.
I also noticed in the GTS that the roll bar runs right up against the roof, and it makes it impossible to get the I/O port clamps around the top part of the bar running along the roof. I had to mount mine on one of the middle verticle sections. This is cool though, as you want to mount it low so you don't have your rear view mirror in the center of the picture.
For front mounted cameras, I have come to like the HAMA UNIVERSAL MOUNT, also sold through IOportracing.com. This one sticks to your windshield and you get great up close video footage. All you see is part of your hood and the rest of it is outside view. This is what I used for my front in the race yesterday. Since I was racing motorcycles, I moved the HAMA mount to the very right side of my windshield where it starts to curve in -- this makes the mount point forward and to the right. I then purchased some fishe eye lens for $37 each at BH Photo, and with those, I was able to get the entire front of the car and a good part of the side. Video came out great. And these things stick to the window GOOD. I used it at Willow Springs last time, and in my RT/10, it is STIFF and BUMPY and it didn't miss a beat running the entire day.
I have a vareity of clip mounts as well, but I haven't had to use them. I have some that mount on the outside of the car, but I have been nervous about doing that, as I don't want to lose a $700 camera.
Get both mounths -- they are cheap and you can try them both, and if you are like me, you'll go buy a second cheap camera for about $350 and use that as a rear facing camera for DUAL video.
Here's video from both camera mounts (without the fish eye lens.) This was from part of a lap at willow springs a few weeks ago:
RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE
-Manny
