My father showed me a video of a BMW event he went to recently where they were showing off their new SUV. One of the BMW guys would take 3 or 4 passengers and drive them around a simple, high-speed autocross type course. The cool thing about the video was that the bottom of the screen showed a view looking out the front window, the top of the screen showed an wide-angle shot of the interior and the passengers, and in the middle was a shot of the speedometer and tach. And all I could think was "I wonder how they made that video ?"

The way I see it...1) they had 3 cameras, recording on 3 different tapes, and combined the images in post-processing <U>or</U>
2) they had 3 cameras running through some kind of mixer/multiplexer, recording onto 1 tape with no post-processing required.

So which of you experts can shed some light on this ? I figure some of you road racers might have thought about this, or have this type of system. I'd like to rig something like this up for autox's...one camera inside, one outside, something like that.

I've seen video multiplexers for sale, primarily designed for security cameras, but they split the screen into 4 quadrants. Another option I could see, would be to use 2 cameras, recording onto 2 tapes, then combine them myself in post. But that sounds a little more expensive (2 camera/recorders needed instead of 2 cheaper lenses (like a webcam), 1 recorder, and the mixer). Plus it would be more difficult to sync the two videos up in post.

I'm curious if anyone has dealt with a multiple camera system like this and know how to do it (cheaply if possible).

Thanks!!
Chris (Spielberg Jr.)
#55 ES
94 Integra LS


[Modified by EStocker, 9:10 PM 10/18/2001]

 

Hi Chris, I don't have any first-hand experience with the kind of system you are curious about, nor do I really know much about it, but I can refer you to someone who has done it, for what that's worth! Specifically, Steve from http://www.trakcam.com (digital motorsports photography at mostly northeast track events) has set up something like that on his monster yellow turbo RX-7 track toy if I recall correctly. I'm sure he would be happy to discuss it with you... email him at: steve@trakcam.com

Hope that helps,

Jon

 

I would like to find a camera that would also be able to mount in small places like on the front lip of the car, or some place in the back of the car

 

X10 pop up window sound familiar?

 

http://www.conecam.com/

 

Either that one, or....... http://www.helmetcamera.com
BTW, it doesn't have to mount to your helmet Can you say "suspension cam"?



[Modified by johng, 1:06 PM 10/19/2001]

 

At the NE SOLO2 Divisionals last year, I saw a guy in a BMW mount a fiber-optic style lens near his headlight and just run a line back to his rather large Cam that just rolled around on the passenger-side floor of his car. The pic was amazing as you got a "headlight-eye" view of the race which was unique to say the least!