gopro mounting questions.
 

Hey everyone. I'm curious of where u mounted ur gopro & what kind of view u got from it. How would I go about getting a first persons view? I mounted one on the forehead of my helmet but seems a bit high when played back on cam. Racing this weekend. So please help, fast.

Left rear quarter window is a good angle, also back windshield center (interior).

i used a strap and put it around the passenger headrest. i also bolted some metal to the tow hook and hook it to that so i get the front bumper view.

imo, helmetcams are useless. Too much shake and gets confusing. Mount it to the car. Center windshield is pretty cool, but some more interesting angles can be found outside the car. I love the door lloking forward past the front wheels, that shows the suspension working and stuff.

I was going to try out the rear windshield view, I like to see both what I'm doing as well as what's in front of the car.

i disagree....
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YghRUGsu-vE&feature=share&list=UUId9d2NIHc6KFKywQSaVEFQ"]GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition FR-S Night Test - YouTube[/ame]

really its about all the different angles... any 1 angle will get boring

^ I think that serves as evidence that the helmet POV has too much movement.

At the track or autox, you will be looking so far ahead that you will not get a sense of where you are on track (on video). The best mount (IMO) is one that will show your hand movements and the where you are going. I'd suction cup it on the right side rear window.

One of the great things about a GoPro is that it's easy to move around. My suggestion is to collect video form as many different locations as possible, including from offboard. That way when you want to make a clip to share, you can include different POV's to keep it interesting.

With that said, I'd suggest windshield facing forward and towards driver, rear window facing forward and rearward, rear quarter window facing forward and back, roof forward and back and maybe low quarter panel. Although with the last one I'd also recommend some type of tether just in case it comes loose.

Forgot to ask... are you using the video as a learning tool (review your lines, turn-in, etc) or are you making a video of the day's highlights?

Using it to Show friends & family as well as reviews for improvement on the track

Drivers side quarter glass has worked really well for me. You can see all of your steering inputs as well as the course in front of the car. You also get a good view of how close you're getting to cones on the driver's side. You could collect video from the passengers side to that same end, but you'd miss out on the steering inputs.

Mounted on the outside? I was thinking mounting inside passenger side quarter glass.

Middle back windshield, hands down. Lean the passenger seat all the way back as well. Set your GoPro wide angle. Here's a clip I made with that setup.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j0muWKprdI"]Stock FR-S 1/4 Mile run - 14.98sec - YouTube[/ame]

It depends on the tech adviser of the sanctioning body. Check the rules to see what type of mounting is allowed. Some don't allow outside cams mounted until bolted to the car, while some don't allow suction mounts of any kind inside or out.

Knowing what type of racing is taking place can help us help you? Street racing, drag racing, autoX, SOLO, bench racing, 24 hours at Nurburgring, Formula Drift?

That works decently well there, but during a bright sunny day it sucks. Although I hear there's a setting on the gopro to get around that.

I currently mount mine on the outside of the drivers side rear quarter window. View is good, sound is horrible.. need to figure out a fix for that next.

Do you set the GoPro to spot metering? That will help to expose the road ahead. Although if its on the rear window, it's so far back that it will probably meter the black dash as well. If you have a GoPro 2 or 3, you can connect an external mic ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR-3350-Omnidirectional-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B002HJ9PTO/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1353962449&sr=1-1&keywords=audio+technica"]Amazon.com: Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone: Musical Instruments[/ame]).

The Spot meter setting works. My first time testing that position all I could see was a bunch of glare from the outside, turned on the feature and away it went.

I participate in the autocross solo events

Requires the full skeleton case I assume? I have a 2 so I could use the mic..

Skeleton case or you can drill through your existing case.

We have one for the race car, I'll just borrow that one for this weekend :) Need to order a mic today though.

This is the view from the quarter glass. I prefer it for autocrossing for the view of the elements as you approach them. Much less "dead" space in frame.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98AdD0yNzhI"]Delta SCCA Autocross 2012.10.14 - YouTube[/ame]

^ Don't let go of the steering wheel. This is a good view.

Go to you tube and look up MTCRX87 for autocross videos I have made from several locations on my car, inside windshield, inside from back glass, outside front and back side shots, from the roof of the car. These will give you some idea of the different views. They are from an '87 crx (thus the name of course) but will be similar in the FRS/BRZ. IF you want engine sounds, etc. put it inside. Wind noise outside will cover most anything else.

^Awesome view never tried it yet EDIT: (Mitch)

I filmed one of our customers at the track a couple of weekends ago: 9.77 second pass

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VwhKXrDDU8"]BPS @ the track 2 - YouTube[/ame]

First time using my GoPro, mounted it on the top center of the rear window as well as on the passenger side quarter window, I did not know how to use it yet so i had it set at 720p with no spot tracking.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWIRAMA5jOE"]First time drifting my Scion FR-S - YouTube[/ame]



this video is mounted on the passenger side quarter window, 1080p, with spot tracking.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwK9NQDf29s"]Automass Round 2, Scion FR-S drifting - YouTube[/ame]

That outside view with it on the rear 1/4 glass is really good, I'm going to have to try that once I get a new suction cup mount.

Haha yeah, my hands were a mess. Thanks for the tip.

Saw one mounted under the car once. That was exciting, but not very informative. great for a novelty shot, though. Meybe somewhere underneath where it can see the suspension or something.

You almost need a minimum of 2 cameras to really assess the driver, 3 preferred. 1 at the drivers inputs, wheel and pedals. one facing back at the drivers head, the other in a position where you get a good view of the course... short of that, you are probably best with the rear windshied attachment because atleast you get a view of the inputs as well as an OK view of the road ahead.

If you are just looking for a cool view for fun videos... we've found this location to provide some neat replays

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f...0/DSC05663.JPG

Like this?
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdx22p-VDIc&list=UUOWF9f6zS2a1FLHYK_3mkog&index=7&feature =plcp"]NNJR SCCA 10/20/12 - 54.525 - YouTube[/ame]

If I can't borrow several GoPros from friends, I'll suction mount one to the rear windshield centered with spot metering on, as it gives a good combination of my inputs and the track. Make sure the front windshield is in the center of the frame or spot metering won't be effective.

kind of a tangential question but I thought I'd ask - has anyone had issues mounting a suction cup mount to the interior of windows that had window tint applied? I want to do the suction cup inside with a camera but am worried about scratching up the tint or something. I know, real racers wouldn't care about that. :D

If your window tint dont have bubbles then you shouldnt worry about it(I never have any problems with mines). You do have to be extra cautious when suctioning the rear window, I cant remember if the BRZ/FRS has those lines at the back of the car, but if they do you should try mounting the cup to the clear area.

Where are you people mounting your remote microphones?

Ditto on that view.. it's nice because you can see where you're going as well as what you're doing with your hands.

[ame]http://youtu.be/H6IHYo0n-k4[/ame]

IMO, for reviewing line and driving performance you should put it on your helmet. It lets you see where you were looking as well as what your hands were doing. Seeing the line from a totally different perspective than the view you have from the drivers seat doesn't tell you much.

That said, it doesn't give the best FOV for a highlight type of video.

Here's a DIY for a cheap and simple tow hook mount: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35635

I have this mic http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wi...eca17168eef6f/ routed up through the tow hook opening and into the engine bay by the battery. It has a 20 foot cable, so when I finally get around to getting an exhaust I will try running it back there.

I'd like to get a bit longer threaded rod than that and not have to take the mount off when I thread it in. Fastenal has it.. for $60! Can't find an M16 threaded rod anywhere else. I'll probably end up welding a rod to a bolt when I finally get to the hardware store.

I had the remote mic inside the airbox for my event last weekend. Not crazy about the sound at all. I'm surprised how on/off the sound is (I do at least modulate the throttle a bit). And what's the click?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxE5shBBEd4"]Great River Region SCCA Autox - June 16 - Run 6 - YouTube[/ame]