HD Dash cam?

[mrobinett]

Microsoft is about to release the Lifecam Cinema, a 720p HD USB camera. Looks pretty good, havent seen the video from one yet, Amazon has it preordered at $79.99.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=008
Mike

 

[D. Hayes]

I'd like to see some user reviews of webcams for dash use. I know there are already a few HD webcams out plus it be nice to see some that can withstand the elements.

 

[mrobinett]

I just found this one, too!
http://www.vholdr.com/contourhd/features

 

[Dan Robinson]

I've been using an Aiptek 720p for a dashcam. It has been running full-time in my vehicle since January of 2008 and works great. I get a little over 4 hours of recording time with an 8GB card. Here are some clips from it:

http://stormhighway.com/blog/dashcam.shtml

The Microsoft cam looks nice (a little easier to mount) but it looks like you need a laptop to run it. The Aipteks are self-contained and don't need any attention until the memory card fills up after several hours. That Contour HD cam is self-contained but it's twice the cost of an Aiptek.

I also think you would want to stay away from autofocus models for a dashcam. I bought another newer Aiptek last year with autofocus, and it has some problems with focus seeking.

EDIT: I should also note that I use my dashcam as more of a driving camera than a chase camera. I actually don't think any of the current low-cost memory card cameras would do well for chasing due to the lack of a good zoom and focus control.

 

[Jason Foster]

I'll second what Dan said about being self contained. It's a real pain-in-the-ass to deal with connecting and disconnecting to laptops if you start using primary cameras, or other tethered devices for storing the images. It is also one less thing to bog down the CPU on the laptop when you need premium processing power for the live feed (for those using that) or for running radars, satellite, navigation, etc.

 

[D. Hayes]

Love your site Dan. Do you have any photos of how you set it up? I can't tell if the Aiptek has that mounting point on the bottom.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Thanks! The Aiptek has a standard tripod mount. I posted some shots of the rig I built for it here:

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19742