Finally - An Affordable
 In-Car Camera!

Small, inexpensive, easy-to-use and self contained-it's the real deal.

Every once in a while I run across a product that is so cool that the “I’ve gotta have it” factor kicks in.  The tiny Hero digital camera is definitely one of those products.  I’ve been kicking around the idea of an in-car camera for my mini sprint for some time now.  However the cost of a camera, recorder and mounting equipment has always been a deterrent.  Additionally, the technical know-how required to mount and operate the system seemed to be more than I wanted to mess with. 

When I happened upon this new little camera, I knew it was just what I was looking for; small, easy-to-mount, self contained and easy-to-operate.  In addition to taking digital photos, it is capable of recording up to 54 minutes of digital video and sound.  It comes in a case that helps protect it from the elements—including underwater at depths up to 100 feet.  

It Really Works
It was with great excitement that I received in the sample of the camera.  I couldn’t wait to give it a try.  I started by strapping it to the fork of my street bike and taking a quick ride around our neighborhood.  I was totally impressed with the quality of the video.  After a long week’s wait, I had the opportunity to try it out during a practice session at one of our mini sprint races.  Again, I was totally impressed with the quality of the video—even on a very rough track. 

This video has been compressed in size to fit on YouTube.  However, the camera does produce TV quality video.

Getting Set-Up
The camera comes on a wrist strap—which provides one option for mounting.  However, I was looking for a better solution for mounting the camera on my racing car.  I searched around a little and finally turned to Shox Skinz to manufacture a simple, in-expensive, easy-to-use mounting system.  The mount is made up of a piece of high density roll bar foam with a denier nylon covering that has a nylon loop.  The foam is placed anywhere on the roll bar and wrapped with the denier nylon cover.  One or two tie wraps are then run through the nylon loop and around the front of the camera.  It’s just that easy, the camera is secure and ready to go along for the ride.  Just before going on the track I had a friend turn the camera on and start recording.  Once off the track I turned the camera off.

We mounted the camera to the roll bar of our mini sprint using an inexpensive, simple mount manufactured by Shox Skinz.

 Playing the Recording Back
Once in the pits, I took the camera off the roll bar and used the included cord to attach the camera to my computer.  I then downloaded the movie to my laptop computer and played it using Windows Media Player—instant gratification.  Once I returned home, I wanted to watch my video on a big screen television.  Using the same included cord, I was able to plug directly into the VCR jacks and record the movie to a video tape.  The video tape provided a better picture and video quality than my computer.  Finally, I took the video I downloaded to my computer and used Microsoft’s free video editor to down sample the video and to add titles so that I could place it out on www.youtube.com.  

I had the opportunity to show this cool little camera to several people at the racing track.  Almost everyone I showed it to said, “be sure to put me down for one when you get your first batch in”.  Since that time I have used my little camera to do recordings of my kids in the swimming pool and even on my dirt bike.  I continue to be amazed at the results.  However, the best feature of this camera is the PRICE—just $134.95.  A 2 gig memory stick which can be purchased for between $25-$40 is also a requirement to shoot 54 minutes of video.  Once you experience the quality of the video and compare this to the $250-$500 you’ll pay for a bullet camera unit and the extra $50-$75 you’ll likely spend for a good mounting system—the value is evident. 

This camera puts in-car video well within the reach of the weekend warrior.  It is great for mini sprints, dwarf cars, modified lites, TQ midgets, sprint cars, midgets, SCCA, motorcycles, quarter midgets, go-karts, boats and many other forms of motorsports  The above video was taken with the camera strapped to the front of our mini sprint, pictured above.

If you’ve been intrigued by in-car cameras, this is the one to get.  This camera is ideally suited for mini sprints, scca, quarter midgets, go-karts, motorcycles, boats and more.  The camera measures 1.25"x1.75"x2.6".  It makes use of two AAA batteries and comes with the water resistant case, wrist strap and USB/Video adapter cord.  Additional items you might want to consider when you purchase this camera are; the Shox Skinz roll bar mounting system, the 2 gig memory stick and rechargeable AAA batteries and charger package.

For a limited time, the Hero Digital Camera is available for online purchase for just $134.95.  Click here to order yours today!