my video setup

Since I've started posting videos on Vimeo, I've been getting a bunch of inquiries about what I'm using to make the videos. My camcorder setup is as follows:

• Aiptek A-HD camcorder
• IOPort camera mount
• 0.45x wide angle lens (find on Google with wide lens 17mm-27mm)

The Aiptek A-HD camera is solid state and records MPEG-4, 1280 × 720, 29.97 fps (this consumes 4.00 Mbps, or around 30MB for a minute of video). I use a 1G SD card, and have learned to wipe it before every "important" session, like before every race. Aiptek makes a cam or two that are higher resolution, but this one is cheap and it works for me. It also uses a standard USB cable, so charging or transferring video is as easy as plugging it into a laptop.

The wide angle lens is required to get a good view of the cockpit from where it's mounted on my roll cage. The lens is an aftermarket add on, and ships with magnetic rings with adhesive to set up a temporary bond to the camera. This is not at all rated for track duty, so I've got it racer taped together.

Finally, the Aiptek camera needs a little help. For one, the battery rattles around inside the camera, occasionally power cycling it mid-session. Padding the battery a bit solves this problem. People also complain about the audio quality, so some take apart the case and cover the mic with foam or paper to dampen some of the noise. In my car, it isn't too bad so I haven't done this mod.