"Cab-View" Video Camera

I have two of these with one receiver, I'm going to put them in cabs, just haven't gotten it done yet.

 

 

Well John, inquiring minds want to know! Git-r-done! 

 

Look forward to seeing it and the write up for all us newbies!

this car is designed to hold an Iphone, the mirror is set to shoot forward' it is HO, O would be easier.

 

Can't remember what the guys' name or company is called, but there is a fella at York who sells these mini cameras that relay to a monitor. Maybe someone here can chime in and knows the name?  These cameras are small enough to be mounted inside a boxcar.....or outside.

 

I feel like any camera should follow the movement of the lead trucks because any cab mounted cam gets alot of views of the walls when they make turns  and not what is down the tracks. I find them kind of sickening to watch.

Check these out.  I saw the first one listed at an open house this weekend mounted on a N scale flat car.

 

Looxcie Video Cams

 

Here's the video from the Looxcie camera:

 

I would consider getting a regular digital video camera (I have a Cannon Vixia). They are small and light enough to put on a flat car (why must it be in the cab???). Then you can film family stuff as well. IMO, filming going around a layout gets "old" real fast.

See my post above, that's exactly the type of camera I have, and I provided the link.  I plan on having one installed for our next modular show, and I'll have a monitor that gives a cabs eye view as the locomotive runs along the layout.  BTW, they're a lot cheaper than the ones I saw at York, and they're smaller as well.

 

This one is the one I'm going to use, it's about 1/2" square and 1.4" long.

 

 

 

I also have a couple of these, but they are too big to fit into most locomotives easily.

 

 

 

This is a good point.  Perhaps using an articulated locomotive with the camera on the pilot would give good effect?

Finding the right locomotive would be key, but I don't want an ugly camera stuck to the front of my locomotive.   I have a flatcar that I mount the little square one on and just push it around with a locomotive, but it looks odd.  I'd like it to be a bit more "polished".

 

I was thinking about this the other day and Gunrunner's link looks like just the right size!  I kinda wanted the "Engineer's view", that is out the window with hood or boiler visible in the shot as if you were running it.  I also wanted one in the upper window of the caboose looking down the train ahead of it as it went through... that would be a cool shot!

Thanks for everyone's input. I decided to go with this one. It's small, it can shoot in 1080P resolution, it can record at both 30 fps and 60 fps (in 720p) and most importantly, it's cheap so if it turns out to be a piece of junk I won't be too upset. It  got a pretty good review from a fellow in Manchester, England. (Techmoan.com - the guy spends most of his non-working hours reviewing all kinds of neat electronic stuff).

 

I like the idea about mounting a camera towards the middle or rear of the train. I have, in fact noticed when viewing POV train videos (including mine) that you can get a little dizzy. This thing will be small enough, I think, where I'll have lots of choices where to put it. I hadn't actually considered putting it inside a cab although this camera is small enough, it might actually fit.

 

 

I use a X 10 security camera which transmits the color video and sound to a receiver that is hooked up to a color TV.  One can use a video cassette recorder or digital video recorder to capture the picture off the TV.  But the real fun is watching the TV showing views of the trains running from a engineers view.

 

Mine is mounted on a flat car and can be angled ahead and any where from full right to full left. I usually push it with a diesel switcher and it gives an engineer view and looks like a flat car being moved.  The camera could be mounted in dummy diesel loco if desired.

 

The best part is the great picture quality and the low cost. Camera and receiver was less than $40 years ago.  Probably more now.

 

Charles

I bought a old frame for a MTH Trainmaster for my camera platform. It's heavier and more stable that a flat car. No motors. I just push it with any engine with cruise. Works well. Don

I've been following this thread with interest because I've previously mounted a small ordinary video camera this way.  The results were uninteresting because the camera's field of view seemed too wide for this purpose.  Do these specialized cameras narrow the view?  I'm recalling Jim Policastro's enjoyable video work, for example.

It's more of a problem than you think TrainsRMe. I've found most layout aren't build wide enough for good POV filming. If you use a very narrow lens to keep unwanted background out of the shot, you end up with another problem. Any uneven track will exaggerate any movement of the train. Going through switches will be like riding a bucking bronco. Like you said if you use a wide angle lens like a GoPro camera, you end up seeing too much. I like the GoPro because of the quality of picture. I'm thinking of taking an old F-3 shell, cut it up so the lens is cropped by the window to get a engineers eye view of the track ahead. Also you could use a wide lens and crop the video in editing. Don

Oh, I like that windshield idea, Don.  I'll bet that would look quite realistic!

Thanks, I will build it as a unit with a GoPro mount on the floor. That's buy the way why I love GoPro. They make about any mount you would want, and they are cheap. I must have all their different mounts for the cameras. One I use a lot for underwater stuff is simply a 2 1/2 pound diver weight with a GoPro mount glued to it. If I see a shot, all I do it set it on something and turn the camera on. The shot looks like it's on a underwater tripod. I have found if I move away fish are interested and will often come up very close to the lens. Don

I believe leighline has a camera mounted in a dummy unit and shoots ovia outside the model cab windows.

 

NctJOe has one mounted in the mth snowplow headlight.

GoPro's are about $200 for the lowest megapixel version. I can't justify that kind of expense for the single purpose of a POV view from a model train. They're certainly the rage these days in the photography world and I can't say I haven't been tempted.  But I have plenty of other cameras - DSLR's and Point & Shoots of various vintages for still and video photography and and I agree with the statements in another recent thread that more megapixels don't necessarily mean you will get better pictures. The size of the image sensor and lens quality mean a lot more. 

I ordered the $68 Mobius 1080p "Action Camera" from China. It's the size of a box of Tic-Tacs, has a 120 deg. field of view and may or may not work out well for what I want to do. It will be fun trying regardless.

xray, your right. No way would I buy a GoPro just for shooting my railroad. I have two GoPro because I us them in my business. I think they are great cameras both in quality and service. I had a bike shoot coming up and one of my cameras went out doing some tests. I called GoPro and told them I was in a bind. Even though this camera was over a year old they sent me a new one in three days. No questions asked. It seems like everyone has one over here. Don

We use a unit made by "ChooChoo Cam", track powered, that is mounted in the front door window of a Budd car. Although they can be a bit more pricey when compared to say an X-10. Last I looked they had scaled it down to fit even the HO and N scales.

My son did some experimentation with different perspectives on a train cam - I'd have to agree on the movement of the lead trucks issue:

 

 

 

 

I installed a wireless spycam inside of a GP-20, looking out over the short hood.  It's similiar to the 2nd one pictured by Gunrunner John.  I didn't have any problem fitting it in, and it provides a live video - which I prefer to the cameras that just record.  One thing, the original plastic windshield blurs things up a lot, so you need to remove it.  You can use microscope slide glass or just leave it open, as you prefer.