AR rail mounted USB micro camera [VIDEO]

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esheato

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I've always wanted to capture video while I was shooting. Unfortunately, I had to wait for technology to get small enough and, more importantly, cheap enough.

A few weeks ago I thought I had found the solution. I picked up some I-Kam USB sunglasses for $99. Unfortunately, while my eye was looking through the ACOG the camera was pointing at the side of the optic. Video was quite jittery too...you don't realize how much you move your head around.

While trying to come up with ideas on how to do this, I remembered seeing a video clip a few months ago showing a key fob camera mounted to an AR rail.

I started googling and came upon this website: The Micro Camera.

I ordered the HD version for $59 and mounted it with epoxy to an extra ACOG QD mount I had laying around.

Finished it looks like this:

1260567503_W82t7sV-L.jpg

I took it out today and stuck it two different ARs. First was my standard mid-length AR, 16" bbl, ACOG TA33G-H, PWS FSC556 brake and Larue 13.2 rail.

Dumping a bunch of 223 on a steel target. Distance 20 yards.


Two cardboard targets (mozambique) then steel.


Triples on cardboard while moving, then steel.


Next gun was my 9mm AR carbine, 16" bbl, Smith Vortex brake, 32 round mags, EOtech XPS3.

Magazine dump on steel.


And finally back to the 223 and a miss on the steel.


The unit came with a USB cable to charge it and I opted to buy a micro SD card for extra storage. Operation is super easy....only two buttons are actually functional on the fob, one for power, one to start/stop recording. The two rear buttons are fake. Video is 1,280 x 720 HD, the battery lasts 40 minutes and with the extra SD card, you can record for an hour. With most competition stages lasting well under a minute, this is more than enough for a match.

Directions state to occasionally charge for 90 minutes.

All in all I'm quite happy. Lightweight, easy to use, video quality is adequate (especially considering the muzzle brake is inches from the lens), and moveable between guns with rails. I can't wait for the next competition with a rifle stage. ;)

Enjoy,

Ed
 
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That is way too cool. Your first person view is more first person than being first person. :) Now I have the fever. I need to go home, load up a few evil assault clips and burn up some ammo.
 
This is relevant to my interests :D.

great idea any ideas to use this setup on a pistol rail?
 
I thought about attaching it to a railed pistol, but I abhor the things and don't own any.

Unfortunately, the video would be upside down but I imagine some nice video editing software could flip it over for you.
 
I bought a couple of similar cameras from Amazon.com a couple months ago. I just put velcro on the bottom of the camera and put some on the bill of a hat.

I've shot three matches with this setup, two of which I've uploaded:

http://youtu.be/My8Go3Pr_e8

http://youtu.be/llFKpwPC6Y4


I've shot some footage with a rifle, but didn't mount the camera to a piece of rail. Instead I threaded some velcro through the hand guards and then stuck the cameras on that.

Esheato, how was the frame rate on your video? The model I bought is supposed to be high-def, but I think all it does is shoot a standard-def image and blow it up. For whatever reason, the frame rate on my camera is really choppy, as you can see in the videos I linked above.



For more info on the model of camera you've got, check here:
http://www.chucklohr.com/808/
 
Great work have you thought about soldering in a remote switch so you dont have to have the constant on?
 
I can see a setup like this be standardized on all police pistol and rifle rails, keyed to turn on at the first shot. Nice stuff.
Click to expand...

I suggested this to a SWATcop when I saw the first generation of rifle scopes that would record the view of the shot. I thought it a good source of evidence in his police sniper role. He was dead set against it. I guess there might have been some concern about who would get the most use out of such evidence.
 
@ ESHEATO
I hate to tell you this but i bought that camera on Ebay last year for about $15. I then got a 4 GB micro sd card for another $15 and have had it mounted to a r/c helicopter. Not bad video quality for the price. Last I looked, they were still on Ebay pretty cheap. They come from China via various sellers.
 
I can see a setup like this be standardized on all police pistol and rifle rails, keyed to turn on at the first shot.
Click to expand...

Bad idea, its the stuff before the pistol is out of the holster that will largely determine the goodness of the shoot.
 
Three years ago, I had gone with a vHoldr (http://contour.com/camera?gclid=CObRtdbU_qgCFYwH2godEElZUQ) camera with some decent results. It had the advantage of being able to rotate the lens in any direction to suit how the camera was mounted. It cost $300 at the time and the vids were great until the camera started freaking out. I went through two before giving up. Apparently now FW in California wears them on their uniforms.

I think the Micro camera seems like a better deal in several regards for shooting purposes, certainly budget-wise.

esheato, why did you not go with the velcro option to mount the camera? Just curious.
 
Cheaper than dirt has an electronic scope with a video camera built in. Just thought I'd say.
 
I wanted the QD capability and I didn't want to clean sticky glue off the rails (Why buy rails if I'm just going to velcro stuff to it?)

Besides, I wasn't using the ACOG base for anything.
 
Thank you, sir. Yeah, the ACOG bases are pricey and if you aren't using them, pricey garbage because they really don't fit to many other things, huh? I wish there was something of a "kit base" that was a rail mount with a flat top in which holes might be drilled or things otherwise attached, but it probably would not be a great seller.

I think I am going the velcro route and will give it a try.
 
I probably should have split my comment in that I think the unit is neat, would like to see how it does on a pistol.
The possability of it being mounted on all LEO firearms was neither a Yea nor Nay, just something lawyers will push for.
 
i just thought id bring up the fact that its a cheap camera, and simple looking, it would be cool to have on a cmera, but dont think it could hold up to the recoil for very long


i ordered the regular camera after seeing this thread, its gonna cost me 26 bucks shipped with the sd card and adapter that makes the microsd card into a flash drive

my plan is to put it on a 17hmr so when i take it out coyote hunting this fall i can record a few minutes of it, and if all goes well i will probably upload it so every one can see how it does

just one last thing, if you stop recording, and then start again, how is the video saved, does it play as one long continious thing, or does it save it as seperate videos, i heard the things record for 20 minutes at a time out of the box
 
Mine saves as separate clips. .MOV file extension that plays in Windows Media Player.

Connect the USB, move the files to the desktop and play them. Easy.
 
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