Mounting Bullet Cameras In The Car
Fig1. Placement of the main camera behind the driver is not recommended.
When installing the VIDEO4 cameras into a vehicle, it is important to consider the effect camera placement will have on the quality of the produced video. Many installations place the main (high resolution) camera behind the driver (facing forwards), often intentionally capturing the driver in the frame. We do not recommend this setup as it heavily compromises the view out of the front of the car. The view of the track is compromised, partly because of the view obstruction by the dashboard and driver etc (in the example below less than 50% of the main image ends up being of the track), but also because of the difference in brightness. It’s important to remember that a camera lens isn’t as adaptable as the human eye to varying light conditions; so with bright sunny conditions outside the car, and the contrasting dark interior it is difficult to get a satisfactory or wholly representative view of both. The forward view out of the windscreen is quite simply the most important view, it is the drivers eye view and should be maximised to fill as much of the frame as possible.
Fig2. Shows the view of the track that can be expected when mounting the main camera behind the driver.
Fig3. We recommend placing the main camera as close to the windscreen as possible.
With the VIDEO4’s multiple camera views we strongly recommend that each camera has a singular subject of focus. For example: with the high resolution camera as close to the windscreen as possible (so it only “sees” outside of the car) to concentrate on the front outside view. If a view of the driver is desired we recommend using a secondary standard resolution camera focused solely on the driver. In 4 camera systems it is also useful to have the 3rd and 4th cameras as rear facing and/or at the driver’s feet for a complete view of the action. Below is an example which shows the result of placing the main high resolution camera close to the windscreen, maximising the effect of the important forward view. It places the viewer firmly in the driver’s seat, not the back seat.
Fig4. Shows the view of the track that can be expected when mounting the main camera close to the windscreen.
The example shown below shows the results you can get with both well placed cameras and the unobstructed widescreen layout, the additional screen resolution providing an area for PIP videos and data overlays. With each camera maximising its focus on a singular subject and the large screen area allowed for each video, the clarity of vision is greatly improved.
Fig5. Example of a well placed camera setup used with the widescreen function.