Mini Spy Cam Recommendations

[NtheBasement]

The Oakville Sub cam certainly has better close focus than my $16 cam.  Weird how the ties won't focus until the engine stops.

[C855B]

... Weird how the ties won't focus until the engine stops.

MPEG compression artifact. Small details are moving at a rate exceeding the processor's ability to completely update the image block.

[davefoxx]

I think my camera is probably more money than any most people will want to spend on this, considering you all are paying less than $50.00.  But, I wanted a camera with a video screen, so I could see what I'm recording before spending time making a video and uploading it.  I bought a DJI Pocket 2, which lays in an HO gon nicely, with the gimbal hanging over the end of the car after I removed the coupler.  My only problem is that my lack of experience hasn't found the manual focus, so the video swaps between focusing near and then far as the train runs.

All this talk about the engineer's view makes me want to go back and try to get the camera lens a little higher and set back from the end of the car.  I have an old Athearn bulkhead flatcar that was retired, so I may volunteer this car for duty by cutting off one bulkhead and gluing some styrene to the deck to raise the camera lens.  Stay tuned.

DFF

[peteski]

I think my camera is probably more money than any most people will want to spend on this, considering you all are paying less than $50.00.  But, I wanted a camera with a video screen, so I could see what I'm recording before spending time making a video and uploading it.  I bought a DJI Pocket 2, which lays in an HO gon nicely, with the gimbal hanging over the end of the car after I removed the coupler.

Ok Mr. H0er, size-wise, how would this one fit into (or onto) N or Z scale car/loco?  You know, some of us here are still in the smaller scales. 

[davefoxx]

Ok Mr. H0er, size-wise, how would this one fit into (or onto) N or Z scale car/loco?  You know, some of us here are still in the smaller scales. 

Well, wise guy , as soon as I fit it to an HO flat car, we'll be able to easily see that it should also fit on an N scale flatcar.  The advantage in HO is that it could fit inside a gon, which held it in place with the gimbal hanging over the end.  But, as I discussed in my last post, hanging the lens over the end of the carbody doesn't give that engineer's view, especially in corners.

DFF

[Santa Fe Guy]

The Replay1080 does fit on an N Scale flat car quite comfortably.
I have taken plenty of videos with it on N Scale layouts.

[peteski]

I'm still hoping for one that I can conceal in a dummy N scale locomotive, like I have been using for around 15 years, but with better quality video and fewer signal dropouts.  I'm surprised that nothing like that has been developed in those 15 years. Since I paid around $250 from my camera, I would be willing to spend that much on somethign more up to date. 

[Mark W]

... how would this one fit into (or onto) N or Z scale car/loco?  ...

Like so:   

...My only problem is that my lack of experience hasn't found the manual focus, so the video swaps between focusing near and then far as the train runs...

Tap the upper left corner of the screen.  Autofocus setting should then display on the bottom right.  Tap to switch between "Continuous" (Autofocus) or "Single" (fixed focus). 
Getting the correct focus is a struggle on that tiny screen though.  I find it's best to put my hand in front of the lens at the distance I want to focus; makes bigger target on the screen to tap to select that focus point.

...All this talk about the engineer's view makes me want to go back and try to get the camera lens a little higher and set back from the end of the car...

Even in N scale I had to prop it up a little over a quarter inch to get eye level with the engineer. 

[peteski]

Like so:   


Tap the upper left corner of the screen.  Autofocus setting should then display on the bottom right.  Tap to switch between "Continuous" (Autofocus) or "Single" (fixed focus). 
Getting the correct focus is a struggle on that tiny screen though.  I find it's best to put my hand in front of the lens at the distance I want to focus; makes bigger target on the screen to tap to select that focus point.

Even in N scale I had to prop it up a little over a quarter inch to get eye level with the engineer.

Mark, the video mentions "recorded".  There are plenty of small (even pen-size) video recorders out there. I'm looking for a live video. 

[Mark W]

Mark, the video mentions "recorded".

That's usually required for later playback.   

But on a serious  note, the Pocket is live stream capable.  Though I'm sure we agree, it's bulk (in terms of N scale) would make it unsuitable for such in a show or operations setting. 
Otherwise, I don't think you'll find a better camera for recording a cab view. 

[davefoxx]

I decided not to cannibalize the HO scale bulkhead flatcar, because it was easier to just build a new and much shorter car, which would likely be better to prevent the lens from drifting as off-center in curved track.  This is merely a slab of 0.080” styrene with strip styrene for bolsters and an unnecessary underframe.  I added a Sergent Engineering coupler in a Kadee coupler box at one end, and I borrowed the trucks from that bulkhead flatcar.  Out of pocket cost is $0.00, because I scrounged it all from the junk drawer.





As you can see, the lens is too low for an engineer’s view.  To keep the center of gravity as low as possible, I think I’ll just shim up the camera’s end near the gimbal.  I’ll also add some strip styrene around the edge to wedge the camera into place and minimize load shifting.

DFF

P.S. Thanks @Mark W for the manual focusing tip.  I’ll give that a shot as soon as I finish the camera car.

[Mark W]

...To keep the center of gravity as low as possible, I think I’ll just shim up the camera’s end near the gimbal.  I’ll also add some strip styrene around the edge to wedge the camera into place and minimize load shifting...

That's exactly what I did.  The bottom of the Pocket is slightly convex, so I notched my shim slightly concave; has worked like a charm. 


https://i.imgur.com/V6TJdYi.jpg

[davefoxx]

That's exactly what I did.  The bottom of the Pocket is slightly convex, so I notched my shim slightly concave; has worked like a charm.

Ooh, concave.  Good call.  Thanks!

DFF

[peteski]

Thanks for the camera's configuration info Mike.

Here is a procedure to eliminate the camera's flexible neck.


WiFiCamera01.JPG
First remove the 4 screws and open up the case housing the electronics..
Remove 4 screws holding the PC board, and carefully lift the PC board.
Unplug the flexible circuit connector from the PC board. It pulls off fairly easily.
Make sure to mark its polarity as the connector itself is not polarized, and after the camera is no longer attached to the case you could easily plug it in backwards.

Remove the 4 screws at the ends of the 2 straps holding the rubber neck, and pull the assembly out.

The camera's front bezel is just press fit - pull it off.
Carefully pull back the rear camera housing.  It should fairly easily slide back onto the rubber neck.  Be careful as the camera is not glued into its cradle - the flexible circuit is the only thing holding the camera.


WiFiCamera02.JPG
There is a flat soft brass strip along with the flexible circuit inside the rubber neck. That brass strip is what allows the neck to retain its shape.  Make sure that the rubber neck is perfectly straight and flat before proceeding with the next steps. Also kneed the neck slightly to loosen the strip and cable. But it needs to be flat for ease of disassembly.  As you can see, the shape of the rubber neck's internal cavity has space for the flexible circuit's connector to pass through.


WiFiCamera03.JPG
On the other end, the brass strip is looped securely in the camera's cradle. While holding the rubber neck in one hand (making sure not to bend it), with the other hand grab the camera's cradle, and start pulling the brass strip and flexible circuit out of the rubber neck.  It might take some force for it to start moving. If the rubber neck is not perfectly flat, it will be very difficult to pull them out.


WiFiCamera04.JPG
Don't pull it out too far. Check the other end, and when the flexible circuit's connector gets close to the rubber neck, make sure that the connector slides into the cavity inside the rubber neck.


WiFiCamera05.JPG
Once the connector enters the rubber neck, pull the camera cradle with the brass strip and flexible circuit all the way out of the rubber neck.


WiFiCamera06.JPG
Next, pull the camera cradle back, then pull out the brass strip. Now the flexible circuit with the connector will easily slide out of the camera cradle.


WiFiCamera07.JPG
The camera assembly is quite small.


WiFiCamera08.JPG
The flexible circuit can now be easily manipulated (rolled up or folded).  To further reduce the length of the PC board, the bulky USB connector can be removed, and a 5V power supply can be hard-wired.

[Lemosteam]

I decided not to cannibalize the HO scale bulkhead flatcar, because it was easier to just build a new and much shorter car, which would likely be better to prevent the lens from drifting as off-center in curved track.  This is merely a slab of 0.080” styrene with strip styrene for bolsters and an unnecessary underframe.  I added a Sergent Engineering coupler in a Kadee coupler box at one end, and I borrowed the trucks from that bulkhead flatcar.  Out of pocket cost is $0.00, because I scrounged it all from the junk drawer.





As you can see, the lens is too low for an engineer’s view.  To keep the center of gravity as low as possible, I think I’ll just shim up the camera’s end near the gimbal.  I’ll also add some strip styrene around the edge to wedge the camera into place and minimize load shifting.

DFF

P.S. Thanks @Mark W for the manual focusing tip.  I’ll give that a shot as soon as I finish the camera car.

@davefoxx You forgot the most important part of my comment.  Look at the locomotive in yours and Mark's pics. the engineer's seat is literally over the pivot axis of the front truck.  To truly have an engineer's view, that is where the center of the lens needs to be. otherwise the lens will swing away from the intended perspective by a distance Y based on the curve of the track and exacerbated by the distance away from that center, X, IF THE LENS COUULD PIVOT ON THE TRUCK AXIS.  Because of the geometry it cannot, and dimension Z also influences that angle, even when inside a locomotive, as the locomotive's length will come into play.  In reality on a curve the engineer has two options to focus on the center of the track, he/she could move their eyes, or rotate their respective head.  The later simulates moving the lens with the truck it is mounted above:



This could be resolved by disassembling the gimble from the camera base and allowing the wires to flex while mounting the gimble with a styrene hanger over the axis you want, through the frame and pivoting with the truck.  If you made a flat base, you could use velcro to reposition the gimble until you were satisfied with its location.

Sorry to overcomplicate things.  It's what my brain does.