Cameras may not be mounted to competitors’ helmets.

New bulletin out today discusses the serious nature of helmet cams.
http://rally-america.com/RuleBulletin/Rule_Bulletin_2012_011.pdf
"Cameras may not be mounted to competitors’ helmets."

Guys - it's time to hang up some of these questionable designs:
For example:

Steven did his first RallyMoto event with this one:


Some great in-car from 100AW was recorded with the following:


Electronic stabilization is years away - and we thought the foam was safe enough...


Remember when a block of wood and two screws was GOOD enough?


When Travis jumps motocross he uses this:


It's too bad we'll never get anymore Travis Pastrana in-car from his face rig...


Wireless video is never going to happen - but we have to stop using our metal coat-hanger viewfinders...


Tireless hours of helmet cam research LOST!


While we may not agree, we can understand this decision...







If only we could get our hands on this future space age prototype...




- Kris

Good thing all my cameras weigh 7.9 ounces or less...

or at least that's my story

This is the particular camera that we were thinking about - http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-helmet-hero-camera/

alan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 06:07PM by tipo158.

Dear Rally-America.
Thank you greatly from a viewer of onboard videos. Helmet cam in a rally car is simply retarded and is a novelty and more likely to nauseate a viewer then inspire envy or envoke a desire to get involved with rallying from any perspective.
Furthermore I believe internal operations manuals and press agreements should stipulate that any video being produced under RA media guidelines are required to utilize either interior shots with audio or exterior shots only with an additional microphone for audio inside the cabin.

Rationale: I am continuously amazed at how the 1995 WRC review has epically better onboard video than what is in use in productions today. After much review it was determined that there were two primary differences between these videos. 1995 had a fairly standard camera angle with fairly low resolution but decent audio captured both from in the cabin (lots of engine, gearbox, and gravel spray sounds) and a mixed but not overwhelmingly loud (ie. no clipping) of the WRC intercom system. The videos of recent times, specifically those filmed on Go Pro and other 'wearable' cameras, result in high quality high resolution video and an audio stream that is best described as piss poor garbage. This level of footage does not belong in a professional production. Successful videos such as Ken Block's Gymkhana series may have utilized these small high resolution cameras for video capture, but audio capture and professional mastering was done seperately. Out of car video with just wind sounds is possibly the worst. See Lestage onboard from Rally in the 100AW 2012 at 4:20 for example.

---

Grant Hughes

Quote
Alan
Not sure what is wrong with RA trying to get ahead of an issue before it becomes a problem.

It just seems rather silly when compared to issues like car prep, cage design, sill bars, and the like.
One should consider the even hand of a rule-set.

Filling up a rule book with warnings similar to the ones on the side of a hair dryer is not conducive to getting competitors to take serious rules - seriously...

My 2 cents for the year.
- Kris

Quote
webkris

Quote
Alan
Not sure what is wrong with RA trying to get ahead of an issue before it becomes a problem.

It just seems rather silly when compared to issues like car prep, cage design, sill bars, and the like.
One should consider the even hand of a rule-set.

Filling up a rule book with warnings similar to the ones on the side of a hair dryer is not conducive to getting competitors to take serious rules - seriously...

My 2 cents for the year.

I don't understand. Do you think that no one has been thinking about running helmet cams in a rally car?

RA already has rules on car prep, cage design and the like (sill bars are not part of Art. 253 cages)? The helmet cam is "silly" compared to those rules, but it only adds one sentence and makes things safer.

alan

Does anyone (in the pnw) remember the mageta XR4Ti with the "aquraium cam" on the roof???

What was that lunitics name?? Nigel?

Out of curiosity - what precipitated this?
I guess I just don't see a 4oz hero cam double-sided sticky-taped to a helmet as being any sort of problem.

How about: "Helmet cams should not interfere with seats, vision or other safety devices."
edit #1 (Oh and they can't be more then "a reasonable weight" to prevent the debauchery seen above...)
edit #2 (AND they are only going to get smaller in the future!)

- Kris



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 06:57PM by webkris.

Helmet worn cams in rally cars are stupid and annoying to watch. Jon Burke's done it. I've watched it. Hated the perspective.
Wanna have that first person view? Mount it a post strapped to your Hans device or similar. Less movement and no longer mounted to helmet albeit probably less safe. Or to the wing of your cool OMP seat from Safe Drives.

---

Grant Hughes

Quote
webkris
Out of curiosity - what precipitated this?
I guess I just don't see a 4oz hero cam double-sided sticky-taped to a helmet as being any sort of problem.

How about: "Helmet cams should not interfere with seats, vision or other safety devices."
edit #1 (Oh and they can't be more then "a reasonable weight" to prevent the debauchery seen above...)
edit #2 (AND they are only going to get smaller in the future!)

- Kris

See Grant's post: "Helmet cam in a rally car is simply retarded and is a novelty and more likely to nauseate a viewer then inspire envy or envoke a desire to get involved with rallying from any perspective. "

There are enough poor quality in-car videos out there, the helmet cam just lowers the bar.

---

-KTurner
Stomp down on the exhilarator and hold on to the wheel.

Oh well, guess I need to find another camera location then. I enjoyed the helmet mounted perspective, always have liked them on other videos as well, so I tried it out on mine.





Flame away!

Quote
webkris
Out of curiosity - what precipitated this?
I guess I just don't see a 4oz hero cam double-sided sticky-taped to a helmet as being any sort of problem.

How about: "Helmet cams should not interfere with seats, vision or other safety devices."
edit #1 (Oh and they can't be more then "a reasonable weight" to prevent the debauchery seen above...)
edit #2 (AND they are only going to get smaller in the future!)

- Kris

I don't know what precipitated it, but after the issue was raised, we watched some in-car video from some offs and we saw potential for injury under the circumstances described in the rationale. There was enough movement of the competitors that if either competitor had been using a helmet-mounted camera, the camera (or its mount if the camera broke off) could dig into the seat wings or something else and cause the head to turn in a plane where the H&NR does not limit movement or it could dig into the other occupant of the car.

My particular concern was the camera mount should the camera break off. It would pointy and firmly affixed to the helmet and protruding from it.

We understand that cameras will get smaller in the future. As technology advances, the rules change. All cameras used to require to have two points of attachment, but now cameras under 8oz don't.

alan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 10:08PM by tipo158.

Quote
Gravel Spray
Does anyone (in the pnw) remember the mageta XR4Ti with the "aquraium cam" on the roof???

What was that lunitics name?? Nigel?

No it was "oh no fuckin Nigel"

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

I wonder if I should start worrying about my microphone. Within ounces of the same weight, and it's practically:

---

Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.

Huh. I prefer the helmet cam to fixed-angle. You can see what the driver's trying to look at that way. It does take away any sense of sideways, though.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.