So I made some further tests. I found out that my Contour Roam can record in 1080p if I drop the FOV down to 120 degrees from 170 deg. I wanted to test the narrower FOV and how it affects the feeling of speed. I also wanted to test recording with an external recorder and syncing the audio in post-production (the Contour doesn't have an external mic jack and the built-in mic is absolute rubbish), also I figured out might as well try this trick for some future advanced gauge overlay control.

So I give you, for your comments, my latest not-definitely-a-masterpiece:

For comparison, here's some raw 720p footage with 170 degree FOV and audio using built-in mic from the Contour, unedited and unprocessed:

Personally I don't think the narrower FOV makes much difference to the sensation of speed, but the better audio quality is a vast improvement. I ordered a 15€ shotgun mic off eBay and some adapters and accessories so I should be able to plug that into the M4 for recording more of the exhaust note and less of my congested breathing, once it arrives I guess it's time to record another test video.

Yes. I used the phone on the left to record GPS position and OBD2 data with RaceChrono Pro. Map and speed (and lap times, if there had been any) are calculated by Dashware from GPS data, RPM and throttle position are recorded straight from OBD2. Throttle position needed to be normalised manually in Dashware and synchronising the telemetry to video is a bitch of a job.

The phone on the right recorded the audio.

Yesterday I bought a used GoPro HD Hero mainly because it was cheap. I also stumbled upon some suitable bits of scrap metal at the workshop and fabricated this:

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The knob on the left allows me to bolt it onto a specific type of auxiliary headlight bracket that is mounted using the front license plate screws, allowing me to set up the GoPro real low without using adhesives, suction cups or drilling holes into the bumper. I ordered an adapter that fits the GoPro case that needs to be bolted down to the flat bit on the right, but once I bolt that one down we're in business. I'm aiming for a perspective similar to this, but without the vibrations:

I hope I'll have the setup including the external mic figured out and ready by mid-august when the merry folks of the GTI club have booked Ahvenisto race circuit. It's pretty much the most awesome race track in the nordic countries. A combination of sweeping and tight corners with almost no straightawawys. Real old school, a slow track suitable for slow cars. Check it out:

So yeah, I've pretty much gone off the deep end, hard.

I like the new camera configuration. I don't like the wide angle from that particular position because most of what you're seeing is the car interior stretched... The telemetry is the most cool thing about this. I wonder if I could get something like that accomplished. I can't believe that DashWare, the guage software, is gratis. That said, I feel like adding the telemetry gauges to videos must be a lot of work and probably isn't worthwhile unless you actually have a cool video to pull it all together. I bet it'll be great for your work on the racetrack. I don't know that I'll gain much from it... How much did the OBD2 unit cost you? That is pretty damn cool, though it's difficult to trust it's throttle gauge in your video. Maybe it wasn't synced precisely? Hard to tell, but you'd have a better idea. I wonder if that would work on a bike. Too bad there's probably no brake data available... Without third party sensors probably. Then again, perhaps an ABS aware computer would be able to measure braking force artificially?

Unfortunately the weather is rain today and my GoPro was forgotten plugged into my computer after the battery died yesterday, but I digress. I installed Racechrono (the free version so far) onto my phone last night, enabled location services, and "started" the "race" when I left home in my pickup truck to commute to work. It seemed to work. It isn't necessarily all that accurate where I am. It said up to 32 meters off in places and if you review the telemetry over the Google Earth data you can clearly see where it veers off the road, sometimes repeatedly in sharp Vs, and I do not remember any of that. In any case, it's probably accurate "enough" to be a nice addition to videos if I can figure out an efficient way to add and sync the data with the video. I probably won't bother until I actually go on a spirited ride or a long trip or something.