Track Day Recording and Laptimes - GoPro or Iphone?

So Im wanting to spend a little bit on either a newer GoPro (looking at an 8 or so) OR I could get a used iphone 12 for about the same price.

I just want to record from inside of car and have some way of keeping track, with whatever I get, of laptimes/splits.

I know there are mobile phone apps that can do it, but is that the way to go?

Or can gopro footage be linked up via gps?

Im looking at about 200 dollars spent, but could go a little more if it was worth it for the features.

i dont do a ton of track days, want to do more though

I tried both last year with 3D printed mounts of similar design and the GoPro was better.

2022 iPhone SE doesn't have great image stabilization and the field of view is smaller. Worse was that even taping over the microphone didn't cut the wind noise.

It may have worked better if it was mounted on the dash which would be more solid rather than hanging down from the back, and there would be less buffeting there.

I then got a GoPro Hero 11 and the image quality was better. The wind noise became tolerable with a fuzzy cover plus its internal noise filter.

iPhone is first photo, GoPro below. That's one of the iPhone's better views, it gets really shaky.

WOW, thats a big difference in quality.

Can the gopro do anything with gps/tracking where you are on a track?

I use an old GoPro and a separate data logger (either a RCP Mk1 in my AE92, or a phone running TrackAddict in the Toyobaru).

You could do it all with a phone but you'll need an external GPS receiver to get good GPS data, and you'd need a wide-angle lens to get the same kind of FoV as a GoPro. And then you'd probably need a phone with a super-high-end camera (like a Huawei P30) to get image quality that can compete with the GoPro.

There are all-in-one action cameras with data logging features built in but they can cost even more than a newish GoPro. If money is no object, there are race car data logging systems with video integration that automatically produce video files with a data overlay along with the data log files.

In reply to hybridmomentspass :

There's some kind of GPS function but I haven't messed with it yet.

Here's an example of GoPro2 video + TrackAddict data (w/ internal GPS, which only sometimes works well enough):

And here's a GoPro2 video with RCP Mk1 data:

If you want an all-in-one solution, I think GRM pal Andy Hollis still likes the Road Keeper:

https://www.race-keeper.com/road-keeper/

Just stopping in to advise against giving GoPro any money if your goal is to exchange that money for functional devices.

Because screw those guys. Probably the most brick-like device I've ever purchased, with support that amounted to "have you tried restarting your brick, and is your brick running the latest brickware?"

Clearly people end up with footage taken from GoPros, but my rage based on my experience cannot be satisfied by simply not buying one myself again. They come out too far ahead if that's the end of it.

Jesse Ransom said:

Just stopping in to advise against giving GoPro any money if your goal is to exchange that money for functional devices.

Because screw those guys. Probably the most brick-like device I've ever purchased, with support that amounted to "have you tried restarting your brick, and is your brick running the latest brickware?"

Clearly people end up with footage taken from GoPros, but my rage based on my experience cannot be satisfied by simply not buying one myself again. They come out too far ahead if that's the end of it.

Oh, you like GoPro products as much as I do! 

NEVER buying another one.

After giving up on GoPro, I bought a Garmin Virb Ultra 30. It has a few minor quirks, but it has a toggle switch to start taking video that works every single time. That’s Every. Single. Time. 
 

Unfortunately, Garmin doesn't support the camera anymore. I have a Win 11 laptop, and can't download the videos. Racerender might work, but I haven't figured it out. 

Newer GoPros (with a few specific exceptions) are far less reliable than older ones, and the latest ones can be really freaking expensive. I've stuck to my old Gen1/2 models mostly due to their superior reliability.

Both. I've never seen good phone video, but GoPro GPS is unreliable and not useful for anything more than speed and track map when it does work. If you want to actually analyze data, you need an app and a dedicated GPS receiver. If you're committed to iOS, I think racechrono is about your only option.

I don't love GoPro either but haven't found anything convincingly better. The virb is the closest but they still seem to be twice the price of a decent GoPro and as said above there's zero support for them anymore. I've had pretty good luck with my hero 8, I think the 9 is the most problematic one and if you stay away from those the rest are fine. I hung onto my hero 2 for a long time but finally gave up when I couldn't find a decent source for batteries anymore.

Whatever camera you end up with, you need an external mic if you want remotely decent sound quality.

Just as another data point, my Hero 4 was a paperweight. It would overheat and shut off, fail to start recording, record for a few seconds and stop, or most frequently, just freeze up requiring me to remove the battery to get it to reset. 
In the rare case of getting video of my run, parts of the video would be pixilated.  

red_stapler said:

If you want an all-in-one solution, I think GRM pal Andy Hollis still likes the Road Keeper:

https://www.race-keeper.com/road-keeper/

This ^^

Road-Keeper is still my go-to for video with data overlay.  Which I only use on occasion.  But it's self-contained and super-reliable.  GoPro start/stop is not.  Here's some vid: https://youtu.be/TyiGbRfzFfA?si=ydG4ApilgnxjlYV6

I religiously use an AIM Solo II DL for hi-res data for every track outing.  That's what's in all of my GRM stories.

PS: You can get a discount on Road-Keeper if you search on "RoadKeeper discount SCCA runoffs".

PPs: Prior to the Road-Keeper, my cheapo video solution was an iPhone with Harry's Lap Timer -- no external gps.  Worked pretty good, but more modern iPhones have some image stabilization that can sometimes get in the way of quality.  You have to futz with the settings to get a proper picture.  Here's an iPhone at Nelson in the 720 (quick lap starts on the second pass): https://youtu.be/e6v3HIR3Fl0?si=OrEjkq9dADFz7Pb3

IMHO both GoPros and phones have enough problems with them that I wouldn't recommend either.

GoPros make terrible track car cameras.  I hate the batteries -- they don't last very long at all, and there's no way to tell if it's got enough juice for an entire session or not.  You have to remember to turn them on before you go to grid (can't access them while strapped into the car), so that's 10 minutes of wasted battery power every session.  You have to remember to turn them off when you come off track, or you waste even more power recording static shots of the paddock.  That's assuming you can get them to run at all (mine overheated a lot).  When you're all done you've got a video recorded with a lens angle that's too wide, so all of the interesting stuff is crushed into the middle of the screen where it's hard to see.  At the end of the day I was lucky if I got 2 sessions out of 5 recorded.

Phones also suffer from the battery problems, but at least they have external power inputs.  They do tend to produce images that wander around though, I think this is the image stabilization getting confused by the side gee loading of the car.  Overheating is more of a problem than it is with the GoPro, and they've still go the "can't reach them strapped in, and need to remember to turn on/off" problem.  The GPS in it is good enough for a basic lap time, but if you want to generate data like instantaneous speed then it's got a ton of lag.

What's your goal with the system?  Is it just to have something to remember the event and share on youtube, or are you going to try to use it to analyze and improve your driving?  If the latter, then I recommend saving the $200 and putting it towards something built specifically for that job, such as an AIM solo or possibly a Garmin Catalyst (no direct experience with those, but they seem to be popular)

Just saying, GoPros take external power just fine and the lens angle is adjustable. Forgetting to start/stop is a universal issue unless you have something linked to a data system (which gopros can do). I am thoroughly confused by gopro's choice to make a tiny electronic device intended for outdoor use all black though...like hey you know what's fun, let's make heat management more difficult than it needs to be for no good reason.

I have a GoPro 10 with extended life battery.  I used it to shoot video and gathered data from my AIM MXL2 dash, then put them together in RaceRender. I never had to rely on the native GoPro GPS data, but when I did pull it in with the software it was always nearly identical to the AIM GPS data. GoPro gets a lot of hate around here but I had good experiences with mine and think the data it provides would be more than adequate for coaching and skill development. 

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

I have a GoPro 10 with extended life battery.  I used it to shoot video and gathered data from my AIM MXL2 dash, then put them together in RaceRender. I never had to rely on the native GoPro GPS data, but when I did pull it in with the software it was always nearly identical to the AIM GPS data. GoPro gets a lot of hate around here but I had good experiences with mine and think the data it provides would be more than adequate for coaching and skill development. 

The gps on my gopro 8 is wildly unreliable, it does seems like the newer models are better though.

Dragy external GPS and a paired phone can work well. But it's buggy as hell. Which sucks. I keep hoping it'll get stable, but so far, works sometimes, other times doesn't. 

Spearfishin said:

Dragy external GPS and a paired phone can work well. But it's buggy as hell. Which sucks. I keep hoping it'll get stable, but so far, works sometimes, other times doesn't. 

Racebox mini is way better hardware for basically the same price and works great.

Choosing between an iPhone and a GoPro is like choosing between herpes or gonorrhea. Android devices are more affordable and work with more software options. Pick up an older Samsung Galaxy or Google phone, then you have GPS, G-meters, and data logging all in one package. I use a simple phone clamp, a suction cup.  

Link

LINK

The video is not rock solid, but good enough for what I want to do. I added a VeePeak OBDII unit for $20, a GPS receiver for $50, and have used an external mic and action camera, but found the hassle of those not worth it. 

Im just wanting something to remember the event, see my lines, post on youtube, get an idea of laptimes.

I dont need gforces or anything like that, but having a good idea of a laptime (to see if my driving is improving) and having the video to look back on is what Im seeking.

As far as using gopros, I have two currently, older models. One of which I can control from my phone very easily, including turning it off. I have had no issues with the app, but can say that Ive had battery issues in the past, just got to bring an extra battery with me (plus I always take an external battery pack for my cell and can recharge a battery if needed)

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

Are you recording the video in track addict?