Portable, durable camera for gunsmithing/machining

[dakota.potts]

Anybody keep a camera around the shop? I'm wanting one I can mount up above me when working on guns to record video and picture of disassembly, modifications, etc and get footage for a "how to" style of video.

Also want something fairly rugged and mountable. Would be great to have one with a magnetic mount I could put on the back of a lathe to capture video of lathe work (say, crowning a muzzle or chambering a barrel) and not worry about oil, chips, etc disabling it. There is always the GoPro but it is very expensive.

Just curious if anybody uses one of these in the shop.

 

[Gunplummer]

That is a good idea. Not the "Watch me work" nonsense, but the parts disassembly. You take apart a dozen guns and let them lay a while and you soon forget a lot of it. It would save a lot of time.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I have used a pair of video sunglasses with the lenses removed.
In theory, this gives the same view that I see when working. I do keep a digital camera in the shop. It's handy for seeing where things were before you disassembled.

 

[dakota.potts]

I knew a guy in the class before me that carefully laid out each part after disassembly and took a picture in case one was lost. Video is just another step to help. I do like having reference video of doing other jobs to show people who are curious about the processes, hence wanting to be able to follow me for different tasks

 

[tangolima]

Just my phone.

-TL

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Pond James Pond]

You can get dash-cams with good sound and image quality yet are very small.

The only issue is perhaps the typically wide-angle.

 

[dakota.potts]

https://www.amazon.com/AKASO-EK7000...s/&slotNum=0&imprToken=0lzfTRlbwhwUHoHIrMsHsw

I have ended up ordering one of these with a magnetic mount. Will be good for disassembly, machine work, and even getting in a little play at the range. There are cheaper options available as well for anybody who wants one for personal use.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Most professional amateurs on the interwebs seem to end up with GoPros or custom-built cases to protect the camera, after they go through half a dozen or so around grinders, lathes, drill presses, mills, welders, and sanding/blasting dust.

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I run dash cameras in all of my vehicles, and usually test the cameras before mounting them. Typically, that means setting it up over my workbench while I'm working on a gun project.
With 160 to 170 degree lenses, it means that detail is lost if the camera isn't fairly close. But... if the camera could be mounted on something like a magnifier lamp over the work bench, or a wall behind the bench, it might work.

My primary work bench is 36" tall. When I hang a dash cam in the floor joists above it (roughly 50-55" above the bench), it's too far away to pick up important details unless the camera is very high quality and the video is viewed on a large TV (50+ inches). On the average computer monitor (or smaller device), the details still really be seen, even in 1920x1080 video.
The wide field of view is just too much of a handicap.

If you want some recommendations, I can give you some. But I don't think a dash camera would be the best option.
There are other cameras out there with similar features, but narrower fields of view, that should be better for the job -- and probably cheaper.

 

[michaeldarnold]

I'd check in at the local pawn shops and see if you can get a DSLR for cheap and then use it for video recording.

Your only limiting factor may be the age and storage capacity of older cameras, but the mountability of a real camera is second to none. The mounting lug is an industry standard. I think it is 1/4-20.

Plus you get the possibility of changing lenses to suit your needs.