camcorder with 1/100sec on screen timer and external trigger

Hi

if I start by explaining what we do, what we want to achieve, and why, hopefully it will help you clever bods come up with ideas of how to do.

What We Do

We race powerboats on lakes.
Each race lasts for 7 laps of the circuit. Lap times about 1 minute.
We get a 2 minute light to start of race.
After 2 mins the race is delared as started and the first boat can cross the start/finish line.
This start is usually a flying start with boats crossing the start line at upto 120mph.
The Race's are handicap races with faster boats starting at set times (handicap time) after race start.

What We Are Trying To Achieve

We need to set up a camcorder across the start/finish line.
We need on screen timing to 1/100th of a second.
We need to syncronise the timing to an external trigger. (switch or PC output)

Why

1. At the moment, we have no acurate way of checking whether a boat jumps their start time or not. A thumb on a stopwatch is not very accurate when timing boats at 120mph!
2. In the event of a "dead heat" finish, it is the opinion of the chaps on the stopwatches, who won!

Video recording with on screen timing and fast shutter speed would solve our problems.

Any ideas how we can do this??

Kev
www.hensonracing.com

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I don’t think a camcorder can do this – at least not at 1/100th of a second.

Camcorders will record and can display a timecode at the frame level – i.e. HH:MM:SS:FF where FF is the frame. But PAL camcorders shoot 25 frames per second max (NTSC ones 29.97). The only exception to that which I am aware of is a special “slow smooth record” on some Sony models which records 100 frames per second, but only for 12 seconds.

Faster shutter speed only helps with the picture being clearer with the fast motion; you can set a shutter speed of say 1/500th but you will still get 25 frames per second.

As for external trigger – some have a LANC input; this is a wired remote control; and you can buy a lanc remote. I believe it is possible to send the LANC commands from a PC though I’ve not done this.

If 1/25th of a second accuracy is good enough then I think a model with LANC input may work.
The Sony HC96 is a DV model with a LANC connection.