looking for a zoom camera

[Michael_K]

I'm considering adding a camera with a zoom lens (to complement my regular system).
Does anyone make such a unit?
Also, is there a way to modify a lens to achieve this? (I'm good with tools and mechanical & electronic things, and I love to DIY stuff.) I'm thinking there is probably some place that sells retro-fit kits.

Bonus points if it also has an interior camera!

 

[Dashmellow]

You'd need a custom solution for a zoom camera.

See THIS thread for one possible approach using a Mobius camera. HERE is a similar thread using a different camera with the same zoom lens. You also might find THIS earlier IR zoom lens thread interesting and helpful as it includes info and discussion not seen in the other two. Later in the thread the zoom lens gets converted from IR to normal daylight.

 

[kamkar]

No one make one yet, but i think someone will down the road.
A "zoom" camera to compliment the regular system are one of the best things i have done in my car, and i have been driving with such a camera for a few years now.
But for now you will have to get a camera and put on your own aftermarket lens, personally i feel 8 - 12 mm are the sweet spot, a few of the guys have been playing with varifocal zoom lenses ( 8 - 22 mm or something like that )
One thing you got to have in mind using a "big" heavy lens like that is it cant be used successful in a wedge camera that are near to the car glass, most of us have been experimenting on mobius cameras and similar.

All dashcams use the same M12 fine thred lenses also used a lot in CCTV cameras, but CCTV cameras often font have a IR cut filter, but you can often get seller to out one on for you or you can do it yourself.
There are a range of places to buy after market lenses for action cameras that also use the same 12 mm screw in lenses. those will of course all have IR filter installed.
Some of the guys in here have also sourced a new lens on aliexpress and places like that.
Be mindfull not to buy a lens for analog cameras, you need one that support 2-3 megapixel sensor or larger pixel count.

 

[jokiin]

Lukas made with with electronic zoom, not sure if they still make them, in practice it didn't really work that well

 

[Dashmellow]

@Michael_K, as you've been hearing, some of us have done a lot of experimenting with aftermarket zoom and fixed focal length primary telephoto lenses in certain cameras. In fact, there are some other threads here worth looking at that if you want to experiment with a DIY solution. There's a good thread dedicated to telephoto lenses (not zooms) used in the Mobius 1, and there a few other threads to look at that I can't recall at the the moment. @TonyM has done a lot of good experimentation as has @Harsh and a couple of other guys. Tony and Harsh have probably presented more documentation of their efforts than some of the others which is one reason for me mentioning them. (EDIT: except I see that many of Tony's original images are no longer there.)

Even though there are currently no viable dual lens normal/telephoto cameras on the market at the moment, it is something that wouldn't be too hard to accomplish now that we have many dual channel remote lens dash cams appearing for sale. A creative manufacturer could use the same dual channel DSP with two front facing lenses within the same housing rather that having one or more lens modules on remote cables. My guess is that if anyone is going to do it it will be @viofo or @gitup. (same group of guys). They are one of the more innovative camera makers present on this board and they like to try new things and push the envelope. That's how we got the Gitup F1 and the original Gitup GoPro style cams with interesting features like external microphones, remote lenses and other unique features.

 

[TonyM]

(EDIT: except I see that many of Tony's original images are no longer there.)

I deleted my YouTube account and closed my Imgur account sometime last year so I'm sorry that most of my visual media has been lost.

 

[Dashmellow]

I deleted my YouTube account and closed my Imgur account sometime last year so I'm sorry that most of my visual media has been lost.

A terrible loss for dash cam kind. Oh Well.......

 

[TonyM]

A terrible loss for dash cam kind. Oh Well.......

I've recovered 223 video files and 404 photos from my recycle bin. I'll try to replace some of the lost media over the next few weeks. I'll write later about what happened...