In car video camera

I use a GoPro for all my videos (also for water sport), imo the best solution with all the available add-ons.
Have fun!

 

I use V.360 from VSN Mobil. It captures front/rear/sides 360 degrees with a single small camera. Very cool to see the road and the passenger reactions at the same time.

 

Here is where I mounted my GoPro Hero3. Suction cup mount. I think this gave a great perspective and shows the car in it as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVYUqpw6LPg

 

Gopro with the gopro suction cup mount is extremely versatile. Can attach it outside the car as well. I had it rigged up to the front tow hook recently... Which was pretty neat.

 

I would buy the newest one, the Hero 4 Silver Edition. IMO this model offers the best value for money. The additional ultra-HD-modus from the Black Edition seems superfluous to me.

 

For the GoPro cameras the pecking order is White, Silver, Black. (White having the least capabilities.) In general, going up in "color" gets you higher recording resolution with faster frame rates. My Hero 3 White camera, for example, will record 1080p at 30 frames per second. The Silver will record 1080p at 60 frames per second. The extra frames per second isn't that noticeable when watching the videos on your TV or computer, but they do give you more opportunities when editing the video -- you can add (better looking) slow motion effects, for example.

Since it sounds like you are just starting out with a "sports/activity" camera, then I recommend going cheap(ish). Refurbished Hero 3 White's go for $150 (from GoPro). That's what I bought and it looks (and acts) brand new. If you end up loving the technology, then you can always sell the White and upgrade to a Hero 4 Silver or Black. (You can sell the Hero 3 or use it to capture video from two perspectives...) Keep in mind that you'll need to buy mounts and accessories. These aren't cheap. You probably don't want to sink $1000+ into the camera setup only to find yourself shooting one or two videos...

Speaking of expense... Here's an idea, based upon my experience.
Refurbished Go Pro Hero 3 White : $170 with tax
Open Back Case so that I can use an external microphone: $30
External Microphone: $30
Suction Cup Mount: $50 (buy a good one!)
Second battery: $17

Total Price: $290, and I went with the cheapest camera option!

 

If money is no issue, Sony offers significant versatility in picture and sound quality.

 

While Windows Movie Maker is free, it doesn't have a lot of functionality.

I've always loved Sony Vegas, but it's not particularly cheap. However, Sony also sells video editing software called Movie Studio that's aimed at the home user, it has fewer features than Vegas, but nothing you're going to miss. You can still do very complex compositing, unlimited effects chains etc. I believe you also have unlimited video and audio channels as well, if they're not unlimited then the maximum is more than I've ever needed.

The previous version of Movie Studio (V12) is only twenty-four bucks, or you can buy the suite that includes DVD authoring and audio editing tools for just a little more.


Amazon.com: Sony Movie Studio Platinum 12: Software

Amazon.com: Sony Movie Studio Platinum Suite 12: Software