Looking for a easy to use and rather inexpensive system for mounting a video camera or photo camera to my canoe or bicycle. It would be nice to be able to use this to pivot and lock on a angle or view. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks.
easy
– Last Updated: Feb-01-10 4:56 AM EST –
for a bike you could pick up a $2 handlebar mounted reflector and drill out the bolt hole and insert a 1/4 bolt that you could screw into the tripod mount of the camera. Simple. Cheap. Easy. camera can be pointed in any direction.
The canoe aint as easy. I have used a goofy looking suction cup pvc pipe mast thing stuck to the floor that rises high enough to get a decent view. I just drilled a small hole through the pvc to insert a 1/4 bolt to mount the camera to. For the gopro I just use small strips of duct tape. Takes two seconds to attach and remove. It may be easier to make up clamp that attaches to the gunwale but I always worry about what may happen to the boat in a capsize. Hate to damage the boat in any way. The pvc mast collapses on impact. I originally made the camera mast to be mounted on the rear deck of my kayak but works equally well stuck to the hull of my canoe.
I mounted a rod holder on the alu round
thwart in front of my solo seat for rods or 360 night nav “C” light on a bit of pvc pipe with crutch tip at base. Atwood/Scotty plastic one with mount for 1" rails. May make another bit of pvc with an end cap and camera sized ss bolt for my camera. Rod holder is adjustable both L&R and up&down angle. Just thoughts. R
And at the other end
of the price spectrum there is this site:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/index.html
It is always nice to dream.
Jim
Ouch! $500 ballheads. $1300 tripods
– Last Updated: Jan-31-10 5:59 PM EST –
Nice stuff. Spend it if you got it I guess. I feel ripped off having to spend a couple bucks on a reflector. :)
Here’s one idea
– Last Updated: Jan-31-10 8:12 PM EST –
I made a mount that grips the gunwales of my guide-boat, and a similar thing could be built for nearly any canoe. It's just a piece of plywood with an "edge-gripper" on each side, and those edge-grippers match the tapering shape of the the two gunwales. When set on the deck piece and pushed into place, it just grabs the gunwales and there you go. All you need then is a string to keep it pulled against the tapered shape of the boat (you slide it toward the end of the boat to unhook it). I have a mini-tripod attached to that plywood mounting mounting bracket, and the mini-tripod allows setting the camera at any angle you wish.
This picture shows the camera's waterproof box mounted on the boat, but of course that shows how the camera would look too.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2265177390052885347NtqpYp
Ignore that blue-and-white rope in the photo. That just happens to be there, laying across the camera mounting bracket. That red parachute cord is what is keeping the bracket in its gunwale-gripping location.
For mounting a camera on a bike, canoe, or anthing else, I'd recommend that you FIRST get yourself an extremely compact tripod (or simply buy the pivoting head of a Bogen tripod, since for that brand, the head and tripod are sold separately). That way you don't need to build the part that "aims the camera". Making a method of attaching that tripod head or mini-tripod to something else is the easy part, since it need not be fancy.
Didn’t mean to cause a heart attacj
– Last Updated: Feb-01-10 8:01 AM EST –
Scott!
Just wanted to show the high end.
A great prooduct, secure, stable and versitile is the Ultrapod. I believe you can have any model for less than $20 and they can be had at REI and many photo stores.
http://www.pedcopods.com/
Jim
Edit" Ummmmmm.....that would be attack.
Sticky Pod!
Try one of these. I am getting ready to rig my kayak up with one of them…
http://www.stickypod.com/osc/
Scott
Anybody tried Loc-Line?
How about this stuff? It’s flexible tubing links, but it’s quite stiff. I think a small camera might even stay in place through a roll.
It’s the stuff holding cameras in peoples faces on reality shows like Fear Factor or American Gladiator.
http://www.modularhose.com/Loc-Line-34-System/34-all-parts/90650
You could put an NPT adaptor on the end to mount it to a deck fitting or a suction mount or whatever works for your application. And put a 1/4" stainless bolt on the other end with a plate adaptor.
It’s about $10/foot, so cost will depend on how high you want it. For kayaking, I think the best shots require a 2 foot high over-the-shoulder sort of perspective, or looking back at the paddler. Either way, if it’s lower I think you don’t get a good feel for what’s going on.
Ram mount
You will need a vacuum cup base for the deck, a 2" or so arm, and a ball to screw into the camera. You can get a ball with U bracket for bike/motorcycle handlebar.
For $10
You can get one of the smaller Giotto camera ballheads. The one I have is I think 2oz or so - tiny but strong enough for a full-size SLR with any Consumer-grade" lens on it (e.g D200 Nikon w/ 70-300mm locks-in just fine in any orientation). Tey are all aluminum it appears so won’t rust. That mounts directly to standard tripod mount thread on almost any camera/camcorder. To the bike or boat you need to use the correct size bolt that screws to the bottom of the ballhead, just like a tripod base would have.
Or you can instead of or in addition to the ballhead use a Gorilla Pod - look them-up. They come in sizes, are all plastic, and can wrap around just about anything.
camera mount
I use a suction cup mount from ebay. Not sure it would work on a bike. They run under $10 with shipping and securely attach to my kayak deck. To be on the safe side, I run a tether to it, but the suction cup has not failed yet.