Getting the challenger ready for it's first track outing, and was thinking I would like some video for posterity's sake, so any suggestions on a grassroots(cheap, preferably DIY) style camera mount? I was thinking about a harbor freight "dent puller" suction cup with a piece of all thread through the fixed handle for the mount, but I'm worried about vibration. Thoughts?
Thanks Gene
I took a regular camera tripod, retracted it as short as it would go, and bungee-corded it to the passenger headrest. Most tripods come with a swivel mount for aiming it out of the windsheild. I removed the rear veiw mirror for a better veiw. It wasn't pretty, but it stayed put; the only movement was when the empty seat would tilt forward an inch or so during braking. Wind noise was pretty loud with the windows down. Other than that it worked just fine.
Not very cheap, but very versatile and strong - I bought these three items and have used them with some fairly heavy cameras mounted to the rollbar. It's easy to mount them to other spots also.
Manfrotto 484 Mini Ball Head http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFIYOO/
Manfrotto 088LBP Adapter 1/4-Inch- 20 to 3/8-Inch with flange http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZUSUE
Bogen - Manfrotto Super Clamp with Standard Stud http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009R6BK
I made this for my Accord. It worked well, and cost under $10. The only modification needed for the car is to remove the mirror (temporarily), which I do anyway.
The pic does not show the vertical adjuster, which is just a 3/8" wing bolt, with a coupling nut welded to the bar stock vertically under the hinge. Hook the bungees to anything solid, I used my seat rails.
The only installed pic I have. On mine I tried to make the bar clamp on to the headrest posts, it didn't really work, and wasn't needed.
Example video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOc5N0bYiis
I made one that attaches to the roll bar in the Miata with some scrap from the garage. I've only tried it out once so far, but it worked well.
Here's a video of the test run.
^^^Cool video! That camera mount works great.
During Lemons, Murilee bolted a right angle home depot style bracket to our C pillar, drilled two holes in it and used zip ties. It worked great - that's where the picture of Mike leaving the burning car came from.
No affiliation - www.ram-mount.com
I got one of these for my Flip with magnetic and suction cup bases. I have nothing but good things to day about it. Relatively cheap, too - you can buy the complete kits, or individual bits and pieces, so I basically bought one complete mount plus the additional base.
Here are some examples of the neat angles I've gotten with this setup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JktpDGgUkj8
Here is a pic of one I made. Some square aluminum tube, some J-bolts, and the head off a monopod I had.
By make slots in the tube for the J-bolts I was able to have it fit a number of different cars.
I also have a bunch of suction cups, etc that I use for camera mounting but the home made one is the one I use the most.
NICE...Thanks guys!
modernbeat wrote:Not very cheap, but very versatile and strong - I bought these three items and have used them with some fairly heavy cameras mounted to the rollbar. It's easy to mount them to other spots also.
Manfrotto 484 Mini Ball Head http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFIYOO/
Manfrotto 088LBP Adapter 1/4-Inch- 20 to 3/8-Inch with flange http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZUSUE
Bogen - Manfrotto Super Clamp with Standard Stud http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009R6BK
cool idea, but for the total price, another $10 could have bought you a roll bar mount.
Opus wrote:modernbeat wrote:Not very cheap, but very versatile and strong - I bought these three items and have used them with some fairly heavy cameras mounted to the rollbar. It's easy to mount them to other spots also.
Manfrotto 484 Mini Ball Head http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFIYOO/
Manfrotto 088LBP Adapter 1/4-Inch- 20 to 3/8-Inch with flange http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZUSUE
Bogen - Manfrotto Super Clamp with Standard Stud http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009R6BK
cool idea, but for the total price, another $10 could have bought you a roll bar mount.
But the rollbar mount can't be repositioned, or moved to another car easily. FWIW, when we put the cage in the SAAB, we did contemplate welding in some tabs to be used as camera mounts. Then all we would have to use is the ball-head to position the camera.
modernbeat wrote:Opus wrote:modernbeat wrote:Not very cheap, but very versatile and strong - I bought these three items and have used them with some fairly heavy cameras mounted to the rollbar. It's easy to mount them to other spots also.
Manfrotto 484 Mini Ball Head http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFIYOO/
Manfrotto 088LBP Adapter 1/4-Inch- 20 to 3/8-Inch with flange http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZUSUE
Bogen - Manfrotto Super Clamp with Standard Stud http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009R6BK
cool idea, but for the total price, another $10 could have bought you a roll bar mount.
But the rollbar mount can't be repositioned, or moved to another car easily. FWIW, when we put the cage in the SAAB, we did contemplate welding in some tabs to be used as camera mounts. Then all we would have to use is the ball-head to position the camera.
good point. I have the same idea, but thought it could be too low.
I experimented with several different cam mounts when i was building car cams for people. i got the best results using over sized suction cup radar detector mounts. by reconfiguring the articulating hinges, i could get just about any common view. but the cams were chip ccd's, in custom made shock proofed boxes so very little weight. most cameras out now are much more vibration resistant than the ones im used to playing with, and in cam stabilization control is a wonderful thing! If its hard mounted, make sure you use thick rubber or neoprene washers at all the contact points to damp the shakies...
