Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: Danneaux on January 28, 2012, 11:36:47 pm
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Hi All,
There are just not enough hours in the day. Machined and then brazed a couple cable stops on my custom Folder this morning, did a 5-mile walk, rode the bike, did some work on the computer, then turned my thoughts to another project I'm working on...
I've been working for some time to develop a high-angle camera placement so I can capture "elevated video" of myself and Sherpa touring solo. Some shots are just more interesting when there is a person in them to set a context. Since I'm solo, I've got to capture myself. So far, I haven't had much luck making what I need, and barely saved myself from myself this morning when I somehow managed to avoid affixing my Rowi camera clamp and camera to my Click-stand (an Expensive Bad Idea). I also managed to restrain myself from doing the same with my Zefal HPX pump, clamp, and camera.
I'm as disappointed in my restraint as I am proud of my maturity. :-\
I am trying to accomplish something like the videos below, where the camera is mounted on a trekking pole and gives a high-angle perspective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWtoMVtWpLc <-- Start at the 3-minute mark.
...and...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TlmyrKpz_g&feature=related
Unfortunately, I don't have a carbon-fiber trekking pole or a place to store one. I think it would be possible to ride with one, perhaps with the lower end socketed in one of my steerer-mounted bottle cages.
Currently, I capture on-board HD video by clamping the Rowi to my Thorn Low-Loader Mark V and affixing the camera to that. Gives a nice, sweeping view, but it may as well be taken from a car; there's no rider. I've sometimes held the camera in my hand and aimed it back at me. Even while moving, it is not quite what I want to portray (see attached jpeg vid capture from the 720 video). Besides, I'm riding with just one hand. A GoPro Hero mounting kit might help, but I'm trying to hold my costs down; I got paid for an article today, but I think its destined for a take-along netbook. I don't want to sell more stuff to afford this mount. The GoPro itself doesn't have the optics of my Leica lens, so I'd like to stay with what I have for that reason, too.
Ideas? Suggestions? What I need should be rigid, lightweight, and stowable. It needn't have a mount of its own so long as I can use my Rowi camera clamp with tilt-ball head.
Thanks in advance!
Best,
Dan.
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Dear Dan,
Can't something be fashioned to fit on the end of the click stand? How many jobs will it then be doing? Tarp supporting, clothes line hanging, bike standing, bear jousting...
Yours, James
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Dan i seen on bikeforum .net a while back a young canadian film maker touring canada (obviously) ;D
anyway he rigged up a boom at the front of the bike, i didnt see the end result but it must have worked because he made a full lenght film on his tour.
sorry buddy you will have to do your own searching i would have no idea how to go about that task.
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Maybe some kind of tent pole... ought to be lighter weight than a trekking pole. A challenge though will be the camera bouncing around. Maybe a pole coming up at like 45 degree elevation out to the front of the bike from a front dropout, and then two guy wires coming from the ends of the handlebars. The weight of the camera would tension the guy wires.
Here are some poles: http://www.fibraplex.com/tentpoles.htm (http://www.fibraplex.com/tentpoles.htm)
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Jimmer, jags, and Jim K --
Thank you all for some really innovative suggestions and some leads for me to follow-up on; this is really outstandingly good, and I appreciate your efforts greatly.
I had to be out of town today, so I am playing a bit of catch-up; I'm going to sit down later this evening and work on drafting some possible solutions using each of your suggestions.
James -- Love the idea of making the Click-Stand useful for yet another purpose; it would be great to avoid taking yet more on the Heaviest Sherpa (mine!). If we can keep the bear-jousting capability...well, that's essential, don't you think? :D In some preliminary trials, I found the Click-Stand's multiple segments meant an object on the end could rotate around instead of staying upright. Still, there must be a solution, so I'll look at it again with fresh eyes.
jags -- I like your approach as well! Yes, what I am trying to do is to get the camera out of my hand and myself into the frame, so to speak, so the video I take will have more of a human element. I am a little leery or trying to ride more on really bad roads (or worse, downhill at 73kph/45mph+) trying to balance the camera and brake with one hand. It would probably make great YoouTube footage, but I really don't want to be star of crash footage! A high-angle viewpoint would be terrific with a wide-angle lens so I could capture the bike and myself actually traversing the countryside, along the lines of the hiker in the video link I posted. Thanks for the lead...I'll chase down that video. You've jogged my memory and I can almost remember seeing video like that now you mention it. I'll start the search...
Jim -- You already knew carbon-fiber would appeal, didn't you? ;) I think you're onto something with a virtual tripod mount, say the pole and the two guylines as you suggested. If it could be quickly demountable that would be even better. Perhaps something could be rigged to a second Thorn Accessory T-bar mount serving as an upper anchor. I have some Spectra line as well -- it is extremely light and tough, and it can be tensioned using micro-cordlocks snagging on knots in the line.
Boy, this is neat; the power of a Forum at work. Thanks again, guys, and keep the suggestions coming; they're all good!
Best,
Dan.
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Brilliant memory, jags! I think the video you remembered is here: http://vimeo.com/3451015
This fellow made a framework he mounted to the side of his bicycle and used that to film himself as he rode along. I will need to watch it several more times so I can figure out what he did with it when he wasn't using it. It is extremely innovative, but also quite a bit larger and heavier than what I have in mind. It surely made the videos more interesting, which is what I am seeking.
Of course, I could solve my filming problems by riding with a partner instead of solo. Lacking that, I'd still like a suitable mount.
I'm now thinking I could quickly fab and braze an anchor that would attach under the 4 bolts on the present stem clamp and use that as an anchor for a telescoping pole mount, using Spectra guylines in a plan similar to what JimK proposed.
While looking for the video jags remembered, I came across this: http://travellingtwo.com/7354 , including an embedded link titled, "How to make a cycling expedition film if you are both the cameraman and the presenter": http://vimeo.com/groups/wereldfietser/videos/2436036 Some really thought-provoking ideas there.
Best,
Dan.
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hope it works out Dan i'll view those videos later just off to get a few miles in, i need the training for my tour around my little part of the world come May around 600 miles . ;)
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say Dan are you any nearer a tour these days.i'm dead anxious to see your camping set up if its as good as your sherpa it will a sight to behold. 8) do you when camping try and keep thing as light as possible and have you a fool proof way of packing your panniers.
myself i just use the rear panniere ortlieb bikepacker plus and use exped dry coloured drybags to keep things in order , not much of a weight penalty.my tent lives on top of the rear rack as does my three legged stool and crocks.
anyway dan dont forget to post a photo of your camping set up in your own time.
cheers
jags.
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Hi jags,
Oh, how I wish I was on-tour right now! However, I have to wait for a bit due to the weather and work obligations. As an independent contractor I can arrange my schedule to a degree, but have to make solid plans in advance if I'll be gone awhile. I'll post piccies as soon as I can get out and about for some overnighters. I've got some new equipment I'm dying to try out on an extended touring basis (one-man tent instead of my old Gore-Tex bivy, Click-Stand pressed into other service, etc).
I have some pics on the Forum of my old bivy setup here with the Miyata: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1659.msg16984#msg16984
You can read all about how I pack my Ortliebs and see pictures and a list here: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1659.msg16920#msg16920
Some of my homemade camping bits and bobs and my Pocket Kitchen are pictured here: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3850.0
As for ultralight...well, I like lightweight stuff, but it has to be durable over the long-term when I am away from replacements, so that often dictates it be a bit heavier. I have tried the cuben-fiber stuff and silnylon, and found each wanting in some way and somewhat fragile over long-term, extended use. My Ortliebs weigh more than my previous panniers, and my Sherpa is a good 8lbs/3.6kg heavier than the Miyata, but that's okay. Sherpa handles weight (mostly food and water) that made the Miayata's knees buckle but is necessary for my extended, solo, self-supported desert tours. I still have the Centurion and old panniers for lighter tours if I wish. My new tent weighs a half-kg more than the old bivy, but I can actually sit up at the waist in it, and have the option of using it as a mesh bug-tent if I don't pitch the fly. That'll be nice on warm, buggy nights, so it is worth the extra 500g to me.
I don't really have anyone to come get me if something goes wrong midway in a 400km day ride that includes mountainous fire roads beyond phone range, so I am beginning to put together a more comprehensive emergency-overnight kit so I can at least get some warm, reasonably dry sleep if I need to; that kit is ultralight. I'll include my Pocket Kitchen (alu cups, meths stove and Reflectix freezer-bag cozy) and a few packets of dehydrated soup, some energy bars, an aluminized mylar emergency bag, and something to serve as a thermal break between me and the cold ground.
I'll get some pics up as soon as I can.
Wish you lived nearby so we could ride and chat at greater length about equipment, bikes, and touring. I'd really like to see your Sherpa, too!
Best,
Dan.
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thanks for that dan have a look at those links later ;)
if you fancy poping over to ireland in may you can tour with us you would be more than welcome buddy.
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jags,
If only I could! There'd be fun-and-a-half to go 'round, that's for sure, and I really appreciate the invitation. Can you tell us more about your upcoming tour plans? Of course, we'll need pictures and a ride report on your return.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi All,
I spent a bit of time today playing with various means of positioning the camera on Sherpa to see what might best meet my needs. I think a location ahead of the stem and with a pan-ball-tilt mount would do best. Ideal would be something that already used my Rowi clamp mount, which usually resides on the Thorn front rack for "tracking" shots (see attached video still from a recent trip). Now I have a better idea where I would like it, I can begin thinking about how to build it. A wide-angle lens gives some apparent vibration dampening, but I almost need something that is counter-weighted like a small SteadiCam. It is amazingly difficult to engineer a design that works as well as the outstretched human arm!
Ideas always welcome!
Best,
Dan.
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dan have you looked at a painters sanding pad with universal joint, basically a flat pad that you attach sand paper to but it has a universal joint and a screw on attachment for extension pole , simple enough but it might just work.
great photo btw.
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Brilliant idea, jags. You do realize that within 90 minutes of your post, there is no longer an intact painter's pad in Danneaux's residence or garage? They've all given their lives in pursuit of the Cause. :D
The hardware stores open in 8 more minutes.
Gettin' there...
Best,
Dan.
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;D ;D good excuse not to paint the house, hope it works out keep it simple as the man said. ;)
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Getting closer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1rlZWkF22Y&feature=related
Now, do I want to put my really good camera on one of these, or would I be better off using a ruggedized POV cam like the GoPRo Hero2? See: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4117.0
Best,
Dan.
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I have a cheap Kodak ZX1 sports camera that is permanently mounted on the bike, not taken off when I leave the bike parked. I reckon it is so cheap, if it is stolen, I won't cry too hard. But the problem was always how to hold it still enough to take a decent picture. The solution turned out to be a Gorilla Pod tripod I bought on impulse at Lidl for about ten or twelve Euro, on the net for less. It has three bendy legs with rubber bobbles and at the top a quickly removable camera mount which you carry away mounted to the camera so that on your return the camera's angle of vision is maintained. I've mounted it to the handlebars and stem (you need three points or two with one of them somehow braced), to the rack, to a telescopic cross country walking stick (with the strap used as the brace!), to my ankle, etc. Best camera mount I ever had on my bike, or anywhere for that matter. Not overly durable, at least in the version I have, as one of the rubbers is already split, but I don't care. I'll buy a good one to replace my cheap copy when it lies down and dies.
Andre Jute
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Thanks very much, Andre; good suggestions all.
I wonder if an inverted Gorilla mount might just fill the bill for an extended-pole high-angle mount. If the threaded portion could engage the pole mount, then the three "arms" could be configured to cradle and hold the camera? Thinking out loud, but there are some intriguing possibilities here.
Man, I so often wish Forum members were real neighbors instead of virtual ones. It would be so nice to see Forum members' wonderful bicycles firsthand and have a verbal chat rather than this adaptation of telegraphy. Ah, well, the Forum will have to do.
Good idea about using a "sacrificial" camera, Andre. The consequences are so much less if disaster strikes -- as it inevitably will, in this application.
Keep the ideas coming; all are welcome!
Best,
Dan.
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I wonder if an inverted Gorilla mount might just fill the bill for an extended-pole high-angle mount. If the threaded portion could engage the pole mount, then the three "arms" could be configured to cradle and hold the camera? Thinking out loud, but there are some intriguing possibilities here.
You'd better wait until you see the Gorilla Pod and can study the quick release, which is a little rectangular brick of plastic with a tripod fitting to attach to the camera. It sits inside a rectangular hole at the top of the gorilla pod and is released from it by two pushbuttons on the short ends. The bendy legs are quite long and will hold any camera you could contemplate bike-touring with securely at any angle you want. But whether I would trust my camera to the upside down quick release clip would depend on how heavy the camera is. I'm happy to trust any of my cameras to the thing in its normal upright orientation, because in that position it is largely failsafe unless you hit a really huge bump (and I routinely have quite a few large impacts through substantial potholes and have never had the camera pop off, though I tie the camera lanyard in failsafe mode too, just for belt and braces). If your pole has a lanyard, it doesn't matter that it is round and slippery. Two of the gorilla legs go around the pole, and the third one straight-arms the pole's lanyard, and with a bit of fiddling you can get a stable fit. Or you can tie one of the legs to the pole with tie wrap and just wrap the other two around the pole. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get a good steady position. (Not firm, as the point of the gorilla is the rubber around the legs absorbing road vibrations, so that the camera, instead of having jitters that make the film unusable, seems to be on a vehicle which sways gently.)
Andre Jute
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Hi All!
I do have an update on the high-angle vidcam-mount saga.
I thought I had found the solution in either a Contour or XShot/XShot 2.0 monopod/extender ( http://xshot.com/ , http://xshot.com/products/xshot-2 ).
These things are small, light, sturdy, and ideal, even having a wrist strap that can be removed, revealing a threaded female mount compatible with my Rowi camera clamp or a standard tripod mount. The original plan was to clamp my Rowi camera clamp (with its very nice and sturdy tilt-ball head) to wherever I desired on the bike, then fit the extender to it and fasten the camera to the end. Boom; done deal.
Not.
The trouble is (and there's always something, it seems) is these extenders have nothing to prevent rotational movement. Their shafts are simple telescoping sleeves and over time, they loosen to the point where they don't have much rotational resistance. The camera mounts are off-center and when you put a camera on one that has been used awhile and subject it to vibration, the camera tends to "clock" around the shaft. While this gives some really interesting and creative camera angles, I've generally had greater success when I control the process. I really think these things would be great for occasional handheld use.However, in this application where they don't work well, and the rotational thing becomes a big issue over time. A GoPro Hero2 camera in its waterproof case is a surprisingly heavy thing. 9.4oz/270g on my little scale with its LCD back and the larger case-back needed to accommodate the add-on screen. More than enough weight to wind up upside-down at the end of a POV (Point-Of-View camera) extender.
So.
The next plan is to go for a monopod instead. A monopod is like a tripod, but with only one leg. It provides a steadier perch for your camera than hand-holding, and/or may provide a bit more vertical reach for taking shots above the heads of a crowd. Monopods are (or can be) cheap, as little as USD$15 with free shipping on eBay for ones I've already checked out as reliable enough to use. They come in sleeved round or oval stock in various end diameters, and -- most importantly! -- have cam-lock clamps to keep the extended pole steady and prevent rotation as well. most that extend to 67in/1.7m collapse to only 21in/~53cm, ideal for carry with my rack-top drysack of about the same length/width. Cool.
The trouble (of course there's trouble!) is what makes a monopod perfect as a monopod makes it imperfect for my use. The big end is at the top, and ends in a male fitting for the camera's tripod socket. I need a female fitting there to attach to my Rowi camera clamp. The solution is a double-ended coupler nut, which I can even make from aluminum hex stock I can thread myself.
The other problems are a bit more difficult to overcome, but manageable. The little end of the monopod is at the bottom, where I'd like to attach my camera. Unfortunately, the bottom ends of monopods end in a) a rubber foot, b) a pointy spike, or c) a little lever so you can stand on it to steady the whole works. None comprises a mount for a camera.
The solution to that seems to be a GoPro or Contour bike handlebar mount, provided I can get a monopod with the proper diameter to fit the mount well.
So, the setup would be:
1) Rowi camera clamp attached in one of a variety of places on the bike.
2) threaded onto that via a coupler nut is a monopod of varying length, with locking sections to prevent collapse/rotation.
3) Bike adapter for camera attached to end of monopod.
4) depending on location, monopod would be stabilized by Spectra cord or Kevlar cord guys ending in locking nylon clips (I have just made some up; look good and viable for the task). The weight of the camera/monopod assembly would be partially suspended by the Spectra/Kevlar guys and anchored with the solid clamp.
I have already tried the GoPro helmet j-hook extension to see what luck I might have with that. Not so much. There is (as expected) an extreme amount of fish-eye distortion. Besides, adding another 9 ounces to a stick on my helmet is not very comfortable, especially when riding on rough roads, so that idea is out. There is another issue with that, and it is a little disorienting for the viewer: The head and helmet appear to remain stationary while the rest of the world rotates around them. Kind of an anti-Copernican view of the universe on a small scale.
More later as trials continue. There are also some unexpected but related issues with the GoPro Hero 2 camera that I'll be covering in this thread: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4117.msg19982;topicseen#msg19982
By the way, I have now tried a variety of lesser vidcams with removable or built-in flash storage and found -- despite ratings for sports use and the implications of ruggedized cases for water- and dust resistance -- they do not work worth beans for tracking and recording smooth motion when they are also in motion. For holding still and maybe slowly panning off the bike, they're fine. For capturing passing motion while on the bike...no. Their processors and write speeds are too slow to capture smooth motion, especially with built-in memory. I have also come to the reluctant conclusion that for capturing smooth video on flash (SD cards, in my case), there really is a difference when it comes to a card's rated speed. Even if a device (say, the Go Pro Hero2) is rated to use Class 6 cards, you will get fewer artifacts (mosiacs, green-screening) at the margins with a Class 10 card. If you shop carefully, good ones are pretty cheap. I just got a Class 10 32GB SDHC card for USD$19. Beware of the ones you see too cheap on eBay, as the ratings are often optimistic or outright wrong (to the point of being mislabeled) in my own write-speed testing.
Best,
Dan.
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Hi All!
It has been awhile since I updated this topic, though I've been working on the problem from time to time since the last post.
I've made some progress and today uploaded my first and second attempts recording video with my latest camera extender on a Tour de Neighborhood, traveling the streets near my home between rainstorms on a lovely Spring day. My blue rando bike stood in for my Nomad for these. You can see the videos on my YouTube channel here:
First try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clzgTbvMmTw
Second try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDnXAS318lg
The real trick was to damp vibration so the results resemble what one might achieve with a steadycam.
Unfortunately, this latest prototype is a bit too heavy and large for my touring needs.
More details later; I'm developing my extender further to work with a variety of cameras, and it should reduce the stored size to about 14in/35.6cm and weight to less than a pound/~400g overall, much more manageable for touring.
Best,
Dan. (...who is still trying to figure out the lump above his left ankle at 1:02 in Video 1)
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How about a drone? http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/25/this-50-mini-quadrotor-drone-camera-will-follow-you-around-and-help-you-take-better-selfies/
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Aww, Rual. I'd dearly love a drone!
Unfortunately, they require a smartphone to operate (provides the control app, streaming, and the video monitor), which I don't have. Though still in development, the MeCam you linked to even allows for voice commands and has a "follow me" option, using the phone only for streaming.
The good news is, my current mount cost only USD$10, so I have a bit of room to refine the design for Mk2.
Man, I do like that drone idea, though. I've long followed their progress and looked at them. What a nifty solution!
All the best,
Dan.
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Hi Dan,
I have not readed all the postings from the start of this thread? But is this more the thing you are after?
http://xshot.com/ (http://xshot.com/)
Have fun and be safe ;)
Pete
8)
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you might also be interested in the following podcast about how to video yourself in a sea kayak
http://www.seakayakpodcasts.com/Stuff.html link in the bottom of the middle column or direct link here (http://traffic.libsyn.com/seakayakpodcasts/Curgenven.mp3)
as similar obstacles need to be overcome
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Hi Pete! Hi Ewan!
Thanks so much for your suggestions, fellows; greatly appreciated.
Pete, I though the XShot would be just the ticket, but the telescoping sections don't lock, and several people I've talked to have found that over time with use and wear, the weight of the camera will rotate it around the end of the pole and there's no handy way to tighten the sections. When I learned that, I moved toward either twist-lock or cam-lock extensions that stay in alignment.
I had so hoped my Tamrac ZipShot bungee cord and tent pole tripod ( http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=6307.0 ) would serve double-duty as an extender, but it won't (not past the first section) as the segments also rotate and the camera goes inverted. Given I have to take two gadgets (tripod and extender/monopod), I'm trying to get the pair as compact and light as possible while keeping each stiff enough to properly steady the camera. This has been really frustrating, probably the biggest problem after damping vibration. If weight and bulk weren't problems, it would be easy to make something sturdy. When the construction gets too lightweight, it tends to want to shake at extended lengths -- and I do have to extend it quite a lot to get most of me and the bike in the photo. I think if I aimed the camera down a bit in the second YouTube example, I would have gotten less sky and more bike/me.
Ewan...I need a sea kayak to match my canoe! Wonderful podcasts you linked to; combining the ideas of Justine Curgenven and Dr Douglas Wilcox with the XShot Kayak Mount ( http://secure.ultracart.com/cgi-bin/UCEditor?merchantId=XSHOT&ADD=XSKM&QUANTITY=1 ), I'd be close to my goals. The trouble is, there's not a lot of flat sections to fasten such things to...or a lot of round tubing to do the same while still clearing bags and such. As mentioned earlier in the thread, this fellow had a clever implementation http://vimeo.com/3451015 which I can't imagine for my needs. The boom looks to be a semi-permanent fixture that would not be well-suited to narrow passages between trees and the like. Top marks for innovation, though.
One thing I'm finding that surprised me: If the GoPro is solidly mounted and subjected to too much low-amplitude/high-frequency vibration, the world it videos goes all Salvador Dali and looks like it is melting on playback. It doesn't happen all the time -- rarely overall -- but it happens frequently enough in my use to be frustrating. Mounting the camera solidly to my T-bar, seatpost, or rack works fine on pavement. However, off-road, the camera pretty much has to be hand-held or mounted on me (helmet or chest mount) to avoid the problem, which seems to be vibration-dependent 'cos it happens at all settings if the road surface is just right (wrong).
Best,
Dan.
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Hi Dan I have find just the thing :D It has locks on the pole :o
At last a good one 8) I have been looking for one, for over a year and how here we go ::)
I'm planning to order one, here is a clip about a light (and no good) one and a Black Strong one.
http://youtu.be/rvafpIyKKMQ (http://youtu.be/rvafpIyKKMQ)
And here is a Little more about them, I do not know if I would order from this shop or look for one closer to home.
Here is a link http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/924978-REG/fastcap_tech_i_stealth_mini_ipole_stealth_mini_14_5_31.html (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/924978-REG/fastcap_tech_i_stealth_mini_ipole_stealth_mini_14_5_31.html)
http://www.fastcaptech.com/shop/stealth-ipole (http://www.fastcaptech.com/shop/stealth-ipole)
Pete
8)
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I like the look of these gizmos but want one no longer than 9 inches - to pop into my bar bag.
All the ones I have seen so far are 13 inches +.
Even the cheapie imports from China are over a foot in length
Anyone seen a small one?
Matt
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The Pocket XShot 7.75"
The XShot 2.0 Camera Extender 9"
The ipole mini is 9"
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The Pocket XShot 7.75"
The XShot 2.0 Camera Extender 9"
The ipole mini is 9"
Thanx
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Hi Pete!
Well found! After diddling with these things over the last couple years, I've found the telescoping, car antenna-like poles tend to get sloppy in regular use and can't be tightened up. As a result, the camera eventually rotates around the pole. The other problem with this lighter sort is they tend to vibrate when riding. They're fine when walking or standing still for a self-portrait, but don't work so well over time in more severe use (though pretty good to start with, they loosen up and there's no way to tighten them).
The locking models are really the way to go for long-term durability in regular use. There's clamp-locks and twist-locks. I prefer the convenient and consistent "registration" of the clamp-locks except in cold weather, when the plastic cams can fracture. The twist-locks are more durable, but can unlock if not secured properly and if a clamp is mounted, they con't always register the same with the handle.
The current rig under development and used to take these videos is simplicity itself -- a GoPro bicycle handlebar/seatpost mount ( http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-Handlebar-Seatpost-Mount-Cameras/dp/B0014F5WIA ), clamped to the end of a Targus TG-MP6710 67in/1.7m four-section monopod. The monopod uses keyed pole sections and cam-lock fasteners so a camera mounted to it won't "clock" or rotate. I'm careful with money, so the best thing about it is it cost only USD$9.99 with free delivery to the store. Just a few aisles from the order pickup counter, the same monopod sells for USD$14.99. It weighs 13.4oz/380g and reduces to 21.5in/54.6cm/ See: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Targus-67-Lightweight-Monopod-w-Spiked-Feet-Foam-Handle/10370963
It works well and is sufficiently sturdy, but the collapsed size is really more than I'd like and it weighs a bit too much.
If I decide to continue with this monopod, then I think I will remove the rubber/spike foot and fit a locking tilt/swivel ball-head camera mount instead, so I can use it with cameras other than the GoPro. The GoPro will still fit if I mount it to the ball-head using the GoPro tripod mount (about USD$6 here: http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-Tripod-Mount-HERO-Cameras/dp/B002RCLYXG ). This could be accomplished most easily if I roll back the foam rubber grip, undo the screws holding the monopod's camera mount, and then transfer it to the foot end. On the other hand, I may modify the foot end with a standard 1/4-20 bolt, two nuts, and a couple washers, and call it done leaving the present camera mount intact at the top. If I do that, then a coupler nut would allow the monopod to serve as a tripod extender or to couple with my Rowi camera clamp. the conversion would take all of five minutes and would make it much more usable.
As mentioned, the present monopod works well, but does get heavy after awhile if fully extended with the GoPro mounted. I may make a minimalist harness for it out of Spectra cord so I won't have to hold its entire weight at arm's length. Laying it briefly on the handlebars caused a lot of vibration in the video, as seen in the second example. I have already found filling the sections with expanding foam does wonders for stiffening it up and reducing vibration along its length at minimal added weight.
I already have plans for Danneaux's Mk2 Camera Extender, based on a shorter and lighter Targus monopod that uses a twist-lock extension, the Targus TG-MP5510 55" Monopod: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Targus-TG-MP5510-55-Monopod/21675287 User reports say it extends to a measured 63in/1.6m and collapses to only 14.8in/38cm and has a shipping weight of 14.9oz/422g. This would be an acceptable collapsed size for me, and the longer length is pretty much necessary if one is to get the bike and rider in the shot with a GoPro. Of course, these things can be used at less than full length also.
Fun stuff, and getting closer!
Best,
Dan.
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Hi All!
I picked up the smaller of the two Targus camera monopods yesterday at WalMart (same item at Amazon). I think between this and the larger one from Targus I used for the previous video tests, this has the edge as an adaptable camera extender. It does indeed weigh only 240g and collapses down to 38cm and extends to 160cm -- ideal! For reference, the bigger Targus 3-section monopod I tried in the earlier videos weighed 380g and went from 54cm to 171cm.
I simply attached my GoPro handlebar.seatpost clamp to the base and done (see attached photo; that's a yardstick for size comparison).
This smaller monopod has no cam-locks, but instead uses a very sturdy and well-executed twist-lock (you use the big rubber knob at the bottom to twist it, so no worries about hands slipping in the rain or cold. It holds the camera mount securely). It has five sections and seems very sturdy in backyard testing with the GoPro mounted and showed no signs of rotation. That last section is less robust than the others, but it can be left retracted until needed. It stores much more compactly than the large model, is nearly as long extended, and weighs less, which also makes it easier to hold.
Unfortunately, the housing latch on my GoPro broke yesterday, so I can't use it on the bike till GoPro's new warranty latch arrives by mail (it goes out in the mail tomorrow; response was immediate, phenomenal customer service). I'll test it again on the bike after the camera latch arrives this week. I'll retest to see how it works with the bike and will update then.
Best,
Dan. (...who is extending himself a bit on this one)
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Hi Dan,,
Why do you need to fit you GoPro Mount onto your new Pole?
The One's I have been looking at come with a Std 1/4" mounting and/or GoPro mount.
Pete
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Hi Pete!
I just used my GoPro Handlebar/Seatpost mount and clamped it on the rubber knob at the end. Similarly, if I invert the GoPro tripod mount and fit a 1/4-20 threaded stud, the same part works with my conventional camera. Since I already had the GoPro parts, the pole made the missing piece.
Biggest difference in this one is the added length while still maintaining the short collapsed size. Depends on if one wants just torso-up shots or full-bike-and-rider, possible with the added length.
I haven't decided yet, and am weighing options.
Waiting for the camera latch to see how it does in use on the bike. Should know more by...day after tomorrow?
Best,
Dan.