Alternative to $100 camera mount?
 

Cheap SOB looking for an alternative to the $100+ camcorder mounts. At a recent Vintage race a guy used a 1 3/4" ubolt on his roll bar and screwed a swivel/ball mount to the threads of the ubolt. Mount the camcorder on top of the ball mount. Add 2 straps and you're in business. Voila, cheap mount. The ubolt was easy to source (stainless steel, Lowe's). No joy on finding a swivel/ball mount (5/16 x 18 thread) though. I have spent hours on the web looking for a ball mount that would work. Camera shops give me that blank look.

Any ideas?

Sounds like a good way to screw up the camcorder, with no shock mount. I also think the camcorder will become a projectile in an accident. Camcorder mounts I've seen have a rubber base.

You will find that you would get a much nicer picture with a 'lipstick' type camera, that can be securely mounted to the roll bar. However, you would need a camera with external video input.

The lipstiick camera will cost you more than the mount but the pictures and mounting options are better. Even with the $100 camera mount, the camera takes a beating. The lipstick camera won't have sound unless you rig up a microphone.
If the camera is mounted, in an accident, the camera mount receiver will rip out of the camera base. BTDT. It is important to have some sort of leash on the camera. The leash also stabilizes the camera some.
-Chris

Good point about the shock mount, Alan. I didn't realize the mounts had these. The owner of the aforementioned setup said his only complaint was a vibration over 140mph.

I'd be curious how it absorbs shock without introducing alot of shake into the picture.

It does bounce some. The mount contains some sort of rubbery puck. The damping material is probably something like Sorbathane - the stuff they use in running shoes to cushion impacts.
-Chris

duct tape

I have an excess inventory of brass ball-in-socket screw type locking swivel pieces. Finely machined with a knurled body and protruding, threaded post....not sure of the thread. Let me know if you'd like me to take some pics. Maybe you could fashion it to work.

Yeah, my 8mm camcorder got a new housing when I loaned to a friend for his Miata club outing. He hard mounted it to his roll bar, ripped it right off on the second lap. He was at least cool enough to have it fixed.

The in-car camera mounts I've seen are camera tripod heads with an adapter plate underneath to bolt onto a round tube (rollbar). Looks like the ones sold by Bogen (Manfrotto). You can see a multitude of tripod heads at their (or many other tripod manufacturer's) website. You're paying add'l $$ for the fabricated, relatively low-volume production adapter plate, or maybe something from the movie/industrial lighting/grip equipment companies like Birns and Sawyer.

Anyone enterprising souls out there? Use a movie camera gear or fluid head (fluid-damped movement) and DC servo motors for pan/tilt control and remote operation from the pits for live, in-car shots. Of course, you'd need a satellite or dish-equipped helicopter to bounce the signals back and forth too.:)

Sherwood
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

This might make a good starting point:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3057634364&category=14 959

Wow,

Can't beat the price and they'd be good for surround sound satellite speakers too.

Yep, I agree. Just bought one.

Yeah... the LAST one! He's got more here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30059&item=2963889 437

I'm guessing that he's got as many as you want, but I think this auction is all he has on eBay right now.

Or

Sue and Glenn Alvino
AL-Tech Electronics
307 N. Lehigh Ave
Sayre, PA 18840-2221

phone 570-888-2751
e-mail: sue@ramboy.com

I think the best way to go is to use a lightweight "lipstick-like" camera and a separate mike. Regular hand-held video cameras have extra mass that tends to vibrate and thus have shorter life hung out there. Lighter components will not vibrate as easily/are easier to control. With all deference to those who bought one, the ebay camera mount looks suitable for stationary use only, as in your house. In a car, I'd lose the extensions and try to mount as close to the pivot as possible, but it still doesn't look sturdy enough. You want a fairly rigid base and a way to mount the camera that doesn't provoke or promote any shaking motions.

Sherwood

Yup, cause' its really cool when your friend says "hey wanna watch my cool in car video?" ...and then when you get done you feel sick to your stomach and the audio sounds like it got recorded inside a yogurt blender...

If you can't afford the lipstick camera I would also fashion a safety strap of some sort from the camera to the rollbar...it would be really "neat-o" if the camera broke loose and came slamming into the center console after you dove on the brakes...:rolleyes:

OK I'll bite.
Where do you buy a lipstick camera and what other hardware do you need to make it all work?

See the Mini Cameras for in car video? thread. Do a search for "lipstick".
-Chris

Duct tape to pas seat Ha Hey its good for 200 MPH