In-car camera mounts (sans rollbar)

[mightyrollaman]

Just fishing around my cabin, looking at ways of mounting a camera (sans rollbar), and came across this:



Theres one either side behind the seat belt mounts on the parcel shelf. What are they there for?

[fig]

They look like the stoppers for your soft top when retracted? hard to tell from the pic

[Spranga]

I think your car has been bugged

[lowmiata]

They look like the stoppers for your soft top when retracted? hard to tell from the pic

yep thats them

[mightyrollaman]

Ahhhh. Hard to tell when the roof is up.

Thanks lads.

[kitkat]

Just fishing around my cabin, looking at ways of mounting a camera (sans rollbar), and came across this:

i assume your talking about a video camera mount?
well thought ide share that i just bought a video camera and a suction cap camera mount from camera house (cost was $25)
At first glance it seems hard to trust but give it a test on some glass by trying to pull it off and see how hard it is.
Ofcourse i still put a strap attatching the camera to the car just in case.

one problem i did find is you get a bit of vibration through to the camera.

[mightyrollaman]

Just fishing around my cabin, looking at ways of mounting a camera (sans rollbar), and came across this:

i assume your talking about a video camera mount?
well thought ide share that i just bought a video camera and a suction cap camera mount from camera house (cost was $25)
At first glance it seems hard to trust but give it a test on some glass by trying to pull it off and see how hard it is.
Ofcourse i still put a strap attatching the camera to the car just in case.

one problem i did find is you get a bit of vibration through to the camera.

I'd buy that in a heartbeat, buuuuut, will it pass muster on a racetrack? Last time we attacked Wakefield, we mounted my tripod on the back seat with a miriad of occy straps (couldn't open the rear doors) and was warned that we wouldn't be able to use it in the following session. Funny thing was, we applied the same technique and no-one said a word. Was very secure and gave great, vibration free footage.

However, apparently we are supposed to use something like this (enclosed) due to a lack of confidence in the tripod mount screw:






But having said that, I'm sure the boys at MOTOR use suction mounts when filming PCOTY/BFYB on track. Who can I ask?

[mightyrollaman]

Look down to pg5, section 4.5 to see CAMS' official thoughts:

http://www.cams.com.au/bulletins/B05-002%20Rally-Cross%20Country%20Technical%20Regs.pdf

The diagram doesn't make much sense to me. I can't see how the two parts mate, and where you join it to the rollbat/bodystructure.

The Wakefield Park website doesn't mention any constraints regarding camera mounts, but we know they don't like occy strapped tripods.

I think I might fashion something similar to the above pic, and mount it using the holes for the LH hardtop side latch.

[Casey]

Pilsner and Wotsa have mounted a camera by removing the passenger sun visor and using these mounts to secure the camera base

[rain902]

okaaaay - i keep a sharp eye out for dodgy camera mounts in the cars - if you get into an argument with a wall that 1kg camera can become a rather nasty weapon!

suss out the pics posted here for sans roll cage camera mounting ideas - they do involve drilling 3 or 4 holes in your back deck, im not sure what is under the deck (it might be the top of the fuel tank, so give that a BIG miss - check first)!!!!

http://www.trofeoalfasud.com/component/ ... &g2_page=2

if you are considering mounting a camera, think long and hard - not only at the consequences of the camera coming loose - its an expensive thing, and as i said before it can be lethal to you and anyone over the fence if it goes flying!

another couple of options:

fit a "style bar" and anchor the camera to it - cheaper than a roll cage but a nice place to anchor cams to. (check your supp regs regarding these - cams essentially says if it is fitted, it has to be compliant, so a style bar may be looked upon as a non compliant roll cage and could result in you having to remove it before competing. My view is coz it is a styling accessory, it isnt a roll cage, so i would let you through scrutineering with it, but its up to the individual scrutineer at your event. (this is club level sprints we are talking about)

put your camcorder in the glovebox or boot and run a cable to a bullet or lipstick camera mounted somewhere convenient in the car. this will require your camcorder to have a video input capability, and you will need a microphone too unless you like silent moovies

if you get a small board camera, it will nicely fit into a tiny jaycar plastic box so you can affix it to your dash with glue or velcro - it weighs nothing - remember that if you fit it to your back deck you will have a superb view of yuor air vents, and not much track unless you mount it on something higher... also remember that if you hot glue it to the inside of the box, it is there for keeps coz the hot melt glue will remove the SMD components from the camera if you ever try to remove it.

[Wotsa]

Pilsner and Wotsa have mounted a camera by removing the passenger sun visor and using these mounts to secure the camera base

We mounted a bullet camera there. Unfortunately, as Rain said, you need a separate microphone.
Since then I have been mounting the bullet camera on the style bar with a velcro strap. Positioning is critical, unless you like the top of the windscreen cutting your screen in half.

[Andrew]

Not to sure i'd be trusting a $25 suction cup with either my $2k video camera let alonne my $10k still camera. I have a Manfrotto suction mount and am yet to use it as im not too sure I trust it either (may be ok inside the car for the time being)

Putting the camcorder in the glove box is a good idea, have done that many times then attached the bullet camera to lots and lots of different places in and outsid the car. Check out some of my videos for a look see.

I've been toying with the idea of mounting my still camera for some time now to take some low speed shots of my car or others in action. This is my first attempt at mounting it. I need a pool noodle or similar to stop the arm from touching the paint as well as a secondary restraint for the camera.

If you want to go all out you could try one of these mounts from Film Tools -

[rain902]

heres a pic of the camera bracket that recently showed up in the mail for my roll cage - its made in america, cost au$137 and is awfully well built, had hex key fittings and a hex key locknut hidden from view, the red thing is a camera strap - cant wait to try it out! i looked everywhere for one of these, even manfrotto doesnt have anything like it.

http://www.trofeoalfasud.com/component/ ... &g2_page=2

[Andrew]

Looks nice, but i'm not too sure how well it would work though.

I use a Manfrotto super clamp and ball head to mount thinks to the roll bar. Its quick and easy to install and adjust and doesnt move under huge loads.

It shown to the right of this pic -

[rain902]

i didnt think of using a ball head with the super clamp - that would work! i think my bracket will be fine, i have a nice long diagonal brace, so i will be able to get a flat plane for my camera @ an appropriate height, only thing i have to worry about is if my lens is short enough to capture in car as well as through the windscreen.