Camera mount advice please?

[jed1]

Hi all,

Today I just received a 'Ram mount' in the mail, that attaches my little digital camera to my handle bars. It is the 3 inch one and has a u-bolt that attaches to the handle bar (or wherever else) and a 1/4 thread to attach the camera to the other side.

It seems to work well and holds the camera pretty firmly, however Ive noted that when I accelerate, the footage gets extremely fuzzy due to vibration. When I settle to a speed, it smooths out reasonably well and the footage is not too bad.

I know some of you here are very accomplished photographers and I was wondering if anyone would have a tip or a trick to stop the blurring when Im accelerating.

Edit: Ive tried moving the mounting to different locations on the handle bar but this has not worked. Even if Im stationary, if I just hold the revs at 4000 rpm, the whole screen is just one big buzz and you cant see a thing. Also, I have a Cannon IXUS 80 digital camera and Im just using the video function.

Thanks in advance. Jed.

[websterize]

Peckhammer had some really good advice a few months ago:

The R-Bikes are a challenge when it comes to finding a place to mount cameras. There are a lot of frame tubes -- which are perfect for using Cardellini clamps -- but the characteristics of horizontally opposed flat-twin makes placement crucial. I've found that "low and wide" works best. The closer to the center of the bike, the more the camera will shake from the motion of the pistons. If you've got crash bars, locating the camera at the outer edges (front or side) seems to work pretty well. The lower the better in my experience, but not so low that the camera touches down, or is too difficult to turn on and off.The luggage rack or grab rails work pretty well too, if you mount your camera on either side.

[spoonyfork]

Tooting my own horn but I made a cheap mount for my old Suzuki DRZ400S and shot this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRpYJtb1rog. I used the same principle but a smaller PVC "T" connector with the ends trimmed to fit between the R1200R handle bar mount points. I use the BMW touring windshield so it is protected from the direct wind and a longer 1/4" bolt to see above the dash. YMMY.

[jed1]

Thanks very much for responses so far, I really appreciate it.

I tried moving the camera to the rear luggage rack (the very back end of the grab rail part) and unfortunately it still vibrates very badly when Im accelerating etc.

Is it possible the camera Im using is not sufficient?

Thanks again.

[Sander Abernathy]

I imagine the place on the bike that vibrates the least is your helmet. Try mounting it there temporarily and see if that provides an acceptable picture. If it doesn't work there, it's not going to work when attached to a hard mounting point on the bike because every secure location on the bike is either attached directly to the engine.

There are two exceptions though. The front and rear wheels beyond the telelever/paralever are isolated from the engine vibration by the suspension.

You might want to consider mounting it to the lower portion of the front fork. You will probably avoid engine vibration but get lower frequency vibration from the road surface instead. The image stabilizer in the camera, assuming there is one, could probably do more to mitigate that type of vibration though. Under hard acceleration you will probaly see the sky and under hard braking you will probably get a close up of the asphalt. There's an easy solution to that though: Go fast. Don't stop.

[jed1]

Im still having a few problems trying to find a good place to mount a video camera on the bike to cut the vibrations down. I want to leave mounting a camera on my helmet as a last resort as Im not overly keen on using an adhesive to stick the mount on.

Ive had a look at quite a few Youtube videos in relation to the VholdR, Go Pro and Drift 'action' cameras. Ive noticed that some people appear to mount their cameras on the fuel tank with a suction cup. Is anyone able to tell me if this would work ok with the R12R, or would the vibrations still be quite bad? Thanks.

[peckhammer]

Is anyone able to tell me if this would work ok with the R12R, or would the vibrations still be quite bad?

I've tried it. The results were terrible. As I've said before, the closer to the center of the R1200R you mount the camera, the worse the results, in my experience. Your results may vary. At minimum, you need to triangulate.

Think about how the pistons are pumping side to side, and apply that image to your camera sitting dead center between them. And there is the whole problem of rolling shutter on cameras with CMOS Sensors. Hello jello-cam.

To properly rig a vehicle, you need to invest a lot of money if your end goal is to have relatively steady footage. Here is a video with rigging done by my cinematographer friend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHoP-ZHz ... r_embedded

At 52 seconds into the video, look at that rigging. I'd bet there is $2000 worth of suction cups and grip gear holding that camera. And the footage is still shaky in places. The cheapest solution is to mount the camera on your head; it's a great steady cam.

[MrChicken]

Jed,

I went through a period of wanting to try and capture video, and mounted my little point-and-shoot in a whole bunch of different places on the bike to try and get a usable video. I've used different Ram mount & Cardellini clamp setups - all with poor results. I don't have the best camera for the job, but the constant vibration really stuffed me in the end. I couldn't get a decent result for a reasonable cost and concluded that a helmet cam was probably the best of a bad bunch of options.

Geoff

[jed1]

It sounds like mounting on the helmet is going to be the best option.

I appreciate your help everyone.

Thanks, Jed.

[takemeaway]

HI jed,

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Initially, I tried mounting my little point and shoot with video on a bar modified to fit between the windshield mounting bracket. BAD!!! Even attempting still pictures resulted in some blurry, blurry shots.

I hemmed and haaed over a GoPro for ages. Until I was scheduled to take a ride that I really wanted to have a video on. I have some very positive experiences with the GoPro and really enjoy having it around for certain things. I also have some very big gripes with the GoPro, but have found that the positives are slightly tipping the scale to keep it in good standing.

I absolutely hate affixing anything to my bike of a permenant nature unless I am positive I want it there for a long time. So I have been reluctant to use the adhesive mounts and have been using the suction mount since the beginning. Now, on the R120R, there aren't many locations for that suction mount since we are fairingless and usually paintless (on the panniers). I mount mine upside down towards the front of the tank. I just flip the video in the editing software.



For different perspectives I have mounted it on top of the tank looking through the windshield, so you get to see the instrument cluster.
Cluster shot video.

And I have even mounted it to the windshield itself with that suction cup. After having ridden thousands of miles with it, I do trust the suction mount. But others looking at it still get nervous and have attached lanyards on it while I wasn't looking.



I have been happy with the video from most of these locations on a regular basis. Rougher roads and windshield mounting will produce some shakier then normal video sometimes. But the GoPro does have a pretty good anti-shake algorithm. No matter where it is mounted, you will see more shake at idle, but some algorithms mitigate it.

Windshield video
Tank Video

I have only recently bitten the bullet and adhere one of the clips mounts to my pelican case. There is too much play in the clip and the video is very shaky. I just need to find some item (napkin, thin rubber) to put in the clip to keep the vibration down.



Edit: Don't get me wrong. I would have loved a cheaper solution and am not telling you to go purchase a GoPro. But there is very little way to reduce the vibration of most mounting techniques for a regular camera on the RR. I have read about other peoples solutions using rubber mounts and other things. It will work for some cameras...

[jed1]

Takemeaway,

That footage looks great, just what I was after. Thanks very much for taking the time to post that for me, I really appreciate it. I think you have sold me on the GoPro with the suction mount if the footage is that good at the different places you monted it. The video that I have shot with my digital camera and Ram Mount is no where near as good as what you have there.

Thanks again,

Jed.

[takemeaway]

Hi Jed!

LOL. I know what you mean. My first few videos from my regular camera shake so bad it just about makes me motion sick to watch them!

I think you will be happy with the GoPro. But there will probably be times you are ready to through it on the freeway and run over it a few times. Especially when you don't want 3 hours of constant video and attempt to turn it off while riding and it is pointed away from you. For me, it didn't start when I wanted it to...and started when I thought I was turning it off. Just kept going that way so I have video of the places I didn't want and no video of the places I did. But it does have some good points that keeps me using it.

Have you found the ADV Rider thread on the GoPro HD? They have some great stuff there.

Good luck! Can't wait to see some of your video! Edited spelling.

-Lori

[jess]

I've also used the GoPro suction cup on the front corner of the tank, with the headlight in the frame. The results were pretty good, vibration was minimal.