Bicycle Camera Mounts

"Andrew" wrote: (clip) I have these really cool camera mounts that you can
connect to your handle bars. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I would be really hesitant to subject my camera to that much jarring. I
don't even want to put my camera in a rack pack. It goes in my backpack.

Next point: The bike makes an excellent "tripod," but in your picture, I
don't see any sign of an adjustable socket head. Wouldn't that addition
make your little device EXTRA cool?

And a final point: the sample picture in your ad AIN'T SHARP. Whether this
is caused by the camera mount, it certainly doesn't help sell your thingy.

Bottom line: Are you really in such a hurry that you can't stop to take a
picture?

Leo Lichtman said:

"Andrew" wrote: (clip) I have these really cool camera mounts that you can
connect to your handle bars. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I would be really hesitant to subject my camera to that much jarring. I
don't even want to put my camera in a rack pack. It goes in my backpack.

Next point: The bike makes an excellent "tripod," but in your picture, I
don't see any sign of an adjustable socket head. Wouldn't that addition
make your little device EXTRA cool?

And a final point: the sample picture in your ad AIN'T SHARP. Whether this
is caused by the camera mount, it certainly doesn't help sell your thingy.

Bottom line: Are you really in such a hurry that you can't stop to take a
picture?

I usually carry a digital camera with me in a pocket, and if I want a
picture I stop and take a good one. I can't think of any reason to be in
such a hurry not to stop. For on the bike pictures the only way to do it
is to put it in movie mode and take a short, lower resolution video
clip. My camera takes clear shots even when moving but due to the way it
works it scans the picture and if I am moving the telephone poles and
everything else look tilted over sideways. You simply have to stop to
get a good picture with my digital.
I went out yesterday for an outing with my granddaughter an took my 35mm
along with a saddle rack full of lenses but no tripod. I found out that
any more than a 200mm lens needs a tripod and at 1000mm resting it on
the bike just is not good enough. A real tripod would be pushing it to
be carried on a bike though.
Macro works good and I got some great shots of spiders posing on their
webs, but will have to wait for the film to get used up and then developed.
Nothing beats interchangeable lenses.
MY conclusion is that pocket sized digitals are good for quick shots but
for the real good shots you either need a big digital, an SLR
(expensive) digital, or a real 35mm SLR. I did find that having the
saddle racks on the back with all that stuff made the bike a lot harder
to handle, but I also had a small ice chest and a back pack full of
tools since my granddaughter was with me and I wanted to be covered for
anything.

Final note. In California it is the beginning of blackberry season so
country rides become ride a mile or two, stop and eat a bunch of
berries, repeat until sundown or other need to go home.
Normally I take food but with all those berries I just don't want to
waste them, and they taste sooooo good while riding.

Bill Baka

Bill <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Leo Lichtman said:

"Andrew" wrote: (clip) I have these really cool camera mounts that
you can connect to your handle bars. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I would be really hesitant to subject my camera to that much jarring.
I don't even want to put my camera in a rack pack. It goes in my
backpack.

Next point: The bike makes an excellent "tripod," but in your
picture, I don't see any sign of an adjustable socket head. Wouldn't
that addition make your little device EXTRA cool?

Stuff deleted...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I usually carry a digital camera with me in a pocket, and if I want a
picture I stop and take a good one. I can't think of any reason to be
in such a hurry not to stop. For on the bike pictures the only way to
do it is to put it in movie mode and take a short, lower resolution
video clip. My camera takes clear shots even when moving but due to
the way it works it scans the picture and if I am moving the telephone
poles and everything else look tilted over sideways. You simply have
to stop to get a good picture with my digital.

more stuff deleted...

Quoted message said:

Final note. In California it is the beginning of blackberry season so
country rides become ride a mile or two, stop and eat a bunch of
berries, repeat until sundown or other need to go home.
Normally I take food but with all those berries I just don't want to
waste them, and they taste sooooo good while riding.

Bill Baka

I can see where a camera mount for a bicycle would come in handy.

I have an Audiovox DC400 digital video/still camera that I use on rides.
It's small and cheap (<$150) and is great for taking videos while
riding. Last year I used it on Portland's Bridge Pedal with good
results. The footage is similar to the Tour de France footage taken
from the motorcycles pacing the peloton. I usually see others with
camera taped to their helments during the event.
So far I've been using it as a handheld (kinda hazadous in a crowd) but
I've beening looking for some sort of bar mount for it. I use the video
to show my non-cycling friends what they're missing out on.
I was inspired to try this after seeing an add for a helmet mounted
camera for about $600.

As far as still photos go, I keep my good camera (6Mega pixel 10x zoom
Kodak Z650) in my backpack and stop when I want to take a picture with
that one.

John Bucsek

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Bottom line: Are you really in such a hurry that you can't stop to take a
picture?

If I'm touring, I certainly stop to take pictures. But I used to do a
number of group and charity rides, and I wanted to be able to take
pictures of the riders without having to stop every time. I made a
balsa and neoprene cradle for my OM-1 SLR and its auto-winder, with a
wired remote up to the handlebars. It worked beautifully for taking
pictures of groups of riders behind me. You can see a few details at
http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/winder.html

I haven't updated this since going digital for most of my photography.
It certainly shouldn't be hard to make a reasonably vibration-resistant
mount for a small digital camera. I would *not* want an un-padded bolt
mounting, there's too much vibration, I'd expect eventual camera damage.
(The reason I used my old OM-1 on the rear rack mount was mirror lock-
up, I could lock the mirror up and not worry about it slapping around on
bumps.)

--
[email hidden] is Joshua Putnam
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/>
Updated Bicycle Touring Books List:
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/tourbooks.html>

John Bucsek said:

Bill <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Stuff deleted.

Quoted message said:

I can see where a camera mount for a bicycle would come in handy.

I have an Audiovox DC400 digital video/still camera that I use on rides.
It's small and cheap (<$150) and is great for taking videos while
riding. Last year I used it on Portland's Bridge Pedal with good
results. The footage is similar to the Tour de France footage taken
from the motorcycles pacing the peloton. I usually see others with
camera taped to their helments during the event.
So far I've been using it as a handheld (kinda hazadous in a crowd) but
I've beening looking for some sort of bar mount for it. I use the video
to show my non-cycling friends what they're missing out on.
I was inspired to try this after seeing an add for a helmet mounted
camera for about $600.

As far as still photos go, I keep my good camera (6Mega pixel 10x zoom
Kodak Z650) in my backpack and stop when I want to take a picture with
that one.

John Bucsek

When I go on actual photo trips with my 35mm and one or more grandkids
the riding is usually about 10-11 MPH and the stops are often. Yesterday
we stopped to enjoy the first of the blackberries that will be ripening
over the next few weeks. Due to being off the bike we spotted some large
spiders and their suitably large webs, and since I had a macro lens got
some good shots of the spiders. That just won't ever happen if you make
every ride a 20 MPH training ride. When out in nature land, enjoy it,
don't just blast by all the scenery. I miss a lot when I ride a
motorcycle, too, but I still see more than in a car, and I can stop the
bike to investigate something interesting on the roadside. Can't do that
in a cage.
As for my camera, it is an el-cheapo (now) Vivitar that takes video
clips that show up decently on an NTSC standard television, so if I
could mount it with a vibration dampener and a remote on / off I could
take some videos until I ran out of memory. That might be worth some
tinkering.
Bill Baka

Bill said:

I found out that
any more than a 200mm lens needs a tripod and at 1000mm resting it on
the bike just is not good enough.

If you have image stabilization (called VR if you are using Nikon) you can
go past 200mm. But not to 1000mm!

Quoted message said:

A real tripod would be pushing it to
be carried on a bike though.

I agree. A monpod would be easier, but I haven't tried it yet. I only go up
to 300mm (equivalent) and the VR works well enough.

Don <www.donwiss.com/joyrides> (e-mail link at page bottom).

I recently got (and can highly recommend) a Pedco UltraClamp Universal
Clamp Assembly with Ultra Mount. Much higher quality than what the OP
was hawking. I ordered mine at a local camera store but here's an on
line store with a picture:

http://store.artcity.com/ped-05020.html

Seems like a silly concept but it can be fun. Movies tend to be a little
jerky like the OP demo shows. A neat thing to do is set the camera to
"intervalometer" (if it has this feature) and have it take a shot
automatically once every 60 seconds during a ride. If it takes 100 shots
and 20 are keepers it's worth it and all you did was ride. Helps if the
camera has good image stabilization circuitry. I have a Canon S2IS which
is not a tiny pocket camera and the clamp holds it to the handlebars nice
and firm. The P.O.V. from the handlebar level is also nice.

--
mewkiss

"mewkiss" wrote: I recently got (and can highly recommend) a Pedco
UltraClamp Universal

Quoted message said:

Clamp Assembly with Ultra Mount. Much higher quality than what the OP was
hawking. (clip)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now, that looks like the real deal. Not only does it attach to the
handlebar, but to any part of the frame, or a nearby fence, a chair back, or
almost anything that's handy. Being able to attach to a tripod leg means
that you can easily place the camera close to the ground for little macro
nature shots, etc. I'm ordering one right now.

(And, before you ask, I'm not a shill. I just know a good gadget when I see
it.)

mewkiss said:

I recently got (and can highly recommend) a Pedco UltraClamp Universal
Clamp Assembly with Ultra Mount. Much higher quality than what the OP
was hawking. I ordered mine at a local camera store but here's an on
line store with a picture:

http://store.artcity.com/ped-05020.html

Seems like a silly concept but it can be fun. Movies tend to be a little
jerky like the OP demo shows. A neat thing to do is set the camera to
"intervalometer" (if it has this feature) and have it take a shot
automatically once every 60 seconds during a ride. If it takes 100 shots
and 20 are keepers it's worth it and all you did was ride. Helps if the
camera has good image stabilization circuitry. I have a Canon S2IS which
is not a tiny pocket camera and the clamp holds it to the handlebars nice
and firm. The P.O.V. from the handlebar level is also nice.

It seems that the best you could do is mount a camera to your helmet
(super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You could
just look at the point of interest and click. In movie mode you could
use it to get a video of that car that almost got you or record a crazy
fast downhill run.
Just one more wild idea.
Bill Baka

Bill said:

It seems that the best you could do is mount a camera to your helmet
(super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You could
just look at the point of interest and click.

Tripod mounts are standard 1/4" bolts. If there is a vent at the helmet
top, maybe with some large washers you could bolt it on, and not have the
bolt banging into your head.

But digital cameras tend not to have cable releases. So video may be
better. Your body would also isolate the vibrations some. Then image
stabilization in the camera would be a must.

Don <www.donwiss.com/joyrides> (e-mail link at page bottom).

Andrew said:

Have you ever tried taking pictures while riding your bicycle? Its a
mess! Your always moments from droping your camera. I have these
really cool camera mounts that you can connect to your handle bars. If
your interested check out http://www.buckspot.com or
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=010&item=200003840814

Brilliant. Attach a fragile device to something that's going to
deliver continuous high-g shock loads.

No thanks, I'll stop to take my photos...with a camera that's still
functional when I arrive.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Don Wiss donwiss@no_spam.com said:

Bill said:

It seems that the best you could do is mount a camera to your helmet
(super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You could
just look at the point of interest and click.

Tripod mounts are standard 1/4" bolts. If there is a vent at the helmet
top, maybe with some large washers you could bolt it on, and not have the
bolt banging into your head.

But I find it's more stable when the bolt does go into my head.

Leonard Migliore said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Don Wiss donwiss@no_spam.com said:

Bill said:

It seems that the best you could do is mount a camera to your helmet
(super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You could
just look at the point of interest and click.

Tripod mounts are standard 1/4" bolts. If there is a vent at the helmet
top, maybe with some large washers you could bolt it on, and not have the
bolt banging into your head.

But I find it's more stable when the bolt does go into my head.

You mean you can ride with a super headache? I have to admire a tough rider.
Bill Baka

"Bill" wrote: It seems he best you could do is mount a camera to your
helmet (super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You
could just look at the point of interest and click. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm afraid that wouldn't work very well. Did you know there is an inertial
servo in your head which keeps your eyeballs pointed at the right spot even
when your head moves? That is how you are able to keep all the visual
details in place, even when walking, running, riding a bike on cobblestones.
etc. Bill, since you ride a mountain bike, you may have had this
experience: riding fast down a really rough trail, and suddenly the
vibration exceeds the capacity of your eyeball servo. All at once the trail
seems to start bouncing all over the place.

Even when riding on a smooth road you have head movements that are cancelled
out by eye movements--the camera wouldn't be able to do this.

Leo Lichtman said:

"Bill" wrote: It seems he best you could do is mount a camera to your
helmet (super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You
could just look at the point of interest and click. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm afraid that wouldn't work very well.

These people think otherwise:

http://www.helmetcamera.com/
http://www.viotac.com/
https://www.helmetcamrentals.com/
http://www.hoyttech.com/
http://www.viosport.com/
and many others.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

"Don Wiss" wrote: These people think otherwise:
List of vendors.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I guess it depends on how critical you are going to be of picture quality.

Leo Lichtman said:

"Bill" wrote: It seems he best you could do is mount a camera to your
helmet (super glue if need be) and have a switch on the handlebars. You
could just look at the point of interest and click. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm afraid that wouldn't work very well. Did you know there is an inertial
servo in your head which keeps your eyeballs pointed at the right spot even
when your head moves?

Yes,
But the head also has it's own level of servo so you are running dual
servo's in effect. Even at the chest level your rear end and lower spine
tend to smooth out most of the bumpiness.

That is how you are able to keep all the visual

Quoted message said:

details in place, even when walking, running, riding a bike on cobblestones.
etc.

No argument. I won't argue against what I know are facts.

Bill, since you ride a mountain bike, you may have had this

Quoted message said:

experience: riding fast down a really rough trail, and suddenly the
vibration exceeds the capacity of your eyeball servo. All at once the trail
seems to start bouncing all over the place.

Right about the time I eat dirt. I have to admit it is hard to keep your
eyes on something when you are flying upside down. Of course I know I am
in trouble before that happens because the rear brake is locked and the
front is washing out from the brake and I am still picking up speed. I
am just damned lucky I haven't gotten anything more than a few more
scars in the last few years.

Quoted message said:

Even when riding on a smooth road you have head movements that are cancelled
out by eye movements--the camera wouldn't be able to do this.

I can agree with you there too, because I have been doing neck exercises
while doing this and no matter what I do with my head I can still read
the screen perfectly. Some of the crashes I have gotten myself into
would have killed a helmet mounted camera, and I did kill one I had in
my jeans pocket. No guys, I don't wear Lycra for downhill mountain riding.
All good points but I do have something to add, and I know I am going to
get [censored] for saying it. As I have mentioned I am an electronics engineer
and one of my specialties is designing servo-mechanisms. You know those
little camera balls that are on the bottom of the news helicopters and
the blimps over the football fields for the big games? Guess who was
involved with the stabilizer electronics? The news helicopter camera
balls are so stable that they can zoom to the maximum of 54X and still
be rock solid. How? Dual stabilization is how. The outer gimbal is
controlled by the camera man and the inner is stabilized my micro gyros.
We sold the same thing to the military and they are now in use by the
UAVs and the DOD is very happy even though I did not get to autograph my
work.
Unfortunately, Bush killed the company after 9/11 by grounding all the
television copters, which was the main revenue for the company, rentals.
Now the company is dead and a competitor is making those cameras.
Bush was just too ignorant to realize who was giving him camera power
for the war craft.
And some of you wonder why I hate Bush so much.
Bill Baka

Leo Lichtman said:

"Don Wiss" wrote: These people think otherwise:
List of vendors.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I guess it depends on how critical you are going to be of picture quality.

OK,
I looked at all those sites and none of them had a camera big enough for
any real stabilization except for maybe a little fluid dampening. You
have probably seen my mini-rant about how I was involved in designing
'totally' stable cameras for the military and entertainment sectors.
It takes quite a bit more bulk to add gyros and motors to absolutely
stabilize. This is all too evident if you watch Indy or other sports
that have a 'with athlete' camera mounted, they are only as stable as
the platform. Of course with a camera in an Indy car all the vibration
probably makes for a more real viewer experience.
Bill Baka

UltraPod makes a real nice one as well.

What I would like to get (or MacGyver) is a mount that would let me put
my very small digital camera on my helmet. With a 256Mb card, I can get
up to nine minutes of video.

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