I want to Film some 'Road Trips' with my DSLR Camera and need some ideas for a DIY Camera Mount.

While I know some Professional Film Makers, use suction cup devices on the doors as well as on the Bonnet/Hood.

This is something I want to avoid in case the Suction Cup fails, although I wouldn't mind using one to steady a home made device, as long as it didn't have to take the full weight of the Camera.

So Certainly nothing fixed onto the doors and also preferably not fixed onto the Bonnet/Hood, although I was considering fitting a quick release mount in the holes that were left by the 'Leaper' when I took it off.

So preferably something inside the Car, without any drilling of holes.

A couple of ideas I had was to remove the front grill 'Shield' and mount a Camera on the shelf behind it but apparently there is some sort of plate behind that.

Or put a 'Pole' in one of the 'Ash Trays' and maybe hook the other end over the Top of the Wind Shield in some way (convertible) and then Clamp a mount on the 'Pole'

Maybe someone else can think of a much better way of doing it.

I can also Control the Camera by hooking it up to my 'Tablet' so getting to the Controls won't be a problem.

I'm more concerned about my Camera falling on the floor and getting broken.

 

Have you considered instead of using your nice camera, getting a small high resolution digital camera (think GoPro Chinese knock off). Something like this:

New 2 4" Full HD 1080p Car DVR Vehicle Camera Video Recorder Dash Cam G Sensor | eBay

That was only from 5 secs of searching so I have no idea if it's any good, but there must be more like it. Smartphones have accelerated camera development so it's amazing how much and how small you can get for very little money.

These are usually small enough that you could mount it on the dash, or if you wanted to go stealth, behind the front grill and shoot through the grill slats.

 

I agree with Mac.

 

So do I really but I've already got a 'Dash Cam' and even when the power lead is plugged into the 'Ciggy Socket' the Mini Monitor on it, isn't working, so maybe time to buy another one.

 

Hi Mac

Of course you are right and although I've got a 'Dash Cam' even plugged into the 'Ciggy Socket' there doesn't seem to be enough power in order to operate its Mini Monitor.

Since I haven't seen any Spare batteries advertised for this, for the sake of £20 it would pay me to buy a new one but this time 1080p

Having said that my DSLR takes almost broadcast quality Video and I have got some amazing footage when the GF held it in her hand.

So I'm finding it very hard to resist mounting it in the Car.

It would be dead easy to put it in place of the Shield, providing that I could put the Shield back, when I wasn't using the Camera but until I take the grill out, I won't know.

 

I would not try to use your DSLR, personally I think your best bet is to splash on a GoPro with wireless. This open up a whole load of potential placements, as for instance if you wanted to keep it in the car you could securely fix it to the rear view mirror, or if you want to be more adventurous why not create a bracket that mounts onto the fog light bracket. If you want to go one step further why not get a spare grill, cut out the centre section of the v12 and mount it in there? I can tell you first hand a GoPro delivers fantastic video quality - much of the video captured on TV for car\motorbike journeys comes from these.

 

Thanks Beavis

I will check it out.

 

I tried mounting my camera both inside and outside the car and recorded the same trip.

On a very bright day, the "inside" mounted footage suffered from strong reflections off the dash/windscreen as I passed under trees and other overheads, pretty much rendering the footage unusable

For the "outside" mounting, I used a C-clamp tripod mount which I screwed into the camera tripod socket and then clamped to the passenger side window near the wing mirror, then raised the window to further secure the clamp "just in case".

I was pretty happy with the results; here's the 20 minute trip I recorded - it turned out way smoother than I expected, way smoother than with the camera on the dash.


Larry

 

Hi Lawrence

That was absolutely fascinating and can honestly say I enjoyed every second of that.

What Camera were you using and what Style of 'C' Clamp, do you have any Photos of the Rig?

As I reckon it would be Ok if it didn't stick out any further than the mirror.

Some of those 'Dash Cams' don't cut it when it comes to quality and quality footage is what I am after.

Also what was interesting was the presence of the Car in the Shot, as my first thought was to try and mount the Camera, with the Lens where the 'Shield' would be but if I did that, then the Shot might lose something.

As the Viewer needs to feel that they are sitting in the Car, enjoying every single twist and turn.

The P.O. mounted a Leaper in the worst possible place, which was right in the centre of the Bonnet/Hood and it looked so 'blinking' awful that I had to take it off but I've still got the two holes which I have plugged up.

So very easily possible to bolt a Tripod mount into one of those holes and then use the other hole, for a 'fail safe tether'

I tried the Camera in that position and it gave an excellent field of view, plus I can run a cable to a Tablet in the Cab, where I would be able to Control every aspect of the Camera from there, and also have the option to change Lenses.

It would probably look a bit of a 'Carbuncle' but can anything possibly look worse than one of those 'Leapers' (Two Leapers!) Though I hasten to add that it looks great on your Car. (Though not on an XJS)

If I put a big Lens hood on, it might look a bit 'cooler'

But it won't be on there all the time, only for Filming Trips as I'll also use a supplementary 'Dash Cam'

What Video Editing Software were you using?

Many Thanks for Posting all that, you've done an Amazing Job!

 

I use pivothead. video in glasses. This vid is riding my bike
Click on the link above the video and you can full screen it.

 

From what you describe that you are after -- a feeling of being along for the drive -- how about this for an idea, with the convertible top down, why not have the "parade view"?

Take a standard tripod with telescoping legs, with two legs behind the seats on the floor on each side of the transmission tunnel and one shorter length leg on the parcel shelf. Use some plastic zip ties to secure each leg to the parcel compartment grab bar.

You can then use both your tripod height adjustment, and your camera's lens to adjust the shot to your preferred view.

 

Glad you liked it! I bore my non-Jaguar friends with it regularly on the big-screen TV

I used my JVC movie Camera, it shoots in Hi-Def (notice the massive 5 hr aftermarket battery at the rear end)

I edited it with the JVC "Everio" software (which was all I had at the time), it worked OK and allowed me some simple edits like titling and adding my soundtrack ..the vid was one long shot, no cuts, a la Hitchcock/Brian De Palma

I have a copy of Pinnacle studio now so I'll probably use that in the future.

The clamp thing is a vintage old German? tripod clamp - the legs unscrew and store inside the thing, so it's pretty handy, here's a few pics of it -




as I used it on the car, ball joint at top adjusts viewing angle




legs attached;




legs stored inside body


all the best

Larry

 

Hi Mac

That's an interesting idea!

But it might attract too much attention and may be considered a hazard by the PC Brigade.

There are all sorts of 'Rigs' for Cameras out there, including ones that clip on a half raised Window but I did a bit of Test Footage in the Garage and the Bonnet/Hood is one of the Best Places to get the Best View.

All it needs is an unobtrusive mounting on the Bonnet, although I might have to disguise it, in case someone tries to steal it while I'm stuck in a Traffic Jam.

If I was feeling really Brave (which I'm not!) I could Tap a Thread for a Tripod Head, into the Little Tube by the Windscreen that the Soft Top Clips into, which would be perfect.

Love the Video by the way! did you use those 'Google Glasses' ?

Maybe we could start Some sort of a Video Road Trip Thread?

If anyone else is interested?

 

Hi Lawrence

Ah yes! Hitch and Brian, those guys!

Mine will probably look like Tarantino and I'll be barking orders to the GF through a Megaphone!

That is one hell of a clamp you've got there but I've had a look on Amazon and there are loads of Rigs on there that would do the job, although its much more fun to make your own.

One idea I was considering, was to slide a thin piece of wood, through the gap in the Head Rest, on the Passenger Side and then rest the other end on the Dashboard. (with a bit of padding on the end)

Then fix the Camera onto the Plank, with a Tripod Mount.

So simple it might even work! the only downside being that you would have to Film through the Screen, which I have been doing with the 'Dash Cam' when it was working.

The Footage I was getting with this Low Res Camera was quite good and would be even better with using a DSLR.

I might just try the Plank idea to check out the results, as it is always better to be able to have the Camera near to hand.

Fantastic drive down your neck of the Woods, its actually hard to believe that you get so much Snow.

I've used that Pinnacle Software before and got 'quite good' results which could have been better, though mainly due to a lack of skill on my part.

Thanks for your help and your input.

Maybe we could Start doing a Road Trip Video Thread?

 

Ah, common Brit misconception about south west coast of Canada (let's keep it a secret though, eh?) ....we don't get very much (any?) snow here, only froze for a few days last November, totally spring here now!

Nothing like that sodding winter weather you get in jolly old!

I think all Video software has its pluses and minuses - try to keep re-rendering down to a minimum and if poss don't re-render at all -quality of final cut will depend quite a bit on the codec you choose also ..

Larry

 

Hi Larry

Funny you should mention that, as I have got that 'Soggy Weather' down here as we speak and even got the Car bogged down in the Garden.

Which took two hours to dig out! and will take even longer to clean!

And have only managed to do one small trip, since the beginning of March!
so not exactly very good film making Weather.

 

I used to use a fat gecko mount for my canon 5d mkIII. Which is heavy on my Range Rover. Good up to 100 mph

 

Hi Ronniet

Many Thanks, I'll take a look.

 

I liked the meat grinder. Cheap and effective

 

Oh you mean my 'Mincer Cam' (Lol) everyone laughs about it but it actually works great and that suction pad, really sticks to the Bonnet/Hood.

At the moment I'm making a Mod, so that I can stick it on the inside of my Windscreen, in case I get stuck in Traffic and someone tries to have it away with my DSLR.