FTA2R Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Hello everyone, Now I realise this is probably not the smartest idea, but whatever. Does anyone know how I can somehow attach a Sony Handycam to some part of my body and yet keep the camera upright AND carve. I realize carving doesn't make it any easier. Any of you handy guys (and girls), I'm all ears. thx, Barry ps helmet cam isn't an option right now, unforuentaly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jutta Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Not that I have any personal experience, but last weekend I saw a skier who had solved the problem by attaching one of those little tabletop tripods to his helmet (lots of duct tape involved). Might be worth a try, as long as you put a tether on the camera...:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 There's other threads about helmet cams. I just hold mine in my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 while riding you are able to hold a camera upright? if so, more talented than me. do you have a real small camera? Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Originally posted by Barry while riding you are able to hold a camera upright? if so, more talented than me. do you have a real small camera? Haven't done it a lot, I just did one sequence that was sort of a carving point of view and a couple others where I was just following some people (so not carving hard in the second case). It's just a regular sized 8mm Sony, must be over 5 years old now so it's not small by today's standards but still fairly small. If you want to hold the camera upright it'll have to be hand-held unless there's some sort of gyroscopic gymballed mount available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gawdzira Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 There is very bad precedence set doing this behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 but a few of them live around here, hahahaha. As I said in this thread opener, it's probably not teh smartest idea. When I did it earlier though, I was holding the camera and riding as I normally do, not at all watching what I was filiming. I don't think filmiing like that is overly dangerous. I do have common sense, though, and would ideally try to do this only on empty slopes. maybe i'll just break down and buy a viosport helmet cam. ps wasn't kennedy throwing a football or something totally ridiculous when he had his accident? --- Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gawdzira Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 I was just trying to make sure to not get on the bad side of any dead Kennedys. http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/ This guy even sells them. Or search for steadycam on your favorite search engine. I have seen people using steadycams and the counter wieght appears to be key in helping you stabalize the camera. alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWriverstone Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Hey Barry... I own a Glidecam (this model) which is lighter (and more expensive) than the homemade one referenced above. Of course I've never tried it snowboarding, and don't know if I would! (Don't trust myself!) It might work well, but these things take some practice to use (alas, not an "unpack it and go!" kind of product). I think either holding a small camcorder and/or buying a "lipstick cam" for your helmet would be the way to go. I might bring my Glidecam out one day to a local slope and try it out. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 much more comlicated than I thought. A lot of respect to Johnny Chung for his ingenuity, but I don't see anyone riding with that thing. Scott, just curious, what do you use that for? That would probably be hard to ride with, too, although I saw the arm brace. Some wild stuff. I'll think of something, or just buy a viosport cam. --- Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinpa Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 I used to have a Hitachi Hi8 camera that they claimed to be waterproof. Although I never dropped it, It seemed pretty sturdy. I shot some on the hill (that's what I got it for) a few years back. I didn't usually have it on while I was riding down to the next spot, and I didn't ride super hard while I had it with me either. The trick is to keep it zoomed all the way out so it is as wide as possible. I didn't look in the viewfinder when I did it, but some of the cameras with the screens might be a little easier. Whenever I wanted to follow someone to get some shots, I usually got on my skiis because then I was a little more stable and facing more forward. It worked for following, but obviously not for getting a "point of view" shot while carving. They do make all those kind of steadycams and stuff. Did you ever see the guy who follows with the cam in the half pipe during X- games and such? It looks like he's got a pretty big set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted February 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 I'm pleased to say that after about 1.5 hours of experimenting, I have managed to create a rig for the camcorder out of a luggage shoulder strap, a leather belt, and duct tape. The camcorder will be attached to my waist as I ride and all I have to do to get a different perspective is slide the luggage shoulder strap. As if being a carver doesn't already attract it's fair share of attention, I also have a wire coming from my helmet into my mp3 player (which is attached to a broken arm band on the outside of my sleeve which I have fixed with rubber bands) duct tape holding the wire inside helmet, and most likely my camelbak, will unquestionably make me a TOTAL FREAK on the mountain. I'm positive no one will have this much crap attached to them. LOL, hopefully I'll get a pic of myself. Whether or not this works, of course, remains to be seen. Should be interesting... === Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikytheripster Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 What ny dad did was buy a cheap skateboard helmet, cut a circular section out of the top then fit an aluminium mounting plate each side. ie the camera attached by using the thread already at the bottom(for tripods) mated to a thread on the aluminium plate. Believe the plate was clamped to the helmet. ie the plate on the inside head a thread and the external one had the mating thread, they then screwed together. HOpe this makes sense, worked well though. Access to engineering machines made it easy though. IF possible post a pic of your contraption! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted February 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 well the footage taken yesterday with my new "camcorder harness" is definitely better than a few weeks ago when i just filmed holding the camera while riding it. I get pretty low for soft carving and my arm is constatnly flickering in and out of there in the video. The perspective and steadiness seem to be greatly improved, though, and I was basically able to ride w/o sacrificing any form. I did fall once but there was no damage to me or the camera (thankfully). The guy I was sitting next on teh lift had a minor collision with me getting off and I even got that on film- nothing crazy though. Fit wise the rig was near perfect, especially considereing i made it an hour out of a laptop shoulder strap, a leather belt, and duct tape. I rode as hard as I normally do and the camera stayed tightly attached to my waist at all times and seemed to stay pretty still. Riding the freeride board with the rig was relatively easy, not so with teh carving board. Current mod now is finding a way to insulate it (fell with it once and it's property of where I work :) ) I took a few pics of it too, and I'll try to post it here, as a few people have asked about it here and elsewhere. === Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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