Securing a Car Mount

[Mackay Valentine]

hey everyone,

 

I'm preparing to rig a lightweight suction car mount for the hood and side. The mount is supporting a Canon Xh A1, which the mount has no problem holding up. This being my first car rig, I'm curious as to the best way to secure and strap down the camera? just in case.

 

thanks

Edited December 4, 2006 by Mike Valentine

[Tim J Durham]

hey everyone,

 

I'm preparing to rig a lightweight suction car mount for the hood and side. The mount is supporting a Canon Xh A1, which the mount has no problem holding up. This being my first car rig, I'm curious as to the best way to secure and strap down the camera? just in case.

 

thanks

Check out the photos and maybe buy one of the books:

 

http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/carmounts.html

 

there is also a rigging video in there somewhere.

[Brian Baker]

From what my friends have told me and the reviews I've read, neither of Uva's books are very impressive. The first offers some insight, but the second is merely a recap of the first, with less information.

[Steve Larsen]

hey everyone,

 

I'm preparing to rig a lightweight suction car mount for the hood and side. The mount is supporting a Canon Xh A1, which the mount has no problem holding up. This being my first car rig, I'm curious as to the best way to secure and strap down the camera? just in case.

 

thanks

 

Ratchet straps and webbing with some foam to protect the car. On the hood mount open the hood and hook a small piece of webbing around the hinge on both sides, close the hood, and attach your 2 ratchet straps to the webbing and then to your car mount, then 2 more ratchets going to the fron bumper area somewhere to the camera mount (opposing force). On the side mount you might be able to utilize one of the hood webbing attach points or open the door attach a piece of webbing to the hinge. If it's a 4 door open up both doors and get a piece of webbing around the post between doors. Once you get your pick points strap down the mount.

[Paul Bruening]

Steve's got the most common way it's done low budg. You can add a one inch thick (18" x 18") square of plywood to mount the head or baby, or even just run a bolt with fender washer through into the camera's tripod bolt receiver threads. Then you pull the webbing through holes in the plywood sheet.

 

It's about the same rig to hang the camera off of a door for two-shots or close-ups. Here, you add a little framing under the plywood sheet. It can take some adjusting of padding and rolls of duct tape (keeps the padding from flying off and sliding out of adjustment) to accomodate the shape of the door and not crumple it given the thin-ness of some modrn car's panels. Two of the rachet webs have to reach up to the top of the door or over to the door frame on the other side. It can look pretty cheezy. But, if you use some sense and LOTS of webbing rachets, padding and duct tape it can work just fine. Remember there's a camera hanging off of the car or it can be "Goodbye, camera". While that is obvious to any human being, you'll have to remind the actors over and over.

 

One of the most significant things is that you are using a light camera. Mounts for film cameras can get a little more involved including welded steel.

[Jim Feldspar]

Steve's got the most common way it's done low budg. You can add a one inch thick (18" x 18") square of plywood to mount the head or baby, or even just run a bolt with fender washer through into the camera's tripod bolt receiver threads. Then you pull the webbing through holes in the plywood sheet.

 

It's about the same rig to hang the camera off of a door for two-shots or close-ups. Here, you add a little framing under the plywood sheet. It can take some adjusting of padding and rolls of duct tape (keeps the padding from flying off and sliding out of adjustment) to accomodate the shape of the door and not crumple it given the thin-ness of some modrn car's panels. Two of the rachet webs have to reach up to the top of the door or over to the door frame on the other side. It can look pretty cheezy. But, if you use some sense and LOTS of webbing rachets, padding and duct tape it can work just fine. Remember there's a camera hanging off of the car or it can be "Goodbye, camera". While that is obvious to any human being, you'll have to remind the actors over and over.

 

One of the most significant things is that you are using a light camera. Mounts for film cameras can get a little more involved including welded steel.

 

When you say "webbing" is that something that comes with ratchet straps?

 

I've been using A Sticky-Pod Pro (4 suction cups under base plate) with the supplied

tethers for a 2.5 lb. Mini-DV camera. I'm thinking about mounting an HVX-200 (about 5.5 lbs.)

on it. Should I buy/use rachet straps and webbing? Thanks.