Clamp on shoe mount

[Mike@AF]

I'm looking for a shoe mount that can be clamped onto a tripod or any other kind of bar. Basically imagine a mini Cardellini clamp with a shoe mount receiver instead of threads or a pin. Everything I've found so far has the shoe mount on some kind of arm or really huge clamp contraption. I'd like it to be as flush with the clamp as possible.

My plan is to use it to mount the H4N and some wireless lav receivers to my tripod and shoulder mount when I'm using them.

 

[J Davis]

You wanna move the H4 off the top of your GH1 to the tripod leg easily right?
I wanted to do exactly the same thing. I looked everywhere for a clamp and I settled for a combination of things

Tripod leg has
• windtech clamp LINK
• plus bogen thread adapt LINK
• plus smith victor shoe mount LINK

then permanently under my H4 is
Rycote Hot Shoe Adapter LINK
same Bogen adapt LINK

Luckily I had most of the pieces lying around anyway, just the $10 windtech clamp I had to order.

 

[Mike@AF]

Actually I've never tried to mount my H4N to the camera. I've never liked the idea of doing that.

I'm thinking more along the lines of the Manfrotto 196AC but it's not big enough to clamp onto the tripod leg. If I can find a big enough (but not too big) clamp with a 1/4-20 thread on it, I would attach a Rycote 037701 Hot Shoe Extension Bar to that clamp and use a Birns & Sawyer HSA Shoe Adapter, which has a 1/4-20 thread, on the H4N. The wireless lav receivers already have hot shoes.

So I can get this working exactly the way I want if I can find a clamp with a 1/4-20 thread that can clamp on a tripod leg (1"-2" capability would be perfect).

EDIT: I believe I found a solution in the form of the Manfrotto 595CLA Fig Rig Clamp. I happen to have 2 of them already and located the 1/4-20 threads for it. I'll order the shoe extension and shoe adapter and I should be able to mount the H4N and my wireless lav receivers all in a row on my tripod or shoulder mount.

 

[J Davis]

Actually I've never tried to mount my H4N to the camera. I've never liked the idea of doing that.

I hear ya .. GH1 is definitely not a run and gun camera.

Sometimes I do work for ad agencies in midtown and when thats the case I use my windtech clamp on the leg to mount the H4. However when I'm on more personal projects where professional image doesn't matter I have found that mounting the H4 on top of the GH1 even when its on sticks extremely useful.

I say this for two reasons. One is that I have all the H4 and GH1 controls all in close proximity and I can check to see time code ticking over on both devices after I call sync and before I call action. The H4 is high enough so it doesn't block any cams buttons or screen. The second reason is to do with available light and the fact that the H4 screen is harder to read sideways and lower on the leg. My eyes are not as good as they once were.

EDIT: Bogen superclamp is also an option, more expensive tho.