Motorcycle Mount

S

SadMax

Well-known member
So I am looking at building a mount to put the DXV on the front of my bike (BMW R1150GS, using the BMW fog light mounts to support a frame mounting the camera over the beak about 2" or so above the headlights).

I need a sheet of something optically clear (or close to it) and colorless, shatterproof, about 8-1/2" by 8-1/2" to mount in front of the camera to protect it from road debris, etc.

Any recommendations for materials, or anything else?
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

oh god this sounds like a bad idea.

couldn't you buy a nice lipstick camera and feed it to the dvx or a cheaper camera in a backpack?

but to answer your question, i would get a uv or polarizing filter.

72mm screw on.

matthew
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

... and put the whole damn setup in a protective cage. I'd hate to hear about how you wiped out and killed your DVX. :'(
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

speaking of cages...i am really trying hard to think of an elegant way to make a sort of roll bar around my dvx so when its on the crane if the crane should cease overcoming gravity it will have a roll bar of sorts that will hit the ground rather than the dvx.

i mean i have insurance on the dvx but i don't want to use it...

i have a friend with a manufacturing company but i hate to have him have someone design one and build it from aluminum and weld it when i am sure if i keep my eyes open i can find something off the shelf.

picture a milk carton of a shape that would fit just right around the dvx but leaving plenty of room for the lens end t shoot.

matthew
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

That's funny that you mention that. I was thinking the exact thing a couple of nights ago.
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

I don't think there are any lipstick cameras available that produce anything approaching the DVX's image quality...at least, none that I can afford...

I like the screw-on filter idea, but that will only protect the lens; the front end of the camera aside from the lens will still be exposed.

Actually, that's not a lot of area. Maybe I'll go with the filter...are they shatterproof...?

It's not so much to protect the camera in case of a crash; that's more or less impossible. In a full-on departure from control there's nothing I can build that's likely to save the camera...and for safety reasons the mount has to be break-away anyhow. If things get weird and I go flying over the front of the bike, I don't particularly want my nuts torn off...

...although I did once have a Sony Hi-8 camcorder go flying off the back of my old bike on the 101 freeway...the eyepiece was busted off, but to my immense surprise and relief, the camera was otherwise in fine, functional shape. Not bad for a $1500 (1992) camcorder bounced offa concrete at 70 mph...
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

matthewd5 - have you considered making your roll-bar-cage out of 1/2" or 3/8" EMT?

It's easy to cut, and there are off-the-shelf fittings you can use to build straight segments into a cage that ought to protect your camera just fine. And, it's reasonably lightweight.

I guess you could do the same thing with PVC pipe, if it doesn't have to be so strong. In fact, thick-wall PVC might be better than EMT; it's lighter and has a little bit of "bounce," which means it won't transmit as much shock to your camera if things go tip-and-fall-over...
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

I do a lot of motorcycle cam shots. You do not want the camera mounted to the the motorcycle frame or any solid metal structure because the vibration during acceleration/ deceleration is too intense for the heads, you will get dropout. The best solution is always decouple the camera from the bike, foam rubber, your body, ect. I refuse to use my DVX for such shots, because I know how damaging the vibrations are. The lipstick cam mounted on your helmet will give the smoothest clearest shots. Or if you must use the DVX have a passenger operate the camera, this is the only way I have found that you can get quality shots without vibration without investing in a serious dampened cam mount. Give the passenger a strap or a hand hold so that they do not wobble on take off.

Why are you worried about protecting your DVX from hitting the ground? Do you plan on crashing? If you are, I think your LIFE is worth way more than the DVX. Be safe... UV filter is needed for bugs and rocks, that is all...

In the movies, they always have a dedicated driver behind the wheel. The camera man then only needs to worry about getting the shot. Safer too!

I can show you some camera mount shots I did and what the vibrations do to the video. Unusable...

Helmet cam is the easiest to do a one person shot. your body will absorb the vibrations and bumps. OR mount the lipstick directly to the bike while keeping the recording camera in a backpack on you body. You will still see some vibration mounted to the bike.

If you dont care about vibration, disregaurd..... Mount away! ;D

A motorcycle is good for getting really cool follow shots, drive by or fast dollys, but forget about the audio... Too windy, too much motor noise.
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

I'm not worried about the DVX hitting the ground (well, any scenario that involves the camera hitting ground means that I'll have much more pressing things to worry about...)

The DVX's image stabilization can't cope with motorcycle-induced vibration? Or is there a quality loss associated with stabilization that makes it a bad bet...?

I've looked at some of the lipstick cameras out there, but none of them appear to offer particularly good resolution. Do you have a particular make or model that you recommend?

Try as I might, I haven't found any information on the legality of carrying a motorcycle passenger seated facing astern...it sure sounds like it must be illegal to me (damn well ought to be) but I'll keep looking. I guess with the LCD swivelled around, the passenger could probably operate the camera whilst seated normally...

What bike do you use for your camera platform?
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

OIS will give you choppy scenery. Turn it off. Vibration will cause dropout and OIS will do nothing to help it. Foam Rubber or some other material to decouple the cam. Most riders put the cam in a backpack and use the lipstick cam. Color correct in post. I use a light Samsung camera mounted on handle bars or use a camera man on the back of the bike and then convert the 60I footage to progressive in post using vegas. Color correct it to match the other footage and voila, print.

I use a BIG BIKE. Well sorta... meduim. Honda VTX 1300, but I will be switching to a hyabusa in the spring. Four cyl bikes produce less vibration in the engine compart. Rider facing forward can still shoot some really good footage. Rider facing rear will have to wear a safety belt attached to the other rider. This is done in bicycle races and what not. Side car is the best for shooting though I do not have one. Look up your local laws though to be sure of what you can or can't do.

Some states require helmet and that means it would be really tough to look through a viewfinder.

Operating a handheld camera and driving is not recommended but can be done. ;D
 
Re: Motorcycle Mount

I have mounted a DVX on a Triumph Thruxton using drum cycmbal stand parts and rubber where they connect to the bike frame. I got some really good shots, actually.

If you want to see some footage, let me know.
 
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