Securing your mini HDMI cable

M

meauounji

Well-known member
So...

Everyone knows that one of the reasons using and external monitor with a DSLR is a pain is because of the universally reviled miniHDMI connector. Not only is the connector too small to bear the weight of a long cable, the port itself is fragile, and can wear out quite quickly depending on how much stress you put on it.

Now, there are of course, best practices you can do to minimize the pain that this is. Using a mini HDMI adapter instead of a cable is one, tying your cable to your rig to lessen stress put on the port is another. But recently, Vincent Laforet has come out with his "custom rigs" section and has revealed a little device by Viewfactor

This: http://www.viewfactor.net/index.php/products/contineo-hdmi-clamp.html

Ingenius, right? The price isn't even unreasonable for all the headache it solves. Too bad that it requires the purchase of their $500-$900 cage to work. I love the concept of their cage, but the problem is that I'm not willing to spend that kind of money on a cage designed for one specific DSLR soon to be replaced by a newer model in 2011. (it's obvious by now, right? 5D will be 3 years in fall 2011.)

But this does make me wonder... does anyone here know of any kind of similar clamp that can be used to secure the miniHDMI cable onto the camera? Maybe onto rails? I use external monitors almost 100% of the time when I shoot and I imagine lots of other people do too. This would solve so much of the physical headaches associated with it, it's not even funny.
 
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you can find L shaped plate that are made for this , but unfortunately it doest not exist for t2i with grip (the one i need).
http://reallyrightstuff.com/Items.aspx?code=LPLATES-CANON&key=cat
but yes it is awfully expensive, but nothing prevent you to DYI such thing and make it even better.
you take an aluminium plate, bend it at 90 degrees, make a hole to fix under the camera, make a slot in front (at the level) of the hdmi socket, put a grommet on the hdmi cable, just slide the grommet into the slot , et voila !
images

you can manage the same for the usb, AV and mic plug.

and if you cannot fix it under the camera, use the accessory shoe, so it does not block access to battery grip
 
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I broke 4 cables on our last production with my 7D. I *KNOW* what a pain that miniHDMI is! :) What I would like is a thin piece of metal that fits between my tripod adapter and the camera. Hmmmm. This might be a fun project. I can just incorporate a clamp into it.
 
i just spend half an hour to build the bracket (aluminium plate).
the target was to fix on the DSLR (T2i) without blocking anything that could be used for another purpose (like accessory shoe or bottom thread.)
So i used the little metalic stuff that point out of the body for strap and at the bottom, just blocket a strip between the body and the battery grip.
added a spring to push the cable against the body , making it even more secure.
it is installed in seconds and is rock solid. And it does not block the battery drawer of the grip.
i think i will add the gromet later
i could also add an accessory shoe support on top or on side, but since i am left handed and focus the lens from that side, i do not like to have too much things on the way from that side.
the Zoom H1 goes either on top of the DSLR or on bottom right(another DIY support).
nice gadget to add is a $8 handle
http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Hand-Stra...502?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35ade8e6d6

It adds a second threaded hole under the body, so you can eventually add something .



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this way the H1 is on the good side (for me), and i can see the display easily.
I can still use the free hole under the body to add another item (like a battery or or quick release plate.)
Since it is a T2i, the total weight stay very light.
 
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nosys

I have built similar

can you get your lead out ?

Mine is further away from the camera

nicer to use? (good)
more bulky? (bad)

S
 
Nosy, I'm not really seeing how that bracket secures itself onto the camera. Is it squeezed between the battery grip and the camera? If you bump it, does it move?
 
yes , i put a piece of tape (fiberglass) , pinched between the battery grip and the body. (but it could have been a thin nylon strap riveted to the alu plate)
it is rock solid you can grab the camera by the bracket , it does not move (but it is not something you want to do , isn'it ?)
if you are not confident in this setup, you just make the bracket going lower to attach under the body or the battery grip.
I rejected that solution , because then you need a bracket of different lenght depending if you use the grip or not , and it could interfer with other things (like removing the battery drawer) you would attach under the grip.
my only regret is the cable being too rigid and still going straight out of the bracket, it is not really nice, i still have to find the perfect cable, thin, short, gold plated, minihdmi to hdmi... and cheap.
my ipod makes pretty bad pictures , i will try to put a better one of the full setup.
 
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Maybe you could use the swivel adapter Chris mentioned to send the cable a different direction and secure it to the bracket somehow.

This is starting to feel like it belongs in the DIY thread.
 
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