Okay I decided I would play around with the video camera today in the car. I went to harbor frieght and got 2 80lb suction cups and home depot for the "camer mount angle iron". I have everything level and true. Mounted the camera with a 1/4-.5" winged screw. I put a regular washer under the winged nut then poked it through one of the holes on the metal. I put 2 nepopreen washers to try and take up some of the vibrations.

Well I recorded my movie and wow, talk about vibrations up the wazoo. Okay so I need some help. Was it a mistake to let the camera sit on the 2 nepopreen (sp is way off) washers? I would like some recomendations on this, I think I have a good camera mount set up, but need to "refine" it to remove the "vibrations" I can post a video if you wish, but it's like super vibrations

 

A rubber mount will cause the camera to move out of sync with the car—think rigid! Where are you mounting the camera? (i.e.:inside or outside?)

 

inside the car on a mount! Steel mount!

 

Look at every link in the chain...

Are the suction cups placed on solid panels, or do they bounce?
Is the angle stock rigid, or does it flex?
Is the angle stock firmly attached to the cups, or is there some play?
Are suction cups really the best way?

You get where I'm going...

Look at every link in the chain—all of it needs to be rigid.

 

I know we talked in PMs about this but it sounds like you tried to make a mount like this????

http://vacucam.littlemini.us/passengermount.asp



Or a much earlier version of this that I did to prove the concept


If this is what you are trying to do--and doing it with your video camera it's not going to work. This setup only works if the mounted cameras are lighter than the bar itself. The stability of the image comes from the fact that this is a rigid mount with practically no mass to shift it around. Add a 1 or 2 or 3 pound camera to it, and all of a sudden, you got bounce, and moment issues.

You're better off with a headrest mount. Note that a headrest mount is pretty much useless for my Vacucams because that type of mount needs the mass of the camera for stability--not to mention it utilizes the antishake features found in most camcorders to provide a stable image.

 

I actually got it, the trick was that I had the camera on zoom, which was a no no :D. It actually worked really well today...

http://homepage.mac.com/flyncalpoly/.Public/Launch.mov

*for the people who will flame me for going a bit fast*

I know people are going to get mad at me for going a "certain speed" but yah it's fun, You only live once get over yourself.

 

I don't really like this camera mount, but if it works for you (and doesn't push out a window)—go for it.

 

Yah, I'm trying to decide if I like it now. I might switch to the other camera mount :D

 

Remember the details on that mount was set up as a USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. It was never designed to be used with anything like a camcorder, so the additional stresses might be magnified.

Personally I wouldn't continue using it if I were you, and yes I was the one who came up with this design.