I'm taking an impromptu trip to the Smoky Mountains area Monday and Tuesday next week for work but I'll have time for a few Dragon Runs! I have never gotten around to ordering a camera mount so I need something QUICK that can attach to my roll loops or top of windshield.

I have a tripod with legs that extend to almost 5' and I was thinking of mounting it behind the passenger seat, vertically with all 3 legs folded together behind the seat and then attaching it to the passenger roll loop with bungies so the camera is a bit higher than the roll loops and can capture the hood of the car + road.

Has anyone done something like this or have a better suggestion for someone who just needs a quick rig? I'd prefer the camera NOT be behind the windshield glass.

 

I really like my modify windscreen mount but since your pressed for time there's a couple things you can do for a last minute mount. Both of these I've made in the past from parts from home depot and a camera store.

1) Windscreen mount. Go to home depot and buy a steel or aluminum L bracket. Might find something in the door hinge isle. You'll want to drill 2 holes in the L bracket so that you can attach it to the secret compartment cover using the existing windscreen holes and screws. you'll want to drill another hole in the L bracket on the "upright" side. Attach a pivoting camera tripod head to it. then you can attach the camera to the tripod head. (these tripod heads can be found, although somewhat rare at a camera store).

2) Bumper mount. This works really well for a small camera - like a point and shoot still camera that takes video or a Flip Mino. From home depot buy a long bolt that will fit into the tow hook extension that came with your car. Also buy a few nuts for that bolt and a small L bracket. Put the bolt through the L bracket, then put on a nut to hold it in place. Put in another nut, then the tow hook extension. This 2nd nut will allow you to adjust the distance the bolt is outside of the tow hook extension. Attach a camera head to the L bracket or just find an appropriately size screw to go through he L bracket.

Hard to describe without pictures, but this should be under $30 and can be made in less than an hour.

 

VERY good info. So the L bracket on the windscreen location. do you lay the flat part of the bracket on the secret compartment like this L
and attach your camera to the top?

The bolt to the tow hook extension is a good idea. I guess my point and shoot camera does take 720/480 video. I have a sony mini DV that I'm planning to mount to the headrest or windscreen area.

 

You'll want to attach a pivoting camera head to the verticle part of the L and the bottom (horizontal) part of the L to the secret compartment. You'll need a pivoting camera head so that your camera is facing the correct direction. A better brack could be something shaped like a C or [. That way you could just screw the camera to the upper horizontal and the lower horizontal would screw to the secret compartment.

Video on the dragon from a bumper camera looks fast. And those banked turns look awesome.

 

You wouldn't happen to know what the bolt and thread size is for the tow hook extension would you?

Actually...I think my tow hook ext. is in my spare tire well...I could just take that into home depot.

 

That's what I did.

 

Duct-tape the new Apple iPod nano to the windshield. The new nano has a video camera built into it now. You can see the video while it records your driving.