Strapping a Tri-pod into a Cardinal...

[[email protected]]

So I've decided to film some of my flights now during the rainy season
(really fun flying in Hawai'i during that time), and I was wondering if
anyone has any advice on how to strap a camera on or not on a tripod
into a plane, preferable on the tripod so I can move it around as I
desire (pan it left to right). Thanks for your guys help.

[Kev]

wrote:
> So I've decided to film some of my flights now during the rainy season
> (really fun flying in Hawai'i during that time), and I was wondering if
> anyone has any advice on how to strap a camera on or not on a tripod
> into a plane, preferable on the tripod so I can move it around as I
> desire (pan it left to right). Thanks for your guys help.

Good question. There must be back-of-seat mounts, but I can't seem to
find any for sale. But here's an article on shooting from a car that
might be helpful:

http://www.videomaker.com/article/1799/

Kev

[Newps]

Forget the tripod. Go to the store and get a sponge or two. The camera
sits on the sponge on top of the glareshield. Then take elastic straps
and attach a ring terminal to both ends. Attach ring terminals to
convenient sheet metal screws on the glareshield. My 182 had an
avionics access panel that I used. The sponge keeps the camera from
vibrating. The easiest video cameras to use have the flip open screen.
Set the camera to the scenery mode so it won't focus on the
windshield. I always had just a little bit of the engine cowl in the
lower part of the screen for reference. If you use a Sony camera you
can plug a cord from the intercom directly into the mic in jack, no
special cords needed. The only downside to audio is you either get
constant engine drone or no engine drone and communications.

wrote:
> So I've decided to film some of my flights now during the rainy season
> (really fun flying in Hawai'i during that time), and I was wondering if
> anyone has any advice on how to strap a camera on or not on a tripod
> into a plane, preferable on the tripod so I can move it around as I
> desire (pan it left to right). Thanks for your guys help.
>

[randall g]

On 27 Nov 2006 02:27:58 -0800, "
> wrote:

>So I've decided to film some of my flights now during the rainy season
>(really fun flying in Hawai'i during that time), and I was wondering if
>anyone has any advice on how to strap a camera on or not on a tripod
>into a plane, preferable on the tripod so I can move it around as I
>desire (pan it left to right). Thanks for your guys help.


Check out this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=fholbert



randall g =%^)> PPASEL+Night 1974 Cardinal RG
http://www.telemark.net/randallg
Lots of aerial photographs of British Columbia at:
http://www.telemark.net/randallg/photos.htm
Vancouver's famous Kat Kam: http://www.katkam.ca

[[email protected]]

Well I rather like the method used in the article supplied by Kev...
the only thing I wonder is if the tripod is going to be affected by
pitch and bank, I guess the two bungee cords will hold it against
lateral and probably verticle acceleration, but I want to be sure it's
going to be okay when the plane is banking about 20 degrees.

Also, I don't want to use the spnge method because I don't want the
standard "over the dash" shot that you see in many cars and planes, I
want to use my 0.5X lens and get the shot from just above eye level
from the back seat, so you can see the instrument panel and out the
plane and me and any pax/other pilot sitting up front, a better angle I
think.

[Jay Beckman]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well I rather like the method used in the article supplied by Kev...
> the only thing I wonder is if the tripod is going to be affected by
> pitch and bank, I guess the two bungee cords will hold it against
> lateral and probably verticle acceleration, but I want to be sure it's
> going to be okay when the plane is banking about 20 degrees.
>
> Also, I don't want to use the spnge method because I don't want the
> standard "over the dash" shot that you see in many cars and planes, I
> want to use my 0.5X lens and get the shot from just above eye level
> from the back seat, so you can see the instrument panel and out the
> plane and me and any pax/other pilot sitting up front, a better angle I
> think.
>

One problem:

The contrast ratio is just too much for a video camera to handle (or even a
film camera for that matter...) so you won't be able to properly expose both
the view outside and your panel without some creative filtration. One
alternative (rather than totally covering your windscreen with ND) is to get
a split ND (Neutral Density) filter and align it with the line formed by
your glareshield. About 4 stops worth ought to be a good starting point.

Without the ND, you'll have either a properly exposed panel and blown out
views outside or a pristine outside view with a black hole where the panel
should be.

Good luck with your project.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

PS...One suggestion for securing the tripod: See if you can find a way to
exert a strong downward pull. You'll notice serious nature photographers
get this by hanging their camera bags or sandbags on hooks at the bottom of
the center column of their tripods. Chain it or MilSpec bungee cord it to
the floor of your cabin if you can.

[[email protected]]

> The contrast ratio is just too much for a video camera to handle (or even a
> film camera for that matter...) so you won't be able to properly expose both
> the view outside and your panel without some creative filtration. One
> alternative (rather than totally covering your windscreen with ND) is to get
> a split ND (Neutral Density) filter and align it with the line formed by
> your glareshield. About 4 stops worth ought to be a good starting point.

Luckily I do have a ND filter, so I will use that, and I'm also going
to screw on the $40 polarizing filter I have, that works impeccably
when filming free-hand.

> PS...One suggestion for securing the tripod: See if you can find a way to
> exert a strong downward pull. You'll notice serious nature photographers
> get this by hanging their camera bags or sandbags on hooks at the bottom of
> the center column of their tripods. Chain it or MilSpec bungee cord it to
> the floor of your cabin if you can.

I was thinking of doing that, also getting a longer bungee cord and
running it under the seat to the two forward cargo loops, that should
give it plenty of tug, and then I think that bungee-ing it somewhere
into the side rails should provide enough pull to keep it from leaning
around during banks.

Should be a fun DVD to put together as a general guide to the airport
around here, theres only 16 you can land at... fun huh, you can
memorize all the procedures (not that is would be a smart idea).

[Jay Beckman]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>> The contrast ratio is just too much for a video camera to handle (or even
>> a
>> film camera for that matter...) so you won't be able to properly expose
>> both
>> the view outside and your panel without some creative filtration. One
>> alternative (rather than totally covering your windscreen with ND) is to
>> get
>> a split ND (Neutral Density) filter and align it with the line formed by
>> your glareshield. About 4 stops worth ought to be a good starting point.
>
> Luckily I do have a ND filter, so I will use that, and I'm also going
> to screw on the $40 polarizing filter I have, that works impeccably
> when filming free-hand.
>

Just be sure you employ it as a split field filter. You only want to knock
down the amount of light coming in the windscreen so the iris can open up
for proper exposure of the cabin/panel. I would not use a polarizer
however. You run the risk of seeng all kinds of rainbows caused by stresses
in the plexi and your exposure will be inconsistent depending on the
location of the sun. The polarizer will have it's greatest effect when the
sun is at your three or nine o'clock and virtually none when the sun is at
your 12 or six.


>> PS...One suggestion for securing the tripod: See if you can find a way to
>> exert a strong downward pull. You'll notice serious nature photographers
>> get this by hanging their camera bags or sandbags on hooks at the bottom
>> of
>> the center column of their tripods. Chain it or MilSpec bungee cord it
>> to
>> the floor of your cabin if you can.

>I was thinking of doing that, also getting a longer bungee cord and running
>it under the seat to the two forward cargo loops, that should give it
>plenty of tug, and >then I think that bungee-ing it somewhere into the side
>rails should provide enough pull to keep it from leaning around during
>banks.

Or, maybe down and back through the rear seat + down and forward to the very
aft end of the front seat rails? I'm not familiar with what's available in
a Cardinal when the seats are racked forward.

>
> Should be a fun DVD to put together as a general guide to the airport
> around here, theres only 16 you can land at... fun huh, you can memorize
> all the procedures(not that is would be a smart idea).

More than one professional video production that I've worked on got started
with "What If...?"

Good Luck...

Jay B

[Newps]

wrote:

I
> want to use my 0.5X lens and get the shot from just above eye level
> from the back seat, so you can see the instrument panel and out the
> plane and me and any pax/other pilot sitting up front, a better angle I
> think.


You can't have both in focus.

[Jose[_1_]]

> You can't have both in focus.

Sure you can, if you use a split diopter (essentially bifocals for a
camera).

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Marco Leon]

I've been successful in using a tripod in my Warrior. I just filmed
some night ops two nights ago successfully. What I do is set up the
tripod to have two shortened legs and one long leg. I put the two
shorter legs against the back seat's bend and adjust the long leg to
the floor to get a somewhat level position. I secure the back two with
the lap belt and use a bungee to secure the front attaching it to a bar
under one of the front seats.

Unless you're doing aerobatics, it will stay put. Actually, it should
stay put even in aerobatics given a tight enough bungee/seatbelt setup.

I've had no problems with the focus using a common Sony DCR-TRV18
MiniDV camcorder. I find that I don't have to put it on the Focus on
Infinity setting to get both the panel and outside in focus but you can
try it if you think it will help.

A couple of things I learned through trial and error:
1) put the camera as close to the headliner as possible to get a good
view of the outside. Anything lower will get you a frame full of panel.
2) unless you want to listen to the engine drone, I'd suggest plugging
the back headphone jack into the audio-in jack. Just make sure to get a
good sound level through adjustment of the passenger volume in the
intercom (if you can). Otherwise you can easily end up with distorted
audio (although it does give it an "antique" flavor...or maybe a New
York City Subway announcement flavor--it's a fine line)

I'm sure there is the "proper" way according to audio/video philes but
this worked for me.

Marco


wrote:
> So I've decided to film some of my flights now during the rainy season
> (really fun flying in Hawai'i during that time), and I was wondering if
> anyone has any advice on how to strap a camera on or not on a tripod
> into a plane, preferable on the tripod so I can move it around as I
> desire (pan it left to right). Thanks for your guys help.

[Jkgoblue]

This guy has a good set up. He even has a video that explains what he
does.

http://www.160knots.com/making_video.htm


>
> wrote:
> > So I've decided to film some of my flights now during the rainy season
> > (really fun flying in Hawai'i during that time), and I was wondering if
> > anyone has any advice on how to strap a camera on or not on a tripod
> > into a plane, preferable on the tripod so I can move it around as I
> > desire (pan it left to right). Thanks for your guys help.

[Dylan Smith]

On 2006-11-28, Marco Leon > wrote:
> I'm sure there is the "proper" way according to audio/video philes but
> this worked for me.

The 'proper' way would be an impedance matching transformer. However, I
found (since the input of my camcorder would give distorted audio off
the intercom regardless of the intercom's volume level) a fairly high
value resistor - IIRC, something on the order of 470k, but I may be
remembering wrong - attenuated the signal enough that it didn't distort
(and it sounded pretty good on the recording).

--
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