Camera Mounts And Cameras for Slalom Video

[scuppers]

I read up on all the old posts I could find - any new info on the best and sturdiest vibration limiting set up?

[bbruzzese]

Is anyone out there using the Cylon from Wake Eye?

[UWSkier]

Ski-doc with HTC M8 phone and Wakeye app is perfection.

[blakeyates]

I have a new Ski Doc and am just setting it up with an iPhone. I’ve got too much shake; any suggestions?

[John Brooks]

I have the SKi Doc, like it and use it for record tours, works well and is sturdy. For practice video, I use my IPhone, Wake Eye ap and use it in selfy mod, much less vibration.

[BMG73]

I have the ski doc and an iPhone 7. It shakes terrible unless you turn the phone in selfie mode and turn off stabilization in the wakeye app. Try that @blakeyates

[Ed_Johnson]

I have had every Camera Mount available since 1992. Wakeye broke on me twice, sending my camera to the floor. For the last 2 years have been using the Ski Doc Orbit with a high end Canon Camera and the picture is Perfect. No vibration what so ever. Absolutely could not ask for a better picture. Plus the Canon has a remote control that allows you to sit back and watch it on the big screen in slow-mo and fast forward through the sit times.

 

 

[skibrain]

Does the Ski Doc have an iPhone mounting option?

[UWSkier]

@skibrain the ski-doc has a standard thread-pitch camera mount screw. They include a crappy phone mount with the kit when you buy it, or you can find better ones on Amazon for about 7 bucks.

[teammalibu]

No matter what you use put on a shock tube or bad things can happen!

[teammalibu]

The ski doc orbit with hikivision camera tracks well for tourney boat video, we are still trying to improve the video! JJ told me the video of reginas record was a orbit with a go pro on top! That is much better than the hikvision but then you need wireless and DVR which all rob quality!

[scuppers]

Thanks for the feed back ballers. We just bought a ski doc from performance used my iPhone 10X and the Wakeye app. Shook like crazy!!! But we used it NOT in selfie mode and had the stabilization button on

We try again tomorrow PS I’m gonna try a little bungee cord tension on the ski doc it’s self to dampen out the vibration. @Ed_Johnson which Cannon and how expensive is it?

[Ed_Johnson]

@scuppers ... Canon Vixia G50 with Optical Image Stabilization, 20x Optical Zoom, Dual SD Cards, and HDMI plus USB Interface, plus Remote Control. I got mine 2 years ago for $1200. The model it replaced was a G20, which was a little smaller and lighter, and I have seen some of those on Amazon for $795.

The remote lets you do stop action and 2 slow speed modes 1/8th and 1/4 speed, in FWD and REV. Great for sitting in your easy boy and watching on your big screen.

 

 

[Kellen417]

I literally just went through this. Horrible shake with iPhone 7, totally unwatchable. BUT I got solid video after some work. Just sent this to the people at skidoc today & they appreciated the feedback.

 

I bought a “WOOHOT” Camera mount to use and a small square of 1/4” sorbothane (anti vibration pad)

Installed in between orbit and Camera mount. Also put it in the back of the phone mount. Changed iPhone 7 camera settings to record 1080 JPEG when using selfie camera.

 

Here is a pic of the mount & below a video of fairly rotten pass that in my opinion came out pretty dang good on video considering.

 

 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c72zu150qbcd8v4/orbit.MOV?dl=0

[Kellen417]

I did record using Wakeye app with stabilization ON

[Kellen417]

I like using the iphone because I can instantly upload to the Hudl technique app to watch my crappy passes however slow-mo I like

[buoyboy1]

@Kellen417 Did you have to change out the bolt in order to fit the pad under the camera mount or was there enough thread? Seems like there is only 1/4" thread projection.

[Kellen417]

That pad is super squishy & sticky. I was able to fit it using the same bolt.

They make it in 1/8 also, i was unsure that would be thick enough after all the shake I previously experienced. They also have different durometers. I used 50 I think. A bit sturdier

[BobF]

This link is another decent aftermarket cell phone clamp mount that can be used with any standard 1/4" thread.

 

 

[musclefixer]

We just bought a skidoc orbit too. Does anyone else find the selfie mode weird cause its a mirror image of yourself- my on side just became my offside. Like mentioned above use my iPhone XR with wakeye and it shook like crazy, Then I used y old iPhone 6 with the wakeye app, turned off the stabilization feature and whala! Quality video

[Lakebum]

I have the Cylon but it has been finicky and loses its eye on the ball. It’s early yet and not had time to tweak it. But not a “right out of the box” fullproof mount. Doesn’t work with red interior either. You have to reprogram to see a different color.

[buoyboy1]

@Kellen417 What manuf or website did you order from/use? Thanks.

[tap]

Just need to stack an isolation mount ontop of an orbit, works great. I use a homemade one, but this should do the trick. If you want more isolation just add mass to the top plate. More mass the better.

 

https://www.amazon.com/STO-Universal-wire-rope-STO-Universal-wire-rope-anti-vibration-mount/dp/B0776BRT39/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=wire+vibration+mount&qid=1564966205&s=gateway&sr=8-2#

[blakeyates]

@Kellen417, how do you upload the video to Hudl Techhnique? I saw your post but couldn’t figure how to upload; that would work great for me.

[Lars]

I too have a ski doc. It does shake some, but I just replaced the foam in it and its better now. the key is to have the lightest phone and mount possible. This is the mount I use with my Iphone 6s: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OS9E6AO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I also ski with a guy that has a wakeeye xt-1. I like it bettery, but ultimately if you get slack at the ball you're going to get shake with any mount that uses the rope to track.

 

 

[MISkier]

The only real way to stabilize your video is with a gimbal, ideally a 4 axis model.

[Horton]

OK people here is the explanation for a LOT of the shake.

 

Your new cell phone camera was not designed to deal with the high frequency shake of a boat. All the new phones have optical and or digital image stabilization. Any solid connection to a pylon is going to transmit shake to the camera and the software is going to be overwhelmed and deliver TERRIBLE video.

 

The easy fix is an older phone. I use a Samsung S6 with Ski-Doc and it works great. If I use my newer Google Pixel 2 XL the video is unwatchable.

 

The problem is not with Ski-Doc or with Wakeye. Both of those hardware mounts work great. The problem is with the new phones.

[DavidN]

Exactly!

After getting too much jittering with my current iPhone, I just use a retired 5c as a dedicated in-boat-camera-mount phone with the SkiDoc. Works perfect.

[jercrane]

It actually has nothing to do with software in the iPhone. The newer iPhones have a physical lens isolation device that is designed to take out low frequency vibration and motion ... like your shaky hands and your heartbeat. The lens essentially sits in fluid. Kinda sorta. It sucks at high frequency vibration though. There is no way to remove this via software etc. This is only on the front facing camera however. So flip to selfie mode and generally you are good. Add isolation to the mount and use selfie mode and you are even better.

 

Or get a GoPro hero 7 and don’t worry about any of this crap because it’s rock solid high frequency damping is best in class.

[UWSkier]

Old phones FTW. That's why I mentioned the HTC M8 above. I have no additional vibration dampening stuff on my Orbit and the video with my HTC is perfectly smooth.

 

On camera mounts, I've found that the ones that screw clamp hold the phone a bit too tight and can transmit more vibration. I've found that the ones like @Lars posted would result in my phone hitting the floor or getting turned in the mount if the skier would fall or pop the handle.

 

This is the kind I've found works best. It grips tight enough to not drop your phone on the floor (or on the sundeck if using a v-drive) but doesn't transmit as much vibration as a clamp that screws down to hold the phone.

 

Mount

[Horton]

@jercrane a GoPro or a front facing camera is far inferior to an old phone where you can zoom in and actually get the skier to fill a third of the frame

[Kellen417]

@buoyboy1, I found the woohot on Amazon.

 

@blakeyates, to upload to hudl in your phone, tap the record button. then when the camera comes up, there is an icon that says import & it should take you to your video library.

 

 

[Kellen417]

I just wanted to use my current phone/camera that has cell service to use both the wakeye & hudl app.

I got sick of the extra step of using the computer over the years. Let alone editing videos for length.

 

To get decent video for me, that meant experimenting with all sorts of stuff to find a worthy combo I could watch

 

 

[jercrane]

@Horton I don’t know man. GoPro hero7 in “Narrow view” mode is pretty damn good with mp4 files instead of mov so zooming allows for really strong detail. But yes you give up the ease of use of the wakeye app with speed auto start. GoPro also has its own Wifi signal used for connecting phone. This allows for easy/fast file transfer to phone and you can use your phone to control camera start stop etc.

 

I guess old phone wins on price of course.

[jhughes]

As a dedicated ski camera it's still hard to beat the old Flip Mino HD cameras. The default zoom level is perfect for skiing and they are small and indestructible. They are cheap on ebay and widely available.

 

One of the guys I ski with who is an EE rigged his with some firmware and made his own GPS-driven app on his phone, so his phone tells the Flip cam to turn on and off via Bluetooth at speed, it's incredible.

 

As a mount we're still using electrical PVC conduit with a mount on top, slotted for the rope.

[blakeyates]

@Kellen417 , thanks for help; that worked except I had the camera in selfie mode and stabilization ‘off’ and when I viewed the videos, the shake was gone but the videos were sideways.......... I had to lean over to look at them. I tried looking for a ‘rotate’ option like you can do with pics but didn’t find it. I’ve still got work to do but I’m getting there.

[Lars]

@blakeyates open the video up in the imovie app on your phone. there's an option to flip the video in there. I've done it several times when I have my rotation lock on and then go to film myself.

 

With your project open, scroll the timeline until the clip you want to rotate appears in the viewer.

 

In the viewer, move your finger and thumb in a clockwise or counterclockwise twisting motion over the video image.

 

When the white arrow appears, the video clip has been rotated 90 degrees. It may take a moment for the clip to appear rotated in the viewer.

 

Repeat this gesture as many times as necessary to achieve the orientation you want.