Staying Active Body and Mind

Mounting Camera on Ski Pole

April 1, 2020kiwibloke

Unfortunately I'm unable to purchase Trekking poles due to the lockdown that's happening at the moment. I've always wanted to try mounting my Sony FDR-X3000 action camera to a pole, so while things are quiet I do some experimenting using GoPro mounts and a ski pole.

finished prototype

Initially I thought placing the mount at the lightest part, the thin tapered end near the foot of the pole. This was the logical choice because I can use the handles rubber grip and strap to assist in stability. From walking around the back yard it became apparent that the constant vibration created by using the pole normally would weaken then make the mount unuseable.

The mount had to be mounted close to the handle, which means it is a lot heavier to use as a selfie stick and you need to allow for this; ie shorter filming time. There is a bonus, you can plant the base of the pole into soft ground and then becomes a stable monopod. I really like this setup and will use this in all my future hike blogs.

possible parts

I zip tied a common J-Type mount onto the pole using a tyre tube for cushion (not double sided 3M pad shown), along with a GoPro to 1/4inch adaptor for the Sony camera, the mount was complete and sturdy.

mounted

Note I flipped the mount around 180 degrees from shown in the above picture, this gave the camera a better viewing sweep. Time to give this setup a quick field test ...

With grandson in tow, we hit the Lees Grove Access point and headed up into one of the smaller ridges close by. It was fun while it lasted, hiking is no longer allowed.

• with every post comes experience, as we all strive to do better.
• curate/up vote, let's encourage and inspire each other.
• as always, thank you for viewing my post.