Sony HXR-MC1 camera setups

As promised (to a few of you out there) -

CAMERA MOUNTS and SETUPS for the HXR-MC1 POV CAMERA.


CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF SOME MY MOUNTS IN ACTION - vimeo




My little disclaimer to you litigiously inclined finger pointers:
Mounting any camera on any motorcycle or any mountain bike or any moving vehicle could cause extreme bodily harm or even death. In fact, placing any foriegn object anywhere on any moving object could create a potential for disaster, injury, problems, malfunctions, warranty voiding, depression, anxiety, blindness, shortness of breath, dry mouth, bleeding from the ears, nausea, etc. (In-other-words, having fun and trying new things adds risk to both equipment and the rider.)
I am not recommending or promoting any of these ideas, mounts or setups. These aren't even good ideas and the mounts are pretty sloppy. Do not try this at home kids, you might and probably will break something expensive!!

That being said...

Here is what I started with.

I started with as much as possible, so i was able to make as many configurations as possible. This stuff isn't cheap. Next time I will search harder for used hardware. If you have any questions about any particular item, just put it in the comments and I'll answer what i can. Most of the hardware above was purchased at Filmtools in Burbank. Great store - great owner!

You might notice that I have put a quick release on every setup. The last thing I want to do when riding and shooting solo is change camera plates every time I want to move the camera.

ABOVE - MOST IMPORTANT! The quick release and plate and a small ball head.

From there, I was able to start building.


ABOVE - THE BEAST - A very sturdy and versatile handle-bar mount. BOMBPROOF!




ABOVE - THE QUICKIE - This is my favorite mount for the MC1. Put it anywhere! The smaller ball-head makes this less sturdy than THE BEAST, but this thing is SOLID!




ABOVE - THE SLIK - This is a great handlebar mount for the Record Unit. Got this SLIK CLAMP HEAD 32 at Adorama!

The next step is to attach the steel arms and get crazy.


I attached Cardellini Clamps at the corners of the luggage rack and elsewhere.


Then I used Grip heads and connected them with 5/8 and 3/8 steel and aluminum rods to form a triangle. Weight is the key to making this setup work. Next time I will use only steel rods. I love the shot this position provides, but I have not reduced the vibration enough to make it a very useful setup. I'll keep trying.


ABOVE - This mount is rock solid!





ABOVE - This setup creates a very cool shot angle, but is probably the most dangerous to ride with. It affects steering, vision, and can act like a hook in the trees! The vibration on this setup is better than the rear setup, but could be improved.


Here is a similar mount for my mountain bike.ABOVE - This is the only Mountain bike setup I shot. It is very similar to the Moto mount, except that it only uses two arms. Vibration is minimal at low speeds but this setup can NOT handle big shocks! I used only short aluminum rods. Very dangerous for both camera and rider.




ALSO AS PROMISED.

I sent my camera to Todd Moen in Oregon. He's a partner in a great little flyfishing e-zine called CATCH MAGAZINE. Check it out! Todd built this sweet little underwater housing for the HXR-MC1. This worked great for him and I will post some of his underwater results later.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS AT ALL! But...

This sure is a great way to get your MC1 underwater for under 50 bucks! ACE HARDWARE has everything you need.

What was used...

3 inch PVC pipe (fits the century optics fish-eye lens), a rubber glove, zip ties, a piece of glass and some water-sports super glue!


Down and dirty cheap!

Questions, comments, concerns, additions, help, ideas, and general thought puking is welcome.