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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Remote Camera Box Idea
Steven Bisig, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 1:18 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> So I searched both here and google and found nothing.
I am shooting a few off road desert races this year starting next month. What I want to do is take a pelican case (or other strong waterproof boxes) and mount a remote camera triggered by a pocket wizard inside. Basically the same as the one someone used in the presidential inauguration.
Does anyone have any links to others who have done this, or Ideas? Prefer to keep it waterproof if possible. Thanks
Steven b~ |
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Nic Coury, Photographer
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Monterey | CA | | Posted: 1:40 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> Hey Steven,
Hark Rebilas did a blog about off-road racing and remotes.
http://markjrebilas.com/blog/?p=4711
I don't think he used a box, but it might help.
Also, the folks who do boxes for soccer and field hockey might be similar resources as their remote boxes look kinda the same. |
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Tom Story, Photographer
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Tempe | AZ | USA | Posted: 1:41 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> Do you want to mount this on a vehicle or stick out along side of the course?
You need to fabricate a way to mount the camera solidly in the pelican. This sounds like a job for some aluminum fabrication and extend that as a tripod mounting area.
Maybe do the aiming and articulation outside the box.
Seach the message board for blimps, I remember one of the members posted a link to a homemade sound blimp that he had done a nice job building. That should give you some ideas and answeres.
Run the pre release cord outside and velcro the PW to the outside. Cover with a plastic bag for dust/moisture protection. |
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Steven Bisig, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 2:22 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> It's going to be on the ground either in a bush or in a corner.
Thanks for all the replies, I will do some more research and post up what I build.
Thanks again!
steven b~ |
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Nathan Papes, Photographer
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Sheldon | IA | United States | Posted: 2:36 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> Are you looking to protect this just from dirt and debris or a car itself? I dont really think much would protect the camera from the car itself but if you looking to protect it from just dirt something similar to a hocky net cam would work.
There also this option, http://www.picturedujour.com/?p=67 which is actually a DIY sound blimp but creating something like this would, but not as elaborate would be pretty easy.
Im fairly good at desiging thing so if you need any design help send me a msg through my member page, Im almost done building a hockey net cam box and getting ready to start a DIY underwater camera housing |
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Matt Cashore, Photographer
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South Bend | IN | USA | Posted: 2:44 PM on 01.08.10 |
| ->> So, uhh...would this be considered thinking "inside the box?" |
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Steven Bisig, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 3:20 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> All of the above. I am hoping that if it did get ran over, that it would have a better chance of surviving than with out.
steven b~ |
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Andrew Knapik, Photographer, Assistant
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Thomas E. Witte, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cincinnati | OH | USA | Posted: 4:50 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> Steven-
(Editors note; This got more involved than I originally intended. I actually edited it down.)
While it's more likely for the camera to get rained on, you need to be concerned with impact damage.
For comparison, about two or three years ago I was speeding across a private airport tarmac in a heavy duty ATV. A 1Dm2 and 70-200 slipped out of the cart while watching the skydivers I was shooting. I jerked the wheel trying to grab it and ended up running over the whole thing and completely obliterated everything. I'll post photos of the body, and you'll see a collapsed prism assembly and crushed battery compartment. Insurance saved the day.
That was a golf cart. I'm assuming you're talking about CORR trucks (or whatever the sanctioning body is called now-a-days). If so you're talking about about a 3500lb truck traveling at 140+ MPH on long desert stretches. The physics in that kind of "run-over" impact are pretty staggering. I won't bore you with the math but let's just say it's ugly. Even if you're in soft dirt, the clawing action of the tires will rip away at it and end up catapulting it in the air after it's passed.
Seeing as the remote will be mounted off to the side of the track, you're more likely to have it rolled over or - God forbid - landed on after a jump. That kind of impact is going to destroy your camera, no questions asked. Look what it does to the reinforced roll cages after all.
I have to chuckle at Mark's blog post showing unprotected remotes course side... Well they are protected with a plastic shopping bag I guess. I'm sure that's the norm, but I'm one to protect my gear. I had a hockey box back in the day but I wouldn't trust it in this situation because the joint bonds would fail lickety-split. This isn't a 6 oz hockey puck. It's a two ton truck.
I like your idea about the pelican case, but I just got off the phone with an engineer at Pelican and they advised not to try it. Yes the cases are "bomb proof" and they do static load tests, but those are both completely different types of forces when compared to the long sustained pressure of a truck jumping 20 feet in the air and landing on it. If you want to verify, you can call them toll Free at (800) 473-5422. HIt option 3 then ask for engineering.
If it were me, I'd build a cage for it. There are plenty of out of work welders out there right now and you could probably hire a master welder for pretty cheap. I'll sketch up a rough diagram for what I have in mind as soon as I get a chance, but basically it would be a 7x9x9 cage made of L bracket and a few X braces. You could then epoxy small panels of plexiglass to the outside to make it water resistant.
If I don't post a link to the diagram by the end of the weekend, call me. |
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Steven Bisig, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 5:29 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> Wow, thanks Thomas, very in depth and some points I didn't think of.
I got some thinking to do. Luckily, I know a lot of welders, so I may construct a box of some sort. I will keep everyone posted.
steven b~ |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 9:00 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> Steven,
If I remember correctly, the Pelican rig Chuck Kennedy made for the Inauguration was the camera was held in place by the foam inside with a hole cut for the lens to stick through.
The whole case was mounted on a plate. Can't remember how Chuck rigged that. I may have been mounted on an arm that was then clamped to a plate that was screwed to the stage.
And I agree with Mr. Witte. A Pelican case would help protect from dust and sprayed debris like rocks to some extent but would not help one tiny bit if a racer ran over it or crashed into it.
Pelicans are very tough but I have had Fed-Ex manage to break pieces off a couple of them. |
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Steven Bisig, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | USA | Posted: 9:48 PM on 01.08.10 |
->> May still got he pelican route, and just make sure my equipment insurance is up to date :-)
I have some free time tomorrow (client canceled) so I will see what I come up with. I will post my final solution.
Thanks everyone for the ideas and information. Cheers!
steven b~ |
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Jack Megaw, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Pittsburgh | PA | America | Posted: 9:19 AM on 01.09.10 |
->> You're not going to be able to stop the camera from getting clattered/smashed into thousands of pieces - so the simple answer is put it somewhere where it (hopefully) won't get hit. Maybe watch a practice session to see the lines they take on the corners before dropping the remote in.
What you should be worrying about is all the rocks, dirt and general crap flying at the camera at a good several miles per hour. Maybe look into some kind of Plexiglas plate to cover your lens.
Good luck - I can't wait to see the results!
-Jack |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 10:04 AM on 01.09.10 |
| ->> I would think that you could build a very sturdy "roll cage" for this with 3/4" black pipe (type used for running natural gas lines) and 90 degree elbows and tee fittings, from your local plumbing supply store which could then either be covered for protection, or surround whatever enclosure you come up with. An 8x8 cube would cost about $50, |
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