camera placement

[guest]

Trying to get some opinions and experiences dealing with top and side mount camera's. I've got a few slider-up's with a side mount but am curious as to slider-downs, espcially of being in more of a stand up position during deployment.
Thanx in advance.

[imported_mknutson]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-16-01 AT 09:01 AM (PST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-16-01 AT 08:41*AM (PST)[/font]

This is just my opinion, based on my jumping style and experience:

I will never use a side mount again. I tend to have the harness snug on my body to reduce harness movement on the hard openings. This means that the risers are close to my head (side mounts). I used a side mount once, and cost my camera, that was in a carbon fiber case $500+ in damage on one hard riser slap.

My theory is that if a riser slaps a side mount, before full line extension/tension, that side could tension up before the other. This is similiar to dipping a shoulder on opening.

Anyone want to validate my "Theory", or tell me something different?

Anyways, top mounts do not bother the risers, and the risers do not bother top mounts.

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Mick Knutson :D
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[guest]

I agree with what Mick has just written but I would like to remember to us all that the top mount caused Steve's accident on latest Brento's boogie.
Steve got a couple of line twists on opening and these line twists went (quite violently) to smash onto his top mount camera, and, unluckily, to hang there, being this mal impossible to be cleared, in fact Steve flew several seconds with his open canopy with these line twists blocked over his head before hitting the wall. The nice side of the story is that now Steve is back home slowly recovering from his accident.
What could be reasonably said about camera mounts is that a "must" is that the mount itself must not have sharp corners but must have very well "rounded" corners (I saw myself, especially in the skyding environment, very scary camera mounts, big and with 90° sharp corners...).
I am a low timer but I would like anyway to give everybody my 2 cents.
Anything put in addition to the basic equipment that could be rig, trekking shoes (without open hooks on top of ankle!!!), helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, clothes, must be really well evaluated about its possibility of entanglement on risers/lines/bridle/PC/other pieces of equipment. I think any "unnecessary" piece of equipment protruding significantly from your body must be very carefully evaluated about entanglement possibility, taking also into account jumper's ability/experience. And also, any "unnecessary" item can cause a malfunction, in itself or towards any piece of BASE equipment.
My point being: I would really like so much to do BASE films with a camera but being a low timer I can hardly manage myself and my basic gear off objects, that there is no more room in my mind to manage and take care also of extra-equipment. I leave to shoot films to my much more experienced BASE mates.
Stay safe out there
Blue Skies :D
Andrea

[guest]

hey,

i think bouth mounts are risky when you have a certain opening at certain moment. but when it s gonne happen you never know. a head monted can lock in your twist(like i had) and maybe at that moment a side mount had been better. but u can have also inverted. you can have nothing in 3000 jumps and jump 3001 it will happen, why, where, for whish reason, sometimes thinks just happen...we have live our dreams as long as we can and fully enjoy it!

so, if you make a side or a head mounted one make as small as you can and like andrea said dont make corners...

enjoy your flights

steve

[imported_mknutson]

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>you can have nothing in 3000 jumps and jump 3001 it will happen, why, where, for whish reason, sometimes thinks just happen...

This needs to be remebered for everyone, at all experience levels, about all situations. Not just about camera mounts. Always listen to others. Always learn from the mass. Always be on your toes. You never know!

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Mick Knutson :D
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[guest]

my experiance with a side mount camera:
camera-PC1,helmet-gath,
till now i did about 150/70%SD jumps with the camera at the side,never had problems with it.
only 1 time;) i had the wide angle objectice to the back and i loosed(complete lense) it by riser stricke in the opening on a slider down jump.
the belgiun friend who had an accident in arco last time had problems with his camera on the top
of his helmet.

[guest]

hannes,

yes it was me, but that was not the reaon. ihad a twist but he didn t stay stuck in my camera. a lot of things depends of which kind of box your make also. if it can t be stuck somewhere side or headmounted camera don t make any difference.

keep safe and low

steve

[guest]

hi steve, i hope you are in good as possible conditions.sorry i don´t want to spread something wrong.next time i read all first.it´s right you can´t make any regular advices.##### comes without
a hallo before.hope that you will be fit again soon.take care
hannes

[guest]

A top mount camera will result in significanlty more torque on you head/neck - especially if you're in a boxman position looking down on a slider down jump.
I think the best overall choice is a side mount; a good camera helmet with a flat side mounting face combined with a small camera (PC-1 or smaller) and a minimal "L" shaped mount.
If you're going with a top mount, use a chin cup for sure, and practice getting it off in a hurry!

But most important - no matter where its mounted. Just be aware it's there and think about how you might handle the possible problems.

video rocks!
M.B.