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Home Made Canoe Camera Clamp

Joined
Mar 19, 2013
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Here's a little tip segment video I've put together showing how a simple plastic utility clamp can be transformed into a useful tool allowing you to get some great photos/videos while out canoeing. Please have a look:

Thanks
Wayne
 
Thanks, good idea. I just got back from a trip where I used a bicycle handle bar clamp that I clamped to my spare beavertail paddle shaft. It worked pretty well at getting the camera out from the canoe with a small clamp on the blade of the paddle to a gunnel, plus it floats should the paddle and camera fall overboard.

Thanks for sharing your fine idea.
 
Great idea. I was wondering how you got those gunwale perspectives. I have a flexible short tripod that grips things like branches, thwarts etc, but feel nervous trusting it. A clamp would work even better. Thanks Wayne.

Here's a question for all you camera toting trippers. Do you make your camera buoyant? If so, how do you ensure it floats? My little p&s is waterproof, but would sink like a rock if I were to drop it over the side. Any ideas?
 
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Here's a question for all you camera toting trippers. Do you make your camera buoyant? If so, how do you ensure it floats? My little p&s is waterproof, but would sink like a rock if I were to drop it over the side. Any ideas?

Short piece of string attached to a small piece of foam? Tie it off to a thwart?

Personally I do none of the above but I don't clamp my camera to thwarts, gunwales, or paddles either. Nor is it waterproof.

Alan
 
Great idea. I was wondering how you got those gunwale perspectives. I have a flexible short tripod that grips things like branches, thwarts etc, but feel nervous trusting it. A clamp would work even better. Thanks Wayne.

Here's a question for all you camera toting trippers. Do you make your camera buoyant? If so, how do you ensure it floats? My little p&s is waterproof, but would sink like a rock if I were to drop it over the side. Any ideas?



I have a little Joby too..and it seems to unwrap too easily though its properly sized for the camera. My waterproof Pand S is on a lanyard around my neck. I do know its waterproof as its been on the bottom of the North Fork of the White. Annoyingly it can't swim.. It sat four feet down in moving water..it was hard to get.

I haven't tried an float method but it seems that if you screw the camera to the bolt there is room for a loop of cord around the bolt and the cord attached to a foamie block..or a painter... brain ( or non) storming.
 
Thanks for the responses. I remember long ago having an orange painted foam block for...something related to an old outboard on summer holidays, I can't remember what the heck was so important to keep afloat. I just remember the dayglo floatie. It would be easy to make one.
I found this: http://www.henrys.com/78767-NIKON-FLOATING-WRIST-STRAP-AW110.aspx
It might do the trick. I really like the clamp idea. I stash the camera all too often, out of trouble, but alas also out of reach (and thought). Being able to clamp it (and being floatable?) might result in me actually taking more pictures. Those gunwale level pics are great.
Oh, the painter idea...I like it. A 2'-3' cord attached to the thwart, camera attached to cord with carabiner? Experiments to follow...
 
Here's a question for all you camera toting trippers. Do you make your camera buoyant? If so, how do you ensure it floats? My little p&s is waterproof, but would sink like a rock if I were to drop it over the side. Any ideas?

I carry and use a full bodied DSLR at all times, whether in a canoe, on a trail or back country skiing. I have yet to dunk the camera in the water, but I have fallen on it a few times. If it's rough out, or there's a lot of climbing in and out, I wear the strap around my neck. Otherwise, the camera sits on whatever I have in the bottom of the boat. My nephew, being extremely cautious with his Dwhatever, uses a slightly oversized dry bag. He just drops it in, rolls up the top, and doesn't worry, it will float. Of course, he sometimes misses a good photo while fumbling to extract his camera, but it works for him.
 
Thanks for the responses. I remember long ago having an orange painted foam block for...something related to an old outboard on summer holidays, I can't remember what the heck was so important to keep afloat. I just remember the dayglo floatie. It would be easy to make one.
I found this: http://www.henrys.com/78767-NIKON-FLOATING-WRIST-STRAP-AW110.aspx
It might do the trick. I really like the clamp idea. I stash the camera all too often, out of trouble, but alas also out of reach (and thought). Being able to clamp it (and being floatable?) might result in me actually taking more pictures. Those gunwale level pics are great.
Oh, the painter idea...I like it. A 2'-3' cord attached to the thwart, camera attached to cord with carabiner? Experiments to follow...



I had one and wore it as the manufacturer intended as an arm band. It might still be around here somewhere. As designed it was useless. But it might work as an independent floatie.. When I was handholding my camera that dang thing was always in the way..but mounted doesn't have to be.
 
No Title

Here's a question for all you camera toting trippers. Do you make your camera buoyant? If so, how do you ensure it floats? My little p&s is waterproof, but would sink like a rock if I were to drop it over the side. Any ideas?

Here's a solution if you use a GoPro camera, it's called the GoPro Floaty Backdoor. It's a bright orange piece of bouyant material that attaches to the back door of your GoPro camera and also comes with a small tether strap...sells on the GoPro site for$20. I've seen similar items made by third party vendors as well. I've never actually used it but it looks pretty interesting.
-Wayne
 

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I just sent a copy of this video to my son-in-law. He lost his GoPro over the side of his kayak. The suction cup failed. I'm pretty sure he's replaced the camera, so this clamp idea might be handy for him.
My kids gave me a c-clamp for Christmas one year. (?!) I still have it. I don't use it much, so it may be repurposed next spring.
 
Thanks for reminding me of this method. I had seen it before but as things do, it had left the memory banks. I have a few night paddle trip coming up in a few weeks and I'll be making sure I have made on of these for it.

I also use the suction cup but always tie the gopro off to something with some 550
 
Actually I do and I hate them. Won't really hold much of anything. I'll send you some if you would like, I won't be getting a GoPro ever.

Curious what you had problems clamping and what worked better for you. I didn't have any of these until I borrowed some a few weeks ago because I needed extra clamps. After borrowing them I ordered about 75 in various sizes and couldn't be happier. I was using them on the SOF canoe I built clamping inwales, outwales, and ribs while the epoxy set. They worked perfect for that. Pretty sure they would have worked when I clamped the inwale on my stripper as well, though that was thinner and softer wood than normal.

Alan
 
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