I would like to mount a small point and shoot camera on my handlebars, so I can take some short videos while riding. Has anybody tried to do this?

I know about the Hero camera, but would like to use what I already have.
I've been to photo store, and they have clamps specifically for that reason, but they are really big and heavy, and not suitable to take touring.

I tried putting the camera on a small tripod and zip-tying it to the bars, but it doesn't seem very stable. Any ideas?

https://www.instructables.com/id/Bicy...-for-under-$1/

Gotta love the internet! Thanks, I will give this a go.

Mine looks about like that except for the plastic clamp. If you go to a lowes or home depot or any other hardware store down the hardware isle in the drawers there is a clamp thats a metal band with a rubber insert that comes two in a pack for a $. that and a 1/4" bolt pointing up like that with a wing nut to lock. I did a normal nut on the bottom to old the clamp and no rubber washer on the wing nut by the camera like that one.

The small Canon P&S cameras with the IS work well, the IS compensates for a lot of the bumps. I turned the power off setting up as high as it would go so the camera would always stay on and ready but have to carry a spare pair of batteries for longer rides then.

Excellent link and post. I was looking for same kind of camera mount so this is perfect.

I tried a camera on the bars, but didn't like the vibration.
Video is much smoother from a helmet camera, with the downside of the sudden changes in view when you look back to check traffic.

This is what I use. Straps on as a handlebar mount or helmet mount. I use a flip recorder so it's a tll rectangular profile which contributes to the vibration. A sammler digital camera would be less I would think, maybe ideal for pics only.

Small in size (compare to bell in pic). I slapped it on for the pic but I remove the bell for better positioning while in use. But just to give you an idea. I found it on ebay, an online store in Japan, only $10, about a week to ship.


Helmet mount left, handlebars right.




Lots of vibration but this is a video from the handlebars descending a mtn road at 30+ mph. But again, I think lots of vibes are form the tall profile of the camera and it does NOT have a built in anti shock system.

I tried the method depicted in that first video but there was way too much vibration to make it worthwhile.

From Campmor...

I've tried the cheapo route, too much vibration and bouncing. I'm using a cheap flip cam copy.
I'm now using an Ultrapod wrapped around the stem instead of the handle bar.

it appears to be a bit better, it's not bouncing like a diving springboard at every cobblestone or pothole.

I had an old tripod head with attached post. I cut the post off about 4" long or so, put a hose clamp around it, put a hose clamp through that one and around my handlebars with pieces of innertube under it so it didn't scratch my handlebars, and attached the camera. I used it to make this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTD3xOyBrbU
I wouldn't want to leave something like that on all the time, though.

Here's a little C-clamp camera mount I picked up in a backpacking store for a few dollars years ago. I've used it to attach my camera to the handlebars of my bike a few times - there's some vibration, but it works ok. The mount is all aluminum and only weighs an ounce or two. When backpacking I've used it to make a workable tripod by clamping a couple sticks in it. Also works well to take pictures from a car by clamping it to a partially opened window. This YouTube video is an example using a pretty cheap P&S camera (riding into the sun didn't help either):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6vwIN5Ni7E

I have used a Gorilla Pod with decent results. I have also seen videos shot using a Flip camera mounted with the GP and they were a very good quality. I think a lot will depend on the camera and whether it has any type of image stabilization on it or not.

Aaron

In this pic I have a Slik camera mount attached to the head tube of my Gios. The mount costs about $40 or so, and can be used an nearly any part of the bike. I use the head tube because it holds the camera more steady. Mounting the camera to the handle bar give me videos which rock back and forth as I ride, not good.