Movie and still photos from a trike

[jimecho1]

Trikes are probably the best platform made for photos and movies, and yet, after watching hundreds of on-trike videos, I've often thought that they all look alike. The mounting points for the camera all seem to be in front of, or behind the pilot, or on the wing-tip looking in. The results are often a bit static.

 

I ran across this video at

 

[media=vimeo]5738319[/media]

 

and found that the photographer mounted his camera on the control bar, to the right of where he places his right-hand glove. He has a vertical-horizontal adjustment on the camera, but seems not to use it often, as the bar does most of the work for him.

 

What I'm saying is tha, if you're banking right, the bar will go left and forward. When it does so, the camera mounted on it ends up looking approximately where the trike is going.

 

The camera is also steadier than when mounted on the trike-pod or the trike struts. No motor vibration either.

 

The photographer uses a fairly cheap camera with a wide-angle lens. Cheap or not, I've never seen better results.

 

It may be that others have mounted the camera on the control bar, but I've never heard of it. Anyone have more?

 

Jim

 

 

[skeptic36]

Hi Jim,

 

I would have to agree.

 

Have you seen this site there are a lot of videos there from all different camera mounting positions one even has his mounted backwards.

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[jimecho1]

Hi Bill,

 

Yes, I've seen some of those. Some of 'em are good, too, but this US pilot is consistently watchable. And I think it's probably as simple as the place he mounts the camera.

 

When I finally get my ticket, there are a few places around the southeast and the coast where I'd like to give the method a go.

 

You're based at Lakes? Nice scenery to fly over.

 

Jim

 

 

[alf jessup]

Jim,

 

Are you doing your trike training with Geoff White from Churchill??.

 

I fly often into his strip and occasionally to LTV when it is no so busy.

 

I fly out of West Sale.

 

When you get your ticket and X/country you need to do a trip up to Bill's once you get a few hrs under your belt as he has a nice testy little strip up at Bruthen.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[skeptic36]

Jim,a nice testy little strip up at Bruthen.

Eh, I resent that :DirtDOG:

 

If you turned up occasionally you would have noticed it has been levelled, has markers and a fence the biggest improvment though has been cutting the top out of the tree that is on the west side of the threshold. I didn't realize how much it was pushing the final approach out of line until I put the markers out.

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[jimecho1]

Alf,

 

Yes, Geoff's been risking his life on the back seat for a while now. I think he's mentioned both you and Bill.

 

As for Bill's strip, with all those improvements, there may be landing fees soon!

 

Cheers, Jim

 

 

[alf jessup]

the biggest improvment though has been cutting the top out of the tree that is on the west side of the threshold.

 

Regards Bill

 

Geez Bill,

 

I thought you were going to say you cut the top out of that hill south of your strip lol, you know the one i am talking about.;););).

 

Will come up one day and test the sst wing out when i get it that is of course if I can see your place the mega speeds i will be traveling, I might have to start slowing down abeam Bairnsdale lol :big_grin:

 

Cheers Alf

 

 

[alf jessup]

[quote

 

As for Bill's strip, with all those improvements, there may be landing fees soon!

 

Cheers, Jim

 

Jim,

 

I'm sure if you fly up there to Bills place he would most likely pay you a fee to land there, as he is of course one of them rich farmers with his own strip lol.

 

Not like me I'm only a poor offshore rig worker.thumb_down:help:

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[skeptic36]

the biggest improvment though has been cutting the top out of the tree that is on the west side of the threshold.Regards Bill

Geez Bill,

 

I thought you were going to say you cut the top out of that hill south of your strip lol, you know the one i am talking about.;););).

 

Will come up one day and test the sst wing out when i get it that is of course if I can see your place the mega speeds i will be traveling, I might have to start slowing down abeam Bairnsdale lol :big_grin:

 

Cheers Alf

 

Yeah I know the one ya smart:censored:

 

Will we need some sort of hearing protection for when you drop out of hyperspace:laugh:

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[skeptic36]

[quoteAs for Bill's strip, with all those improvements, there may be landing fees soon!

Cheers, Jim

Jim,

 

I'm sure if you fly up there to Bills place he would most likely pay you a fee to land there, as he is of course one of them rich farmers with his own strip lol.

 

Not like me I'm only a poor offshore rig worker.thumb_down:help:

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

Hmmf, the only reason I had to do all that work setting up my own strip was cos I couldn't afford hangar fees

 

Jim I won't pay you to land, but I will certainly offer you a cup of your preferred brew.

 

Thanks for mentioning about Lakes Entrance it prompted me to update my profile.

 

Regards Bill

 

P.S for hijacking your thread mate

 

 

[jimecho1]

There are poor offshore rig workers?

 

I run a small, small business out of my back shed. No SST for me. I'll be lucky to afford a new Redback. That means I'll be able to get into Bill's strip - as long as I can get in the air early enough to be there before nightfall! Got lights yet, Bill?

 

Jim

 

 

[Tracktop]

mmmm free tea and coffee - what no scones and jam?

 

Preferred brew - I only drink milk out of a bottle, usually I have a preferred brand too

 

now how far, and how long was that in my slow streak III.

 

Just to keep on thread track I'll take a bit of video on the way with my vid mounted on the mast.

 

 

[alf jessup]

[quote=Tracktop;

 

now how far, and how long was that in my slow streak III.

 

Just to keep on thread track I'll take a bit of video on the way with my vid mounted on the mast.

 

Ray,

 

Flight planned it for you mate on google earth.

 

After take off from maitland swing onto a heading of 210 deg and keep going for 642 kms (346 nm), you will pass just east of Pitt Town a fairway east of Canberra and just west of Cooma, plenty of tiger country to cover but they are all friendly tigers once you cross the Victorian border, should take you 6.18hrs at 56kts.

 

Just look for the tree with the top cut out of it and the strip markerst 642km mark on your gps and that will be Bills, he will be the one on the trail bike with the 2 cuppa's in his hand and a big smile on his face to greet you.

 

Yeah good idea with the video on the way you might see some of our friendly vic tigers and you can show your mates back up there.

 

Should have enough range to do it in one hit as airborne quotes 400nm, not sure at your bladder range though.

 

Cheers

 

Alf

 

 

[skeptic36]

Slow day on the rig today is it Alf

 

 

[alf jessup]

Slow day on the rig today is it Alf

Yes Bill we call it a farmers day.

 

Alf

 

 

[skeptic36]

Sorry Alf but you'll just have to keep trying. I have been reading these out to my wife and she says he's (thats you) nearly as much a smart as you (thats me):ilmostro:.

 

 

[jimecho1]

Much appreciated Ray. But I know when I'm licked. I'm just settling back to watch the conversation going Monty Python.

[Tracktop]

Maybe if I don't drink for a few days the bladder may hold out - NOT

 

OR might have to install a pipe :lol 8: - oh golden rain over the south

 

maybe then my bumper sticker should say something different to "Look down on the world" :devil:

 

and to keep the thread on track a mast mounted video taken a couple of days ago ;)

 

 

:big_grin::big_grin::big_grin::big_grin:

 

 

[jimecho1]

Nice landing Ray!

 

 

[Tracktop]

Thanks it was a smooth landing further up the runway but in the vid it hadn't happened yet- sorry ( yes I was very close to touching) . - that threshold is a long way from the hangers so I held off touching down until further up the runway.

 

 

[jimecho1]

I thought it was a bit smooth, but I put it down to flying skill, not editing expertise. ;)

 

Cheers Jim

 

 

[Tracktop]

Ok you have been nice - here is the rest

 

 

 

[jimecho1]

The landing still looks good to me. :thumb_up: Were you taking a short cut to the hangar?

 

(Also, when I ran the video the first time, I got the raw stuff, as it had the sound of the motor on it. The second time it had a background of jazz piano. Did I run it between uploads?)

 

The camera on the mast works fine, but positioning it on the control bar seems to make the take smoother, as the wing stays pretty steady (unless I'm driving it on a bad morning). I think the camera needs to be completely disconnected from the trike and things attached to it.

 

For wide-angle landscape shots, anyway.

 

Cheers, Jim

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Jim:

 

Funny you should mention mounting the camera on the control bar. I was flying yesterday and I had a little Kodak still/video cam that I got for Christmas mounted on the bar. The results were a bit hit and miss as the screen is hard to see in the bright daylight and I wasn't sure where the camera was pointing most of the time. I'll post some of my video as soon as I figure out how to get it to a size that I can upload. The best bit of my stuff (IMHO) is from the turn on base to the touchdown at my home field at Teewah. It's not very long, but it's hi-def so it's a huge file.

 

 

[Tracktop]

Hi Scott

 

try this for converting files - free and seems to work well.

 

Quick Media Converter HD Free - FLV AVC (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) - HD VIDEO Converter - Quick Media Converter - FAST Youtube FLV Video Converter- Mediaconverter - Full HD AVI DIVX XVID DVD MPEG MPEG2 MP4 MPEG4 MKV MOV QT HD D10 AKA DVCA

 

no shortcut Jim that was joining the taxiway at the cross strip junction.

 

I have considered it on the bar before and may in fact try it but as it is just a standard handycam without wide lense and I like a bit of ac in the frame, I may not achieve that. Also on the mast is out of the way, much more vulnerable but adjustable on the bar. I am thinking that the rear strut may be a good spot to try as well.