why does everyone use quick release stills mounts

[skydog.paul 0]

I'm looking at mounting a stills camera and everyone i speak to tells me to use a quick release mount like a stroberframe. Why do i need to remove my camera in less than 5 seconds surely a strong stable mount that takes a little bit longer is better. Everyone like bonehead and cookie only sell these types of mounts. i would appreciate any comments.

[The111 0]

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Everyone like bonehead and cookie only sell these types of mounts.

If you don't want a quick release, all you need is a screw. And you don't need Bonehead or Cookie for that... just go to the hardware store!

The choice is yours, "everybody uses quick releases" is not true. I do though. The problem in my mind with a standard mount is that you have to go inside the helmet (under the liner) to access the screw. I don't want to have to do this. The quick release systems on the market are secure enough, but they add bulk and weight. I'll be copying Wes Rich's "quick-release" (if you want to call it that), made out of carbon fiber and much smaller and lighter than anything off the shelf, it requires only a thumbscrew (externally mounted) to add and remove the camera.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[jtval 0]

mostly because if you have a quick release, you can..um relase the cam quickly.

I don't have one due to theset up of my helmet but It does get annoying unscrewing the camera a few times a day.

you may not need to do that after every jump bu tth equick release allows easy access to grab the camera without the helmet.

If you wanna go shoot some landings you don't need the whole helmet and unscrewiung the cam gets annoying.

also, if you loose the screw..you're screwed. the quick release stays attached to the cam.

My photos

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[packing_jarrett 0]

I don't have a quick release because they're bulky.

It take me all of 15 seconds to just screw it in.

Na' Cho' Cheese

[spanky39154 0]

Yea I dont have one either in fact most camera flyers at the dz dont, its the extra height with top mount in a cessna dz!

although now used to having the top mount looking at getting a strobo as doing a lot more ground shots and snaps about the dz and gettin sick of unscrewing all the time!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large Groups!!

[FrancoR 0]

I don't have one either and i don't need one. Battery lasts all day the rest is accesible and i have a second helmet without any cams.

Franco

If it does not cost anything you are the product.

[stratostar 5]

I use them on both cameras, for a couple of reasons.

1. as said before it is fast to remove the cameras to film other things.

2. with both top mounted on a FTP there is a shell liner and the screw is hiding behind the liner,(not the pading) and this makes it impossible to remove the screw without removing the shell or top plate.

3. It makes for very easy removal of any of my video or still cameras for videoing students and such without having to hold up the helmet all the time.

4. It keeps the mounts centered on the helmet so when I remove a camera I know it will still line up with the sight when I put it back on without resighting.

I find them very useful and I use my cameras for more then jumping, I also use them on my tripods for location shoots that require me to attach and unattach the camera in a hurry without bumping the tripods out of alinement. So I can take cameras off my helmet and place right on a tripod in 1.2 seconds instead of unscrewing from the helmet and then screwing to the tripod, and it sucks ass if your on location a lose the screw.

While they do add some bulk and weight, the pros out weight the cons for ME, and I wouldn't be with out them in the future, that I can see, now that may change when someone comes up with a better way.

Never been a problem in any aircraft with height, even all last season out of a 182.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[pope 0]

I use them now, but I haven't in all situations. I prefer to not use one IF I don't need to, but in a working environment, the reality is that I often need to change tapes, batteries, plug in connections, or access certain parts of my cameras during a busy day that I can't afford to not be able to modify in the field. I used to carry a short phillips head in my kit, but I'd really rather not!

Right now I've switched from the stroboframe to the cookie liquid mount. These things are SICK! I love them!

cheers.
pope

[pope 0]

I use them now, but I haven't in all situations. I prefer to not use one IF I don't need to, but in a working environment, the reality is that I often need to change tapes, batteries, plug in connections, or access certain parts of my cameras during a busy day that I can't afford to not be able to modify in the field. I used to carry a short phillips head in my kit, but I'd really rather not!

Right now I've switched from the stroboframe to the cookie liquid mount. These things are SICK! I love them!

cheers.
pope

[champu 1]

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4. It keeps the mounts centered on the helmet so when I remove a camera I know it will still line up with the sight when I put it back on without resighting.

This is the main reason I use them. I have two stroboframes on the top of my FF2 allowing me to attach a still camera and a flash in addition to the video that goes in the integrated d-box, or I can attach another video and stills (or three video cameras )

The point is I change my configuration a fair amount, and I want everything to come together the same way every time.

[stratostar 5]

ditto, but the point I was making is The mounts never change on that top plate (I have two),if I take a camera off in the plane lets say, I know when I reattach it it is still sighted in and centered everytime, unless you bump your sight that is......

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[DSE 3]

Although I have QR's on both helmets, the unspoken downside is that if you have a QR and leave it empty on your helmet, it is a potential snag hazard. You may or may not want this to be a consideration in your choices. If you do use a QR, most of the QR's made specifically for skydiving are not bad snag hazards, but they're not super solid QR's, either.

[bomb420 1]

I like it for those days your at the mock up on a now call and like dude, this is going to be a sick dive, let me grab my still... Yeah and all those other pros. The cookie one is sick with no snag points that I can see, but thats for a top mount vs a bracket. I like terry schumacher's as a relatively inexpensive great mount with minimal snag points.

HYPOXIC

[stratostar 5]

Mine are never empty to snag, for that reason.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[jtval 0]

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Mine are never empty to snag, for that reason.

Exactly what I was thinking. I have a fun jumping helmet if I want to jump witout vid/still.

My photos

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[mr2mk1g 10]

Change camera battery / film (though on my current set up I have to remove the mounting plate to access the battery anyway... but with my last camera I could change battery without).

You can remove a camera on a screw quick enough, sure... but putting it back takes 5 minutes and possibly a mates help just to sight it back in again. Not with a quick release.

[Unutsch 0]

well, even though i did not use QR for some time, now that i do, my life is sooo much easier... i like it the most because of the fact, that i can take off my camera or my photocamera easily and take far better ground or in plane shots then if i would have done with them still attached to the helmet...

Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation:
http://www.padliangeli.org

[spanky39154 0]

putting the camera back can be just as quick ff2 with top mounted still, can screw back in and line up on my own in under 30sec!! I have a couple marker points on the helment just line the stills up and tighten! Never had any miss alingment probs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large Groups!!

[pilotdave 0]

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putting the camera back can be just as quick ff2 with top mounted still, can screw back in and line up on my own in under 30sec!!

30 seconds is just as quick as a couple? I guess it depends on your needs. I do this stuff for fun mostly. Often like to take landing pictures. Sometimes I'll see canopies on downwind and grab my camera. I'd miss every landing if I needed 30 seconds to get my camera off. Or the other way around... Bout to go and decide I want to shoot stills. Takes about a second to slide the camera into place.

I use a schumacher quickshoe... really not a whole lot to snag on with no camera in place. The still camera itself is a much bigger snag hazard than the quick release. It's also light enough and low enough that I don't think it makes any significant difference compared to the still camera alone.

Dave

[ffejdraga 0]

I use one, and always have.

Back in the day when I was shooting film, it was a must for my front mounted camera, becasue you were sure to take it on and off for EVERY jump to switch out rolls of film.

Now I shoot digital on a top mount, and clikety clack it is on or off as needed. I use stroboframes. I also used to switch cameras, and both could be locked in quickly, depending on what I needed. Now, only one digital does it all, but I like the quickness.

I feel that security of the camera is not an issue, or at least hasnt been in about 2000 jumps.

jeff D-16906