DIY Canon MKII bungee body mount

August 10th, 2009

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Here’s a really simple way to rig your dSLR to your body for those high-action, POV-type shots (think skiing, biking, motocross, etc). No expensive helmet-cam rigging required.  All you need is a bungee cord.

Check it:
Most cameras come standard with a neck strap. You’ll need to make sure this is attached. Next, hang the camera from your neck. Good, now you look like a tourist. Chances are your camera is hanging somewhere near your stomach. You’ll probably want to shorten up the camera strap so that the camera hangs over your chest. Unless your tummy is sporting a six pack (I’ve got a six pack IN my tummy), you’ll find it much easier to wear the camera higher so it’s pushing against your chest rather than gut. To accomplish this, I had to shorten my camera strap by tying a knot in it. Your mileage may vary.

Next, attach the bungee cord, hook facing out, to one side of the strap near the body of the camera. Wrap the bungee around your back and hook it to the other side of the camera strap. Done. That’s it. If the bungee is the right size, you should feel the pull of the bungee holding the camera tight against your body. Notice as you move, the camera moves with your body. Now your hands are free to hang on to the handle bars, ski poles, or dog sled(?)

A couple things to note:
* You should be ’slightly’ uncomfortable. In order to hold the camera tight against your body, you’ve got to get the bungee cord relatively tight. If your torso goes numb and you can’t feel your legs, it’s too tight. 
* Try to find a bungee cord with plastic hooks. Plastic is less likely to scratch your camera and less likely to poke you in the sides. Do not attempt this mount if you are ticklish.
* This method holds the camera tight for most lateral forces, but the camera is still free to bounce a little up and down. For jarring activities like running or pogo sticks you might want to add a vertical strap as well. Let me know if you find something that works.

Here’s a clip of me on my trusty lil’ Suzuki 450GS. This was shot with a Canon MKII and a 17-40mm f/4. The POV riding shots were accomplished with the bungee-mount method.

16 Comments | Trackback | Tags: , ,

16 Responses

  1. Nice. Video quality looks great. So much so that I might need to get a bike.

    August 10th, 2009 1:32 pm

    Lucas Mobley

  2. http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/19/modern-amusements-ironic-tourist-t-shirt/

    You should wear this shirt with it.

    August 11th, 2009 7:25 am

    pablo korona

  3. [...] Vía Jesse Rosten [...]

    August 12th, 2009 9:45 am

    Subiendo en moto en primera persona « Gorka Rock!

  4. Great idea with the bungee cord! So how do you feel the video/sound quality is on the 5d Mk2? I have the first 5D, but i’m not sure if an upgrade is worth it… any thoughts?

    August 12th, 2009 11:00 am

    Dan

  5. [...] Read [...]

    August 20th, 2009 12:53 pm

    DIY Helmet Cam With Bungee Cords (video) | GadgetReview

  6. Jesse, for your chest DIY clip. How were you able to get video from a still camera?

    this may be a stupid question, but im fairly new to the world of cinematography.

    I love the cart film btw.

    August 21st, 2009 8:04 pm

    Ernie

  7. Ernie, many new dSLR cameras now also shoot video. Check out the Canon 5D MKII, Nikon D90, and Panasonic GH1 for starters.

    August 21st, 2009 9:19 pm

    jesse

  8. [...] http://jesserosten.com/2009/diy-canon-mkii-bungee-body-mount [...]

    August 23rd, 2009 7:52 am

    DIY SLR Bodymount « Jeff Kolada

  9. [...] a link on Delicious. Jesse Rosten – DIY Canon MKII bungee body mount Subscribe to comments Comment | Trackback | Post [...]

    August 26th, 2009 1:02 am

    Zach Wise » Daily Digest for 2009-08-25

  10. Oh man that is awesome! I have a compact camera and I want to do the same thing. Gives me ideas.

    But the footage and the rumble of the bike is soo cool!!!

    BLISS!

    October 17th, 2009 4:16 pm

    Gregor Erdmann

  11. Its not the sound of your bike though is it? Sounds like a looped track of a Harley.. fooled me at first.

    Doesn’t detract from the clip though

    October 17th, 2009 4:20 pm

    Gregor Erdmann

  12. All I got for audio from the camera was WOOSH of wind noise. Good ear, it was sweetened with some sound from a harley.

    October 17th, 2009 5:39 pm

    jesse

  13. You just solved my problem! Big thanks and nice bike. I want to see a no hander!

    April 5th, 2010 2:28 pm

    matt

  14. [...] Jesse Rosten over at jesserosten.com has this great post on his blog about a device he made to rig a DSLR cam to your body for those [...]

    June 24th, 2010 11:28 pm

    DIY Canon MKII Bungee Body Mount | GigaBan.com

  15. Hi there, ¿have you ever try a First Person View acting with this bungee body mount?

    Best regards from spain!

    Mrk!

    July 9th, 2010 2:43 am

    mark

  16. [...] Does this world really need another blog? Of course not, but to be honest, i don´t do that only because I think the world needs my wisdom, I´m quite a lot doing this for myself. I believe having a blog makes you think about the stuff you work on in a different way. And i love reading blogs where people share their experiences with something you are just trying to figure out, or others inspiring you. For example about a week ago i read Jesse Rosten´s blog, which made me buy a bungee cord. Here is why ;-) [...]

    December 14th, 2010 5:38 pm

    Really? Another blog? – Christian Anderl - Photography & Cinematography


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