Tonfly/CX7 side mounting opinions

[Skwrl 56]

Hi all,

I've got a Tonfly CC1 helmet that I originally purchased to use with a top mounted CX7 (in a Tonfly box).

I've since started shooting stills, which I'm doing with a top mounted Canon. No problems so far.

I'd like to add the ability to shoot video at the same time, which means that I need to side mount the CX7. Mounting the still cam in front of the CX7 isn't really an option, at least not without getting the still camera in frame in the video.

So side mounting is the way I've been approaching it.

Here's the tricky part - the box for the CX7 that I have is designed for top mounting. It can be sort of awkwardly made to work as a side mount, but that's not a great solution (basically, I can put the CX7 in upside down and flip the video during editing, but the CX7 doesn't fit in the side mount right side up).

So here's the question:

Rather than doing that, I could do a traditional/simple side L or C bracket attached through a ZKull connector, but that will leave the CX7 fully exposed to the airstream. I hear that shake is a problem when CX7s are exposed to the wind, though.

What's the experience been - if any - with exposed side mounting of a CX7?

The camera arrangement will be used exclusively for wingsuiting.

Any suggestions/alternate approaches also welcome. Thanks, all.

Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography

Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

[Laszloimage 0]

Tonfly, Rawa, and etc. helmets are basically free fly helmets with the option to mount a camera onto them. They are not real camera helmets for real camera work. The idea of these helmets coming from the time when Sony and came out with the PC series video cameras (and other manufactures too with similar design). The size and dimention of those cameras allowed to mount them on the side of the helmet. But those cameras are no more! As you see you bumped into a limitation already. I recommend to sell your helmet and get a full face one with big top platform instead (there are a few very good designs out there) which allows you to mount various camera equipment with less limitation.
The CX7 "shake problem" is coming from its optical image stabilization. We have one person using it here the Ranch, he's ok with it. He has it mounted on the top without a box. Generally these cameras are ok for belly flying. When you start free flying with it (defenitelly sit flying) you gonna have more and more "jittery" issues. The CX12 perfoms better but still have the same problem because of the optical image stabilization. The real solution is the CX100 which has electronic stabiliztion (no floating lens element). For further info please read the camera forum regarding to the CX7/CX12/CX100.

[Skwrl 56]

Thanks for this information. It's a great perspective.

I'm not really a video/photography guy. I think of myself as a wingsuiter who happens to like to take pictures/video from time to time.

I agree that if I was going to really go into wingsuit camera hardcore like Matt Hoover or Scotty Burns, I'd get a flat top solution. But since I'm a casual camera guy, it sounds like I may just have to live with the CX7 shake... I haven't noted any shake with CX7 so far (in the box), but I haven't had it exposed to the wind...

That's great information about the CX100 - it sounds like if shake is a problem, I might be able to solve it with that.

Thanks again.

-Jeff

Skwrl Productions - Wingsuit Photography

Northeast Bird School - Chief Logistics Guy and Video Dork

[horny955 0]

will the box not fit straight onto a L bracket?

[Chrisky 0]

I'm currently looking at different helmets for a new camera setup, and am looking at the Tonfly because of the Zkullz system. I was just wondering about being able to switch the CX-100 box top or side.

My idea was to check how the Zkulls box mount is attached to the box, and whether or not i could just fit another mount on the bottom of the side mount box. I'ts probably just screwed/bolted on with some padding on top, right? The top and side mounts would not interfere with the respective other mounts (but maybe a topmounted second cam), so there's no reason not to have two mounts/base plates on the video box.

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