Stabilising underwater video.

[Greenwood_60]

I am working a design for a dual camera mount for shooting underwater 3D video. One of the problems I have with my underwater video is stability. So I got the idea to add some lead to the base of the mount to increase the mass, in the hopes of smoothing the shakes. So my plan is to build a sealed PVC frame, with a lead weight integrated down low. Getting it pretty close to neutral should be easy before I've built anything. I was thinking something like 4lbs would be a minimum... Before I ran the numbers. 2lbs sounds more doable with 2in pipe.

Anyone tried something like this? Anyone have an opinion on how well it will work?

[Benderr]

What is causing the stability problem? Is it a shaky hand, or cameras vibrating in their mounts?

[Greenwood_60]

Shaky hand. No mounts yet. It's not bad, but it's obvious.

[apitkin]

Try attaching it to a 10" diameter pipe that has some heavy objects such as lead-acid batteries in it and a propellor at one end. Works really well.

[Taucher-Tom]

I guess you plan to take some lights with you too, so this

100_0045.jpg

100_0046.jpg

was a solution I tried a couple of years ago.

It was pretty stable, but the position of the lights was not optimal. Better connect them to the outside of each of the floaters.

Those systems are a bit clumsy, but clumsiness and weight cause stability...

[a64pilot]

The more mass you can handle, the better, especially if yu can locate it low like a pendulum.

[JamesK]

The only issue I have had with trays is high flow like Jug or Ginnie. Spots that I may need to pull and glide through I can't film. I made a goodman handle that holds two cameras. One facing forward, and the other towards me. I then have another goodman handle that holds all of my video lights. It works pretty good so far. I am going to build another tray that carries lights and cameras for more options though. It's all about playing around. I have an AquaVideo housing that I no longer use for an old camera that I am thinking about cannibalizing and making it work for one of my JVC HD cameras.