Getting different camera angles can be a real pain when dirt riding,
so we were keen to try out this Dango Gripper Mount for the Gopro. The chinbar mount is our
favourite position for various reasons. Mounts on the side or top of the helmet can be dangerous,
and the video looks slower and isn't as immersive.
The chest mount is the most immersive as you can see the handlebars but it tends
to bounce too much. So the chinbar mount provides a good compromise.
We have been using this system that uses velcro stuck to the helmet, but the great thing with
the Dango gripper mount is you can take it off so easily and do some hand filming - the
mount actually makes a good hand hold for this.
Or put it on someone else's helmet so everyone gets a turn in front of the camera. Another
handy feature was being able to mount it on the side of the chinbar to get more of a sideshot.
We even tried mounting it to the back of the helmet. It's not designed for
this and although it wobbled a bit it is another angle you can try.
You can also swing the mount around to get the camera lower and a bit closer
to those great angles you get with a chest mount.
A handy feature of chinbar mounts is the camera doesn't get in the way or block your vision,
but you can set it up so that you can see the red recording
light so you always know if it's recording or not.
The audible beeps for turning the camera on and off are also much easier to hear.
If you want to record your voice, it also comes out much clearer, even when the revs
are up. The audio gets even better if you use the skeleton door for the Gopro case,
the one with the holes in the back of the case's rear cover.
The clamp is extremely strong but as with any mount I like to use some kind of tether
just in case the camera did fall off.... in this case a few rubber bands do the trick.
At US$50 it's more expensive than the Proshot Chinbar mount at $33
but could be worth the extra money for the extra flexibility with this mount.
Okay, other things we've been trying. The Gekkopod from zuckerim.com is a handy little
flexible tripod for uneven surfaces or wrapping around a tree branch for interesting angles. At
US$20 this could be worthwhile for the keen dirt bike videographer but please
note those arms aren't strong enough to mount successfully to a dirt bike, it will shake loose.
Likewise with the Jaws Flex Clamp from Gopro for $23. It is mainly for attaching
stationary objects but a dirt bike will shake it loose. However it does provide
some interesting angles if you can mount it to an adventure bike or road bike on smooth roads.
These extendable selfie sticks are only US$12 on Ebay and are great for filming bikes go past,
or shoving the camera in people's faces if you are game to ride with one hand.
If you are into filming dirt bikes, check out these other vids we've done too.