Keeping camera at hand

[JimInBC]

Until the most recent trip is was not an issue. But my wife was sitting in my camera's seat and as usual my son was in the back with his own stuff all spread out.
I drive an old jeep XJ and there is no good place I can keep my Nikon D7200 and lens that is not in everyone's way. I have gotten used to it sitting in the passenger seat as often it is just me and my some but happily my wife is coming along more often. She also carried her own SLR.

I have an arca-swiss style plate on the bottom and was thinking of putting a mount were a center roof console would be to slide it into.

Has anyone come up with a creative solution to keeping an SLR handy? Am I overthinking it and should just put it in the back and use my phone when a bear is sitting on the side of the trail?

These are the thoughts that happen when I am sitting cleaning gear after being out for a bit

 

[Boort]

@XJinBC

If you have a regular arca-swiss style plate on the bottom (rather than an L-bracket) you might look at mounting a PD Capture Clip (https://www.peakdesign.com/product/clips/capture) to a roll bar. This is a strap mountable clamp that provides a positive lock with 1 handed release to a modified Arca-swiss style plate on the camera. They are really nice as long as you don't use an RRS, Kirk, or similar L-Bracket on our camera.

Boort

 

[JimInBC]

@XJinBC

If you have a regular arca-swiss style plate on the bottom (rather than an L-bracket) you might look at mounting a PD Capture Clip (https://www.peakdesign.com/product/clips/capture) to a roll bar. This is a strap mountable clamp that provides a positive lock with 1 handed release to a modified Arca-swiss style plate on the camera. They are really nice as long as you don't use an RRS, Kirk, or similar L-Bracket on our camera.

Boort

The peak design was one of the options I was thinking about. I need to mount it to the roof . The XJs do not have roll bars.

Straight arca-swiss. I use an arcatech ball head. Looks like it is time to play with fabrication.

I love your profile photo.

 

[Boort]

@XJinBC

The PD plate should work in your Acratech ball head clamp. I've had one mounted in my RRS, and Hejnar clamps and I think in my cheap Chinese clamp as well. I don't recall any issues. My reason for parting with it was switching to the battery grip and L-Bracket which changed the camera's center of gravity and I did not want to have to keep taking their plate off the bottom of the L-Bracket. You might talk to hejnarphotostore.com I think he offers an arca type clamp with a safety button to keep big glass from sliding out. Might not be as positive a grip as the PD capture but should keep the camera in place. He can do custom modifications if you needed a specific mounting pattern or adapter to mount to a given location in your Jeep.

The custom clamp he built, years ago, to adapt my old Manfroto head to use Arca Swiss has worked out very well for me.
Boort

 

[Boort]

@XJinBC

The peak design was one of the options I was thinking about. I need to mount it to the roof . The XJs do not have roll bars.
Straight arca-swiss. I use an arcatech ball head. Looks like it is time to play with fabrication.
I love your profile photo.

Working on my 4runner tonight Came up with another idea that might work.
I have these seat covers in the runner https://www.coverking.com/seat-covers/skanda-intro/tactical-seat-covers/tactical-ballistic-custom-seat-cover.html They have a Molle type panel on the back and looking at the webbing I'd bet that a 6-8" Nodal slide with integrated clamp would fit nicely into the webbing ( http://www.hejnarphotostore.com/product-p/e3-60.htm ). clamp it on your existing Arca-swiss plate and then just slip it into the webbing to hold it. When needed reach over and pull it out. Should work with a lens as big as a 24-70mm or 70-300mm zoom. If the going got really rough you might use the threaded slide hole to pin the camera in a bit tighter.

I'm sure there are other ways to get a similar MOLLE panel on the back of your passenger seat that would allow the same function.

Boort

 

[JimInBC]

@XJinBC


Working on my 4runner tonight Came up with another idea that might work.
I have these seat covers in the runner https://www.coverking.com/seat-covers/skanda-intro/tactical-seat-covers/tactical-ballistic-custom-seat-cover.html They have a Molle type panel on the back and looking at the webbing I'd bet that a 6-8" Nodal slide with integrated clamp would fit nicely into the webbing ( http://www.hejnarphotostore.com/product-p/e3-60.htm ). clamp it on your existing Arca-swiss plate and then just slip it into the webbing to hold it. When needed reach over and pull it out. Should work with a lens as big as a 24-70mm or 70-300mm zoom. If the going got really rough you might use the threaded slide hole to pin the camera in a bit tighter.

I'm sure there are other ways to get a similar MOLLE panel on the back of your passenger seat that would allow the same function.

Boort

The Molle is a thought. Will need to think about it. I was thinking the tripod collar mount on the 80-200 2.8 would slide in too and then use a strap to secure it and the body in place.

Ah so many interior things to play with. :)

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Boort]

@XJinBC

The Molle is a thought. Will need to think about it. I was thinking the tripod collar mount on the 80-200 2.8 would slide in too and then use a strap to secure it and the body in place.

I tried the nodal slide idea last weekend in Ouray but my nodal slide is double thick with mounting dovetails on both the top and bottom. It was too thick to slide in to the Molle loops on my seat cover. A thinner one might still work. I'm now thinking of using a lever release clamp mounted a Molle strip. Be a bit slower to return to storage but should be able to reach over pop the lever and retrieve the camera on the go. Kinda like a slower version of the PD Capture clip.

Boort