Long exposure on an unstable platform

[RChauhan]

Would any of you recommend a Manfrotto Magic Arml http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-244-Variable-Friction-Bracket/dp/B000J4FONU and a Manfrotto Super Clamp http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-035RL-Super-Clamp-Standard/dp/B0018LQVIA/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_y for fitting the camera onto the ship for the pictures?

 

[Don Haines]

Sure it would be nice if the containers could be a little sharper and you might be able to figure a way to achieve that, possibly by mounting the camera to some surface iof the ship and using IS

A 20,000 HP engine on a seagoing vessel makes a fair bit of vibration, and you also get flex over the vessel. hard mounting the camera to the ship makes it worse.... we ended up using mounts that clamped onto a post and a 2" thick rubber plate to cut down on vibration.

Try 50,000+ HP ;D

we had 150,000HP.... but the 20,000HP diesel made far more vibrations that the pair of 55,000HP turbines....

 

[Don Haines]

Would any of you recommend a Manfrotto Magic Arml http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-244-Variable-Friction-Bracket/dp/B000J4FONU and a Manfrotto Super Clamp http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-035RL-Super-Clamp-Standard/dp/B0018LQVIA/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_y for fitting the camera onto the ship for the pictures?

It's got to be tied down somehow, or eventually it will go for it's own adventure. When I used the DSLR, I tied a tripod to a rail and used 2 inches of thick foam to pad the tripod and (hopefully) absorb vibrations. I used a gear head on the top of the tripod as it was a lot sturdier than the ball head I had with me...

 

[RChauhan]

Sure it would be nice if the containers could be a little sharper and you might be able to figure a way to achieve that, possibly by mounting the camera to some surface iof the ship and using IS

A 20,000 HP engine on a seagoing vessel makes a fair bit of vibration, and you also get flex over the vessel. hard mounting the camera to the ship makes it worse.... we ended up using mounts that clamped onto a post and a 2" thick rubber plate to cut down on vibration.

Try 50,000+ HP ;D

we had 150,000HP.... but the 20,000HP diesel made far more vibrations that the pair of 55,000HP turbines....

Sounds like a Dynamic Positioning Dive Support or Offshore vessel? One main engine and the Turbines when on station? I work on large merchant vessels so totally different scene. One massive engine. One used 170 tons of heavy fuel a day.

Yeah, turbines are much smoother. I once heard Diesel engines described as the best way to turn fuel into noise ;D

 

[RChauhan]

Would any of you recommend a Manfrotto Magic Arml http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-244-Variable-Friction-Bracket/dp/B000J4FONU and a Manfrotto Super Clamp http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-035RL-Super-Clamp-Standard/dp/B0018LQVIA/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_y for fitting the camera onto the ship for the pictures?

It's got to be tied down somehow, or eventually it will go for it's own adventure. When I used the DSLR, I tied a tripod to a rail and used 2 inches of thick foam to pad the tripod and (hopefully) absorb vibrations. I used a gear head on the top of the tripod as it was a lot sturdier than the ball head I had with me...

Right, I agree. So what I am thinking of is a kit made up of 2 super clamps, one articulating arm, gorillapod and ballhead or geared head. Rubber pads and cable ties can be sourced on the ship as needed. This should give me a lot of mounting options.

Any products you would recommend instead of the manfrotto ones? or in addition to?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[rs]

Would any of you recommend a Manfrotto Magic Arml http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-244-Variable-Friction-Bracket/dp/B000J4FONU and a Manfrotto Super Clamp http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-035RL-Super-Clamp-Standard/dp/B0018LQVIA/ref=pd_bxgy_p_text_y for fitting the camera onto the ship for the pictures?

It's got to be tied down somehow, or eventually it will go for it's own adventure. When I used the DSLR, I tied a tripod to a rail and used 2 inches of thick foam to pad the tripod and (hopefully) absorb vibrations. I used a gear head on the top of the tripod as it was a lot sturdier than the ball head I had with me...

Right, I agree. So what I am thinking of is a kit made up of 2 super clamps, one articulating arm, gorillapod and ballhead or geared head. Rubber pads and cable ties can be sourced on the ship as needed. This should give me a lot of mounting options.

Any products you would recommend instead of the manfrotto ones? or in addition to?

Thanks for all the help.

I have a manfrotto super clamp and magic arm - it's great at what it does - mounting a camera in a hard to reach place for hours at a time - but it does need to be mounted to a solid platform. Any vibrations from the mounting platform will be amplified, and could well result in slippage and/or falling off.

I also have a top of the line gorrilapod, and wouldn't like to use that for long periods of time - vibration or no vibration. Personally I'd investigate what others have suggested - some sort of way of isolating the camera from the vibrations, or a long burst of short photos to stack together to cancel out the movement between frames, and also cancel out the noise while increasing the signal.