How to Mount a Camera When You Can’t Use a Tripod

Posted by: on Oct 05, 2017

How to Mount a Camera When You Can’t Use a Tripod
As a photographer or filmmaker there are times that you’ll want to secure a camera in place but a tripod just isn’t an option. You’re in a high-traffic, public place where tripods aren’t allowed, or you need to mount your camera in a precarious place where a tripod or studio stand simply wouldn’t work. If you need to leave your tripod at home but want camera stability, we have you covered. Berlin-based photographer Stefan Schäfer specializes in landscape and cityscape photography and recently traveled to Dubai to photography the skyrises. Stefan took his setup which consists of a Rock Solid Master Clamp, Master Articulating Arm, and Camera Platform and mounted his Nikon D800 camera 73 stories up on the railing of the Cayan Tower in Dubai. “The biggest advantage for me came with the so-called Vertical Shots. In these pictures, I am standing on a high-rise building and photographing with the camera 90-degrees downwards tilted straight down. This gives a very impressive perspective, usually unseen in other landscape and cityscape photos of Dubai,” wrote Stefan. “Here the arm plays its advantages completely out in contrast to a normal tripod. With the arm I can get far away from the building and still have extreme stability. The Master Articulating Arm has locking teeth and pad slips to keep everything secured. The setup is extremely stable and easily held the weight of the setup.”

Advantages of this setup:

  • Extremely stable and also suitable for heavy cameras and other things
  • By loosening the center-screw on the arm, you can move the arm to where you need it
  • Good alternative when tripods are not allowed

Gear required:

Mounting a Camera and Triggering Remotely

In this setup, Daniel Norton and Seth Miranda needed to mount a camera to shoot vertically up a stairwell. Unfortunately, due to the precarious placement of where the camera needed to be located a tripod or studio stand simply wouldn’t work as the area couldn’t be blocked and there was no room. The photographers instead mounted a camera to a hanging pipe using the same setup previously mentioned, a Rock Solid Master Clamp, Master Articulating Arm, and Camera Platform. Their setup differs slightly as they incorporated the Case Air Wireless Tethering System. This enabled Seth and Daniel to tether their camera wireless to an iPad allowing them to use LiveView to see an image preview and move the model into the ideal position, as well as adjust camera settings on the fly such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. “The Case Air made us more aware of our own environment instead of being stuck inside our camera. So, we were actually participating as well as observing. We got shots that we wouldn’t have gotten any other way,” said photographer Seth Miranda.

Advantages of this setup:

  • Mounting the camera and the adjustable arm allows the camera new perspectives
  • The Case Air enables the photographer to view images in LiveView and trigger remotely

Gear required:

Mounting a Camera and Adding a Tripod Ball Head

If you have a flat or round surface, you have a place to mount your tripod head or camera ballhead. This setup utilizes the Rock Solid Master Clamp and it’s included 5/8″ (16mm) Baby Stud to add a sturdy and stable spot to place your camera where you want it, when you need it. The Rock Solid Baby Ballhead Adapter converts the Baby Stud to a 3/8″ thread for easy mounting of your tripod head. From there, secure your camera and move into place to get the shot.

Advantages of this setup:

  • Lightweight and portable
  • Extremely stable and utilizes your tripod ball head

Gear required: