How To Glue Cracked GoPro Case and Mounts with Bison Power Adhesive

Here's a fact: If you use your GoPro HD camera heavily (as it's supposed to be used), you will get your case cracked and your mounts destroyed. It's just a matter of time until this will happen.

Actually this post completes my GoPro HD review and I'm here to tell you about glue...

Yes. You need to repair the micro cracks that your camera case and mounts will get from all the vibrations, crashes, drops and what not. And the answer is a strong polyurethane glue such as Bison Power Adhesive. It's basically a resin type glue that you get by mixing the two pastes (glue and hardener).

The glue is supposed to be used for the most difficult bonds (it says that on the package). Other things I used it for were telescopic trekking poles (I attached the hard rubber tip which has the Widia tip on the aluminum pole) and to glue the rear view mirror on the windshield of my last car.

The cracks occur not only due to shocks taken by the camera but also because of poor constructions of elements and  weak materials. I believe they could have used a stronger plastic for an action camera...

For instance, when you attach your GoPro Hero to the two piece arm, there's a tiny gap between the case elements (teeth) and the mount elements (see pictures above), which make the mount teeth bend and crack. And if you're going downhill with your bike at 40 miles per hour and loose your camera... Well, you can guess how happy you'll be.

So my solution to buy some time and extend the life of your GoPro case, clamp (that locks the back door of the case) and mounts is to observe if there are any micro cracks and fix the problem with a strong glue.

How to repair your mounts & GoPro case

1. Mix the two pastes until you get a homogeneous color and consistence. Use a spatula and/or a paper clip.
2. Take the mount (element you want to repair) and add some pressure as to open the micro cracks.
3. Add some glue in the cracks. Press the glue in with your finger.
4. Add extra glue on a larger surface on the crack and around the crack. It will look ugly but it will hold better.

Notice the crack in the lens rim (above picture - click for larger view). Gotta fix that as well as I don't want the case to leak when shooting underwater footage.

The clamp - first element that got broken (almost broke in half). I think they could make this out of aluminum since it's a part subjected to constant pressure and frequent maneuvering. Each time you come home from your shooting sessions (climbing and cliff jumping, doing bike stunts, etc.) you wanna download all your action clips, right? So you open your case, hence the wear and tear the clamp is subjected to.

Take care while you're out there. Happy video shooting!

PS - At some point I'm gonna have to buy a new two arm piece...and maybe a new case.

How To Improvise a Tripod Mount for Your GoPro Camera

When I ordered my GoPro HD action sports camera I didn't think I would need a tripod mount for shooting outdoor videos or photos. It turned out it wouldn't had been a bad idea to get one.

But since I embrace DIY and improvisation I gave it a shot in making one. I used the plastic plate on which the camera is mounted when you get it boxed. I failed! And then I just used the helmet mount which I strapped onto the tripod head - it was that easy!

The advantages of improvising a tripod mount

• You don't need to carry additional pieces. The GoPro accessories are small and easy to loose and if you choose to use the helmet mount on your tripod you just solved the problem. You are more likely to carry the helmet mount all the time.
• The quick release buckle is your friend. Just have a look at the original tripod mount for GoPro camera and you'll see it cannot work with any of the quick release buckles (that's just silly). In order to use it, you must unscrew the camera from your mount and then fix in place the tripod accessory and then mount it on the tripod - too much work for an action sports camera!!! With my improvisation (I'm sure others have figured it out as well) you can have your camera on the tripod in a snap.
• It makes you feel smart and self reliant! - this is my biggest motivator - :-)

The GoPro tripod mount

Shoot that outdoorsy thing you're doing. Cheers!

Indoor Climbing Video with Paul Robinson - Filmmaking Competition from Reel Rock Film Tour

Here's a climbing video from BigUp Productions who are also announcing the Reel Rock Film Tour - filmmaking competition - on their blog.

This year's event is also sponsored by Goal0 - they are my biggest sponsor on Highball Blog - so this means if you win the video contest you'll also get gear from them, not only from Petzl, Evolv, Windstopper, North Face and Sterling Rope.

Boy do I wanna participate in this!!! I don't know how I will be able to export in reasonable quality my video in order to submit it but I must find a way. I edit GoPro HD footage on a Dell laptop and that's not enough for high quality video...

The idea is to create a two minute video related to climbing. There are no other restrictions and comedy/spoofing is encouraged. I got my thinking hat on.

Video found on Paul Robinson's blog - a climber and bouldering master from Boulder, Colorado (this town is predestined to produce bouldering addicts) who visited our climbing gym here in Brasov in 2009. Notice the little girl doing some incredible stuff on the campus board at the end of the clip.

I find it extremely helpful for lifting up morale and building motivation to watch climbing films. Don't forget to get outside though...

Go climbing and shoot videos!

Goal0 is an exciting new company making rugged, renewable power solutions for adventurers around the world. They're offering a Sherpa Adventure Kit, which is the perfect way for all you filmmakers out there to keep your cameras and laptops charged while out on a shooting expedition. The Sherpa kit consists of a foldable and portable solar panel, a 120 W battery pack from which you can charge almost any device via USB or DC output, an universal adapter so you can plug your portable computer, and a three Watt LED lamp (Estrella), which by the way is my favorite. I love the white flood of light it delivers and the various possibilities to hang it with the malleable silicone cord and the small carabiner - I even use it at home for night reading :-).

What To Do with the Small Orange Rubber that Comes with GoPro HD Action Sports Camera

GoPro Doohickey from PointOfViewCameras on Vimeo.

You may see many GoPro HD videos that are either shaky or they have that "click" noise in the background. This is mostly because the quick mounts aren't so tight - there's a backlash between the quick release buckle and the mount. And if you use the long arm for your camera you'll get an even shakier footage - that's silly for the most popular action sports camera...

I saw the little orange rubber in my GoPro kit and I had no idea what it was for. The video above made it clear for me but it's a bit too late now... I've already fixed my shaky camera mounts by adding two or three layers of duct tape to them, as you can see in the picture below. I believe my solution is better as you can loose the orange rubber whereas the duct tape will remain in place with no effort on your part.

Shoot your outdoor adventures!