Super Clamp Confusion

mercphoto

I know Bogen makes a Super Clamp that can do what I want, but there are so many super clamps that I get really confused over what I need. I have several suction cups like the following, which has a 3/8" coarse thread stud on it:



I also have a 6" long 5/8" diameter spud that can thread onto the stud on the suction cup:


And I want to attach, to either the 3/8" stud or to the 5/8" spud this 2" O.D. tube:


What do I need? Thanks.

pathfinder

Is this the clamp you are taking about? - aka the Justin clamp ala Joe McNally

Robinivich

I own this clamp, which I'm pretty sure is what is meant by "Super Clamp": http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/252211-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_635_Quick_Action_Super_Clamp.html

I'd say it'll work on 2" pipe no problem, but that's the maximum size of pipe.

It's also got a handy hexagonal socket with a quick release (the silver button in the image) that accepts a number of different pieces, including this one: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546506-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_066_066_Double_Female_Stud.html
This piece looks like the ticket, reversible female 1/4" or 3/8" thread. Thread this onto your suction cup, then pop the whole thing into the super clamp and lock it in with the set screw, you'll have yourself a reasonably robust setup.

mercphoto

Robinivich wrote:

I own this clamp, which I'm pretty sure is what is meant by "Super Clamp": http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/252211-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_635_Quick_Action_Super_Clamp.html

I'd say it'll work on 2" pipe no problem, but that's the maximum size of pipe.

Yeah, I think that's the ticket. Part of what confuses me about Super Clamps is all the options they have. If you are not familiar with them it can be over-whelming. Like that clamp will obviously fit the 2" tube, but its not obvious how it then clamps to the 5/8" spud. But I think your explanation helped fill in the details.

jhelms

mercphoto wrote:

Yeah, I think that's the ticket. Part of what confuses me about Super Clamps is all the options they have. If you are not familiar with them it can be over-whelming. Like that clamp will obviously fit the 2" tube, but its not obvious how it then clamps to the 5/8" spud. But I think your explanation helped fill in the details.

Hey Bill, I think we are working on a similar project maybe.

I have 3 of the adorama versions of this super clamp (same specs, holds from .5" to 2.1") and I was uncomfortable when I used them to fit a pipe that measured 1.9" OD.

Here's a photo of my clamp and cup holding onto a 1.6" OD pipe:





To me, that just looks like it's about as wide as I'd want to stretch it.

Robinivich

mercphoto wrote:

Yeah, I think that's the ticket. Part of what confuses me about Super Clamps is all the options they have. If you are not familiar with them it can be over-whelming. Like that clamp will obviously fit the 2" tube, but its not obvious how it then clamps to the 5/8" spud. But I think your explanation helped fill in the details.

I can sympathize with you there! It took me a good week of playing around to fully understand all the different configurations that are possible with these things

jhelms

jhelms wrote:

Hey Bill, I think we are working on a similar project maybe.

I have 3 of the adorama versions of this super clamp (same specs, holds from .5" to 2.1") and I was uncomfortable when I used them to fit a pipe that measured 1.9" OD.

Here's a photo of my clamp and cup holding onto a 1.6" OD pipe:





To me, that just looks like it's about as wide as I'd want to stretch it.

Bill, I wanted to update my stance on this - I've actually decided to go back with a 1.9" OD pipe held by 3 superclamps.

mercphoto

jhelms wrote:

Bill, I wanted to update my stance on this - I've actually decided to go back with a 1.9" OD pipe held by 3 superclamps.

Thanks for the update. Now I just need clients in order to justify spending even more money on this setup. I mean, at some point you get tired of investing, you know?

jhelms

photograham wrote:

Those are some sweet looking clamps, I've always wanted one...I guess now is the time to buy

I keep finding uses for them, they work great and the adorama ones are pretty cheap.

Bill, here's another close up of the Adorama clamp holding a 1.9" OD pole:

mercphoto

jhelms wrote:

Hey Bill, I think we are working on a similar project maybe.

I have 3 of the adorama versions of this super clamp (same specs, holds from .5" to 2.1") and I was uncomfortable when I used them to fit a pipe that measured 1.9" OD.

My suction cup is a touch different than yours. Mine already has the stud on it. But I would assume that one could swap that stud out for a nut fitting instead, to screw the clamp onto the stud on my suction cup?

jhelms

mercphoto wrote:

My suction cup is a touch different than yours. Mine already has the stud on it. But I would assume that one could swap that stud out for a nut fitting instead, to screw the clamp onto the stud on my suction cup?

I'm using 2 different kinds; I have one Avenger F1100 (like the F1000 but w/o the ball head) - http://www.adorama.com/AEF1100.html

And then I already had a Stickypod Pro setup with the plate and 4 suction cups, so I'm using that instead of buying another Avenger.

On the stickypod I've attached it to the clamp a few ways, screwed the clamp right on the 1/4" tripod screw, attached a small ball-head (also through the 1/4"), and attached it by putting a stud on the stickypod.


A few pics...


The clamp screwed directly down onto the stickypods 1/4" tripod screw



Clamp mounted to ball-head mounted to stickypod:

mercphoto

Got the clamps
I got the Adorama clamps. About the only thing I don't like is it seems to force me to get the two suction cups nearly co-planar. This can sometimes be difficult but its better than not being able to mount the rig at all! I get to play with it on Saturday with an S2000 in Houston for a paid gig.

InsuredDisaster

Do you guys get pulled over driving with that kind of setup on your car?

jhelms

InsuredDisaster wrote:

Do you guys get pulled over driving with that kind of setup on your car?

Nah... the car is usually being pushed though

mercphoto

InsuredDisaster wrote:

Do you guys get pulled over driving with that kind of setup on your car?

You use parking lots, or parking garages. If you use an actual road, find one in the absolute middle of nowhere that has zero traffic. I've found a few around Lago Vista, Texas that fit this bill. Some of those roads were built more than a decade ago in anticipation of a housing development that never even built one house. The roads go, literally, nowhere. Thus, no traffic to deal with.

But if I did drive on public roads with that setup I would fully expect to get pulled over. I also don't trust it to stay on the car at anything above a walking pace.

mercphoto

Any body have any better suggestions for attaching the clamps to the suction cups? Would be nice to allow some change in the orientation of the clamp to the cup. Such as a ball joint.

InsuredDisaster

mercphoto wrote:

Any body have any better suggestions for attaching the clamps to the suction cups? Would be nice to allow some change in the orientation of the clamp to the cup. Such as a ball joint.

Pardon my ignorance, but could anyone post a shot taken with this sort of setup? I can't quite picture why one would use this in a parking garage, or anything other than a race car or at the very least, a vehicle on a public street (aka, the Mcnally fire truck shots) . Perhaps this shows my lack of creativity.

ziggy53

InsuredDisaster wrote:

Pardon my ignorance, but could anyone post a shot taken with this sort of setup? I can't quite picture why one would use this in a parking garage, or anything other than a race car or at the very least, a vehicle on a public street (aka, the Mcnally fire truck shots) . Perhaps this shows my lack of creativity.

Take a look at these links and the links within:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=76083
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=81425
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=106495

While the sense of motion in the images is real, the sense of speed is an illusion invoked by motion blur of appropriate parts of the wheels and background.

mercphoto

InsuredDisaster wrote:

Pardon my ignorance, but could anyone post a shot taken with this sort of setup? I can't quite picture why one would use this in a parking garage, or anything other than a race car or at the very least, a vehicle on a public street (aka, the Mcnally fire truck shots) . Perhaps this shows my lack of creativity.

Maybe my favorite to date, though this was done with the rig mounted to the undercarriage of the car, with an eblow joint in the boom allowing a high placement of the camera. Done in a parking lot to an office park.

InsuredDisaster

Thanks guys! I couldn't see any of the pictures in the above links, but the one posted is pretty cool. Good shot!

mercphoto

mercphoto wrote:

I got the Adorama clamps. About the only thing I don't like is it seems to force me to get the two suction cups nearly co-planar. This can sometimes be difficult but its better than not being able to mount the rig at all! I get to play with it on Saturday with an S2000 in Houston for a paid gig.

This is DEFINITELY a problem. I need some sort of lockable ball joint inbetween the suction cup and the super clamp. Because on most hoods you simply cannot get the two cups to be co-planar enough.

Any ideas anyone?

mercphoto

Hmmm... this might work:

http://www.filmtools.com/tvmp-manfrotto-484.html

Need to see if that will screw onto the 3/8-16 stud on the suction cup.

jhelms

mercphoto wrote:

This is DEFINITELY a problem. I need some sort of lockable ball joint inbetween the suction cup and the super clamp. Because on most hoods you simply cannot get the two cups to be co-planar enough.

Any ideas anyone?

Yep, there are two versions of the Avenger suction cup, the 1000 and the 1100, one of them has a built in ball joint.

jhelms

Here's the two versions:

http://www.adorama.com/SearchSite/Default.aspx?searchinfo=avenger%20suction%20cup


$55 includes the suction cup and the swivel:

http://www.adorama.com/AEF1000.html?searchinfo=avenger+suction+cup

mercphoto

jhelms wrote:

http://www.adorama.com/AEF1000.html?searchinfo=avenger+suction+cup

Cool! Think that will work with this?
http://www.adorama.com/LTPC.html?searchinfo=ltpc

ziggy53

I suspect that an umbrella flash bracket is awfully close to what you want, but I'm not sure the typical versions are heavy-duty enough for your needs.

It's basically an adjustable elbow, with both ends accepting a stud. The brackets typically come with a 2 brass stud pieces than may be mated to form a stud. What you wind up with is an elbow with a stud-receptacle on one end and a stud on the other end (for your application). Since the elbow can rotate on the studs, you can achieve almost any geometry.


Here is someone else's image to show construction:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Pj9fYE4JL.jpg

I think the Lumedyne model may be better construction than the cheap ones I use:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images345x345/32350.jpg
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/32350-REG/Lumedyne_AHUA_Umbrella_Bracket.html

I'm not sure that one comes with a stud, so I think this would work:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/93356-REG/Giottos_080565_Reversible_5_8_Mounting_Stud.html

P.S. Nevermind. John's solution is much better.

jhelms

mercphoto wrote:

Cool! Think that will work with this?
http://www.adorama.com/LTPC.html?searchinfo=ltpc

Yep, that's perfect! :ivar