Kodak Zi8 Flip Creative Vado Sponge Mount Tripod for Car or Truck Dashboard

[XEmeralDQueenX]

Thanks for this idea, will try it with my new Flip :)

[russtafari423]

Great idea!

[qqttee]

very cute idea!

[ussprinceton2004]

I have an Inspiron E1705 laptop with an Intel Core duo processor T2250 @ 1.73GHz 1.73 GHz, 1GB of RAM, 32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate operating system, ATI Mobility Radeon x1400 graphics, 17" color screen. Can I play, edit, and upload videos from the Vado HD with this laptop? Also, could you do a video tutorial on how to use VirtualDub with the Deshaker plugin, specifically for the Vado HD?

[Knoptop]

Great idea!

[ppearce43]

I tried this out, and this is a great way to mount a mini camcorder like Flip Ultra, etc.

You mentioned some glue...tacky stuff. Have you used this? What's the name? I'm going to spray my sponge with black paint, or wrap it in black cloth, to prevent reflections.

Thanks for this creative solution!

[kezia932]

works great better than the mount i paid £30 for

who would thought this would work but its dose a good job with the kodak zi8

if you have a dash with a bit of a tilt try some velcro double sided tape .stick it on the sponge and dash and its holds it in place thanks keep us posted great work .

[dtruell]

I just want to say thanks for the idea! I tried it with my new Zi8 and it works flawlessly. I drive a 2005 Dodge One Ton Diesel. Thanks again.

dtruell

[usagymnasticsorg]

Thanks for the video. I'll be using this on my 3 hour drive to Chicago this weekend.

[SuperGLS]

@usagymnasticsorg How'd it go?

[watertonrivers]

@SuperGLS What a novel idea...thank you!!

[tony535]

hey kool cheap idea thanks. i got the kodak playsport and i got a piece of sponge lol i made a dash mount like yours ill post a video soon thank you

[SuperGLS]

@tony535 Cool! You should post some underwater videos.  I want to see how good they look.

[zebragoose]

great DIY concept. i think one thing that may improve this concept even further is to use a dark-colored sponge that doesn't reflect as much light, since a lot of the yellow from the sponge is visible in the windshield reflection. easy fix. thanks for this!

[SuperGLS]

@zebragoose Yeah I think covering it with some dark fabric would be ideal. I don't think spray paint would work very well over a long period of time. Or simply find a darker color sponge as you say.

[sklerad]

simple and effective, thanks for sharing!

[Halunlimited]

Great idea. thx

[Wootson1983]

Simple and effective. Great idea!

[deth0fseth]

cool~

[gogosor]

Many thanks for the great sponge idea, I just tested my sponge with the Zi8, and it works perfectly, I will upload a video ASAP.

p.s EIS=OFF

[SuperGLS]

Cool.  Link the video here when you get a chance.

[gogosor]

Done: see GOGOSOR in Video Responses

Thanks

[eleqtriq]

I just did this exactly with a foam sponge from Pep Boys. It did little to damp the vibrations in my truck. The video is still very jittery. I tried it with EIS on and off. I also walked around with it and it's still jittery. Maybe my sponge isn't as spongy as yours?

[thekiwicanuck]

Stating the obvious, you could put it on the dash beforehand and cut the hole at that angle, or wedge something down beside the camera to adjust the angle. Like it matters at that price! Could you tell me what you think of the battery life on your Zi8? I'm looking at the Flip Ultra HD also, as I prefer the versatility of AAs, which I already use in my still camera. For comparison, 4x NiMH rechargables lasts me all day at events, enough to fill my 2.5GB of memory, download, and still have juice.

[SuperGLS]

Thinking about this overnight what I said makes no sense at the headrest "spokes" are connected to the headrest, not the rest of the seat. But I'm going to see what I can come up with here in a bit.

[SuperGLS]

Fishy, that's a pretty good idea. It's got me thinking of something a little different. Tomorrow I'll take the headrest off and then measure the distance between the "spokes" and then make holes in the sponge so that the sponge can fit onto the spokes.

The only problem with this is you'll be able to see parts of the inside of the car I think while having it on the dash offers a more "driver's vision" feel. I'll report back on that tomorrow.

[fishycomics]

Excellent review, and idea.

Step one. Move pass seat foward.

Step two lift up headrest.

step three lace cam in headrest.

step four close down headrest. the seat is the ideal spot I trust the seat rather the dash

If on a ship the center of the ship is the most stable, while thr front absorbs the most shock.

[SuperGLS]

Yeah, certainly it doesn't have to be quite this big. You are right, there is definite room to make it look a bit nicer. Interested to see what you come up with.

[sk8dork]

also, covering the foam and other dash stuff with something, maybe like black felt or something, would help hide it and reduce/eliminate the colored glare on the windshield

[sk8dork]

a sponge cradle/pod/mount is a freaking great idea for light pocket cams! the problem with regular tripods and mounts, even cheap ones they continue to try and market for these devices, is that they're too rigid, and every slight movement jars the poor little cam. i bet you could modify the sponge in a way that makes it look slick too, and even possibly make it secure enough for a motorcycle mount. gonna try this out when i get the chance. thanks!