Action Stations - Man The Cameras - Part One (GoPole)

I suppose in today's social climate that should really read "Human The Cameras", but I am hoping that we can get through the post before the flood of protest closes down the weblog page. Here goes.

The action camera craze burst upon the photographic scene like a bombshell a few years ago. Perhaps we should say- in view of what people do with them - that it burst like a ligament or a medical benefits claim. However you look at it, it has been successful in capturing the imaginations of the public. More and more of the little cameras record more and more of the world.

The makers of the original  action cameras were smart designers - they came up with a mounting system that was light, stable, and easy to attach. They went further - they made it universal. This had not been done in the design field since the 1/4" tripod screw socket supplanted the 3/8" socket in most modern cameras. It far outstripped the teams who devised different lens mounts for the SLR and rangefinder cameras of the film era - and who have given them on as legacy to their digital descendants.

The makers of the first action cams may have been serving themselves with their desire for standardisation but they ended up serving their customers and their competitors, and they served them right.

As a result, there are more variations of mount for the action cams than you can shake a crutch at. Bikes, helmets, wrists, foreheads, chests, poles, tripods, car windows, etc, etc...After three years I thought that they had run out of places to stick their cameras. I was wrong.

A. GoPole Grenade Grip. Good if you need to assault a trench by throwing your action camera at the enemy. I should imaging that if they get around to filming " Storm Of Steel" or " All Quiet On The Western Front " yet again, this is exactly what they will do.

B. GoPole Bobber. For the diving enthusiast who will be filming in the surf and expects to get turned over like the washing in the Kelvinator - and is going to need to let go of the camera to save them self. The camera should have enough buoyancy to ride up through the surf and be carried inshore to be dashed to pieces on the rocks.

C. GoPole Reach (14-40 inch extension pole). A little like the Grenade, this has just a little more length to allow you to lift the camera up above the crowd at the fist fight to capture the action. These are available in several lengths and some even have adjustable extensions in case you are behind tall people and you are not...

D. The Control Grip (in store only). Some of the action cameras can be controlled - unlike their users - by remote means. There are little boxes that send out radio signals to the camera. This grip is one of the extendable ones that also provides a waterproof housing for the controller. 

I'm afraid that I have to admit that I see the camera on the end of this grip rising up out of the water like a submarine periscope and looking around. But then I saw all the Pink Panther and Revenge Of The Nerds movies when they were fresh...

Da dum dadum, dadum, dadum, dadum , dadum dadum, da daaaaaaa...You can hum that all day if you wish.

See the full GoPole range on the Camera Electronic webstore.