Automatic Panning Camera

kedwards

kedwards

Caving, Garden Railways & more caving. Fan of TTTE
A number of members mount cameras on trucks to capture 'roof top' or 'driver's eye' views of their railways. On most of the videos I've seen the problem is that the camera is fixed on the truck which is fine on straight track but when the track curves left or right the camera disconcertingly points off to one side. A number of years ago I read an article, it may have been in a G Scale Journal, in which someone had made a camera mount which automatically swung the camera to the left on right hand curves and to the right on left hand curves so that the camera followed the curve. It may have have been operated by the front bogie on a truck. Can anyone recall the article or has anyone got any plans? I would like to make a mount that works in this way.

Keith
 
Now I have no recollection of the pedigree of this photo, but it has been lurking in my railway folder under 'odds' for some years.
I know I kept it for the very reason that Keith raises; it would seem to solve the problem of looking at the lineside scenery instead of along the track on curves.
If I ever get my track laid, I intend to give it a try-out, but that won't be tomorrow...

camera truck.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hi Keith, I remember that article and I must have the mag somewhere, I think the camera base is attached to the rear bogie so that as the truck goes into a left hand bend, the rear of the camera base is moved to the right which makes the camera look left, if that makes sense? . It has been one of my 'to do' projects, ever since I read the article.........but like a lot of things, 'life' got I in the way.
I will have a root around and see if I can locate the mag
Cheers
Dave
 
Well, I have to say I'm really impressed and GSC has come up trumps yet again. What a marvellous community this is!
Enormous thanks to Philip, Greg, Dave and Greg from Downunder for your thoughts photos, videos and the learned paper on the subject.
The video confirms my thoughts that pivoting the camera gives a far superior view of the track ahead and a better overall experience for the viewer.
Lots for me to digest but as soon as I've laid some track on my new railway I will be making a pivoting camera mount to use on the videos I make.
Thanks again. This will save me a lot of what could have been wasted time.

Keith
 
gregh said:
This article has some ideas for you...
Click to expand...
Hi Greg, nice to hear from you again. Super run down on the varying options.Have made a base for my GoPro that fits on one of my long 4 wheel Swiss style log wagons, the cutouts are for the bolsters. I have in the past monkeyed around with steerable contraptions with nit a lot of success but will now have a go at that one of yours, my one should be easy enough to modify and I have 3 suitable bogie flats to use for mounting it.
215C382B-901C-483B-9B37-F900A65FF7F1.jpeg
 
Hi Keith, have finally found the issue with the article in it, Garden Rail, June 2005! Took a bit of sorting, if you would like a copy, of the article, if you drop me a pm with your email address, I will scan it and mail it back to you, it's only 3 pages so not difficult to mail
Regards
Dave
 
I had designed and build a camera car just like that about 35 years ago. My layout then had tight curves and it bothered me to see the track disappear when the video camera looked straight ahead. I had written a short "How to build a Camera Car" at the time, but it was only for the club news letter. For many years now I am a writer for the Magazine "Gartenbahn Profi". It is a coincidence that I have just written another report on video photography in general, but it deals specifically with such a car that steers the video camera. It appeared in the 3rd issue 2020. The article is in German, as is the magazine, but the pictures are telling the story even if you don"t read German.
 

Attachments

  • 9c.JPG
    9c.JPG
    512.2 KB · Views: 0
Tanker man said:
Hi Keith, I remember that article and I must have the mag somewhere, I think the camera base is attached to the rear bogie so that as the truck goes into a left hand bend, the rear of the camera base is moved to the right which makes the camera look left, if that makes sense? . It has been one of my 'to do' projects, ever since I read the article.........but like a lot of things, 'life' got I in the way.
I will have a root around and see if I can locate the mag
Cheers
Dave
Click to expand...
I have one built by a friend. It is a well wagon and pivots off the back bogie. We weighted the axles to make it a more steady ride and coupled with spring mounts it is very stable. I will try to add some photos of it.
 

Attachments

  • F44FD318-7927-49BB-80A6-ED6D89FCE8B3.jpeg
    F44FD318-7927-49BB-80A6-ED6D89FCE8B3.jpeg
    165.6 KB · Views: 0
  • 1E456EB8-6A32-4A85-A16D-A526E68D0A12.jpeg
    1E456EB8-6A32-4A85-A16D-A526E68D0A12.jpeg
    212 KB · Views: 0
  • E556799D-701D-4AB3-8762-E649FE32E58F.jpeg
    E556799D-701D-4AB3-8762-E649FE32E58F.jpeg
    186.8 KB · Views: 0
  • 4E3CCD25-D020-41BA-8782-6CDD9AC28211.jpeg
    4E3CCD25-D020-41BA-8782-6CDD9AC28211.jpeg
    171.4 KB · Views: 0
  • 6A474FE1-B9DD-459B-A1E1-806C99F48FE5.jpeg
    6A474FE1-B9DD-459B-A1E1-806C99F48FE5.jpeg
    159.1 KB · Views: 0
Trainman58 said:
I have one built by a friend. It is a well wagon and pivots off the back bogie. We weighted the axles to make it a more steady ride and coupled with spring mounts it is very stable. I will try to add some photos of it.
Click to expand...
The camera turns into the curve by a pivot from either direction. Quite a cool piece of apparatus.
 
Trainman58 said:
I have one built by a friend. It is a well wagon and pivots off the back bogie. We weighted the axles to make it a more steady ride and coupled with spring mounts it is very stable. I will try to add some photos of it.
Click to expand...
Be interesting to see the link for a vid made with that. Y concern with the GoPro? would be it having vision of the wagon ends, but perhaps that is not the case.
 
I was hoping to spend today working on my new garden railway but after an hour or so it rained and rained and rained.

P1060433.jpeg

So I came inside and I made this. It does the job and seems to work perfectly. I will post some video of it in action shortly.

P1060436.jpeg

P1060439.jpeg

P1060437.jpeg
 
Rhinochugger said:
Jimmy B has been working on one recently, and I believe he has all but perfected it :nod::nod:
Click to expand...
Just waiting some fine whether for the final test, but yes mine works.Camera Wagon 23 Complete.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom