Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I use RAM's suction cup with camera mount (RAM-B-166-202AU) in the car or van with my Canon Vixia HF21 camcorder. In my case, the suction mount is attached to the inside of the driver's side window with the camcorder aimed through the front windshield. This location allows me to avoid mounting the camcorder on the sharply angled windshield. Also easier to get to when mounting or removing.
In this location (driver's side window), the lens of the camcorder aligns just to the right of my state's inspection sticker on the windshield. Windshield is relatively flat in this area, minimizing distortion. The driver's side window can be lowered about half way without removing the mount and the driver's door can be opened or closed easily. Of course, shut the door gently to avoid shaking the poor camera apart. I've slammed the door more than once while distracted, but cringed each time afterwards. No problems yet, but this can't be good for the camcorder.
The entire mount assembly is long enough to leave plenty of room between the camcorder and side window for the camcorder's LCD display to open fully. If that's not the case with your particular camcorder, longer arms can be purchased. There's also plenty of room between all this (camcorder, mount, etc) and the steering wheel, so the setup does not interfere with the operation of the vehicle. The end result is a fairly compact package to my left, easily viewed or operated from the driver seat (when stopped).
To protect the plastic camcorder, I decided to glue some cork onto the base of the metal camera mount. However, the 1/4"-20 threaded stud was just a bit too short afterwards (thick cork). Luckily, the length of that threaded stud can be adjusted slightly using a small allen wrench. The stud is secured with thread locking compound, and, since the stud is fairly loose alone, I'd strongly recommend using thread locking compound after any adjustments (allowing time to fully dry before use).
Everything except the knobs and base (suction mount) is made of solid aluminum. The suction mount and knobs are made of plastic thick enough to likely hold up well. And, of course, the suction pad is made of a rubber-like compound. Suction is applied by turning the plastic knob on the top of the suction mount. Once suction is applied, the mount will not come off unless the surface is porous (allows air in) or the pad is damaged (also allowing air in). To remove the mount, turn the knob to reduce suction and pull the small tab on the side to allow air in.
When the knobs are firmly tightened down (no need to overtighten), the entire mounting system is quite stable with no wobble or similar movement. Of course, the mount will move with the vehicle, so any road vibration or bumps will transfer directly to the camera. I leave the camcorder's optical image stabilization on to help reduce the affect of this.
If you're serious about recording video, this versatile system is a very worthwhile purchase. The suction mount can be attached to virtually any window (car, boat, house, etc) or similar smooth surface (refrigerator, etc). Furthermore, parts of this system can be interchanged with other RAM parts to mount on virtually anything (motorcycle or bicycle handlebars, walls, etc). Obviously, for more info, check out RAM's website.
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