View Full Version : Top-down DSLR cam mounting


Assaf Tal
October 9th, 2015, 08:03 AM
This is my first posting here, so first of all, hello everyone! And I hope I'm in the right sub-forum.

I'm looking for a mounting solution for my DSLR Canon T5i camera for filming me playing the piano top-down. I make piano tutorials for Youtube, and I've been doing it so far using my webcam and taping it to a microphone stand. The end result I'm after should look like this:

Learn to Play: Fast Piano Runs (Fills) - YouTube

I'm not a professional videographer so I'm not very well versed in the solutions out there. All tripods I looked at are aimed at filming things horizontally. Those that offer a "top-down" approach do so by tilting the head, but this is very inconvenient since it means the object being filmed must be directly underneath the tripod; I obviously can't do that with the sort of positioning shown in the video above.

Your advice would be very welcome.

Zach Love
January 12th, 2016, 10:12 AM
One trick used in cooking shows is to have a large mirror at a 45 degree angle. Though you have to have a really nice sized mirror & a way to mount it.

If the DSLR is small enough & doesn't weigh too much, AND, it's in a locked down position (no movement), you could use some lighting equipment.

A C-Stand (or two) w/ the boom arm would work & then you could use a super clamp to attach the camera onto the arm.

Matthews Hollywood Century C Stand Grip Head Kit, Black B756040

Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp with Standard Stud 035RL B&H Photo