Deerstand tripod for sports?

[Bill Rankin]

I am considering buying a deerstand tripod for shooting sporting events (soccer) that do not have bleachers available. Has anyone else ever tried this method? Do you use a tripod rigged up somehow?

Any shared experiences are appreciated. Thanks.

[Chris Soucy]

Er, care to translate that for us hicks in the sticks?

What's a "deerstand tripod" and what's "bleachers"?


CS

[Bill Rankin]

Bleachers are the bench seating at a sporting event. Similar to a stadium seating only much smaller in volume.
The deerstand tripod is pictured below

[Mike Beckett]

Bill,

You'd need a very tall tripod, or a clamp mount of some sort to fix a tripod head to that deerstand. I'm not sure if anything from this page would suit, it might give you ideas: Camera Mounting Brackets and Clamps

I'm not sure if clamping a camera to that would be stable enough, it's probably fine for wider shots, might be a bit wobbly when you are zoomed in tight.

[Jim Andrada]

Are you thinking to mount the camera to the frame in some way or were you thinking of just sitting up there and hand/shoulder holding the camera? A Manfrotto Super Clamp would attach to the frame OK and you could put a fluid head on it but I think it would shake around a lot if it were directly mounted. If you're planning to hold the camera then that should add enough damping to filter out the small perturbations (ie wiggles and shakes) - I think it would be pretty much as good as any hand/shoulder held shot.

[Bill Rankin]

I will try the super clamp Mike suggested.

I want something to attach to the frame OR perhaps have some kind of support welded to the bottom of the chair where the feet of a small tripod could fit. I think the latter might require considerably more engineering effort.

Thanks for the replies.

[Harold Schreiber]

Hi Bill,

I agree with Jim & Mike on the mounting issue and vibrations.

Not so sure you'll do well trying to go "Hand Held" for the quickness of game following and the length of time - and setting up on that Deer Stand.

When I was doing Horse Shows, I would set up all my equipment in the rear of my PickUp truck. I also used custom made Tri-Pod set ups and monitors. But these were out in open fields. You may not have such close parking access to the Soccer Field to make it work.

All the Soccer shoots I did were in Stadiums, where I got to set up in the Press Box - way up high - using the aforementioned custom equipment.

If you can buy, or build, a small portable stage (maybe 6'x6'), then that might give you a decent platform to shoot from.

Harold

[Bill Rankin]

Harold,

I looked into those portable stages, but I don't think those would work well. Quite often the ground is not level (slightly sloped for water runoff). Also, the 'feet' that support the platform are small and will probably sink in moist soil and with the unevenness some would sink more than others. Good idea if the surface was firm. Thanks for the response.

[Bill Davis]

Don't know your budget, but if you're simply looking for a few extra feet of height - a Spyder Pod system will raise both your tripod and the operator a nice 3 feet or so off the ground and it's a "lugable" design that folds up nicely.

The other approach is to get the camera up high, but leave the operator on the ground.

This approach is seen in the Hi-Pod products. The Hi-Pods are expensive, but you can rig something similar with a pan-tilt head, LCD monitor, LANC camera control from someone like Varizoom and a custom tripod extension sorta affordably.

Both expensive, but both better than that deer stand, I'd suspect.

YMMV.

[Harold Schreiber]

Hi Bill R.,

I'm into DIY, so if I don't find something I need (or even if I do) then I tend to make it.

So maybe you could make up a unit that would have more supportive "feet" (larger around), and adjustable legs ??? I think you could pull that off.

I made up a system, actually 3 of them, as what Bill D. recommended - "pan-tilt head, LCD monitor, LANC camera control " and added an extendable control handle(s) - to boot. Very cheap and easy to do. I did my LANC unit by using fiberoptic cable, since some of my Cams have not had the wired LANC input. I've used this equipment for years now. I most always use a seperate Monitor for the Video I do, especially Sports.

Check my posts for greater details and Pics of my equipment mods.

Harold

[Bill Rankin]

Thanks Harold...I'll check it out.

[Harold Schreiber]

Hi Bill,

If you find you want or need anymore Pics or explanations, just ask.

Harold