More learning with the ATC-2000 camera since my first post on the thing:
Good News: It’s waterproof, or waterproof enough. I have followed the instructions and smeared silicon grease (supplied) on the seals…I’ve also crashed the camera hard several times (a combination of blown jump landings and blown jibes) but have yet to see a drop of water inside.
Also, the mount holds up to on-the-water abuse, and will hold its position if you use a piece of rubber (supplied) inside the mount to prevent it from twisting on the boom.
Not So Good News: Boom mounting leaves much to be desired. The “handlebar mount” only fits over the average boom tail section, so mounting more forward is problematic. And whereever you aim the camera, it is perpetually being affected by how you rake the rig and pull it towards you past verticle (this also means that on reaches when sailor and camera are on opposite sides, you don’t get a mirror of the same side framing. For me the camera is mostly looking at sky on the opposite reach, even when it’s shooting beneath the boom on the same side reach. And the audio is worse than useless. You hear nothing except boom impacts.
(the above clip quickly shows the camera underwater, the change in perspective depending on whether the camera is on sailor-side tack or sailor-opposite tack, plus some slow motion of the jibe for fun (maybe.)
Next Steps:
While the supplied headband/helmet mount does not hold the camera at all steady (it bounces at every impact enough to ruin the image) I think headcam is the way to go. I have an old helmet that I’ll be drilling, taping, and otherwise experimenting on with duct tape and cable ties to see if I can improve the situation. The Mast Tip cam mount is still being developed in my limited imagination.
(Jeff imagined as a great still image the view from the boom camera mid-jibe, seeing both the jiber and the carved wake behind him/her. Here is the best shot of that frame I’ve found…note that you can only see one side of the wake as the board carves.)
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