I Made an ESPN-style Overhead Camera Mount Above my Table

[Tick_Deny]

I made an ESPN -style overhead camera mount above my pool table for under $10.

I have a 9-foot table, and a 4 shade light, so the camera is not above the table's geometric center, but I'll take what I can get.

The camera I'm using is a GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. I'm using a Joby flexible mini tripod to secure the camera to the overhead mount. There's a fisheye lens distortion effect, that's the only thing I don't like about it. There's ways to correct the distortion in post-editing, but I probably won't.

Here is a pic of the setup and a video of the results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmFL2xEVAk4

 

[BeiberLvr]

Great shot making even with that warped cue

 

[iusedtoberich]

Nice job. Is the lens an add on you can get for any camera? (I'm not well versed in cameras).

I tried holding my DV camera over the center of teh table all the way on teh ceiling and no way it can fit the whole table. (I would have found a way to make it work with the light if it did fit the whole table). So I mounted it in the corner of the room, looking down at an angle. It works well, but the balls don't show up nearly as clear as yours. I can't read the numbers on them, and I can on yours.

 

[Lock N Load]

I made an ESPN -style overhead camera mount above my pool table for under $10.

I have a 9-foot table, and a 4 shade light, so the camera is not above the table's geometric center, but I'll take what I can get.

The camera I'm using is a GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. I'm using a Joby flexible mini tripod to secure the camera to the overhead mount. There's a fisheye lens distortion effect, that's the only thing I don't like about it. There's ways to correct the distortion in post-editing, but I probably won't.

Here is a pic of the setup and a video of the results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmFL2xEVAk4

Wow!
Great idea, thanks for sharing with us here on the AZB. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Many Regards,
Lock N Load

 

[Shaft]

Great idea!

 

[Tick_Deny]

Nice job. Is the lens an add on you can get for any camera? (I'm not well versed in cameras).

I tried holding my DV camera over the center of teh table all the way on teh ceiling and no way it can fit the whole table. (I would have found a way to make it work with the light if it did fit the whole table). So I mounted it in the corner of the room, looking down at an angle. It works well, but the balls don't show up nearly as clear as yours. I can't read the numbers on them, and I can on yours.

Yes, you can buy aftermarket wide angle lenses for camcorders.

Here is the distortion corrected in a software package called DeFishr.

 

[Saturated Fats]

Why won't you correct it? Too time consuming?

 

[Tick_Deny]

Why won't you correct it? Too time consuming?

There's side effects, like the way it clipped off the 2 corner pockets. To get them back, I would have to back the camera up a little bit more to get everything in frame. If I did that, then you would start to see my lights in frame, which is sort of distracting.

Good question, though. I continue to experiment and find the best way to do this.