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I'm planning on buying a Sony Alpha a7 III and mounting this camera on the tank to take high quality footage.

From what I understand the high vibrations of the motorcycle would kill that camera rather quickly. Are there any good solutions to remove all the vibrations? I searched for vibration dampers, e.g.: Vibration damper

Would something like this suffice to not damage the camera in the long run? Are there any better possibilities or is this endeavor just not recommendable at all due to vibrations and bumps?

And no I do not want to use an action camera.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm assuming you're talking about video, which would make this off-topic, but nothing built with simple spring will be any good in the slightest. You need a gimbal - which would probably need a special license &/or closed roads to use. I've seen hand-held gimbals mounted to cars/rucks up to & including [replica] Formula 1 cars, though never a motor bike. Usually, larger, more stable mounts are used for vehicles, unless the camera needs to be hidden in the shot. You're not going to get a half-good one under 7 grand. \$\endgroup\$
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 18:10

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This is my personal opinion. Also I never had a motorcycle.

I will recommend not to put such camera on your motorcycle because there are at least three types of vibrations which can damage the camera:

  • "Macro" vibrations generated by the bumps on the road. You can fight them with kind of damper, but sometime the amplitude can be significant.
  • "Generic" vibrations generated by the movement of the motorcycle. The maybe can be mitigated by unit like this you show on the image (in some degree)
  • "Micro" vibrations caused by the work of combustion engine. IMHO will be very hard to fight them and they can damage seriously the camera.

P.S. You can mitigate most of the vibrations (except macro ones) if you somehow put the camera on swing. But with nonmetal ropes, for example hemp ropes will mitigate a lot of the vibrations. I know this is quite odd idea, but.... Do not forget to attach to three point and they are not on one line.

Here is one example about swing (but with 4 ropes). Will be good for stability to have three and they to be attached somewhere in form of triangle.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the answer. Given it's mounted on some damper how long would it last? A matter of days, weeks or months until it kills the camera? \$\endgroup\$
    – dmr
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 14:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ @dmr, have no idea. It depend of the motorcycle itself, your style of drive, the roads. I got in mind one idea to (probably) get longer life of camera, see my edited answer. \$\endgroup\$
    – Romeo Ninov
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 14:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ Not sure I understand the idea. Could you perhaps add a sketch please? \$\endgroup\$
    – dmr
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 15:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ @dmr, I add image to show the idea. But on motorcycle it's hard for me to imagine where this can be attached, especially on three points :( \$\endgroup\$
    – Romeo Ninov
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 16:17
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    \$\begingroup\$ Appreciated, now I have clearer picture. But it indeed, where to install this aparatus is a tough one. \$\endgroup\$
    – dmr
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 17:53
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My personal opinion, and I have a motorcycle. If you want to die with you rib cage crushed or with your balls ripped off (I assume you are male), then do it. Otherwise, don't. Hard stuff on your tank can be lethal.

Then assuming you find a safe place, it depends a lot on the motorcycle. A 800cc thumper, a 1200cc V-Twin or a 4-inline don't transfer the same amount of vibration to the frame.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Safety has to be considered too. For reference It would be a 1000cc 4 cyclinder inline. Thanks for the input. \$\endgroup\$
    – dmr
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 17:55

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