ARKON CMP227 Motorcycle and Bicycle Handle Bar Mount for Cameras with 1/4 20 Screw Thread

Pros:

-Pretty sturdy little device.

-Light

-Rubber platform under the 1/4" thread

-Fits my RODE Micro Boompole to connect my H4n (or H1) to the pole

Cons:

-Sometimes the head will spin while you tighten it somehow you have to hold the top of it while it tightens. A little hinky.

-Rotating head could be lower in my opinion (see reason for use above)

-1/4" thread is too long (See Other Thoughts)

Other Thoughts:

1/4" thread is too long to connect my H4n on to it. I needed to grind it down about 1/8" to make it fit. Not realizing how hot the metal thread was getting on the bench grinder, it suddenly popped out of the plastic head. I tried fixing it by re-drilling a hole through the head, but to no avail. Time to buy a new one (or one with a shorter thread).

Bottom line: This clamp is pretty sturdy; I would recommend it. However, if you need to mount an Zoom H4n or H1 (or even a digital camera), you may want to consider grinding it down (carefully!) or find another that has the right height of thread. Learn from my mistakes.

On a moving object (bike, car, etc) the camera does vibrate and can flop out of position if you hit a big bump. I found that it is better to work with gravity than fight it. Mount the camera hanging down or under your handle bar instead of on top. In some cases that could result in your video playback being upside down, but that's easily fixed too. Just import the video into Microsoft's free Movie Maker software, and under "edit movie" there is a list of options: pick "video effects", and then pick "rotate 180", and then use "save to my computer" under "finish movie" and ta-da, you just created a copy of the video file turned 180 upside down, or in this case return it to right-side up. It takes all of 7 seconds.

I am no video expert, but it was easy to download Microsoft's free version of MovieMaker and just flip the video around. I am sure other video editing software has rotate options too.

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Vibrates way too much to have clear video while riding, which is the purpose of the device, right? I used it to make portions of this short music video, to check it out search "chaotic commute" on YT. Amazon doesn't allow me to post a direct link.

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I read roughly 40-50 reviews on Amazon before purchasing this product. I read the Arkon product description, hoping to find weight limits that the mount would support, but found nothing discrete.

The CMP227 product listing does note that the mounting screw fits GoPro and Contour cameras. I have a Contour GPS, so I figured that this mount would be solid enough for my camera. The mounting instructions that arrived with the product show an outline of a camera that has nearly identical dimensions to the Contour camera line.

I took a test run across paved suburban roadways in a well-funded municipality. The mount allowed the camera angle to sink a bit over the course of ~10 miles, but it was not a major problem to readjust.

Upon viewing the video back home, I experienced more vibration that previous reviews had me anticipating. To remedy this, I opted to use my Contour GPS's "Continuous Photos" feature instead of capturing video on my next ride.

I rode for roughly 20 miles through a mixed-use paved path before my mount stem unexpectedly snapped on a smooth area of the path while I was maintaining consistent speed, elevation, and direction. My camera took damage across the lens and battery/memory card door when it fell to the side of the path. I had followed the mounting instructions that I received with the product and had not allowed extreme environmental conditions to affect the mount.

Arkon requires $9 to replace my mount using the 90 day "In Warranty Procedure". I spent $13.06 on my Arkon mount when I purchased it on March 26, 2013, making this warranty replacement cost 69% of the original cost. I see that it is currently selling for $7.62, which makes the warranty process seem incongruous for current potential customers.

I have used other types of mounts with my Contour GPS (car dash, fixed surface, headband, clamp) and none have faulted. I've had my Contour GPS since December 2011, and it received its first scratches using the Arkon mount today (April 3, 2013).

Summary:

I used my Arkon mount twice for a total period of 3 hours, and it snapped causing my camera to receive damage that hinders its ability to operate correctly. The warranty process is not agreeable for a customer with my experience. I would not recommend using this product.

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Quite pleased with both performance and price. I used this with a Canon SD780 in HD video mode on my mountain bike over rough terrain. Very small camera and the mount held it well. Resulting video is much better and more stable than dedicated "sport" cameras I've tried in the past.

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