Window mounts or beanbags?

[bob_atkins]

Someone in the Usenet groups recently asked about whether window

mounts or bean bags were better for shooting from a car. It's

an interesting question. Personally, though I have a sturdy

window mount (which I built myself), I rarely seem to use it.

Usually I just use a bean bag or substitute (towel, rolled up

sweater, cushion) even with big lenses. It's much quicker to

set up and seems to give sharp images right down to about 1/90

with a 600mm lens or 1/45 with a 300 (most of the time anyway).

 

<p>

 

I'm wondering what other's experinces are? Do you regularly use

a window mount in a car, or like me, are you lazy and just use

a "bean bag"?

[bill_oneill]

I think that bean bags are the way to go. Look at it this way; no matter how rigid your window mount is, it won't dissipate vibrational energy as well as a bean bag. Tuning forks are very rigid and I have never heard a bean bag go 'TINGGGGGG....'. Used properly, a bean bag would have to be better than a window mount.

 

<p>

 

Bean bags are also quicker and easier to put into use.

 

<p>

 

Bean bags are less expensive.

 

<p>

 

In fact, I wish I had a five foot high bean bag (and someone to carry it) to replace my tripod.

 

<p>

 

Here is another point. Two years ago I was on a photo trip in Jasper. I was shooting Bighorn Sheep north of the Athabasca on a rocky road off the beaten path. While driving around I had a rock thrown by my front tire up into the oil filter. A few minutes later my engine was dry. I was tired and hungry and about 15 miles from my campsite. Ihad no phone and not much hope that someone would soon be by. What I did have though, was a small stove which stores in its own pot, some fuel, and a bean bag full of macaroni. So before I set out to find help I made myself a not-so-tasty but much needed meal of boiled macaroni. Now while this was not a real emergency, I would hate to think of how a window mount would have tasted.

[frank_brabec]

I have both a window mount and a large bean bag. The window mount is Rue Groofwin with a Foba Superball/Arca quick release. Lense is a 600mm/F4, sometimes with a 1.4 extender. With the quick release the window mount stays in the window and the lense goes on and off. In shooting waterfowl/wading birds in wildlife refuges the vehicle makes a good blind. I prefer the ball head/grooffwin over the beanbag. It is much easier (for me anyway) to compose. The beanbag I was always wiggling the lense around to get it just right. This at times was time consuming and I did miss some shots. Like Bob's experience down to a 1/90 and sometimes to 1/60 was sharp.

The Groffwin has gone with me to Churchhill the last three Octobers. It has gotten me some wonderful Polar Bear images. We have used a PhotoPro Safari bus and not a Tundra Buggy. The bus is lower to the ground and is resricted to the number of occupants. But that is another story.

[don_baccus4]

I'm with Frank, I use both, as I mentioned over in Usenet. I also shoot a lot of birds from my car. My personal experience is that I get a higher percentage of sharp photos at lower shutter speeds using my Kirk window mount than I do using a beanbag. I have enough confidence in it that when driving slowly through a refuge I'll just leave the whole shebang mounted, making my response time very fast (I don't do this if there's other auto traffic, especially on gravel!).

 

<p>

 

I also use a QR system on it, so if the lens is in the passenger seat I can mount it and shoot nearly as fast as with a beanbag.

 

<p>

 

The Kirk mount also folds in such a way that you can use it on the ground, prone, which combined with covering yourself with something (my olive-drab blind cover, in my case) makes your profile very low and inconspicious. I don't have a tripod that goes all the way to the ground....

[richard_mills]

Having one constructed a home made window mount, I much prefer a bean bag, as I found the narrow window pane to be much less sturdy. Also even with the window wound down as much as possible, the camera was too high for comfort, especially when shooting down on low or closeup subjects.

A bean bag makes a good wide base.

 

<p>

 

Just one thing: don't let it get wet. Ever see the beans sprouting a few days later ? Makes an interesting picture if nothing else !

 

<p>

 

Richard.

[peter_latourrette]

I prefer the window mount to the bean bag because I can drive slowly with the lens in place, coast to a stop with the engine off, and compose and shoot without a lot of movement. If the critter (usually a bird on a fence) stays put, I can go hands off and use a cable release. With the bean bag I had to work pretty hard to hold the rig steady.

[frank_kolwicz]

I've tried using a window mount and found it to be too high and

too shaky for my 600/4.5 even when clamped to the door handle and

the thickness of the door of my Suburban. The whole thing moved too

much. I use two or three bean bags and have made nice, sharp

exposures to 1/4 sec or more with a cable release and MLU on my F1.

It is harder to get radical angles for composition, but at least

the lens is at eye level and comfortable to use in most positions.

[frank_brabec]

I think specifics about whose window mount different people are using would be helpful. It is all to easy to generalize and draw the wrong conclusion about which may be better. Those whose current window mounts don't seem to work could be related to the brand of window mount. I do know from many discussions with other nature photograpers that one brand is better in one vehicle than in another. A number of us spent three hours while waiting for grizzly bears to finish their naps trying different brands in different vehicles. What was very solid in one truck was not in another. Perhaps even include what type of head is attached to the mount might be helpful.

[noel_j._bergman]

One idea that Steve Morello just shared with me, so I thought that I would pass it along, is to velcro two bean bags together along their axis.

 

Now you have both a longer channel for the camera and lens to fit into, and also a perpendicular channel for the door/window/railing to fit into. According to him, it works much better than a single bean bag.

 

Have not had a chance to do this, yet, but it sounds like a good idea and obviously works for him.

[rudy_digiacinto1]

I use both a window mount and a bean bag. The bean bag is far superior on windy days because it envolopes the lens. The window pod is almost uslesess on windy days, but itis superior when the winds are calm/light. How the pod is mounted does make a difference. The bean bag also doubles as a pillow when I get tired, so I always have it in my truck.

[ken_hill]

I have used bean bags many times and like the fact that they absorb vibrations when you are in a vehicle with other photographers. Tip: if you are using a Buckey Neck Pillow filled with grain, just make a slip-cover for it and it doubles as one of your bean bags.

[altaf]

What size of bean bags are we talking? The only ones i have ever seen

are the big ones you sit in. Where would you get one? Sounds stupid i

know but i really don't even know where too begin looking for one.

 

<p>

 

al

[bobatkins]

I recently shot with the Kinesis "Safari Sack" beanbag, using a

600/4 (sometimes with a 1.4xTC). Results were excellent with

shutter speeds as low as 1/90 or so. The bag drapes over the open

window just fine, and supports the lens well enough to let go of

it (however this is NOT advisable to do for more than a second or

so just to "test" the support!). It's also good for support on the

car roof. There's a link to the Kinesis site from the links page

on the main nature page. Kirk also sells a good beanbag ("hugger").

The Kirk site is listed on the same page.

 

<p>

 

I still find a beanbag much more convenient than a ballhead window

mount for shooting under reasonable light. I guess if shutter speeds

drop really low, a ballhead might be better, but that's a rare

situation with wildlife, or at least if the light is that low it's

usually not "good" light.

[jeff_hallett1]

My wife sewed a beanbag for me such that it forms a crotch when

draped over the window. I used grits(I,m a Southern boy) as the filler

as it doesn,t allow the wiggle created by other particles I have

tried . Have gotten tack sharp images at 1/30sec in no wind with 100

ASA. This one is tough, made of heavy courderoy and doubles as a

leg rest on the center hump in the car and as a ground mount and a

great pillow. Might work well at NFL games too.

Cost: About a buck,s worth of material and 4 big boxes of Dixie Lily

grits,say $6.00.

 

<p>

 

I have used the Kirk pod and found that it does transmit wind

vibrations to some extent more than the bag. Works for me and that,s

what is important!!

[clay_prescott]

I carry around a piece of foam pipe insulation, to use on the window.

It can be cut to any length with scissors; has a slit in it which fits

over the window and just rest the lens on it. Hardware stores carry

it, and it costs almost nothing.

Unfortunately, it doesn't prevent kids from squirming.

[kinesisphotogear]

Responding to Ken's questions about size...the Kinesis

SafariSack of which Bob spoke of is 10x16.5"

(26x42cm) when flat. It's unique design allows the

center to be pulled up creating a smaller footprint. This

technique is used when it is draped over a window or

when additional elevation is wanted.

[rick_wong]

Besides still photography I shoot Film and Video. In film we call them dirt bags. You can find them in any professional lighting or grip shop. They are canvas bags, which are filled with sand, or dirt on location to weight down light stands, tripods, shooting low angles, etc�. I carry about 6 of these bags in the car they take up no room but when I do need a beanbag I just fill them up with what ever is around. I guess if you want you can keep them filled with beans. Mine are made by Matthews and cost around $20 they can hold about 20 LB of filler and have handles for attaching to nightstands and tripods.

 

And to answer the question Beanbags are more useful for me because besides shooting out the window I can just popup out of the sunroof slap down a bag and start shooting.