Can anyone with an F80 help me out with measuring the distance between the seats?

[starbai]

Hey everyone.

I'm picking up my F80 in Munich on Sept 19th.

I'm planning out how I might mount my camera with Gimbal.


At the moment I'm leaning towards using two strong suction cups on each seat back (red circles) with a bar in the middle (yellow) where I'll mount my camera (kinda like mounting on a roll bar but without one of those obviously).

So I don't have the M3 yet so I dont have access to determine the width of the bar I want to fashion. That being said, can anyone with an F80 (dont know if the coupes or convertibles are different so specifically the F80 Sedan)... go out to their car and measure exactly the distance between the centers of the rear seats for me? Specifically, how long that yellow bar in the illustration would have to be?



Thank you in advance!

[starbai]

If anyone needs to visualize my working concept, I'm thinking I'm gonna use these two suction cups:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...sc_act_image_3

Attached to either end of this rod which is 18.5":
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ewc_title_gw_1

And in the center will slip in the Zhiyun Crane-M Handheld Gimbal which would either be holding my gopro or my normal camera.

The question is, whether or not that 18.5" bar will be long enough to make it to each seat.

[JSM2]

The answer is ~31 inches, per your diagram with the yellow bar.

(2016, F80, ZCP)

[starbai]

Thanks bro. Very appreciated!

Looks like i'll need a few extensions to make it work.

I'm more concerned that the suction cups wont be strong enough on the seat back now. But that'll have to just be trial and error.

[rakusak]

Originally Posted by starbai

Thanks bro. Very appreciated!

Looks like i'll need a few extensions to make it work.

I'm more concerned that the suction cups wont be strong enough on the seat back now. But that'll have to just be trial and error.

Look forward to seeing your contraption.

I figured i would just mount the suction cup to the front windshield and rear glass... but i guess that cuts out the view of the gauges...

[starbai]

Well the setup is ordered. Two super strong suction cups, a few extensions to make the 31" total length, and the rod/2grip setup for the gimbal. The bar should be able to support the normal gopro mount as well.

Can't wait to try it out!

If anyone else has any interest in the setup check it out:

[starbai]

Originally Posted by rakusak

Look forward to seeing your contraption.

I figured i would just mount the suction cup to the front windshield and rear glass... but i guess that cuts out the view of the gauges...

Right.

This way I can use one extension on one side and the other 3 on one side to offset it if I want (4 @ 2.5" + 18.5" width of the bar itself), It should be able to have a nice view of the gauges.

The suction cups I ordered are actually supposedly much stronger than the ones I initially found.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ilpage_o00_s00
Apparently, they're capable of attaching to the body of the car at 150mph... so it's gotta be able to handle the weight when suctioned on to the smooth surface of the back of the seat.

We'll see lol

[starbai]

here's an example tcpsoft did...

[rakusak]

Originally Posted by starbai

here's an example tcpsoft did...

I wonder if the gopro with arm extension will be long enough to do that...

[starbai]

Originally Posted by rakusak

I wonder if the gopro with arm extension will be long enough to do that...

do what? connect the two seats?

I can't be certain but I dont think it would...

[rakusak]

Originally Posted by starbai

do what? connect the two seats?

I can't be certain but I dont think it would...

I recently got a go pro with the suction cup. It has an extending arm that I wonder if it is long enough to just wrap around the seat (over the shoulder view)...

[starbai]

Well I got the components in today... tested it out on the only spot I could find in my house where I could check it out... I dont have the gimbal yet, supposed to get here on Tuesday... should work fine!

[starbai]

PS. 3 days later, the setup is still holding strong. I haven't touched it. 2L bottle of soda is a pretty decent amount of weight. hasn't come loose yet.

Granted this is being stuck to the flat surface of our kitchen cabinets.

I'm hoping the seatbacks of the M3 will be just as good of a host.

[XsltAnalyst]

I've used this single mount on passengerside seatback without issues. Was using small point and shoot camera.

Been satisfied with the fat gecko mount, have used it windshield, seatback, and exterior of various cars and it's well worth the cost

[starbai]

Yeap same mount I got... just two for each seat to hold the bar that will hold the gimbal.

[starbai]

Here it is holding the gimbal and the camera:

[M3lbournE92]

That looks great, but I went the easy way out. I got a mount for the side of my helmet for my GoPro and it works amazing.