Take Your GoPro HERO3 into Battle with the Wide Open Camera Combat Cage
The GoPro HERO3 might be a relatively inexpensive camera that can be mounted anywhere, but a few more mounting points would make it infinitely easier to position and stand up to abuse over time. That's why Jared and the team at Wide Open Camera have come up with a metal housing they are calling the Combat Cage. They've taken to Kickstarter to fund the project, so click through to learn more about it.
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We have tried using the current GoPro mounting hardware and it just simply does not hold up to professional motion picture standards. The plastic 1/4-20" tripod mount is not stable for car mounts or any type of real abuse. No safety options, only one point of contact. Not good
We wanted to make a cage that is combat worthy with plenty of 1/4-20" and 3/8" mounting options, yet still available to the operator. The Wide Open Camera Combat Cage is the solution. The camera can be accessed in thirty seconds, not a few minutes! No need to reposition or reframe critical shots. The cage will have 1/4-20" thread mounts on all sides and 3/8" threads on the bottom and both sides. The cage is CNC machined from one solid block of milled aluminum and anodized matte black. This is one tough solid piece of metal.
Jared also posted this video:
I'm always happy to see multiple mounting points (it has a total of 8) and a piece of gear made out of solid metal (which will be black in the final version). There is a good chance the Combat Cage will outlive your camera, so it's not a huge investment to add one of these for your camera or cameras. As of today the project has reached its funding goal, so if you want to get your very own Combat Cage, head on over to Kickstarter and donate $110 to receive one of the first 100 cages. Since the first run is limited to 100, after those cages are gone, you'll have to wait until they are in full production to get one.
Link: Wide Open Camera Combat Cage For The GoPro Hero 3 -- Kickstarter