Airfoil Mini-Pro mount for sale - $195

[AZ ChopperCam]

About time I got rid of this mount. It just doesn't suit my needs any longer. I'm shooting with a new design that works far better for my panorama purposes.

This Airfoil mount has been modified for use as a panorama mount, but could be converted back with just a few parts. I fabricated a plate for the top to directly bolt to a Logo helicopter but I saved the top H frame and aluminum plate (included).

The gearing has been changed to allow the mount to spin at the proper rate of about 3-4 seconds for pano shooting. Also the legs were lengthened to give a bit more clearance for the camera.

The camera plate is mounted with two neoprene dampers that allow the camera to sit level even if the helicopter is holding a hover angled into wind.

I bought this for $599 new but honestly I feel it's a second rate design and am willing to take a loss on it and sell for $195. it does work and can get the job done, but in my opinion it's not worth much more than $195. I think the mount I'm using now is more adjustable, lighter and is far superior and I've decided to go that route for all my pano shooting.

http://azchoppercam.com/forsale/pano/1.jpg
http://azchoppercam.com/forsale/pano/2.jpg
http://azchoppercam.com/forsale/pano/3.jpg

[Griffo]

PM sent :).

[AZ ChopperCam]

to clear up some things said on another forum

This mount was not crashed. It was purchased new over a year ago by Boss Art Productions in Scottsdale, AZ. They purchased the mount for me as Airfoil would not sell to me at the time. I could find the receipt somewhere if needed. The mount has the original servo, and the H frame was modified to clear a larger servo pinion gear for faster rotation. It has an 85 tooth Raptor gear not 88. I may have said 88 before but I stand corrected.

It is a complete Mini Pro minus the Mini Pro gimbal that has been replaced with a pano gimbal.

Griffo, PM replied.

[Bullseye]

Any pics of your new mount? Are you gonna have this new mount at the Southwest AP Conference? Any idea what the sale price will be?

[AZ ChopperCam]

I do have pics but the mount manufacturer is not my company. I am merely an unpaid design consultant on the project. I'm not going to release any pics until I get the ok to do so. The mount manufacturer is going to be advertising on this and other AP forums in the very near future.

But rest assured the new mount rocks! It's got a fully adjustable 4 axis gimbal to allow for precise camera positioning, double bearing blocks, ZERO slop in the pan assembly, adjustable pan gearing, programmable pan servo, one-way pan hub option to eliminate the helicopter driving the servo on spool-up, ball bearing/oil damped roll axis leveling, carbon and G10 versions, bungee strap mounting or hard mounting,etc etc.

It's been fun offering my design ideas on this project. I've been shooting panos for a while now and never felt there was a mount that addressed the issues that a pano shooter has to contend with.

As far as price goes I don't know what the exact sale price will be, but I do know that the goal is to sell to consumers at a price less than what is currently available.

So.... who wants this AF mount for $195. ;)

[phil007]

DJ,

The details on the mount sound great. It's nice to see that someone will be manufacturing an intelligent pano mount using a programmable pan servo. What will be programmable with it?

My pano mount (not for production) is almost done. I had the first test flight yesterday and need to swap out one part and then it should be complete. The part will be here tomorrow so I can test it again Friday after work...weather permitting.

On mine the servo and camera shutter are programmable. I flip the gear switch and the mount rotates 360° in 1-2 seconds, fires off the camera shutter and then stops facing forward. I shoot in RAW so I need to wait 7 seconds for the camera buffer to clear before flipping the switch again.

If everything goes well I'll post some pictures of it here this weekend.

Phil

[Griffo]

Great description there DJ. I REALLY like the idea of a new mount manufacturer coming into the market. This all sounds very promising!

Finally, a pano mount that has been engineered with something other than an "L" bracket. It kind of makes the other manufacturer's current pano mount look like an overpriced kids toy :o .

Phil, the mount design you have described sounds good too! What camera are you using to shoot RAW images in 1-2 seconds? Do you still get 6 RAW shots in a rotation? I've always had buffer issues with RAW out of my Nikon's but then that should be a problem once the D3 arrives. I guess at 1-2 seconds the buffer shouldn't have time to slow the shutter rate. Nice one!

[phil007]

What camera are you using to shoot RAW images in 1-2 seconds? Do you still get 6 RAW shots in a rotation?Canon 30D with a Sigma 10mm fisheye lens. The 30D has two continuous modes. 5 or 3 frames per second. I can vary the speed at which the mount rotates by changing a variable in the software if I need to use the slower frame rate.

Once this is working I have a digital compass module that can be added to activate the camera shutter every 60° for the 6 shots. I'm not a programmer so this stuff can take me a while to figure out if at all.

Phil

Back on topic...I would have bought DJ's mount if it was for sale before I started building my own.

Airfoil Mini-Pro mount for sale - $195

Only one left at this price!

[AZ ChopperCam]

Still available.... I think a couple pics from a different angle may help ;)

http://azchoppercam.com/forsale/pano/4.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forsale/pano/5.jpg

[rerazor]

A breath of fresh air.

[Griffo]

LOL, what can one say. Great photos DJ, shame about the foreground though ;)

[iflybyu77]

Griffo, you are gonna make this sale impossible for him if you point that out!!!

:D

[Griffo]

LOL, very sorry DJ! On with the sale!!!

For anyone wanting an airfoil mount this is as cheap as their going to get. Snap it up while you can!

[iflybyu77]

Whew! Good save.

[phil007]

Amazing design...Is that a custom made, light weight L bracket I see on the Airfoil mount?

[nooob]

Well well well... :)

[Menno]

SOLD!!

Hi DJ,

If you can ship it to the Netherlands I will take the AF Mini-Pro. It will suit me fine till the time a new design hits the market. :-)

Thanks,
Menno

[AZ ChopperCam]

Menno,

I'll send you a PM tomorrow.

[Bullseye]

I guess all of us were expecting that sexy mount in the background to be coming from the "Me Monster" after all the months of hype. Nope, just an old mount with an L-bracket.:(

[doeni]

Weird how you can make selling an airfoil mount to a perfekt stage to present your new mount... Talking about hidden advertisment... :D *psst dont try it on RR they will slaughter you :D *

Nice price for the airfoil mount and your new mount looks good to. Well right now quite content with my 15€ mount, works quite nice..

Daniel

[Tritan]

Will the new mount be available for a modified L600? I

I just cant decide upon which to buy: some refuses to answer emails, some have set their price as it was (outer) space technologies ..... and some are just too heavy .......

[makiedog]

That's a sexy-looking new mount! C'mon, how'bout more pictures, availability and pricing info!

[AZ ChopperCam]

sorry fellas.... I'm not the one that will be selling them. I am involved merely as an uncompensated design consultant and beta tester. I gave the manufacturer the design concepts and my CAD drawings.

I have no idea what pricing will be but I am told it will certainly be less than currently available mounts.

That's all I have for you at this time.

The reason for me selling my AF mount is because the one I have been testing works better for me. Nothing wrong with the AF design just different strokes for different folks. Hell, at least half the panos on my site were shot with an AF Mount. What can I say

[AZ ChopperCam]

SOLD - the Airfoil Mini Pro is outta here!

[Ruud Westerhout]

OK, so the topic is closed, now how about coming back to the off-topic subject, th ebackground so to say ;)

How can we 'interested parties' make sure we are aware when, where and how your current and our future mount can be purchased ?

Ruud