If you are a streamer, content producer, or simply want to make a video on the desk, then having a desk-mounted camera is convenient.
But you have to make sure the camera is secure and doesn’t wobble around once mounted.
Here are different ways to desk mount a camera tight and secure:
Premade Solutions
These are aftermarket products that do the job just fine with very little investment. The top choices are;
Using A Super Clamp
A super clamp is a desk clamp made easy. It can attach itself using a simple pressure mechanism. There is a hook on the super clamp that can connect with most monopods and tripods.
Simply use a super clamp with your existing mounting equipment to provide the necessary heights. It’s the cheapest option with a lot of flexibility in positioning. You can add multiple pieces of equipment to the super clamp at once.
For that, all you need is an extra piece of connecting screw and place it in the available port of the super clamp. This allows for multiple setups like studio lights, HD focus, etc. mounted on the same pole.
Using A Magic Arm Camera Mount
You can buy a Manfrotto magic arm to mount your camera at any edge of the desk easily. It comes with a super clamp that has a curvy v cut aka bity jaw on the top portion that is best for wooden and thick desks. If you are working on a fragile desk made of glass, there is an added triangle part that attaches to the bity jaw to make it flat.
There is a mega grip wheel attached to the middle part of the arm. Whenever you need to make the joints of the arm loosen up, you only need to spin the mega grip. This allows the arm to move all its hinges, loosen ball joints and can rotate on its axis to provide whatever position you need it to be in.
Once you make the wheel tight again, the arm retains the shape. The best part is that it can modify the camera heights and angles to point, at the same time. You may check some other camera desk mount in gottapics.
Building A Mount Setup
If you prefer building a mount system of your own, you can do that with a simple DIY method. Here is how:
Equipment Needed:
1. A desk clamp
2. Holding pipes/rods
3. An arm system
4. Rig screws
5. A monopod
6. A tripod head
7. Tools: a drill, screwdriver, multi-tool, stepper bit, hammer
Steps To Build N A Mounting System:
Step 1: The first task is to mount your holding pipes/rods to the back of the desk. Get your desk clamp and connect it to the rod using a rigging screw. Place the clamp on the side of the desk and screw it tight. Make sure that both the joints and the desk itself are sturdy.
Step 2: Now open up the top of the arm system by first unscrewing the head joint. You should have a top piece covering the opening of the head joint. Open up the cover by placing your screwdriver parallel to the cover, then tap it with a hammer, and it should come off.
Step 3: With access to the opening, now you can place a rigging screw in order to connect your monopod to the arm system. If the hole on the arm system is too small to hold onto a rigging screw, then carefully drill it wider using a drill with a stepper bit head.
Step 4: After properly securing the monopod with the rigging screw, connect the tripod head with the monopod head. This will provide pan and tilt control to the camera even when mounted.
Step 5: Enter the holder end of the arm system on the rod through the round opening in the middle. You can decide on what height of the rod to fix the arm system at. Once you have the desired height, tighten the screw on the holder to attach, make it sturdy.
Step 6: The clam and rod should be perpendicular to the desk surface, the arm system perpendicular to the rod, and the tripod-headed monopod perpendicular to the arm, thus parallel to the rod. Now place the camera on the tripod, connect the cables, and you are good to go.
Alternatives To Desk Mount A Camera
Here is a way to get the job done without mounting the camera to the desk.
Use a Tripod
If you have enough space behind your desk, then you can simply place a long tripod there. The tripod will hold the camera in the position you fixed. This is the easiest method, but requires extra space and does not have much height or angle flexibility.
Because changing height would mean changing of focus distance as well as the physical diameter of the tripod. However, if you don’t intend to move your camera at all, it is quite useful.
How To Mount Heavy Cameras?
To mount heavy cameras, you should choose mounting options with screw hinges and strong metal frames. Using straight rods in the frame is best if your camera is anywhere from 2-4 pounds.
Do not choose bendy arms for anything above two pounds. Bendy arms cannot support more than that weight in a perpendicular setup.
Final Words
If you are a professional and will be using your desk-mounted camera a lot, then choosing flexible options such as magic bendy arms or super clamps are best for you in the long run.
