When we first started to build Fulcrum’s SpatialVideo features, we had to do a lot of testing. In the beginning, testing revolved around holding a device and capturing video while sitting in a passenger seat, or precariously setting a phone on the dashboard. Not only does this require the time of two people to collect video, but can also result in unstable, shaky video data. Since one person driving and filming is not only dangerous, but can get you a ticket, we started testing out different mount devices to see what worked best.
We set out looking for mounts that could be used to capture our videos. During our research, we discovered the bigger players in this market. One of the largest manufacturers for commercial hardware is Ram Mounts, which sells a wide array of mounts for all sorts of applications and devices. However, the cost of their mounts was more than we were interested in spending. For some users, Ram Mounts would be perfect. Their system lets you buy specific base components for each application while utilizing the same upper mounting device component for your mobile device.
One device we found was an inexpensive mount available on Amazon. The reviews sold us and, while we did not expect much, we were very pleased in the end. The Koomus K2 universal car mount is affordable and allowed us to test the wide array of devices across iOS and Android platforms.
There are two features of this mount that helps it stand out against the competition. First is the length of the arm. It is long enough to provide you with enough movement to position the device in a way that you can capture the video you need without obstructing the view. However, the arm isn’t so long that the device will excessively bounce when going over rough terrain. We tested this by facing the camera from the front of the windshield, between a 30 and 45 degree angle off-center. The other great feature is the gel suction cup mount. We were a little skeptical about the quality of this at first, but the company claims that all you need to do to maintain it is rinse off the gel with water to restore its suction power, and so far it’s worked out well. This mount also seems to be more forgiving to pressure change, dirt, and other debris that often cause traditional suction cups to fall off. Additionally, the gel allows you to attach it to textured dashboards where traditional suction cups don’t work.
Only time will tell if the mount will hold up for long term, but at only $15 USD, there isn’t much to lose. Do you have a phone mount that you like to use? Or maybe you have more experience with gel mounts than we do? We would enjoy hearing your experiences in the comments below.