How To Make A GoPole For Your GoPro Hero or Kodak Playsport Camera

How do you make a GoPole Camera Mount for your GoPro Hero or Kodak Playsport Camera on a pole? I have been thinking about how can I put a Camera on a long pole so I can get better angles and move the camera farther away.  I looked around YouTube for some ideas and there are some very interesting solutions.  None of these tries however seemed to fit the bill.  So I began thinking about how would I make this work.

Here is my list of criteria:

It needed to be inexpensive.  I didn’t want to spend a lot of money making or buying a Pole Camera Mount “Go Pole”
It needed it to work.  I hate things that don’t work, for whatever reason.
It should be substantial enough to hold up a small camera like a GoPro or Kodak Playsport.  I new I was not looking to hold up a SLR, it would be to heavy to hold steady no matter the size of the pole.
Speaking of Weight, It should be light and strong.  Light enough to hold up for a few moments and substantial enough not to bend for flex.
The pole should collapse down to a small size.  This would help in tight quarters when you need to move around and store it in the cubby, on deck or packed away.
The pole should be made from something that would not rust or look bad soon. I like nice, well built stuff that wont fall apart.  I saw YouTube videos with poles made from all sorts of materials from wood to metal.  Most of these items looked like they would not hold up very long.  Let’s just say most home-build items look just like that home-built. It should be able to take some abuse, we are looking to take it on outings so stuff happens.

 

Finally, setting up the camera should be fast, easy and safe.  I don’t want to miss a shot because it takes to much time to get set.  I also don’t want to loose my expensive GoPro over the side

I think I found the best solution possible.  My for my GoPro or Kodak PlaySport Camera works great and fits all my criteria.  In fact, I don’t think I could have a better solution.
First, I found a extension pole at Lowes, the big box hardware store.  It collapses down to 2 feet and extends a full 5 feet.  That is a great range.  It cost under $5, I thought this was a great value. It’s made by a company called “Quickie” that has be around for a long time.  I could not find this item on Quickie’s website, but you can go to Lowes site and see one here

 

Next, I used a small camera mount top found on those small desktop tripods.  I found one at WalMart for about $8. I could not find the exact item on Wal-Mart’s site, but it is a simple item that works well, and you should be able to find this in any store that sells camera equipment. see my picture of the little tripod.

Remove the Legs from the Tripod
Small Tripod

Here is how I attached the tripod top to the extension pole. First, I took apart the tripod.  There was a small screw that took the legs off and I used the same screw to attach it to the pole.  Next I cut off the plastic top of the pole used to attach brushes and paint rollers.

Cut off the Plastic Top

There was a steel pin in the plastic end, I cut through it and pushed it out.  I used that hole to attach the screw to the tripod top.  I know,  depending on the tripod that this will not always work a slick as it did for me.

Pole with Tripod Top Attached

You may have to epoxy the 2 pieces together to get this to fit or find a longer screw for attachment.  Finally I drilled a hole through the plastic piece and the steel pole top so I would know the top will not fall off. I used a ring to hold a pin in the place and that let me attach a lanyard so if the camera falls off it will not be lost.

There you have it, a GoPole mount.  This will be great for getting interesting shots far out and above with my GoPro and Playsport Cameras.  The other cool thing about this GoMount is that it make a great Mono-pod. Be sure to watch the video to see how well it works.
For all you would-be inventors  this could be as simple as a camera mount that screws onto a standard brush mount.  Then you would have a universal camera mount that would fit any pole.

 

 

 

See Also this Extension Mount sold on Amazon if you are looking for a smaller handle and one you can just get from them.

Related posts

4 Comments
  1. Dean says

    I just watched you Kodak Playsport video and then stumbled onto this one. I think this looks like a great idea. It looked like those shots were taken from much further away. An inexpensive solution, I’ll have to try this.

  2. Tony Lee says

    You seem to make it so easy and very inexpensive, I am sure that it`s a little project were you have to take a couple of hours to put it all together . But the plus side to that is, it won`t have to take to long or two days. I think that the item will be super useful than.

  3. phil says

    Hey, great video! And beautiful Gopole! One question though, can you pivot.the gopro or is it in a fixed position?
    V/r
    Phil

    1. getwet says

      Hi Phil-Good question! You can pivot the camera/GoPro 360 degrees when it is close to the ground, once your in the air you’ll need a ladder. If you want to do a shot that starts at ground level and then rises up to its full height, there isn’t an easy way to pivot the camera. Most of the time we set the camera to it’s downward angle and adjust the pole as it goes up. If you have any more questions, just let us know!
      Thanks-Terry

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.