I need to take photos under a car , selfie stick or other ideas ?

[BKKdreaming]

Hi

I need to rig up something to take pictures of chassis rust and floorpan rust , rocker rust under cars ,

yes it would be easier to put it on a lift or find a floorjack but that is not always possible .

This is for inspecting older classic cars ,

It will need a good flash too

So I was thinking of something like a selfie stick or a golf club and attaching the camera to it ,

Bluetooth button I guess to activate

Anyone done something like this before ?

will a phone camera focus if the floor pan of the car is only 6-10 inches off the ground ?

Any other ideas ?

Thanks

[doremifasol]

I have never done something like this before

but I was thinking..... what about attaching

the camera to a skateboard?

Could attach the selfie stick to the bottom

of the skateboard to easy maneuver it

Hope it helps

[WhizBang]

The biggest problem I see is going to be the field of view. With the car being only 6 to 10 inches off the ground, you will need something with a very wide angle lens to get a decent FoV at that distance.

One thing that does come to mind might be a GoPro. They have pretty good wide angle lenses, plus using the GoPro app will give you a live view via WiFi so you can see what you are going to take. Unfortunately, no live view while recording video.

Anyway, just a thought. Hope it helps.

Edited September 3, 2015 by WhizBang

[RichCor]

You're not working with much distance, so the camera needs to be able to work with close-up or macro mode.

If you want to examine the results quickly, then a SmartPhone or a Tablet would be ideal. Many Bluetooth keyfob photo triggers available for both Android and iOS.

I like the skateboard idea, but really, any flat/stiff movable surface should work.

Better subject lighting could be provided using a worklight or specialty flashlight with LED strips or long bulb (just make sure the light doesn't directly hit the camera lens).

All easy enough.

There are also specialty Bluetooth cameras mounted on the end of metal gooseneck extension rods that let you get up, over and into tight spaces and view in realtime.

Or just go for the flexible inspection tools snake camera and portable display.

[BKKdreaming]

Thanks for the ideas so far ,

yes having it on small wheels would help , I was thinking a low wheeled cart as a real skate board is too tall....

but maybe a better idea is a wider cart that has a USB power bank to power the LEDs , with smart phone / tablet / go pro in the middle ,

A car is 6ft wide , 14ft long , most of the time you have access to all sides , but if is stuck against a wall with flat tires you need to get to the far side , so 2 or 3 sticks might be needed

These are mostly "barn find" cars so I have to plan for the worse.......and the spiders !

[richard_smith237]

Drive over one of those Klong Bridges at more than 20 kmh... have someone take the photo of your underside as you take flight...

Realistically - the best bet is to go to a tyre garage, tell them what you need to do - offer 100 baht for 5 minutes use of their hydraulic ramp / lift.

You will at then guarantee a half decent photograph covering the subject, with the car raised you will also have better lighting.

Another option given your 'hydraulic ramp' is not always available or possible..

Use a Mirror on a stick..

i.e. Mirror on a stick at a 45 deg angle, Camera (phone?) also mounted a little further back. Use a bluetooth 'button' to take the photo once you have sighted the image.

Edited September 3, 2015 by richard_smith237

[RichCor]

Drive over one of those Klong Bridges at more than 20 kmh... have someone take the photo of your underside as you take flight...

Wouldn't you have to paint an Iron Cross or Confederate flag on the door first?

[BKKdreaming]

it would normally not be my car , so not able to take it anywhere

I have used the mirror before , , shine a light on the mirror to light up hidden places you cannot get to , or do not want to lay on the floor to look at ,

Normally when I am looking at an old car the first thing I do is get on my back and look at the underside , and also bring a good magnet

[gerry123]

all great ideas but my question is what do you do with the resulting photo /info ?? and if in thailand what classic cars do you think of

[BKKdreaming]

Not in Thailand , mostly USA ,

But its nice to get an idea what the bottom 6 inches of the car looks like ,

Mostly old sports cars that were worth nothing 20 -30 years ago and fixed badly

road signs for floors , chicken wire and bondo for rockers , pop rivets with bondo over them to hold panels on , etc

thats why you also need a good magnet

[Anthony5]

Turn the car on it side to take the pictures, I see Thais doing this every day on the highway.

[Carmine6]

If you're not going to go crazy on expense, then selfie stick with maybe some lenses for the phone so it could do shoot close up if it had to. Then some fairly large cardboard box to put down so you could move the stick around freely and not worry about scratching the phone case. And you can also slap some battery powered, under cabinet lights on the box to help out with lighting.

By lenses, I mean like these, that go in front of the camera lens:

http://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Fisheye-VicTsing%C2%AE-Blackberry-Motorola/dp/B00TF8FJ04/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1441341589&sr=8-9&keywords=lens+kit+for+iphone+6&pebp=1441341596222&perid=1KRZ7GDDXKRMM7YD2N82

On the back camera, you wouldn't be able to see the screen while shooting. But if it'll work on the front one, you might be able to see the screen a bit while shooting.

If you shoot at an angle it'll be a longer distance and might work ok without a separate lens. But you probably need separate lighting because just the flash will wash out stuff nearby and not get much farther out.

[Roman51]

Set the photos made with delay and put camera on low-cart somthing or skateboard and than slip under the car?

[NOC]

Get an oil change!

If it's not your car, steal it, and get an oil change!

Edited September 11, 2015 by NOC