GoPro Camera

A number of participants in the GoPro Forum have been making panoramic mounts out of kitchen timers such as the Ikea Ordning timer shown at the right.

This is a great idea. The timer rotates through 360° in an hour.

By setting the camera to take one image per second, the resulting pan will contain 3600 images. A video can be made lasting one or two minutes, or selected images can be chosen for stitching into a panorama.

Construction could not be simpler.

Just stick one of the flat surface adhesive GoPro mounts directly on top of the timer and you are done.

Ideally, the lens should be centered on the rotating mount, so the GoPro mount must be offset from the center, but that would only be an issue if objects are relatively close to the camera.

I use the Ordning GoPro mount when I need a portable stand that can be placed on a table or a railing.

If you don't have an IKEA nearby, you can order the Ordning timer from Amazon.

GoPro Stäm Panoramic Mount

When I was picking up the Ordning timer to make a panoramic mount, I noticed the smaller Stäm timers and thought it would make an interesting small mount that could be fastened to a tripod.

I picked one up for $1.99 and brought it home to meet my Dremel Moto-tool.

I carefully ground a notch out of the handle exactly the right size for a 1/4 inch 20 tpi nut, the correct size to fit a standard tripod screw.

Superglue was used to fix the nut in place. Epoxy would also work, especially if the fit is not super tight. Recently, I have become a big fan of Gorilla Glue for these kinds of jobs.

One of the flat adhesive GoPro mounts was fixed to the flat surface of the timer.

The result is a handy panoramic mount which can be screwed onto any tripod.

It takes an hour to do a full 360 degree panorama. When finished, the bell rings to attract your attention.

Video instructions by Getaway Moments

I like the use of the Stainless Steel 1/4" to 3/8" Tripod Adapter Bushing instead of the nut I used. It is definitely neater.