Originally Posted by
unterhausen
I know someone that worked pretty hard on a 3d printed garmin mount
This all started because I am a weight weenie at heart. Just take a look at the genuine GoPro Handlebar mount here.
It is hideously ugly and way too big.
Most of the third part mounts also clamp on with a very big mechanism, and a lot of needless adaptability. They are also too heavy. They are trying to maximize the uses of a single mount and look similar to this.
The aluminum mounts that are simple, light and work well generally have the mount rotated 90° and require an adapter to move the mount into the correct orientation. They are generally built for handlebars and are limited in clamp diameters to 25.4 mm and 31.8 mm.
This is why the need for a simple, sturdy, light seat post mount.
Shimano made their camera mount compatible to GoPro's system. Garmin, even though they decided to create a different mount for their Virb cameras, was smart to include a GoPro adapter with their cameras. There are just so many different types of mounts, there are a ton of adapters for lights, flashlights, other cameras, that all adapt to the GoPro mounting system. That said I would love to see what your buddy has done with his 3D printed Virb mount. Does he have it listed on any of the 3D file repositories? It is generally so much better to use the native mounting system and avoid adapters that could induce camera shake or other artifacts on the recorded video.
There are several threads on MTBR > Videos and POV Cameras that illustrate some creative and very ghetto ways to mount an action cam to various parts of a bicycle.
One thing is clear, with 3D printing now anyone can create a specific mount for a specific application. I tend to look first for a commercially available option. If none exists, this is a perfect opportunity to create something useful. 3D printing is not always the cheapest solution, but it can produce something that works for you and very particular specifications. I would never think to create and print a Garmin Edge mount since there are already so many on the market in all shapes and sizes that there are few circumstances where they wouldn't work. The Virb, GoPro Contour and Sony cameras all have room for additional mounting options.