The Importance of the Camera Arm for Filming Your Hunt
by Rodney Evans
As the sun faded, I raised my binoculars to scan the field one last time. In disbelief, I saw a good buck coming straight for my decoy. I asked my cameraman if he was on him, and he gave me the “Yes.) The buck continued to my decoy, almost running. As the buck paused at 20 yards to size-up its competition, I was preparing to draw when I heard every hunter’s nightmare. The dreaded. “Don’t shoot.” I turned to see my cameraman swiveling the camera back around to his side of the tree for a better angle. I was trying not to go in panic mode. Once he had the deer in full view, he gave me the green light and all was right with the world.
The popularity of filming hunts is at an all-time high, and recent technology has made it quite a bit easier on the cameraman. A camera arm is a “must-have” for anyone wanting quality, steady footage in the field, while filming from a tree. On the hunt mentioned above, the camera arm was our saving grace. Although we had to make a last second adjustment, at least we could; we made the adjustment and shot the footage.
Camera Arm Types
Camera arms come in a variety of sizes, weights, and features, depending on the type of camera you intend to use. Durable arms will usually weigh around the 10-pound mark and still fit easily into a good-sized backpack with the rest of your hunting gear.
Camera arm setup is relatively fast, just five easy steps.
Attach the base to the tree.
Slide the arm onto the base.
Ensure level (some models feature a built-in level).
Securely, attach the camera to the arm.
Test your range of motion and filming angles. If needed, make any final adjustments for optimal filming results.
As you can imagine, camera arms are available in a range of prices from $50–500. In general, higher-priced camera arms are intended for higher-priced cameras. Ultimately, your choice for a camera arm should match the size and features of your camera. Check online and sporting goods retailers for available camera arm models.
