We live in a world where filming, photographing and sharing our every activity is just as important to some people as the activity itself. If you’re a tactical Spielberg wannabe, SIDEKICK Mounts‘ series of series of weapon and hat mounts for GoPro action cameras are perfect for capturing your shooting-related activities.
The direct-to rail-mount is machined from 6061 Aluminum and available in Black, FDE or Tungsten Cerakote. If you prefer to finish one yourself, you can get a SIDEKICK Mount in bead blasted unfinished aluminum.
Weighing in at only 4.8oz with the camera and mount, the average shooter probably won’t notice it’s attached to his rifle. The mounts I have for review are for the GoPro Hero session series cameras. SIDEKICK also makes mounts for BeHD, SJCam and Akaso cameras.
Mounting is easy; simply slide your GoPro into the mount, tighten the single mounting screw onto your rail and you’re good to go. The “windows” on every side of the mount allow for access to controls and the memory card slot no matter which way you orientate the camera.
The mount is a sturdy as can be. Once tightened, the mount and camera aren’t going anywhere. I worried that over-tightening the mount might damage the camera but this did not happen, and I mounted it very tightly.
The individual SIDEKICK mount can be pointed towards the target or shooter. When paired with a Kinect Mlok QD adapter you can quickly attach a single camera or a dual camera setup and capture video both downrange and of the shooter. The direct-to rail-mounts sell for $75.
For POV filming, SIDEKICK also makes a hat mount that clips onto the front of the bill and is secured by Velcro. If you don’t have one, 5.11 makes a hat with a Velcro field that SIDEKICK sells by itself or as a bundle with the mount.
I was surprised how secure the hat mount is. The clip that attaches to the bill is tight and the velcro does a great job of making sure it stays in place. Installation of the camera is easy; lift the knob on top of the mount, slide in the camera and push the knob back down.
The hat mount is printed on commercial production 3D printers. If you watch any 3-gun competitions these days you have more than likely seen SIDEKICK hat mounts, they’re hugely popular. At only $65 the cap mount is priced right.
Both products from SIDEKICK Mounts are solid and very well made with excellent machining. They’re both tough and easy to use with clean, even finishes. The 3D printed parts are so good you’d be hard pressed to even tell they are 3D printed.
Specifications:
Weight: Rail mount 4.8oz with GoPro session
Hat Mount 3.8oz with GoPro session
Material: Rail Mount 6061 Aluminium
Hat Mount Robust Plastic
Finish: Rail Mount Cerakote or raw
Hat Mount Cerakote
Price: Rail Mount $79.99-$99.99
Hat Mount $65-$75
Rating (out of five stars):
Quality * * * * *
Both the rail mount and hat mount are solid and nicely made. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Easy of Use * * * * *
Slide your camera in and you are good to go.
Overall * * * * *
Solid, well-designed products that do what they say they do. Period.