Hot Shoe Adapter: Tool That Lets You Use A GoPro And DSLR Together

I do a lot of aircraft photography. I constantly need new content for our sister site It’s About Airplanes. However, I’ve always wanted to do more video, as well. My problem has always been that I need the photos more than I need the video so I tend to always lean in that direction. Then, along came this incredible, simple and inexpensive tool: a hot shoe adapter.

What does it do? A hot shoe adapter simply slides into the slot on top of your DSLR where you would normally mount a flash. The top end of the adapter is a standard 1/4″ screw mount identical to what you’d find on a tripod. With this, you can mount any camera, like the GoPro Hero 5 Black, for instance, to the top of your DSLR.

The great thing is, you can nab a Neewer Two(2) Pack of Durable Pro 1/4″ Mount Adapter for Tripod Screw to Flash Hot Shoe for just $6.49 CAD from Amazon.

See below for an example of how I use this tool to capture both video and images of airplanes (and more info on the hot shoe adapter).

C-FKAU Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER Video

The video above and the images below were taken simultaneously. I used a combo of my aging Canon Rebel T3i DSLR and my new GoPro Hero 5 Black, attached on top using the hot shoe adapter. As you can see in the video, the mount raises the GoPro enough so that its fisheye lense doesn’t show the camera below. My only oops was not changing the DSLR’s sound so you can hear quite clearly the high number of images being captured.

The aircraft is an Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER registered as C-FKAU. It’s still wearing the older version of AC’s livery but should be receiving a new paint job soon.

C-FKAU Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER Photos

(Click on the individual pictures for full-size, high resolution versions of each photo in the image gallery)

Neewer Durable Pro 1/4″ Mount Adapter For Tripod Screw To Flash Hot Shoe

This hot shoe adapter is a small, inexpensive tool that allows two cameras to be attached for simultaneous use. This means you don’t have to choose between photos or video in a situation where there would normally be no chance to do both.

My particular need was for aircraft photography but the possibilities are endless. Think of what you can do with sporting events. You can simultaneously video your kid’s soccer or hockey game while also capturing some great images that will be valued for a lifetime. Birthday parties are an important event where do-overs are not impossible but just plain awkward. You can video and photo you son or daughter blowing out the candles without having to relight them.

This is invaluable in pretty much every travel situation. Capturing wildlife. Seeing sights while on a rushed organized tour or boat cruise. Basically any moving or action situation where one camera can not be left on its own on a tripod.

This simple tool will transform your photography. You can amp up your content for both YouTube and website use. You will become a star (or even more of one) on social media. It will most definitely increase your profits if you are someone who makes money from blogging, posting videos and selling stock photography.

Amazon Free Shipping

Unfortunately, the great price of this item will not qualify for free shipping from Amazon on its own. However, to get closer to that $35 threshold, and if you are a GoPro user, you might want to seriously consider the Zookki 39-in-1 Accessories Kit for GoPro Hero (1 through 5).

$25.99 CAD gets you a ton of useful mounts and tools for use with your GoPro. The hot shoe adapter is not included but what is part of the package is the mount you’ll need to attach to your GoPro in order to attach it to the hot shoe adapter or any tripod (see bottom left in the image to the right). I originally bought this package for just that: I needed to attach my GoPro Hero 5 Black to a tripod.