DIY Equipment

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Unlike camera dollies that use an entire square platform, here's a build from AgeOfRockets.com that uses a configuration of simple planks in a very sturdy frame design. If built correctly, the unit should be able to break down fairly small and portable (less the rails). Full DIY and parts list following the link: https://www.ageofrockets.com/blog/?p=131

Swift Camera Dolly

Of course there's already a design on the market that shows how it's all put together, and how it's all taken apart. The Swift Dolly (coming out of India), comes with a portable 12' Rail system, rails ends, and portable camera dolly that can be broken down into several parts for traveling. The kit even comes with bags. For the price (and the ugly colored wheels), you might want to look into the DIY version first.

swift portable dolly

Swift camera dolly kit
find-price-button Swift Video Camera Portable Dolly with 12' Track

The hardest part about DIY track dollies are getting the wheels drilled in properly. If your angle of drilling does not have the wheels sitting in proper alignment, you'll get wobbly footage as you push down the track. For those who don't want to tackle the hardest part of cutting and drilling angle iron, there are some ready made dolly wheels that just need to be bolted in place. Just grab a single board, and you're ready to roll...

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find-price-button Ready Made Video Camera Track Dolly Wheel Assemblies

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Ready for a sweet little DIY DSLR Cage? Submitted by Andy Clancy, this cage was put together from an off the shelf light tent kit and a cheese style plate. The main part of the cage originally was a light tent for small product photography. A few bike styled handles on the rails, and the rest should be pretty easy to figure out.

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The rails look to be aluminum and can probably be cut down to just about any size camera you own (including small GH2 shooters). Just by looking at how this guy is put together, it looks super light weight, adds tons of ways to stabilize a handheld shot, ability to get some really low shots, and tons of piping to drill mounts or add some cold shoe adapters for accessories (like a monitor). [Thanks Andy]

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find-price-button Product Photography Light Tent

The second part for the 'baseplate' was from a Glidecam Camera Weight (Cheese) Plate.

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find-price-button Glidecam Weight Plate

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Vimeo member Lolo Two is at it again, but this time with a more 'polished' (no pun intended) version of his DIY Conduit Slider. The first version here: http://cheesycam.com/diy-conduit-camera-slider/ using 1/2" conduit piping looked like a simple build, but this new version (the Big Brother) with more surface area, polished piping, and double the couplers seems like a very solid build. You'll notice the smooth tracking with a simple push from a screwdriver, and the amount of weight thrown on with a Cinder Block. Very very cool stuff. [Thanks Lolo Two]

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Don't say I didn't tell you so if you happen to be short on a few lens caps and body caps. When that happens, it will make things difficult to pack things back into your bag since you can't remove the lens from the body. After a long shoot this past Sunday, i've realized i'm down to a few spares (again). Luckily for a set of two caps, it's just over $1.00 dollar + Free Shipping. Had to grab a few more sets since they'll take about 2 weeks to come in..

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find-price-button Canon Rear Lens and Canon DSLR Body Caps

For an important list of other inexpensive spare items (including Front Caps with Logos, Hoods, & Pouches), check out this article: http://cheesycam.com/hoods-covers-caps-and-pouches/

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DIYPhotgraphy.net has a really cool article about using a Padded Bass Case to pack up your light stands. These are long very well padded cases that can hold a few light stands as well as other small items. They have straps and some can be worn with a sling or back pack style. These padded Bass guitar travel cases some around $20 dollars or really really padded high quality for about $80 dollars and up to 47" inches long (That's still cheaper than Photography labeled bags). Most 10' foot light stands can collapse to about 39" inches so you'd have room to spare. These long padded travel bags should be good with other long items you might be traveling with like Monopods and Tripods too, and also makes you look like a Rock Star....(or traveling Guitar Hero geek)..

Padded-Bass-Case
find-price-button Padded Bass Guitar Cases

Also some nice non-shaped ones available via eBay:

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find-price-button Padded Base Guitar Cases via eBay

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An interesting start to a DIY DSLR shoulder rig inspired by the twist handle shift method. This time YouTube member geedubya101 uses a grip shifter from a bike and runs the firm cable to the lens. Another piece being used is a rotating flash bracket to add a side handle and some extra mounting options for accessories. Everything you need to know is all in the video, and it looks like it will be a cool little shoulder support when it's all done.

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DIY slider video from Vimeo member Lolo Two. Here's a clever way to take some very inexpensive conduit tubing, a coupler, and with a basic set of tools, come up with a very sturdy camera slider. The coupler works out great since it's designed to fit perfectly around the EMT conduit tubing and also has some easy mounting points for the carriage. The video is pretty thorough on what it takes to get things together, but there's also a parts list following the video link. It's a simple DIY, and I believe that you all 'Con Du It' too... [Thanks Lolo Two]

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Vimeo member Switch Flick uses pieces from a Flycam Nano to make a DIY Spidertrax Rotating Dolly. Axles are a bit long on this first version, but it looks pretty legit with attention to details down to the bolts (much like I used in my setup). Of course, this is all assuming you've already dished out a bit of change for the Nano.

If you're not familiar with the Flycam Nano, another video was recently shot using a Canon 5D Mark II + 17-40mm F/4L + Rode Video Mic. That's quite a bit of weight, but Vimeo member Spencer Turley managed to pull off some great footage while doing some charitable work out in Tuvalu. Found here: https://www.vimeo.com/20742652

flycam-nano-video-stabilizer
find-price-button Flycam Nano Video Camera Stabilizer

If you're not familiar with Rotating Dollies, you can see how the Konova Dolly (cloned after my own design) was used in this video: http://cheesycam.com/test-drive-spidertrax-clone-korean-dolly/

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find-price-button Rotating Video Camera Skater Dolly

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YouTube member mowaska has a new take on a DIY DSLR rig that transforms from a compact travel item into a full Shoulder Rig complete with Counterweight and handles. Completely tool-less, it uses a series of clamp knows to unfold, and even has a way to mount a Manfrotto quick release plate (without adapter). Pretty cool, and some company out there needs to run with this idea..