DIY Equipment

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LP-E6-Battery-Plate
visit-button Jag35 LP-E6 Battery Plate

Jag35 has got a new LP-E6 battery mounting adapter. What is it? It's a simple way to use your existing Canon LP-E6 batteries to power up devices that use 5V-9V DC. This includes powering up your portable little HDMI monitors and even the Asus WiCast for HD Streaming (project I was working on). Oh and maybe even power up a small motor for the new slider? Hmm..They also have additional cables and regulators to step down the voltage if needed, but a complete solution based around existing rechargeable batteries you already have. It's got a standard 1/4 x 20 thread in the rear to make it easier to mount to stuff.

Apparently there's a DIY for this, and can be found through the following link posted over at cinema5d using a delkin lp-e6 battery plate: https://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/delkin_lpe6_charging_plates_for_universal_battery_charger/im26634

If you need more LP-E6 batteries, the best ones i've been using are these. They work on OEM chargers, show battery meters, and still rockin' to this day..

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find-price-button Canon LP-E6 Battery Decoded battery Meter works with OEM charger

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slider-mounting-tripod (2 of 5)

First few hours with the new budget camera slider, and trying to figure out the best way to to use it. Here's what I came up with. First thing you need to know, is that the slider requires a tripod head of some sort. If you've been following my Spider Trax dolly project, I went through quite a few different inexpensive heads before I settled with the 717AH. To prevent vibrations you need a good beefy mount between the camera and the slider. The 717AH was very heavy duty, but still the cheapest thing I could find that still served as an actual video Fluid Head. If you don't have a good solid head, check out the 717AH for this type of project.

Next up, grab yourself a good pair of sticks. I have a pair of Manfrotto Carbon Fiber's but I wouldn't trust it with a slider like this. You can go with lighter sticks, but make sure you have two of them (one each side). If you're like me and want to stick with one Tripod, here's something that's very solid, and cheap. This FT9901 has the same beefy legs as my WF717's, but because it's not the same head, it's way cheaper. Having a quick release adapter under the slider is heaven sent. Without a quick release plate you'll be spinning a 3 foot rail around in circles trying to unwind it and could also damage your threads when the weight is shifting. Get yourself a good mounting solution! With a Ball Mount Tripod head it's also the perfect way to Level your camera slider without having to fiddle around with each individual leg.

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For this slider, part of it's marketing allure is the fact that you can mount it vertically at it's furthest end points. I did try this, but I found that it was much more stable and easier to just tilt the Tripod Head attached under the slider. Another huge reason why I suggest you go with a good solid tripod and tilt head as the foundation for your new slider. Vertical slides mimic a Crane shot, and here's a compact way of getting that rarely seen vertical camera movement.

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If you attached the quick release plate in the other direction, then you can even mount this thing sideways (if you had to). They say two heads are better than one, and for getting your slider level and positioning it in different ways, I say that's true. Inexpensive, heavy metal legs, and a ball head mount for quick leveling make this Tripod a great inexpensive foundation for your new slider. And when it's not used for the slider, it's still a great inexpensive Tripod to have around.

[Update] There is a new version of the Konova slider available including a Crank Pulley and Motorized Upgrade. Article found here: http://cheesycam.com/konova-motorized-upgrade-kit-now-available/

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find-price-button Konova video Camera Rolling Bearing DSLR Slider

slider-tripod-mount
find-price-button Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Pan Head FT9901SLV

717AH-head
find-price-button Fluid Drag Tripod Head 717AH

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Someone emailed me about a way to use a Camera strap without the Tripod mounting hole, but something that can be taken off easily. Here's something I used to do back when I was flying the Steadicam Merlin stabilizer. I used the strap to carry the camera, but then needed a way to quickly take it off when flying. The shifting weight of a Camera strap can totally throw a stabilizer off balance.

Here's a simple DIY way to add a very comfortable strap to your camera. Just add a few small keyrings (don't look at my example, it's all I had right now) to the OEM strap holders. After that you'll be able to add laptop bag straps or luggage straps with swiveling ends. On quick, and off quick. One cool looking comfortable strap I found would be the Air Cell one via Amazon.
air-cell-strap
find-price-button Quad Air Cell Padded Briefcase Bag Shoulder Strap

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portable-jump-battery
find-price-button Portable Jumper Battery

Not sure if anyone's familiar with this battery, but i've been using it for a bunch of different things. With it's built in 110V inverter, i've used it to charge my batteries while driving to a shoot. I've used it to power my cameras through the Canon ACK-E6 outlet adapter. I've used it to power up my laptop when i'm working remotely. I've used them to power up my 500 LED Video light panels out on location. Oddly, I've only used it to jump a car once.

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I tested it out with my 183 LED Video light that's powered via 12V DC. I'll be making connectors for the two cigarette lighter sockets that comes standard with this battery. These cigarette lighter sockets provide a direct 12V DC with a 40 amp fuse which should be plenty of throughput to power the LED panels. If some of you are building out stacks of Z96 LED Light panels, this also should work fine. Well it was $99 bucks when I grabbed it, but it's on sale right now for $79. Shipping to my zip code added in another $11 bucks, but still not a bad deal for anyone looking for a great 12V DC power source.

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Since 'some' of the 500 LED Video light panels are also powered via 12V DC, i'll be looking into modifying the power cables to go directly instead of using the built in Inverter. This would be a more efficient way of powering up my large 500 LED Video panels and would bypass that Inverter fan that kicks on. Remember, only 'some' of the LED Video panels are setup to accept 12V DC. Especially the ones that offer the V-Mount battery option. If you're looking for the right ones, you gotta get the ones with the Dimmer knob and XLR power cable.


500-led-dimmer
find-price-button Dimmable 500 LED 12V Professional Studio Video Light Panel Video Light Lighting LED Light Panel with Stand Combo Runs on 110v - 240v Power supply 12V Output

Can also be found here via Amazon:

For those looking for something a little more portable, I've been watching these so called 'super batteries'. I'm curious if anyone has had any experience with these? Rechargeable (claimed) Li-Ion batteries with different power ratings, all 12V DC + Charger. Very inexpensive batteries which should power up those little LCD's, portable HDMI LCD monitors, On camera LED lights, and then some...
12V-Super-Battery
find-price-button Portable Super Li-ion 12V Battery + Charger

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You post a few DIY sliders on here and it opens up a whole can of worms. I've received lots of DIY slider ideas, but if it's too similar to what we've seen before, then i'm not going to get too redundant showing it again. Here of course is another DIY slider version with great results and all based on a platform of furniture sliders. Yeah same little low friction smooth plastic stuff you place under your chairs and table legs. The key to this design is the very wide rail that is used to support the width of the fluid head and wide platform. Lots of area for stabilizing movement. [Thanks SkaliTV]

furniture-sliders
find-price-button 2-1/2-Inch Self-Stick Square Super Sliders

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Moving focus from point A to point B perfectly is a trick. A follow focus system with marking disc will help you pinpoint that, but then the dollars start adding up. The old Hose Clamp with a Bolt trick is the dirt cheap way to move a lens, but never seemed like a perfect solution.

How about adding that idea to a rig with hard stops? Here's an interesting rig someone is selling online with a DIY take on getting perfect focus points dialed in for that shot. Not a bad price online either, but a pretty cool idea which i'm sure someone else out there will be able to work with. This throws in some new ideas for that DIY follow focus you've been working on, doesn't it?

Found here:
steadyfocus-rack-focus
find-price-button DSLR Rig with Follow Focus Hard Stops

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sescom-line2mic

Hey, here's an idea. Run the Microphone into your portable audio recorder, and then run the headphone out port into your camera mic input. If it sounds good in the headphones, it should sound good running into the camera. Well before you tackle that idea, just know that headphone outputs aren't all the same and run pretty hot. Some portable audio recorders have a dedicated 'Line Out' so you'll be safe, but not the Zoom H4n or Zoom H1. You can easily damage the mic input on your camera if you're not careful.

So above is the cable from Sescom. This isn't something new, and most of you might have already run into this product. This particular one I have is for the Zoom H4n, but i'm showing it with the Zoom H1 (didn't have H4n with me). It's a Sescom Line2Mic attenuator cable that drops the headphone out from the Zoom by -25db making it safe to use directly into your camera's Mic input. There's different cables with different levels of attenuation provided for different recorders. Don't think this will save your AGC enabled cameras, that's not what it's there for. This cable is for the Canon 60D and 5D Mark II that control manual audio. (Or try it on the T2i with Magic Lantern).

So why do it this way? Well for starters, the amps on the Zoom recorders will help you adjust levels and sensitivity. If you're using the H4n, it gives you a way to connect XLR type microphones. Is the audio just as good as what's recorded? Not really, but you'll be surprised on how well it does sound. I'm not going to run through a bunch of tests today, a bit swamped, but if you're curious you can find lots of tests already at Vimeo.com. Or for those of you who have your video links, throw them in the comments.


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find-price-button Sescom LN2MIC-ZMH4-MON 3.5mm Line to Mic 25dB Attenuation Cable for Zoom H4N with Headphone Monitoring Jack

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Not a very precise motion controlled unit as the high end versions, but nonetheless a very effective one. Here's another Rotisserie Motor based motion controlled Timelapse slider from Vimeo member Derek Mellot. The video shows some fine examples of it's use as well as some of it's build rolling over an aluminum ladder. The motor used spins at 4rpm, but if you're clever, you can find ways to gear that down. I think the other smaller battery powered version with 2rpm posted earlier would suffice. This one by Derek is a large DIY rig, something you shouldn't plan to be traveling with on a plane, but if you've got the time, the space, and lack a budget, it's a great little DIY project. [Thanks Derek]


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Here's one of my favorite DIY videos that was actually shot over 2 years ago by Vimeo member Edwin Bont. I've been wanting to tackle this project myself, but am always getting sidetracked. It might be on my list of things this weekend if i'm not too backlogged from CES. It's a video that hasn't had much attention, but a very original DIY in what is called the 'Sphere Arm'. This rig uses a set of L brackets cleverly assembled to keep the lens at a fixed distance while allowing it to be rotated in several axises. This not only gives you the illusion of rotating horizontally, but also vertically.

The build quality on the one shown in the video isn't very heavy duty and video doesn't seem to be of high quality, but i'm sure with a bit more DIY out there this thing can really bring in the 'next camera movement'. Might even be an interesting movement with small cameras such as the GoPro and light weight GH2. Wedding videographers, I can totally see this as a macro video movement around some wedding rings. Yeah, I think this idea has been asleep too long and needs to be hashed out with something more refined. Besides myself, (if I can get to it) who else is up for the challenge?