DIY Equipment

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The idea to create an external power pack was to wire up a dummy battery into the camera and connect a 7.4v rechargeable RC battery. That voltage would be the same as the original camera battery (for canon), so ideally this should work. I mentioned the idea after seeing Swintronix and posted an article here: http://cheesycam.com/a-diy-canon-dslr-power-pack/

Well Levi V. takes on the external DSLR power pack project with success. After receiving a generic battery pack that used different batteries than his T2i, he decided to hack it up to accept external power from a common RC battery. I've heard that this voltage can also be used on the Lilliput monitor, and on the Z96 LED video lights. As long as you calculate the amps in your power source, there's no reason you couldn't power them all with splitters. You can find out more information about Levi created his from the video above. If you're not into cracking batteries, you can start with the generic AC adapter for Canon cameras and just use the dummy battery terminal for your lead wire. That would make the process much simpler to attach your RC battery. [Thanks Levi]

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Shooting on a tripod is the most stable shot you can perform, but moving that Tripod from one place to the next and leveling it out can be tedious depending on the system you're using. Not many people are even aware this adapter exists, so here's the post. You've got that fancy tripod with a long neck to give you a bit of extra height but it comes 'without' a Ball head. Getting that thing lined up to the horizon is a task, especially if you've already got a ton of weight mounted on the fluid head. Instead of locking, unlocking, lowering, and raising each leg to get a perfect level, you can try the Manfrotto 438. It's a hefty fee (very hefty), but for those who feel the pain, the Manfrotto 438 Ball Level adapter sits in between the video tripod and the standard 3/8" threaded fluid head. This little gizmo will give you more flexibility in that final leveling adjustment. It's also a perfect solution for those DIY's that lack any type of leveling adjustments from DIY cranes, to DIY sliders, and compact skate dollies.

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find-price-button Manfrotto 438 Compact Ball Level Adapter

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The $24.00 dollar shoulder support with Rod mounts are getting a few questions as well as the recent Quick Release adapter posted on this blog. Here's a look at how i'm using these recently purchased items with my gear.

First a quick look at the cheap Quick Release adapter. It's not a standard QR adapter with a 1/4x20 thread already tapped in. Instead I run a beveled screw through the top of the adapter and place a bolt underneath. To keep the quick release adapter from shifting around I also used thin double sided tape between the adapter and the stage of the flycam nano. To prevent the nut from coming loose, I also have a washer + lock washer.

Flycam QR (1)Flycam QR (2)
Flycam QR (3)Flycam QR (4)

Second common question i've been getting is how to mount rods to the cheap $24 dollar shoulder support. To get the basic foundation setup, you'll need an adapter plate. This type of plate is commonly used under a rod rig so that it can be placed on top of a Tripod of Fluid head. When purchasing a basic set of rods or any rig, find out if one will be provided. If not you can buy one separately here: https://express35.com/tripod-mount/1054/

Gini-Rods (2)Gini-Rods (4)

After mounting the adapter plate to the shoulder support, I can then position any set of handles, build up an offset stage, have support for a follow focus, matte box, etc. You can also find a basic set of rails with DSLR base plate, and Tripod plate here: https://express35.com/rail-system/295/

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Gini Rig on $24 Shoulder Support w/ Varavon ViewFinder

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180-LED-Work-Lamp

Halogen shop lights are used for budget video lighting all the time, so why not LED shop lights? Alan Silva picks up the 180 LED shop light from Home Depot and seems to be pretty happy with it. I guess you can't complain picking up a 180 LED light with built in rechargeable battery for under $60 bucks. This light has actually come up a few times on this blog before, but as often as I go to Home Depot myself, they were always out of stock. Not sure what the temperature is, but if it's off, hopefully someone's going to come up with the right pattern of gels for color correction. Maybe Alan will send in some samples of this light in use, as i'm curious about it's light output. Unfortunately it's not sold online, but here's a link to the description: https://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Electrical-Tools-Accessories-Work-Lights/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgtZbm8p/R-100655277/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Not something you'd throw on your camera, but there is several ideas that come to mind. A buddy of mine talked about shooting late night bike rides and meet-ups in the city, and was thinking about what portable lighting solution would work to help bring in some additional light. Throwing a few of these on some tall stands, i'm sure would do just fine. Since they would all be the primary source of light, white balancing would be of no issue. Designed to be used as tools, i'm sure they are durable for tossing around and hopefully with a bit moisture proof. The built in rechargeable battery keeps things pretty compact and beats dragging around a generator to the site. [Thanks Alan]

Closest thing I could find online were these:

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find-price-button LED Shop Light Rechargeable Battery Work Light

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Thanks to Eric S. for sharing his DIY view finder mount. For real running and gunning, it's quite a pain in the a$$ having an LCD Viewfinder fall off so easily. Some inexpensive DSLR LCD ViewFinders use a metal sticky frame that allows the magnets of the view finder to stay in place. The most common problem with these are when the adhesive of the metal frame comes off with too much time in the sun. Once that metal frame is off, you'll be stuck without a way to mount your view finder for the rest of the shoot.

On this site people have shared ways to use a high quality Glass LCD Protector and permanently fixing the LCD ViewFinder. Epoxy is a good choice. Curious if there's one that would be a close fit to a Canon 60D... It's an excellent idea on providing a super solid hold while still allowing for a fast way on and a fast way off the camera. For those who aren't familiar with making a DIY LCD Viewfinder Quick Release, this is a look at the final build using information from this article. http://cheesycam.com/new-glass-lcd-protector-canon-nikon/

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find-price-button Canon and Nikon GGS Glass DSLR LCD Screen Protector

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Super Clamp with Zoom H4n

The Zoom H4n is a great audio recorder and much cleaner floor noise than the H1. Whenever possible (which means when i'm not lazy) I try to break it out as the primary sound recording device. One problem is finding a place to put it. I usually move the microphone off camera and out of frame and run a long microphone cable to the Zoom H4n when doing interviews. With the Zoom H4n close to me, I can monitor sound and adjust levels.

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Super Clamp with Zoom H4n on LightStand

Something I like to carry with me are good accessory clamps. Having good versatile accessory clamps can help you mount much more than audio recorders. One trick I used in Vegas (no tripods allowed and super crowded) was to mount my DSLR camera to a small monopod, Rode VideoMic on top, and then clamp the Zoom H4n onto the Monopod. With the standard 1/4 x 20 thread you can even mount a small Ball Head for some tilt action.

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Clamped to Shoulder Rig

These clamps can mount anything from small cameras, flashes, LED video lights, microphones, and more. I'm using something like the 'Super Clamp' which is fairly large and costs quite a bit of money and is overkill for such light accessories. For a smaller clamp you can opt for the Manfrotto 'Nano Clamps', but those also will run you around $30-$40 dollars.

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Nano clamp

So (below) i've come across these cheap clamps normally used in Photography. It's an all metal construction with a wide clamp area. The V design helps clamps to round poles without slippage, but can be mounted to even flat surfaces. Table tops, chair legs, standing lamps, bike handlebars, you name it it might be possible. With minimal effort you can competely replace the Light Stand adapter with a Tripod Ball head, making it a smaller form factor with more flexibility. Through a retailer, they'll run you a good amount mainly because they are stamped with the scarlet letter word Photography, but at least online they aren't too shabby and can help clamp up a good amount of gear to just about anything.

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find-price-button Cheap C Clamps for Accessory Mounting

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Light Camera Slider - Build from Martin Roberts

Martin Roberts is at it again with his interestingly suspenseful DIY videos. A short while back, he showed us a build video with his light portable DIY Crane, and this time he's back working on a lightweight camera slider. The entire video doesn't just show a budget DIY in the works, but is also shot using some budget techqniques. A bike LED lamp for lighting, a DIY crane for some shots, Canon T2i, the uber cheap Canon 50mm F/1.8 lens, Macro step up filters, and even the Sony NEX-5 was used.

[Thanks Martin]

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500-LED-Video-Lights

LED video lights are great not only because they are well diffused, durable, and generate low heat for close encounters. They also have a huge advantage when it comes to power requirements. If you've ever been out to a location shoot with some super hot tungstens, or HMI's you'll have to calculate the wattage of each head and seperate them into different power outlets so you're not blowing out fuses and circuit breakers. Blowing out the power in your location is bad news, and just brings things to a halt. Just one of the things you'll learn in Film School Lighting. Now that prices for LED tech has dropped, the cheap LED video panels I showed a while back pretty much flew off the shelves. It definitely seemed like it, but after talking to a few sources, it appears that the popular LED Video panels are now at a worldwide shortage. Looks like there is so much demand the manufacturer can't keep up. Part of the shortage is because many big name companies have bought these panels in huge amounts rebranding and marking up prices. Hopefully you're not depending on these things being available when your next project comes around, as they are slowly disappearing as we speak.

If you're a DIY type and are looking to save a few bucks, you might take a peek at some already assembled inexpensive LED light panels that comes complete with an AC power adapter. They are powered via 24v, so not too difficult to come up with a portable power solution as well. All you'll need is to come up with some type of light stand mount, and you should be good to go.

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find-price-button LED 24v Video Light Panel Assembly with Power Adapter

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Big thanks to Mark H. for taking time out to make this video. Here Mark is showing us his DIY arm brace for his Flycam Nano stabilizer. The Flycam Nano is proving to be a very popular small stabilizer, but one thing to note is that even the handle comes in small. If you're not practicing some type of Shaolin Tiger Claw Death Grip (like myself), you might want to look into swapping the handle out with something a bit larger, or better yet work with an arm brace. If you don't know, the handle to the Flycam Nano is hollow and resembles the Glidecam stabilizers. With it's hollow designed handle, it can accept the same arm brace that is used with the Glidecam stabilizers. Of course that original brace (if you're lucky to find one) retails for about $150 dollars.

Mark takes a simple medical use wrist brace found in any local pharmacy and adds a custom DIY bracket to transfer most of the weight away from the wrist, allowing you to fly a bit longer, and possibly a bit steadier. For those with Steadicam Merlin's or Steadicam Jr's this idea will also work for transferring that weight over from your wrist. Mark also makes a good point to talk about how handy an arm brace is to have when you can't travel with a vest. As an owner of a vest myself, I can attest that it's a huge pain to travel with. It's also not very quick to get in an out of and is sometimes a bit dangerous when you're surrounded by fast moving kids. This would be the ideal situation in which you could take advantage of a solid arm brace.

[Thanks Mark]

For something like this, you'll probably want to go with the wrist braces that have a 'splint' like Mark's to attach a bracket.
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Wrist Brace with Splint