View Full Version : Simple DIY Handheld Stabilizer
Footage is surprisingly smooth.
I'l post details later if anybody is interested...
http://www.acorncreative.net/stable/stable01.jpg
EDIT BELOW
Added some sample footage. (http://www.acorncreative.net/stable/footage01.mov)
Obviously, I need WAY more practice, but it's a start. I knew from reading on this forum and from trying a few other DIY stablizers that practice makes it work more than the unit itself. Gotta get that "Groucho Marx" walk down.
I ordered a Bogen quick release plate assembly (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=5566&is=REG&addedTroughType=search) which will be here Friday and then I will post more footage. I am also going to add a rubber gasket between the washers to better lock down the handles and prevent unwanted rotation.
http://www.acorncreative.net/stable/multi_angle.jpg
BTW the Bogen Quick Release is beautiful - simple, strong, smart. Highly recommended.
Hose Handles: Serial # 077855825355 - $6.93 USD each at Home Depot
Aluminum Bar: Custom, found at local parts place. Home Depot offers some, but they are not "L" shaped as mine is. Not sure if it makes much of a difference - just make sure the bar is wide enough on top to accomodate the 1/2 holes drilled for each handle. Depends on the handles you use, and the way they attach to the bar.
Various washers and fittings. To attach the Bogen QuickRelease plate, I just used one of the 1/4" attachment screws that came with the plate. Works like a charm.
Hope this helps everybody. Now I have to go practice some more.
twocik23
06-19-2006, 08:34 PM
Nice job! Any footage?
bewillia
06-19-2006, 09:18 PM
i'm impressed with the photograph more than anything.
seriously what did you light that with?
matt s.
06-19-2006, 09:30 PM
im interested in details! does that flex at all??
Here's the original photo.
http://www.acorncreative.net/stable/original.jpg
I just knocked it out using Photoshop and added back the shadows.
As to flex, the aluminum is light but fairly thick and doesn't flex at all.
The handles are two hose attachments. I might add a pvc threaded pipe to each handle to attach an external monitor, light, whatever.
Total cost from Home Depot and parts store: $17.95
ReneH
06-19-2006, 10:19 PM
I'd like to know if you were able to get smooth shots while you were walking with the camera. Also, how did you attach the aluminum bar to the base of the camera? I'd like to see some more detailed pictures. Thank you.
TeamJoeDawn
06-20-2006, 06:14 AM
The handles are two hose attachments. I might add a pvc threaded pipe to each handle to attach an external monitor, light, whatever.
Total cost from Home Depot and parts store: $17.95
Hose handles?
I will NEVER cease to be amazed by the ingenuity of the people who use this forum.
Nice job.
J
Yardsale
06-20-2006, 03:17 PM
looks awesome!!
I was going to say, you lit the shot well too....but again, ingenuity lol
t-h-e-w-h-o
06-20-2006, 08:38 PM
test footage?
egproductions
06-21-2006, 10:53 AM
This is the next thing i build...awsome!
They used a similar thing on winterbottom's "in this world". The makers f the rig have added Lanc controls to the handle.
Very nice job. Looks great. Elipse is putting out a handle that is similar as well.
This setup kills the fig rig in my opinion.
Great work!
-rook
Added some sample footage. (http://www.acorncreative.net/stable/footage01.mov)
Obviously, I need WAY more practice, but it's a start. I knew from reading on this forum and from trying a few other DIY stablizers that practice makes it work more than the unit itself. Gotta get that "Groucho Marx" walk down.
I ordered a Bogen quick release plate assembly (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=5566&is=REG&addedTroughType=search) which will be here Friday and then I will post more footage. I am also going to add a rubber gasket between the washers to better lock down the handles and prevent unwanted rotation.
Anthony Bristol
06-22-2006, 01:23 AM
Lovely footage. How did you CC? The movement is nice, the postioning of the handles should means it handles similarly to the FigRig too. Great work, next item on my todo list :)
Great little actor too ;)
ReneH
06-22-2006, 10:55 AM
wjm,
I would like to see a picture of how you mounted the camera unto the aluminum strip . I'd like to see an image of the bottom of the setup.
wjm,
I would like to see a picture of how you mounted the camera unto the aluminum strip . I'd like to see an image of the bottom of the setup.
RIght now it's attached with (YIKES) duct tape, wrapped tightly around the quick release plate from a crappy $99 tripod. As mentioned above, I ordered a Bogen quick release plate. I have no idea how that's going to mount because I haven't seen the underside of that, either. I have a 1/2 hole drilled in the center of the aluminum bar, so that's what I am anticipating using somehow... Anybody know generally how these are mounted to other things? I guess I'll find out soon enough anyway...
Thanks, Anthony.
And thanks, everybody else, too, for the nice comments.
Color Correction was me just aiming for different looks appropriate for the individual shot. Some of the indoor stuff with my daughter was turned into BW because a few of those shots had some serious low-light issues, and high contrast BW seemed to play well to those.
The tree shot was fun to CC because I was able to fill in the brown patches of the lawn using multiple instances of the 3-Way Color Corrector filter. And the sky is more blue now, as it was fairly overcast. It was an enjoyable experiment turning my crappy, unlit and unrehearsed test footage into something different. Oh, and some of the shots are in reverse, (stairs, daughter walking toward camera). She was walking from room to room backwards (her latest thrill), and it made her gait a little odd when played in reverse.
Walk smoothly is still the challenge, and I find that just when I think I've got it, my footage will expose me for the rookie I am. Practice, practice, practice..........
Oh, and I find I get more a more natural look with the Optical Image Stablization (OIS) off. When it's ON (like in the shoes+moon shot) you get a weird motion effect. While having OIS OFF makes your shots less stable, the effect can be less distracting.
My current thinking is this:
OIS Situations:
- For static handheld, low/slow movement, and high zoom shots.
Non-OIS Situations:
- Walking, stairs, motion shots, etc.
Oh, and THANKS to MattInSTL, from another thread, for the B&H link to the different Bogen plates. I chose this one because I intend to pick up a Bogen 516 head for my new carbon fiber sticks.
Bob Pennington
06-22-2006, 11:51 AM
Here's a low cost quick release plate.
http://www.simaproducts.com/products/product_detail.php?product_id=72
A nice 1/4-20 hole in the bottom to secure this plate into the aluminum.
You may also want to consdier-- one plate for mounting camera onto the stabilizer... another plate for mounting the stabilizer onto a tripod.
The unit has a nice look to it.
LostInSound
06-22-2006, 11:36 PM
What picture camera did you use, the detail is great, looks like a real professional picture advertisement.
egproductions
06-23-2006, 05:06 AM
lol, the bogen quick relase adapter and plate kills this DIY deal....$43! The other suggestion of a cheap plate is good or just attempt to build one yourself.
What would be the piont of mounting the stabalizer onto the tripod? Jus tot have the convience of not taking off the quick release plate of the stabalizer?
danny
06-23-2006, 07:59 AM
lol, the bogen quick relase adapter and plate kills this DIY deal....$43! The other suggestion of a cheap plate is good or just attempt to build one yourself.
What would be the piont of mounting the stabalizer onto the tripod? Jus tot have the convience of not taking off the quick release plate of the stabalizer?
Make a 1/4" thread on the bottom of your DIY device, Screw your tripod plate to it and leave it there, slide the whole device in and out your tripod head.
This is the way it works in our MultiRig.
wow, actually alot better than i thought. Still doesn come close to a steadicam but it definately stablilizes the image more than hand held!
good job!
egproductions
06-23-2006, 11:50 AM
can we get a detailed parts list if you dont mind? I know its a spray nozzle for a hose but what brand in particular and what is that metal washer around it? Also where would i get an aluminum bar like that? I was at home depot and i couldn't find the right parts to put it all together..
ReneH
06-23-2006, 12:43 PM
I second that request, please, if it isn't too much to ask.
I put a PARTS LIST (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=61713) at the beginning of this thread, along with some new photos. Hope it helps.
Thanks again for all the nice comments, guys. Really nice community here.
how did you "add back the shadows."
?? lol
no but i mean, HOW do you do it lol, what are the steps involved?
Papa,
I apreciate your question, but this thread is concerned more with this stablizer than my Photoshop skills. As far as the shadows go, it takes about 15 years to learn how to do it well, and about 15 seconds to accomplish within the program. It is hard to explain, and I would need pictures, when what I should really be doing is writing a script and shooting more. Sorry, not enough time in the day...
Google some photoshop tutorials. (http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=photoshop+tutorials&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&page=3)
oh, okay, woops, sorry lol
egproductions
06-24-2006, 07:12 PM
Very nice you could market these with those photos. I see that you reversed the aluminum plate...looks even better. Why does it appear that the aluminum is rounded on the corners in the second photographs? Also did you drill into the aluminum to cut the whole for the spray nozzle?
twocik23
06-25-2006, 03:47 AM
Lets give WJM a round of applause, nice job !! :)
I just finished the handles and I'm now working on the mount, I'll try and post a pic or two.
Yas Kassana
06-25-2006, 06:38 AM
Well my only criticism would be that it's not very practical is it, I mean the dvx doesn't actually weigh that much to get the shots that you achieved with or without the 'stabiliser'? Also, focusing would be a bitch??
maestro1d
06-25-2006, 09:51 AM
Well my only criticism would be that it's not very practical is it, I mean the dvx doesn't actually weigh that much to get the shots that you achieved with or without the 'stabiliser'? Also, focusing would be a bitch??
Hmmm... DVX doesn't weigh that much. Yep- I guess image stabilization wasn't really necessary as he backed fluidly down those stairs.
And gee, considering how light the dvx is, it sure is strange that the fig-rig and steadicam merlin are such hot thread discussions here at DVXUSER... considering that all us jacked up on caffeine run and gunners have nerves of steel and all.
Makes you wonder why PANASONIC even bothered building an OIS button onto the DVX in the first place. Heck- for that matter why even bother using a tripod? Just crank that puppy out to full zoom, leave the OIS button off and do everything handheld. I'm sure the lightness of the camera will compensate...lol.
I'm teasing obviously, but ...uhh, I think the whole point for him building this thing is that the DVX is so light... you need some weight to a rig to smooth out the bumps in a shot... Whether its an 85 dollar version from HD or an 850 buck Merlin from Steadicam.
As to question of focus, I am assuming an approximate manual focus pull on followed "actress" and focus assist (auto) on going down hallway shots?
My point is- this guy designed what looks like an awesome rig for pennies on the dollar which WORKS- and the footage looks pretty decent to me. Kudos on design WJM.
Yas, no disrepect but don't knock it till ya try it- there's a lot of folks out there selling similiar stuff for a lot more than the price he offered his plans to us for... which is FREE. I say market the thing WJM. Id be happy to try it out and review it for you here at DVXUSER.
egproductions
06-25-2006, 10:14 AM
This alone will have difficulty focusing much like the fig rig when in use however you can aways buy a a remote handle for focus and zoom and hok that up with a little elmers glue or something. Weight is your friend for stability..the more you need to use your whole body to hold somethign teh more stable it will be rather than allowing simply your hand to do all the work. By allowing the user to outstrech his arms and whole a condierable mount of weight the person really starts using his body to compensate for the weight.
good ol glidecam. weight weight weight..
and when i put the adapter one... more weight on top, then i have to extend the pole ( buy something that can increase the length of this glidecampro 2000 ) and add more weights at the bottom/
maestro1d
06-25-2006, 10:41 AM
Exactly
Tony B
06-25-2006, 04:34 PM
I built one about 2 months ago with a peice of 1/4" alum flat bar with some 1" alum solid round bar welded to the flay bar for handles. I bought some bike handle grips as well as the bogen quick release.
I shoot videos for a company that makes outboard motors and do a lot of shooting from moving boats. This sure beats handheld.
I see in the pic above that the quick release tightening handle hits the bar, mine too. You have to set the handle to where it's almost tightened before mounting it to the bar, otherwise you sometimes won't be able to get a good tight bind on the camera.
Works great.
Actually, the quick release plate lever pulls out, and you can then rotate it for proper use. It works perfectly as is.
EdMista
06-26-2006, 01:02 AM
WJM hehehe I was just about to build something like this today before runing into this thread. Your stablelizing bar is AWESOME!!!!
About the problems with the bar.....
Well I don't see anything bad about using this rig at all. The focusing problem is just a creative problem that would only require a creative solution :) .
The idea of the camera mounted on a bar is actually an old idea. Watch Simple Blood by the Cohen brothers. There is one shot where the camera just moves around and slides on top of the counter like a dolly would on the ground. It's a CAMERA mounted on a WOOD POST. Crazy huh! It was held by two people. It is also used in other shots.
Necessity + Brain juice = Creative Solutions :)
EdMista
06-26-2006, 02:51 PM
Hose Handles: Serial # 077855825355 - $6.93 USD each at Home Depot
Aluminum Bar: Custom, found at local parts place. Home Depot offers some, but they are not "L" shaped as mine is. Not sure if it makes much of a difference - just make sure the bar is wide enough on top to accomodate the 1/2 holes drilled for each handle. Depends on the handles you use, and the way they attach to the bar.
I found the hose nozzles. The same one. And I actually same an L shaped alluminum bar just like that one at Home Depot. .... forgot to ask for the price. :(
Anyway... did you use a Wood Boaring bit to drill through the metal??
They told me that at home depot they don't cut metal... which killed my next question: do they drill holes thru as well. It sucks.
:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
Let me know about the bit!!!
matt s.
06-26-2006, 04:10 PM
you shouldnt have much of a problem drilling thru aluminium with a wood bit. its soft metal.
I found the hose nozzles. The same one. And I actually same an L shaped alluminum bar just like that one at Home Depot. .... forgot to ask for the price. :(
Anyway... did you use a Wood Boaring bit to drill through the metal??
They told me that at home depot they don't cut metal... which killed my next question: do they drill holes thru as well. It sucks.
:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
Let me know about the bit!!!
No, I used a bit for drilling steel, but a wood bit might work - just give it some time - don't force it. Clamp that sucker down, or it'll bite you when it grabs the bit.
The drilling area will also be extremely hot, so be careful.
Great that you found the hose nozzles. They have a great feel, don't they?
Next I want to try some PVC extenders screwed into the ends of the nozzles, so that I can do some low angle shots without breaking my back. Might even smooth out the shots further.
egproductions
06-26-2006, 06:07 PM
I ordered my aluminum from http://www.discountsteel.com/ :). I'm gonna try this sucker with the xl2 Hopefully it will work out
twocik23
06-26-2006, 06:07 PM
Try Ridgid and Dewalt cobalt bits for metal, steel, etc.., they're very sharp and work great.
"but a wood bit might work"
It should work, but the hole might be a little sloppy.
http://www.arizonatools.com/img/products/D/DW1969_TN.JPG
matt s.
06-26-2006, 06:48 PM
here is another online metal co. they seem to have pretty decent pricing
http://www.onlinemetals.com/
EdMista
06-26-2006, 07:12 PM
Jeesh! I went back to Hoe Depot and the L shaped alluminum piece was selling for $33 dollarssssssss! I started crying profusely and then they kicked me out cuz I was rusting the merchandise.
Thanks for the links.. I will totally look for the aluminum and those bits too.
EdMista
06-26-2006, 07:19 PM
Oh yes. Those handles/nozzles are really good. They have a good grip. They are Goodyear by the way.
egproductions
06-26-2006, 11:01 PM
I first tried online metals and the prices are comprable to discountsteel however, the shipping costs are simply ridiculous.
TeamJoeDawn
06-27-2006, 06:11 AM
I first tried online metals and the prices are comprable to discountsteel however, the shipping costs are simply ridiculous.
Are you saying that discount steel shipping is much cheaper?
J
EdMista
06-27-2006, 07:40 AM
It cost me 6.95 :|
egproductions
06-27-2006, 09:14 AM
Are you saying that discount steel shipping is much cheaper?
J
That is what I am saying
matt s.
06-27-2006, 11:54 AM
wow thats cool i didnt check the shipping prices at discount steel. thanks eg for pointing that out! :)
Let's see some photos of your new DIY rigs, people.
EdMista
06-27-2006, 09:39 PM
Nah. I just write here to look cool.
JK. I am waiting for my *&^%@* piece of alluminum.
givemefood
07-07-2006, 05:10 AM
Here's the original photo.
http://www.acorncreative.net/stable/original.jpg
I just knocked it out using Photoshop and added back the shadows.
The pictures look great. What did u use within photoshop to replace the background?
egproductions
07-07-2006, 09:23 AM
a black and white gradient no?
anyway I recieved my aluminum and am gonna go home this weekend and try to drill trhough that monster. I shouldnt have gotten it so thick (1/4") From what i have heard I can drill through it if i am patient and constantly apply motor oil to the surface so that things dont burn out.
Medialuke
07-07-2006, 11:44 AM
Beautiful footage. Perfect subtle handheld look. I love it. I was on my way out the door to buy parts to rebuild a dolly and i found this thread. I think i might just build one of these too.