Getting your camera low or in a small space unlocks new shooting opportunities, but it can be challenging. Jay P. Morgan has some great DIY camera rigs that will raise your photo and video game to a new level.
In this video, Jay P. shows you how to build these three simple and cheap rigs from scratch. You don’t need fancy tools, lots of bits and pieces, or too much time. Plus, you only need around $10 to make each of them, if not less – since you may already have some of these items at home.
[Related reading: Make yourself this DIY camera stabiliser rig for under $5]
What you’ll need
First, let’s take a trip to a hardware store. Or just open Amazon in a different tab. :) Keep in mind that Amazon doesn’t normally sell a single piece of each of these items, so some of these cost over $10. But as I said, you can find them in your local craft store, or perhaps you even have them at home. You’ll need:
- 3/8″ machine screws and nuts
- A 2×4 to 4×4 T-hinge
- A 3/8″ thick wooden board (long enough to make three rig bases)
- Adhesive rubber feet
- A round magnet (3.20″ diameter, 0.445″ thick, holds 95 pounds)
- Hole X 1-1/2″ neoprene rubber fender washers
DIY camera rig #1
You need a piece of wood cut to approximately 7.5” x 8”. Drill a hole in the middle slightly larger than 3/8″. Countersink it so your screw head sits nice and flat and doesn’t stick out. Turn the piece of wood, add a washer to your screw, and attach a ball head onto it. And that’s about it! Now you can add your camera to the tripod head and place your DIY rig as low as it gets.
What’s more, you can get even lower with this rig. Use a 1/4” 20 screw and attach your camera directly onto it, without the ball head in between. For stabilization, you can add sandbags on each side of your rig. To keep it from sliding, you can add the adhesive rubber feet on the corners or just glue the remaining rubber washers.
DIY camera rig #2
The next DIY camera rig is a “T-hinge rig.” Again, it’s a pretty simple build, but you may need to drill the middle hole and make it a bit larger to feed a 3/8″ screw through it. You need a short screw, a washer that makes everything nice and tight, and add a ball head on top.
A problem here is that you can’t countersink the surface as you did with the previous build; the metal is too thin. So, the screw head sticks out and makes the build wobbly. This is where the rubber feet come in handy again. Stick them on each corner and they’ll level the surface and make the rig stable. It also lets you place your camera at a super-low angle, Jay P. even filmed a shot with it under his car.
DIY camera rig #3
The third DIY camera rig is my favorite from this video. It uses a strong magnet that lets you attach your camera to a fridge or any other metal surface. The magnet comes with a hole in the middle, but you may need to drill it to make a 3/8” screw fit. Add two washers to the screw, one on the top and one on the bottom, and screw your ball head onto it.
This rig will easily hold a 5-6-pound camera and let you attach it to any metal surface around your home, studio, or shooting location. I’ve never seen a DIY rig like this, and I really like the idea. And it’s so cheap and simple to make!
Have you already tried making any of these camera rigs before? Or do you plan on doing it? Let us know how it works for you!
[3 DIY Camera Rigs For Under $10 | The Slanted Lens]
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