How to make a tripod for....
- Thread starter atticus27
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Uhhhh... if you don't want to go out a buy a cheap tripod, just hold the camera really steady in your hands, or put it on a shelf, because really, a DIY tripod is probably way more trouble than it's worth.
I once bought a tripod for $10 at a garage sale... shitty as all hell (there's no handle, pitch or yaw... you just bolt the camera on the top and adjust the legs) but it does the job. Half the time, I just go hand-held anyway, because unless you've got a sweet-ass Manfrotto (sp?) swivel-head with fluid bolt-action mechanics, there's really not much point.
I once bought a tripod for $10 at a garage sale... shitty as all hell (there's no handle, pitch or yaw... you just bolt the camera on the top and adjust the legs) but it does the job. Half the time, I just go hand-held anyway, because unless you've got a sweet-ass Manfrotto (sp?) swivel-head with fluid bolt-action mechanics, there's really not much point.
The tripod head is the trickiest part. I've always considered a tripod to be cheap enough that it wasn't worth the trouble of making one myself.
If you don't care about weight, or telescoping legs, or smooth head movement, you could make a tripod from a caster turned upside down on a 3-legged stand with a camera mounting system in place of the wheel in the caster. You'd then be able to swivel the camera on two axis. You could build a leveling system into the legs.
That's the best I can do on short notice.
If you don't care about weight, or telescoping legs, or smooth head movement, you could make a tripod from a caster turned upside down on a 3-legged stand with a camera mounting system in place of the wheel in the caster. You'd then be able to swivel the camera on two axis. You could build a leveling system into the legs.
That's the best I can do on short notice.
yeah, it's cheaper to head to best buy and pick up a $10 tripod than to DIY one. That being said...:
A-3 4-ft 2x2's ends cut in opposing 60 degree angles (equilateral trapezoids)
B-make a equilateral triangle with 2" sides
C-put a 4"x4" chunk of thick plywood over that to stop the legs from riding up.
Drill a 1/4" hole through the center of the triangle and square.
Attach the Legs (A1-A3) short side down to the center piece (BC) with B towards the floor.
Link the three legs together with chain (rope is too stretchy) in middle of the legs if camera is too heavy for it.
put a 1/4-20 wingnut upside down onto a 1/4-20 bolt. Feed this through the hole from bottom to top of the BC unit, screw into camera until snug, then tighten wing nut to pull camera snug to the tripod.
Total cost: $20...I know, I've done it...The best buy thing worked better, but doesn't hold as much weight.
A-3 4-ft 2x2's ends cut in opposing 60 degree angles (equilateral trapezoids)
B-make a equilateral triangle with 2" sides
C-put a 4"x4" chunk of thick plywood over that to stop the legs from riding up.
Drill a 1/4" hole through the center of the triangle and square.
Attach the Legs (A1-A3) short side down to the center piece (BC) with B towards the floor.
Link the three legs together with chain (rope is too stretchy) in middle of the legs if camera is too heavy for it.
put a 1/4-20 wingnut upside down onto a 1/4-20 bolt. Feed this through the hole from bottom to top of the BC unit, screw into camera until snug, then tighten wing nut to pull camera snug to the tripod.
Total cost: $20...I know, I've done it...The best buy thing worked better, but doesn't hold as much weight.
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I am a big believer in DIY, however, I think that maybe you should bite the bullet and buy a tripod.
I tried to look up your camera, but I couldn't find it on B&H, so I don't know how big/small/heavy/light it is. But I do know that if you got your camera at say Circuit City or Best Buy, you can find a tripod of some sort there. Unless you are really good at making/building things, I don't think I would want to trust my camera to a homemade tripod.
-- spinner
I tried to look up your camera, but I couldn't find it on B&H, so I don't know how big/small/heavy/light it is. But I do know that if you got your camera at say Circuit City or Best Buy, you can find a tripod of some sort there. Unless you are really good at making/building things, I don't think I would want to trust my camera to a homemade tripod.
-- spinner
No, most cameras have a 1/4" 20 threads/inch threaded hole to which the tripod head will be screwed. In the price range your talking about, this is universal. Some very large and very expensive cameras have more industrial mounts. You can purchase virtually any tripod at a camera store, etc. Just beware that tripods have a weight limit. If you put too heavy a camera on a tripod, you might find yourself with a broken camera when the cheap, plastic quick-release breaks loose under the strain and your camera takes a nosedive on the concrete. You should be able to get a decent tripod that will hold up to 4 pounds for around $30.
Exactly.
That is why I was attempting to look up the camera to see what it looked like and possibly how heavy it was. I tend to want things to be able to handle more than I need it to, so with my DVX, I have a tripod that can carry 13lbs. Because I know that I will be attaching a shotgun mic, and when I can afford it, an on-camera light. The more weight the tripod can hold, the more it will cost, but as I've said, don't skimp on the important stuff: the camera, the tripod, the computer/edit system.
If you need to, save up for a good tripod. Don't risk your camera...
-- spinner