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The DIY No Measure, Cut, Drill or Glue

HDSLR Accessory Frame and Stabilizer Rig

In The Beginning As you know, HDSLR cameras are the choice of many today. But the problem is that people who buy these cameras are upset because these type of cameras have some limitations. Actually the limitations are us. These cameras are first and foremost, a still photography digital camera. They are made for taking great looking still shots. They are not camcorders and you should not treat them as camcorders or perceive them to act like camcorders. Otherwise you should just buy a camcorder. These cameras do take good looking moving still pictures. And that is why they are still in demand.

Before buying one, understand what their limitations are. If you are buying them to take pictures of your family, that is great. If you are buying them to shoot for a client and get paid, that is another story. You may want to make short movies with them or do documentary interviews with them. They bring into mind, a new workflow. And you should be aware of that. But I’m here to talk about something else.

HDSLR cameras come with a hot shoe on them. A hot shoe is a mounting point on the top of the camera that you would normally attach a flash unit to it. You may have heard it referred to as a “cold shoe” or an "accessory shoe." But it is a hot shoe because with an attached flash, you can fire the flash by just hitting the take-the-picture shutter button. They connect to each other because of the contact points on them.

These cameras were made to hold one flash. So I was looking to buy an accessory bar to put into the hot shoe to hold more than one item. I have many items. So I didn’t want to put undue stress on that hot shoe. I have no idea what it can hold in weight before something goes wrong. Below is a small extender

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bar to go into the camera’s hot shoe and you can add about two items to the top of your camera’s hot shoe. I was considering this as my first option.

I looked around online and saw lots of rigs for the camera, some are made by companies and others were handmade as part of a DIY project. Most of them are made to act as a stabilizer, so you can carry your camera in both of your hands and keep a steady shot.

My interest in making the frame, was for shooting documentary interviews. More of a stationary area. I was not worried about hand holding anything. (Of course that will change.) As a byproduct of the accessory DIY frame, it will become a hand holding stabilizing product or rig for me. And because I was looking for a hot shoe extender bar (they are short), this gave me the idea to look for something bigger, but not for the camera’s shoe . Since I like the look of a frame and not a cage, and they’re a little higher in price, I decided to try a DIY build.

In my quest for items on eBay, and they come in centimeters and not inches a lot of the time; that is how the world works, but my ruler at home has both. So by just mapping out what I needed and then deciding on my parts, I sent away for all the eBay items roughly at the same time.

I got all my frame parts from either “bidding low” or finding “buy now” items, and free shipping to cut down on the cost. I was hoping for a price of less than $30 for my build. Without the extra “extenders”, I was under the cost. I found that about $70 was the lowest frame/cage rig price online at eBay or at other camera related items websites.

Here is the end result of the accessory frame I fastened together with all the parts from eBay. From searching on eBay, I was able to find these things.

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My DIY Parts List

2 – Metal Camera Holder Flash Bracket ($6.36 each)

The brackets are about 10 ½ ” long. Actually they are for mounting two flashes on to them or maybe putting them on a light stand (or tripod) that has a screw on the top. Since not all of them do. Also as and extender, you can place your camera on one side, and put your flash on the other end.

They each come with two mounting screw adapters, that can slide in the long holes. They come mounted on. You can take them off or add more by sliding it to the end where there are screw groves, and you catch the groves and slowly turn to remove or to add one. They also have rubber grips on top to help protect things as best as they can. There is also a hole in the middle that can take a ¼”-20 screw on both brackets. The mounting screws have holes on the bottom of them, to screw things into them.

2 – Sponge Handle Holder Grips with 1/4” -20 screw and hole ($6.83 each)

I found these sponge handles (almost 4 3/4’’) grips that can be use to screw into a point and shoot camera, and attach it to your belt loop when not shooting. They have ¼”-20 screw on one side and an opening on the other when you detach the belt ring. You can put two together and make one long

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handle. Now, these particular ones that I have are like two-tone colors, and I keep the blue side to me when shooting. Maybe I could dye the blue side black. You can find all black if you try or different colors. Also, you can remove the sponge, and expose the hard plastic handle, and if you want, wrap it with whatever tape you want to.

2 - Metal Shoe Mount Adapters ($1.68 each)

Well you need something to hold the top of the accessory frame together. These shoe mounts are going to act like a nut on the end of the mounting screws at the top of the DIY accessory frame. When you are setting up your accessory fame, mount these items, from the top down first. Set your shoe mounts in the right direction you want and then screw into them. They have a ¼”-20 hole on the bottom, you can put them on a tripod, or any other pole with the same size screw.

2 - 1/4" Camera Tripod Screw Adapter to Flash Hot Shoe

Once the parts were paid for and eventually on their way, I was thinking of how to attach the frame to the tripod. I came up with this idea. I searched eBay, and I ordered two more mounting bracket screw adapters for the frame. One to go into the top and one for the bottom Theses screw adapters also have

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a hole in the bottom of them to screw into them (the tripod). When they showed up, they were just a “little taller” than the ones that came with the brackets.

So I used them for the bottom bracket and I screwed them into the bottom of the grip handles. I just moved the original screws in the bracket to the end, and unscrewed them and replaced them with the new taller ones.

I put the original mounting bracket screw into the center hole on the bottom bracket in order for the tripod plate to be screwed into it. As you can see, there is a ¼”-20 hole in the bottom of each screws. The other screw went to the top bracket middle hole. I had another cold shoe adapter hanging around and added it to the top middle screw on the top bracket. That gave me an accessory point there.

With the mounting bracket screwed in the middle of the bottom bracket , I now screwed it into the camera’s bottom. (Or unless you have a release plate there) Do that first, then attach the tripod plate to the bottom of the bracket.

The Assembly When you get all of the parts in the mail, you can start to assemble your DSLR accessory frame and stabilizer rig. Just don’t over tighten the rig mounting screws.

If you add the two extra screw adapters to the brackets, by slowly screwing them in; you have your accessory frame and stabilizer sort of ready to go. You can add a camera to the bottom bracket and screw that in first, then you can attach a tripod plate to the bottom of it. Then you can use your tripod as a table to hold your frame, so you can rest yours arms in between your movie shots. Now, if you’re just interviewing people, then you are set to go when your frame is sea worthy, and you’re ready to shoot.

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As a substitution

If you are in a hurry and have all the other components, and don’t have the top mounts, then you can get a ¼” washer and wing nut for the top bracket to hold it in place. Find it at Home Depot. ($1.88 each pkg.)

The finished accessory frame and stabilizer rig .

One thing about this build is that when you are finished, you can unscrew everything, take it apart and fold it flat for travel or until the next time you need it.

This mounting accessory frame above has the two cold shoe mounts on the top corners to lock the frame in place, (Add a 3rd to the top center screw.) and has both extra screws added to the center hole of each bracket. You could add two more screws to the top if you wanted. You can add them to the long holes on the top. You could put a small shotgun microphone up there. Don’t pimp it out too much. (Weight?)

Extras

You can add a quick release plate to the bottom bracket, ($10 or less on eBay) that will allow you to slide out your camera to change batteries quicker.

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If you can, you should always start your shoot with fully charged batteries. You may consider in the future a battery grip from eBay for your camera. Because you can shoot longer between battery changes.

Some companies sell additional “extensions” for their frame/cage rigs to extend the top flat plate/bracket up higher. This comes into play with the addition of a quick release plate, rods or a battery grip for the camera.

I have a battery grip for my camera. And I know I will be using it in the future. Why, well because it will house 2 batteries, so twice the power and maybe twice the shooting time. I did an experiment and found that I can put one battery in the battery grip, and guess what? It worked, go figure. So I needed to raise the spongy hand grips higher to accommodate the battery grip. (And release plate when I use it.)

Again, and still searching on eBay I found this contraption and bought it.

VideoSecu - 1/4" x 20 Threads Camera Mounting Bracket ($1.00 plus $4.99 S/H)

I got 2 extensions for like three dollars each. (Cheapest was $14 each elsewhere.) They are just a little taller than what the cage rig companies have, and way cheaper too. It is a wall mounting camera bracket, and it is all ¼”-20 size. As you can see from above, it has 2 extensions, actually 3, but the other is a small one. I thought I would just use the extensions but I also found use for the rotating ball head. That takes the cost down more for 3 items. I used this double nut shoe mounting adapter below, an item that I already owned. You can screw into the bottom of the ball head and then slide it into the cold shoe.

With the ball head adapter, and standing behind the camera, I can take my zoom recorder and tilt it back towards me to see that it is recording, especially if you are sitting during an interview. I like the tilt effect, you might also. They have these shoe mounts with also a single nut screw ring on them for sale, I recommend getting it with the double nut ring. You can always remove the second ring and have it if you need it later.

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As you can see from the arrows above, , the accessory frame with the extension is taller now and makes room for the camera with the battery grip attached. Next thing is to add a quick release plate and see how she does. And we test for integrity of the frame before doing anything shooting.

Idea note:

If you have a “lighter camera” and no plate, then you could possibly get these two items below and put them on top of the lower bracket and you might have an inexpensive release plate. Screw the double nut into the bottom of the “light weight” camera and the other on the middle screw of the bottom bracket. And you might need skinny fingers.

Well ladies and gentlemen, that is it for now.

Remember, if you take care of your gear, your gear will take care of you. This is a DIY frame accessory stabilization rig. It was an “experiment.” It is not expensive like the other rigs, and it also may not be as solid as them. Don’t forget to run the neck strap through your arm or around your neck when doing hand held shots for camera safety. You need to make sure every time you use it, it is put together correctly and tighten correctly. You must be the judge. Test before using. Buyer beware.

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One more thing again, do not over tighten this DIY

I have to say that I was motivated by the Frugal Filmmaker’s stabilization rig #2, where he used “L-brackets.” Could this be #3? (My thanks to him and his website of all his work.) I did not want a stabilization rig; just something to help with housing my accessories. So it seems that I got two things out of it. Later I found a guy’s video doing the same thing. Watching him just cemented my idea of this build. So If you are doing an interview or a moving shot, remember, practice makes perfect.

Using PVC maybe a little cheaper, but no measure, cut, drill or glue; I can live with that. Everything was free shipping.

I’m giving you the names I used to find these items on eBay, sometimes it may change, or you may not find things, just change the names around and hunt. That may help with finding these items at the best price. The prices may vary from time to time. Good luck.

Thanks for your time, hope this helps a little, tell me what you think?

Until,

André Campbell 139 West Productions