Home Made Gear: Being a retired toolmaker ive decided im going to tinker in the workshop . What I am planning on making is a base plate to mount an extra ballhead Ihave onto. This...

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

Being a retired toolmaker ive decided im going to tinker in the workshop .
What I am planning on making is a base plate to mount an extra ballhead Ihave onto. This plate is intended to be used for ground level shots - I know some will say just use a bean bag but i think the ball head will give me more flexibility. Should be much easier to use than a widley spread out tripod.

Has anyone else made something like this or know of a product out there similar ?? If there is such a product out there it may act as a guide for my creation. It may take some experimentation as to size and weight.

Now that Ive spewed out this question I wonder about others inventions/homemade gear ??? Ive seen lots of different homemade flash diffusers but there must be more things ??

Cant wait to hear from some of the "Creatives" out there !!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I mounted a small ball head inside an 8" aluminum skillet for just such a purpose, easy to handle and keeps the head dry in case the ground is damp. Skillet cost nothing as it was an old one I was going to throw out with peeling Teflon coating and the 3/8" bolt was in the spare parts bin. I did have to use a dab of silicone on the hole to make sure it sealed against the moisture though.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Here's a pic that illustrates the problem. My Manfrotto has a reversible center column that gets the camera down to ground level, but then all the controls are reversed and hard to use. My thought is a gimble type thing that would hang from the center column and allow the ball head to be mounted right side up. :)

Would also like to see a tripod mounted beer can holder. ;)

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

MT Shooter wrote:

I mounted a small ball head inside an 8" aluminum skillet for just such a purpose, easy to handle and keeps the head dry in case the ground is damp. Skillet cost nothing as it was an old one I was going to throw out with peeling Teflon coating and the 3/8" bolt was in the spare parts bin. I did have to use a dab of silicone on the hole to make sure it sealed against the moisture though.

old skillet .... nice weight , inventive !!!

BrianS

I cut up a tubular leg from an old tripod to make an RF cam for a Canon SLR lens, to use on the Leica

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8346/8286120180_e508701f6f_z.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8501/8285061665_02034fbe05_z.jpg

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

here's a DIY Gimbal head and capture taken using it at Bosque del Apache last January.
Dave, East River, SD

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

MT Shooter wrote:

I mounted a small ball head inside an 8" aluminum skillet for just such a purpose, easy to handle and keeps the head dry in case the ground is damp. Skillet cost nothing as it was an old one I was going to throw out with peeling Teflon coating and the 3/8" bolt was in the spare parts bin. I did have to use a dab of silicone on the hole to make sure it sealed against the moisture though.

There IS a product like that on the market but the skillet idea is very good.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

rpavich wrote:

There IS a product like that on the market but the skillet idea is very good.

from my view most DIY stuff - like my Gimbal head - is also commercially available...just not so economically. The really innovative DIY items are inventions deserving patent!
Dave in East River, SD

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

rpavich wrote:

There IS a product like that on the market but the skillet idea is very good.

Do you know the product name ??

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I know exactly what you mean. It is clumsy trying to use the camera upside down. The buttons hide and shift all over the place. :-)
Depending on the lens, one way around this is to use a tripod mount and swivel the lens in it so that the camera is still right way up. Obviously not all lenses have a tripod mount but it works a treat for 100mm ground level macro shots.

OddJobber wrote:

Here's a pic that illustrates the problem. My Manfrotto has a reversible center column that gets the camera down to ground level, but then all the controls are reversed and hard to use. My thought is a gimble type thing that would hang from the center column and allow the ball head to be mounted right side up. :)

Would also like to see a tripod mounted beer can holder. ;)

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

OddJobber wrote:

Here's a pic that illustrates the problem. My Manfrotto has a reversible center column that gets the camera down to ground level, but then all the controls are reversed and hard to use. My thought is a gimble type thing that would hang from the center column and allow the ball head to be mounted right side up. :)

Would also like to see a tripod mounted beer can holder. ;)

Odd, why would you need a beer holder?
I eliminated the need for one by drinking my sixpack while I'm driving to the shooting location.
That also allows me to have both hands free, since it aids in grabbing something to hold myself up, if I'm about to fall down!! SS

mistermug

I drilled a small hole in a Nikon camera cap, not all the way through although it doesn't matter. It is the same size as the pin on the lens housing of the camera. I'm not sure if this would work on newer Nikons as I only have older film cameras. The hole goes over the pin anad locks the cap to the housing the same way as a lens. Can't come off unless you depress the lens release button.

jerryj98501 Loc: Olympia Washington

Go and search on Youtube, there is a DIY article there. Jerryj98501

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

jerryj98501 wrote:

Go and search on Youtube, there is a DIY article there. Jerryj98501

got a link?

bersharbp Loc: Texas

Two versions from years ago for a focus diffusion filter: (easy and cheap to make)

1. cut a piece of gauze big enough to fit over your lens, then cut a hole in the center and dye the gauze black. After it dries, place it over your lens and hold it with a rubber band. Makes a great focus filter, ie,. for portraits. Keeps the center in focus and the outer edges blurred. You can experiment with the size and shape of the hole to create some very interesting effects.
Different colors of dyes also creates some neat effects.

2. You can also smear Vaseline around the edges of an old skylight filter, for a similar effect.