DIY Equipment

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A while back I posted about some available 12V DC batteries you can use from Ryobi. They've been working great and many people have adapted them on Timelapse rigs and motion controlled sliders. Here's another option. Now I'm fairly weary about posting no name battery packs, so i've been testing these for a few weeks now before I decide if they are any good.

12V DC Battery PackScreen shot 2011-07-07 at 11.19.55 AM
find-price-button CCTV 12V DC Rechargeable Li-iON w/ 5V DC USB Port

I originally purchased two of these CCTV Battery packs because of the 5V USB option. These little batteries hold quite a charge and i'm able to fully bring my dead cell phone or iPad back to life (charging through USB) several times over before needing to recharge the Pack again. These USB chargers are the most handy thing when you can't be tied to an outlet (like when traveling).

They also come with a double sided barrel connector to power up 12V DC items, and those have been coming in quite handy as well. The connector fits most standard Camera accessories, but you can always get additional ones to power up other accessories that will run on 12V or 5V DC. [Note] At Radio Shack it's 'AdaptaPlug Size N', elsewhere the common plug is 5.5mm OD and 2.5mm ID Male Plug. The battery uses negative from the outside and sends positive from the inside. Just make sure you have the inside as Positive and the Outside as Negative when making your DIY plug. You can see what that looks like, and find some easy DIY tips here: 5.5mm Male DC Plug Tips

I've been able to power up the Z96 LED light, the 312 LED Video lights, the SmallHD DP6 LCD monitor (and other monitors), the 352 LED Ring Light, and the list goes on and on. So many times you'll catch one of your accessories out of AA's or Sony's, and this backup battery solves them all. [Update] The Zoom H1 can be powered via USB, just figured that out when my AA battery was dying out on location.

I haven't done any real battery testing to see if the 3800mah /12V DC specs they list on the website is actual, but they do hold a charge and power up all my accessories for quite some time. Fairly light weight so all it takes is a bit of Velcro to hang it on the back of your Lilliput LCD monitors, or Portable LED lights that can accept DC in (like the Z96 or 312 LEDs). Unfortunately my 900 LED lights require 14V DC to be at it's 'Brightest' setting, but these little 12V DC batteries will power them up as well. Definitely not a bad price, and I have a few more on order. Trust me, i'm still putting them through the ringer. You can find them (click here).

12V DC Battery PackScreen shot 2011-07-07 at 11.19.55 AM
find-price-button CCTV 12V DC Rechargeable Li-iON w/ 5V DC USB Port

[Update] Some of these items might not ship with the correct barrel adapter which is 5.5mm OD and 2.5mm ID. A comment left by Luca has links to some adapter cables. [Thanks Luca]

I found these DC cables that should fit quite nicely. The problem is, they're quite short:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300585910349&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

So here is an extension cable:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390338648476&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3613wt_1141

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diy-slider-feet-push-up

This is just too clever. Chris writes in and shares a very easy addition for DIY sliders. If the slider is sitting on the floor directly onto the rail, the carrier usually won't be able to roll or slide. Most people end up using a block of wood to raise it up, but this simple solution using 'push up bars' is less of an eye sore a more stable setup as opposed to blocks of wood. Pretty self explanatory on how it all comes together, but Chris has more at his blog. Here Chris is using the IGUS rails which is the simplest DIY Slider solution, you can find (Click Here).

You know sometimes the simple things that stare you in the face, end up being the solution. Trust me, I have a set of these bars staring at me every day. I just pretend I don't see them...You can literally grab a set of these bars for $10 bucks (click here). [Thanks Chris]

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find-price-button Push Up Bars for DIY Slider Feet

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Mike from Sweden sends in a couple of his DIY DSLR Rig photos. Made from wood, Ikea Cutting Board, Bike Handles, and the steel parts are Ikea kitchen handles. Folds down a bit for traveling, Pretty sweet DIY [Thanks Mike]

ikea-cutting-boarddiy-shoulder-rig

Jess Paul builds a DIY shoulder rig 'around' a Tripod base. Not only acting as a counterweight of sorts, but a proper stand when he needs to set the rig down to get into tripod mode. This might be an unusual setup for some, but necessity is the mother of invention. This seems to be a good solution for the fast paced work that he does. [Thanks Jess Paul]

PVC Shoulder RigJess Paul Tripod Shoulder Rig

YouTube member vapingmonkey puts together a lengthy video on how to make a DIY PVC shoulder rig with a top handle. [Thanks CJ]

Paul writes in and shares his DIY Zoom H4n mount to a Boom Pole. Handy to have the audio recorder in sight while booming for sound. Link to Instructables Here. [Thanks Paul]

Zoom Boom Pole

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Here's a basic tip that everyone should use. Imagine someone coming in to your well kept space and unloading gear onto your cherished hardwood floors or fancy carpet. Shooting on location in million dollar homes or expensive venues? If you want to make sure you're starting out on the right foot with your host, there's one very small thing you can do. 'Lay down moving blankets'.

The first thing you should do is drop down quilted moving blankets wherever you drop your cases, tripods, light stands, or anything else you plan to bring to a borrowed location. Quilted moving blankets are a very inexpensive investment that will not only show your professionalism, but will make your host more comfortable about using their space.

Moving BlanketsQuilted Moving Blankets
find-price-button Heavy Duty Quilted Moving Blankets

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Helmet POV Camera Mount Counterweight I'm no professional when it comes to POV camera mounts, but there's got to be a good reason Vimeo member Enrique Rodriguez added counterweights to the rear of this helmet cam for DSLRs. The video is not in English, but i'm sure you can all figure it out. Looks heavy on the head, but it does serve for some pretty useful POV shots. You can find more details over at the Vimeo link. [Thanks Enrique]

Yeah I know, looks totally dangerous with the weights, but helmet mounts have been done before. Here's that stillmotion video from the NFL.

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Future mods on the J.G. Pasterjak's DIY ladder type dolly make it much more functional than before. The new materials used to assemble the dolly allows for it to be used on flat surfaces (when flipped upside down), or on a variety of track widths. The ladder dolly design allows you to use almost anything for tracks such as two conduit pipes, two square tubes, or even one solid wooden plank (as seen in the video). Personally I really like this design, as it's still a DIY, but has a much more professional look to the build. The extra heavy bars probably add more stability to the rig too. J.G. Pasterjak mentioned that these units might soon be available on the big auction website, so stay tuned for that. [Thanks J.G. Keep us posted on those units]

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Submitted by YouTube member detomaso4ag, here's a simple method to create your DIY Mini Video camera track dolly. For those who don't mind the skate wheels on a pipe track it's a cheap solution to getting smooth gliding camera movements. The trick is getting the wheels drilled in perfectly to the angle iron. If you're slightly off, then the dolly will wobble down the track. For those who aren't ready to tackle the DIY, these mini dollies already exist, found below.

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find-price-button Mini Video Camera Track Dolly

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If you have the means, the space, and the transportation, ladder track dollies are a great solution for camera movement. Rod shows how he's picked up a set of ready-made 'bolt on' dolly wheels to a simple plywood board to create an 8ft dolly capable of carrying a good amount of weight. In smaller more confined situations a slider is a must, but there's plenty of benefits to using a wider platform for stability in your shots.


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find-price-button717A Fluid Head Used on Dolly

These dolly wheels are designed to run on pipes as well, but when possible using a Ladder will provide a very firm solution that can be laid out in just about any type of terrain (gravel, grass, mud) and still maintain a super rigid track - unlike long PVC pipes. In this older article you can see how a ladder was used for a DIY Timelapse rig: http://cheesycam.com/diy-motion-controlled-timelapse/

If you're intersted in building your own dolly system, you could try some angle iron and at least 8 skate wheels + bearings, but if you're slightly off in drilling it's going to cause you quite a bit of wobble. To make things easier, these wheels that Rod is using are an inexpensive solution.

Dolly Wheel Assembly
find-price-button Bolt On Dolly Track Wheel Assembly

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Despite the name, It's not something you'll mount to your bicycle. Here's an interesting PVC configuration from Vimeo member Vu Le. The PVC rig was designed to allow multiple points to grab and stabilize, a short shoulder support, and a chest bar. The video is pretty self explanatory and in the end shows you how to make one yourself. There's some additional 'pros' and 'cons' you can find in the Vu Le's video description. [Thanks Vu]