Making a Camera Stabilizer

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening to everyone out there. It’s Pat Nagle here with yet another DIY project to keep those photo minds inspired. I am writing to you today from the road with some creative knowledge. It seems that all of our projects thus far have been directed to lighting so I thought I would switch things up with this month’s DIY. Today we’ll be making a camera stabilizer. It can cost a pretty penny to do something so simple as stabilizing video, which is why I have a great alternative that will cost just $15 and can be done in 15 minutes! This can be a great tool to use for when we shoot video on the go and show some wonderful smooth motion in our shots. All it takes is a quick trip to the hardware store and a few tools that can be found in the garage.

Here are the tools and materials that we will be working with:

• Power Drill

• 3 Galvanized Steel Pipes (6-8 inches long)

• ½ inch metal T Joint

• Metal end caps

• ½ inch metal flange

• 1-inch-thick wood

• ¾ inch screws

• ¼ inch machine bolt

• 2.5 lb weight plate

So now that we have all the materials in hand we can get started. First step is very simple. Just start connecting all of our metal pieces. You will see that we have created a sideways “T”. The top part is where our camera will mount and the bottom is where the weight will go. We also now have a handle off to the side to help carry the device. Next you will take the flange and place it on your block of wood. The size of the block depends on the camera that you will use. My DSLR with my Tamron 35mm lens fit nicely on a 6”x 6” piece. Screw the flange into the center of the block with 3 screws and leaving one space open. This will be where our machine bolt goes in. Then take the ¼ inch drill bit and drill through that empty hole all the way through the block of wood. Take your machine bolt and place that through the flange and out the other side. Once that is done, screw the flange side onto the end of the metal pipe with no end cap. Now all you have left to do is take the weight plate and place that onto the bottom end of the pipe. Screw on the end cap so the weight stays in place. You’re done! I took a final step and spray painted the whole thing black. This of course is optional, but it makes it look a little more professional. Now it’s time to go and test out our new stabilizer.

I have included a short clip shot with my Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC USD. You will see the type of smooth shots that can be done using our homemade stabilizer with minimal post work.

Have fun everyone and happy shooting!