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| My Stabilizer Rig For Under $10 |
If you use a GoPro like I do (Hero 3) or any camera you probably know what I'm talking about. Those little cameras are amazing but shaky unless you can figure out a way to stabilize the camera. Of course, they sell a gazillion accessories to use with the GoPros but the price on some of them can get a little high. I purchased and tried of few methods of my own.
What worked and what didn't.
Instead spending all your money on GoPro accessories why not try using something laying around the house. Last year, I tried a number of different methods.
- GoPro on the end of a Swiffer handle. (liked it)
- GoPro on the end of a broom handle. (too heavy)
- GoPro mounted to my digging shovel (not so good but interesting view from the shovel)
- GoPro mounted on a golf club. (liked it)
- GoPro Chesty (don't waste your money)
- Head mount (don't waste your money)
- Ski Pole (works well while skiing..not metal detecting)
To be honest, the two methods I liked the most was the golf club (club removed of course) and the Swiffer handle. However, I always fought with the golf club. It seemed to get in the way a lot and it was a pain to carry around but it worked really well once you stuck it in the ground for the still shots.
The Swiffer handle was what I used the most. It was compact and light but the videos were still pretty shaky. Most of my videos were recorded using the Swiffer technique. I think I got better towards the end of the year but you be the judge. My YouTube channel is linked here. (shameless plug)
My new camera has arrived!
This year I upped my game a bit. I spent a little more money on a new Olympus TG-3. I heard good things about the camera and wanted something that I could take under water like the GoPro and it has an optical zoom feature which is something the GoPro lacks. It also has some stabilization controls built into the camera so things won't be as shaky. (I hope)
Get to the point! What about this cheap rig?
Regardless, I stumbled across this video posted by thefrugalfilmmaker. In the video, he shows you how to make a cheap stabilizer rig for under $5. I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. I did make some changes to his design and spent more like $10 at my local hardware store.
Since I'm not using a huge camera, I wanted something lightweight and something I could attach to a belt loop and keep out of the way. I also needed a way to hold the camera with one hand and continue digging with the other. Most importantly, I wanted a method that would reduce the shakes and smooth out the videos. The picture above is result of my labor of a couple of hours. Painting took the longest time.
Did it really make a difference?
The video referenced above has some test video in it that he did himself. I've done several tests at home and I can say with confidence that this method will work. The video tests I've done appear as if your flying around instead of walking. Its definitely a lot smoother. Actually, its pretty amazing! Its definitely something to consider for all you YouTubers out there.
Would I make additional modifications?
After making my version of the stabilizer, I think I should have made it a little smaller. I'm not sure my version will be compact enough. I probably could have dropped it down another 2 inches. Either way it will fit both cameras without any problems. I think I'm going to run into the issue of it falling over if I set it down and the wind catches it, so I might add something to the legs in case I need to set it down and continue recording. However, my goal is to keep it compact, lightweight and out of my way.
Hope if was helpful. If you have any other ideas let me know. Email me mentalmetal314@gmail.com or leave a comment below.
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