DIY Steadicam™ (Camera counter balance) // How-To | I Like To Make Stuff
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- For more info on how to create your own DIY Steadicam (camera counter balance) visit
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GoPro camera test footage: • Video
After I got our of college, I was the “grown up” among my friends (most of whom were still in school). They were living in small apartments, eating too much pizza, going to the beach a 3 am. I was married, had a house… and a workshop.
The fact that I loved to make things worked really well with the fact that a bunch of my art student friends didn’t have access to the tools and space that they wanted to accomplish their art. One of my really good friends (the extremely talented Anthony Dodero) was shooting some film work and wanted a couple of simple jigs to get improve the shots. One of them involved cantilevering a camera out a car window (crazy, dangerous, etc) but the other was pretty easy to figure out.. a really simple camera counter balance.
Steadicam is a brand name, but the word has become synonymous with a unit to help stabilize hand held camera shots. The real Steadicam units are often MUCH larger and are mounted to a chest harness to help distribute the weight of the rig to your torso. Since we were looking for something on a college student budget, we went with steel pipe from a big box store.
Check out this really simple build below, and if you’ve got suggestions for add-ons/improvements please leave them in the comments!
Here’s what you’ll need:
(purchasing via these affiliate links supports ILTMS)
3 lengths of 3/4″ steel pipe
3/4″ steel pipe T fitting
1/4-20 x 1 ” screw and two 1/4-20 nuts
2 3/4″ steep pipe caps
1 3/4″ steel pipe flange
1″ PVC pipe (about 6″ in length)
Duct tape
Flat black spray paint
I started with some 3/4″ steel pipe, fittings, PVC and some bolts & nuts.
It’s really simple, I screw the pieces together, except for the top cap.
I drilled a hole through the top cap, using a clamp to stabilize it.
I pushed a screw up through it and tightened on a nut. A second nut was added, but not tightened.
Then the cap was added to the assembly.
This is essentially finished, but there’s a lot of friction when you hold the pipe directly.
I cut a piece of 1″ PVC pipe a little longer than my fist.
I cut it in half on the bandsaw.
Then I cut it into quarters. Only three of the four are needed.
A sanding block removes the burrs very quickly.
I needed to remove the angle from the cut edge using a belt sander.
This is what they looked like afterward. All three pieces needed this.
The pieces then fit perfectly around the steel pipe.
I laid out a bed of duct tape then laid the PVC pieces in place, outer edge to outer edge.
Using a sharp knife, I trimmed off the tape from the top and bottom.
Then I trimmed off the tape from one side.
The PVC wrapped around nicely, and the remaining tape folded over to make it into a sleeve.
Here you can see why the corners needed to be removed.
After removing the sleeve and the screw/nuts, I sprayed the whole thing black.
I screwed the flange into a scrap of wood to use as a clamping base.
In this case, I clamped a brick to counter weight the camera, but this can be swapped out with whatever weight item needed.
Last I screwed on the camera, and tightened the nut up to it snuggly.
I have three side by side tests in the video above!
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DIY Steadicam™ (Camera counter balance) // How-To | I Like To Make Stuff
• DIY Steadicam™ (Camera...
I Like To Make Stuff
/ iliketomakestuff
I made one of these (almost identical) about 10 years ago, but I bought a 2.5 lb free weight to bolt to the bottom, and my lower rod was much longer. If you put a 2' pipe on the bottom you'd notice a lot more stability (IE. Long pendulums move slower = steadier shots) and a lighter weight would allow you to hold it up longer.
Charles Hanson Good call!
Charles Hanson But also is longer, making it harder to maneuver, especially in tight spaces and when you are moving around with it quickly.
Definitely a balance there somewhere.
Charles Hanson yep i am sure the farther the weight is from the pivot point (Bob's wrist) and the heavier the weight... the steadier the shot will become.
But Bob's device is definitely a managable size to carry round... maybe a back to back piper adapter to allow a quick take apart for a longer shaft.... anyway a very useful project Bob. Great Job.
Stewart McGill , seigeengine The point is that it IS harder to maneuver so it doesn't shake, and the skill and artistry required to use it takes that into account. As far as getting into tight spots, well, if you mean vertically then you have a point, but mostly a 3-4 foot pole isn't too hard to get into most places for shooting video. With my rig, I once used the camera itself as the counter weight at the bottom for a floor level tracking shot. It looked great! A 12" lower pipe with 30 lbs will not be as stable as a 36" pipe with 2 lbs. The weight is actually more important so the camera doesn't make the rig top heavy, reducing control.
Stewart McGill It's also important to remember with a rig like this, your arm is still doing the vast majority of the stabilizing. The rig is just keeping your arm from overcompensating all the time.
One simple thing that would probably improve this is to make put grip above the tee, or use a much shorter piece of pipe above the tee. Right now, the grip is about half way between the weight and the camera, so any swing in the weight is translated almost 1:1 to the camera. Whatever you can do to change that ratio will decrease the movement that is translated to the camera.
I came here and sub because of Jimmy and now this guy sends me back to him lol. Come admit it guys DIY is more addictive than soaps and reality TV.
same
i think DiY is the new Crack. hahaha
+ig33ku lol :)
For heavens sake dont forget to keep MAKING STUFF!! So many youtubers are makng ads for their sponsors or just making boring chin-wagging pieces about what they might be doing if they ever get back to making stuff, or becoming computer programmers with CNC machines. Thank you for being one of the few people in the past few weeks to actually MAKE something!!!
Was just out filming something yesterday with a guy that made his own steady cam. He borrowed a bunch of tips from the UAV community, like taking two carbon fiber plates and partially compressing wire cable and silicon O-rings between them that dampened damn-near everything. You could extend the top of this simple rig with a dampening plate like that and it'd probably go the last mile for you. Good work - and congrats on the "promotion"!
for my eye it does help loads its not herky jerky it does move but its smoother and doesnt hurt my head good project and congrats on the new adventure in life (this being your new full time gig)
C.J. phillipson Thanks CJ!!
Nice rig! I like the ability to tension pvc sleeve.
"Hey i'm Bob and I like to make stuff"I liked this intro!
Your shows are the best! ! You need to be on hgtv!! I feel that a show like yours definitely encourages family time. After watching the long board episode, Both my brothers want to make one. And my dad is happy he gets to take them to home Depot instead of gamestop.
All you were missing was some black powder to go with your galvanized pipes and caps. Made me think of a Forensic Files episode. :-). Curved jaw vise grips work like a charm to hold small to medium size round objects when drilling. You can make a spinning handle by reaming out a 3/4" SCH 40 PVC pipe using a 7/8" bit. The fit is excellent. Great video.
Bob...the builder.
A year later and somebody is still watching. Nicely shot video and well explained. Since I'm using a gopro session I think pvc should work well enough weight-wise. Thank you.
Seriously just found your channel and I love how I know what the video is going to be about and through the intro splash within 9 seconds. I don't have time to watch 1 min intro videos every video and I love the content. Instasubscribed!
Nice one Bob. I'm playing with this idea myself.
This might be my second time watching this, don't recall, but it looks familiar. A recommendation would be on the locking nut that you are using, use a wing nut, easier to lock down with a little more force if needed, and easy to get undone when needed as well. I have been an avid follower for a few months now, and keep it up!
I had to go back to see what the text was at the end. ha ha. I personally think it made quite an improvement on all of the tests. It was not so much in the center of the focal plane, but toward the edges. I got more of a "sick feeling" when I was looking at the hand-held ones. Good project.....again!
Great project Bob , I"m going to make one
Interesting idea.
The bit about commercial Steadicam rigs and other handheld rigs that actually makes them work is the moving parts. The handle you're holding should be connected to the main shaft with pivoting sections. That way, the inertia of the weight at the bottom keeps the camera steady as your hand moves every which way.
Use a loose wingnut instead of a second hex nut on the camera bolt. It's a breeze to tighten and loosen quickly.
Great video. Love how you explain each step and little tidbits for why you do certain things. I've been wanting to make one of these for my go pro, so this should do the trick.
I may be wrong but you seem happier now than before quitting the old job. If so, I'm happy for you! Now keep then projects coming! Cheers man!
I definitely am :) Thanks so much!!
Nice & simple, good work as always Bob.
Ben Brandt Thanks Ben!
Very cool. Looks like I've got another project on my list.
You gotta try Gaffers tape, it's similar to Duct tape, but better in every way!
bro if you can't duct it fuck it
jetpowered1
Heck yes, gaffers tape is awesome. I still keep a roll of duct around for any pseudo-permanent applications, but gaffers is my go-to
Best intro on RUclips
Nice rig Bob. I want to get more into story telling and will be building some DIY camera rigs to use in the field. Thanks for being sharing. Jeff
Nice split screen comparison. Cool video, Bob!
***** Thanks!
The key to a "SteadiCam" is having a live gimbal to compensate for movement. This can easily be made and there are plenty of instructions on the internet. Check it out; it would make a huge improvement to your rig. Great job!
Really cool love these camera type videos
Great project Bob!
Thanks! I was showing someone your work last night!
I Like To Make Stuff Hahaha! Awesome! Thanks for passing my work along. I'm jealous that you guys were at Maker Fair. It looks like your having a good time. I might have to go there next year...
Nice job on this video ... clear, simple instructions with explanatuon of process all the way through. Good!!! I subscribed for more ...
the pvc grip idea was clever!
Very cool, been wanting to make one of these for a while. Might have to do that soon!
Hey, You can use foam absorbing foam and mechanism that can block PVC's grip in order to make rid of bouncies when walking or running :)
thanks for this video, I'm thinking of building something like this and this video helped with some pretty cool ideas. Especially the duct tape sleeve idea.
You make this seem so easy dude I would love to start making t-shirts
Very cool!!
Thanks for sharing! and good luck with the new full time venture.
Nett Air Thanks!
Now I know how those things work! Cool. Thanks
Nice and simple! I like it!
That is awesome Bob! Love your work and creativity!
There is still missing one axis movement (front-back)...therefore still a bit shaky. I had the same problem when I was building metal parts for my trailer connection to the bike, however I see this a bit more complicated. Maybe something like ball-bearing, but camera hanging from it instead sitting on top? It would produce upside-down video but that is easy to edit. I'll definitely try to build something with your idea!
Awesome videos just found you're channel today! You explain everything very well and it's filmed perfectly !! Love it definitely a fan 👍🏻👍🏻 keep up the good work
Thanks so much!
I made this out of wood actually. Really easy to made and after hanging a 5KG weight on the bottom, it worked perfectly. Thanks for the inspiration ;)
Sir U R done very good for every pipal to how u can do your self in your life i heats of u thank u very Much
very helpful idea, I'll need to make one for when my nephew helps me video. Thanks for the video
You could also punch the cap before drilling, so the hole would be near the center. Just a tip.
apinakapinastorba good call!
This is really cool, Im really interested in DIY stuff like this but I don't have any materials and I'm just a teenager lol
likes your confidence every single time (Y )
Nice video. I really like the new version of brainpick.
Inertia is the number one factor in all Steadicams. They work by both adding mass, and distributing that mass in different directions. You'd be surprised what results you may get by simply folding up the legs of your tripod and running around holding it by the legs.
One key ingredient that make the big rigs work as they do is having your hands be as close to the center of gravity of the entire rig as possible. This gives you the most control over the rig. Perhaps play with adding weights to the top as well. The ONLY benefit to adding weights to the bottom, or moving the hand grip farther up the post (which achieves the same bottom-heavy effect) is to help maintain a level horizon. However, there is a sweet spot you must find. Too bottom heavy, and you have a rig that acts like a pendulum. Not bottom heavy enough, and it's more difficult to detect when the rig isn't perfectly plumb (and yes, I mean PERFECT - like within a half a degree of 0). We call this measure of the bottom heaviness of a rig "drop time", and although it is mostly used when talking about rigs with gimbals, the same principles can be applied to any rig.
Feel free to throw any other questions about these contraptions my way. They really are amazing machines - so simple and yet so complicated at the same time. My very first rig, I made myself ages ago and looked very much like this one in the video. I've since upgraded to the monster seen in my profile picture, but the principles guiding both are still the same. Fascinating!
I love DIY and learning stuff. It's your attitude to the idiot comments that made me subscribe though. Well done!
Try using a few ball bearings and making it bottom heavy. The ball bearings should be connecting to an external arm which is solely held. This will allow the video to be stabilised with the ball bearings. Look at a few more diy videos, it will help. Thanks
If you want to remove even more upwards vibration, it could help to put a spring between the handle and the T splitter, maybe even a linear bearing instead of the handle?
now you're talking !
Thanks, and keep on trucking !
Another way to do this would be to create a "C" shaped object where you mount the camera on the top of the lower part of the "C" and hand hold the upper part. This way, the camera is also the weight. Twisting your wrist give the left & right pan capability. If the upper part if curved, rather than straight, you would have some ability to control the pitch. One downside is that the camera is set lower, although this will be a problem depending on your subject matter.
It would be fun to develop the details for this alternative.
Not gonna read all the comments to see if anyone else has suggested it, but what about adding 3 gyros (homemade of course) as a means of stabilizing the pitch, roll, and yaw axis? I'm not a filmmaker, so I don't know if that's a "thing" but I do know that gyros are used extensively in the aviation industry. It seems like three simple battery powered electric motors each spinning a wheel (even just a plywood wheel from say a 3 or 4 inch hole saw) would add incredible stability.
This is AWESOME!!! 10/10
Good work!!
Great video, Bob! :)
Hey Bob, great video! I actually made my own version of a DIY rig using similar steel piping materials. Essentially, I created a dual handheld rig, which is my preferred kind of stabilization. I also wrapped it in Black and Red electrical tape which really made it look awesome. The price only ended up being $45 for me. Please, feel free to look at my video on my channel under the DIY Builds playlist if you'd like to see how it turned out! (it's 13 min long, so scrub thru it if you want). Also, If you'd like me to link it in the comments I can, I just didn't want to be "that guy" haha. Just simply trying to add my suggestions. Thanks for this video!
Hmmm interesting Bob, I wonder if a small metal disc with a motor spinning it on the bottom would make a gyroscope effect for even more stability. I bet you can come up with a rig instead of just a counter weight.
this is really great!
Thinking about working some bearings into the sleeve, and a shock mount for the top, building the shock mount will be significantly harder
Sweet dude! Have a great time in Cali!
Interesting, thanks for sharing
Hey Bob,
In the video you use a 1 inch PVC pipe but in the description it state "1 1/2″ PVC pipe".
Thank you for the great video! I'm building one myself but I got the wrong PVC pipe because of the description.
Cheers.
+Francisco Morgado Gomes Doh! Sorry about that.. fixing now.
if you want to make something, you have to think yourself too
Good job, this very nice, congratulation...
Really AWESOME :) I film a lot so this will be handy
Peter Matthew Awesome to hear! I'd love to know how it works from someone with more experience, please let me know!
Just a suggestion, you should also put the pvc pipe around the horizontal pipe as well
Sean Klimczak great point!
thanks for showing us
USE A SOFT SPRING from the pvc to the handle to absorb the vertical movmen more.
Hey bob, what about addind some springs above and below the sleeve to help compensating the walking bounce ? Of course, you'll have to change a little bit the design of the steadycam, to have the sleeve maintained (with springs) from the top and the bottom equally.
Benoit R That's a great idea! It'd be cool to see how that'd work. I assume you've have to play with the spring tension a bit to find the sweet spot.
I Like To Make Stuff should I expect from you the video about that ?
Sweet rig :)
Great idea, Thank you
I Like To Make Stuff it would be a great workout....lol. Nice idea.
that's pretty cool, and very useful...........................
I put an wing nut upside down on the top to pressure against the camera. It's a lot easier to get a tight fit that way.
David DeGraw Good call!
Nice project Bob. I could use one of these. The real version cost a lot of $$$. Thanks.
That was interesting!
Yeaaa steady cam!
How did you start on stuff like this?
All of your projects seem to be pretty simple anyone can do jobs, I've loved so much of what you have done and added them to my dream to do list and the way you have them set out and filmed them is so easy to follow and to try myself.
Craig Dick That's awesome to hear Craig, I hope you find them helpful!! As far as getting started, I've always tinkered with stuff to some degree. Just a lot of curiosity in me :)
A genius! Thank you!
Love you videos! Have you thought of doing a quad copter build?
I have. Hopefully at some point!
I have an idea to improve it. You want to have the center of mass EXACTLY on the grip, not more down. Btw: great Video!
This is awesome thank you
You should have made the entire project with PVC because it would have been lighter than metal and easier to hold up longer.
SpecificLove wouldn't it affect the stability?
pvc is way too light, hence the metal, the heavier the material the more stability you will get
Specific Love Creations yes i was also thinking it.. if pvc then we can feel more comfort
okay, and? metal looks cooler
Also, with the metal, it comes with threads attached, so you could easily take this apart and stow it in a backpack that it would not otherwise fit in.
You cand add a spring above and below PVC pipe and make it even more stable...
That's awesome, do you use a GoPro for the majority of the videos you make?
+Brad Rawlins Thanks! No, I actually don't use it a ton. You could mount any camera up there, I just used it as an example ince my main camera was shooting :)
I feel like you made it "wrong". Should the T be a hinge, so you can grab it on the out peg (or whatever you want to call it)? The way you have it makes it so your hand will always be able to move it, but if it was on the hinge, the counter weight would have more of an effect.
I am big fan of you
Do you think it would work to have the camera directly on the bottom (instead of on the top) of the rig so its weight balances the hole thing? it would be considerably lighter and smaller :) great vid as always!!
If you properly balance the top-bottom weights you'll get way less speeder-bike swaying.
thanks!
very cool device idea. I'll go with 3/4 PVC. see how that work. cheaper and less weight.
Ha your're not going to believe what is half built on my workbench, i was planning on a Stedicam video next week at least mine is a different style :) so it does not look like i copied you. Great minds think alike.
Right on! I've heard that from a coupe of people oddly enough. It must be on everyone's minds right now!
There are quite a few "3 pipe stablisers" out there - but the original credit needs to go to Johnny Chung Lee at 14dollarstabilizer.org/#addons - it was done way back at the start of the century - it is so old that he didn't use youtube ! Ofcourse this an improvement - especially the handle
*JIMMY DIRESTA! YEAH*
Great stuff Bob - is your next project going to be a body harness for this?! ;)
Toby Kennedy Maybe not NEXT, but..... ;)
I Like To Make Stuff can I ask a question
kenan faris of course!
Hey bob mind asking can i replace those metal pipe to a pvc pipe instead?
You can, but part of using metal is so that it adds weight, which helps stabilize the camera. If you use PVC, you'll need to add more weight to the bottom.
+I Like To Make Stuff
alright tqvm for ur fast response
I Like To Make Stuff what are the lengths of the pipe you used?
Hey bob, how much did all of this cost? also love the video!
thumbs up for Diresta!!
nice delorean shirt :)