Whatever your reasons may be, if you’re going to be holding a camera for long periods of time this shoulder mount will both steady the image, and help save you some aches and pains. [Kyle Jason] built the rig seen above for just $20 by following this guide.
[Knoptop] published the guide about a year ago. It doesn’t make use of any special PVC connectors, so you’ll have no problem finding everything you need at the hardware store. Connectors used include 45 and 90 degree angles, straight pieces, and a PVC conduit box to serve as the mounting bracket. After cutting, dry fitting, and welding everything together the rig really benefits from a couple of coats of paint. Don’t forget the grip covers to make the thing easy to hold onto.
Don’t want to read the build guide? After the break you’ll find [Knoptop’s] build video which is actually quite a fun eight minutes to watch.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa7eeZgqRas&w=470]
[via Reddit]
Real nice until the black electrical tape gets a few minutes of sunlight and unwraps, leaving black goo all over your shoulder.
I dont care if it’s 3M’s “33” brand at $8 a roll; you WILL get goo on you. I’m an electrician and I HATE BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE for this reason. Yes, I’m mad, bro. Even if it doesn’t get warm, try it yourself. Wrap some wires in black tape, then pull the wires out from the tape. Good luck getting that residue off anything it touches.
Black electrical tape says “suburban ghetto” anyways. It’s like wearing flight pants to a wedding. YOUR wedding.
He said athletic tape, not electrical.
How about that rubberized tape that doesn’t have the goo? That stuffs great and would pad the shoulder a lot more.
Gaffers tape?
I was just about to say that when I saw your comment!
Gaffer’s tape is the only tape that I would use for this. Permacel (now Shurtape) is the best stuff on earth for non-residue leaving. I had a wallet made out of the stuff for around 7 years and it held up beautifully. As anyone who has made a duck tape wallet knows, tape wallets usually soften and ooze glue.
He used athletic tape (about 4:25 in the video), which is far superior to electrical, as F4R4D4Y.dc414 has so eloquently opined, and probably better than Gaffer’s tape as well. Much grippier.
Shoulder mount your high dollar SLR for more stable images.
Still apply blur and grainy filters.
That “Conduit box” is called a conduit body, more specifically an LB. Thought you should know.
My mistake, it is an LR the straight one was a C convalet, The one which does not work is an LB and the one exactly opposite what he uses is an LL. I am building one.
just use isopropyl to remove the goo.