The $14 DIY Steadicam Built from Everyday Items
Steadycam test 2 – before and after from Nathan Carrick on Vimeo.
Shaky footage can be one of the biggest killers when shooting video. As cameras get smaller, and zoom ability gets more powerful, the effect of shake is multiplied greatly. This can still be fine for everyday, “snapshot” use – but to capture footage for any semi-serious use, you need to brace your camera against the jitters.
A way to retain mobility while combating shake is to move the center of gravity of the camera to a point that is not in line with the lens. This is the basic idea behind the steadicam, a mounting rig that is used by many professional camera operators. Typically, a counterweight is affixed to the camera at a certain distance via a mounting bracket. The length of the bracket and the heft of the counterweight are set for the specific style of shooting that you want to do. The displaced center of gravity helps nullify the small jitters from shaking the lens, and the added mass of the setup also helps keep the motion more fluid and less herky-jerky.
Normally, you’ll see high-end steadicams that have a nearly frictionless joint (gimbal) that allows the camera to remain steady as the rig twists, turns, and tilts. But satisfying results can be had with a simple unit that uses just the counterweight alone.
Johnny Chung Lee has a start-to-finish writeup on his site steadycam.org on how to build a $14 steadycam with everyday items. The gist: two short lengths of steel pipe are combined in a sideways T, one side for a handle, the vertical piece to hold the camera at top and the counterweight below. A small weight is affixed on the bottom, the camera is connected to the top with a modified endcap that has a mounting bolt in it, and voila: DIY steadicam.
DOIT reader Nathan Carrick sent me some photos and videos of his assembly of this project, and a before/after video of the results (the inspiration for this post). I’m impressed – you can see how this improves the quality and creates a smoother looking result.
Simulated Tornado Machine at SFO Airport and DIY Plans To Build Your Own
Waiting for a delayed flights is a regular activity for most people, so when airports take it upon themselves to have interesting installations, I say “Hell yeah, this ain’t so bad after all.”
Case in point: SFO’s Tornado Machine. Tall enough for a grownup to stand inside of, the machine creates a very cool vortex of mist spiraling seven feet high. The effect is completely mesmerizing – I stared at it for two hours straight, and suddenly it was time to board my flight. Here’s a quick video I took of it.
Tornado machine at SFO from Mike Senese on Vimeo.
Gotta have your own? I felt the same way, and found a write up on how to build one for your home (with accompanying PDF information). This is a smaller size unit (about 3′ tall) but some modification wouldn’t be too hard.
Mind-Blowing Green Screen TV and Film Effects – And How To Do Them Yourself
“You’ve gotta see it to believe it” means less and less as we take each step into a digitally manipulatable future that is nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing.
Need to film a visit to Vegas? NYC? Moscow? Green screen it! As evidenced by the above demo reel, we’re now at a point where the television and movie images that look and feel so very real are as fake as science fiction. Even as someone who works in the entertainment industry, I’m blown away, and maybe even saddened a little by these illusions be revealed to me – I truly thought Hiro from Heroes was IN Times Square. But it is a testament to the acting abilities and the special effects capabilities that we have available today.
A Rundown of The Top DO IT Posts For Your Weekend DIY Inspiration
Jump into your weekend with some DIY projects. Here are a few of my favorite ones that I’ve posted here. Remember to take pics and send them to me too.
How to Build a Temporary Wood-fired Brick Pizza Oven with Cheap, Easy to Find Materials
(and Make Your Own Wooden Pizza Peel (Paddle))
Near-Space DIY Aerial Photography for $150
How to Make A Digital Pinhole Camera – Fast, Cheap and Easy
Arduino RC Controlled Lawnmower Project
Build a Six-Wheel-Drive ATV for Go Anywhere Fun
Build Your Own Camera Gyro-Stabilizer With a Spare Hard Drive
DIY Electronic Drum Pads for Less Than $30
Bike Repairs Made Easy With the DIY Bike Repair Stand
Then Tune Up Your Bike: Adjusting the Derailleurs
What My NY Pizzeria Safari Taught Me About Making Pizza
As a pizza making fanatic, I love visiting well-regarded pizzerias to observe and sample their handiwork, learn some tips, and gather inspiration. During my recent travels to New York City, I set out on a pilgrimage to eat at some of the top pizza on this side of the Atlantic.
My pizza safari focused primarily on Neapolitan pizza, a style that I absolutely fell in love with during a visit to Naples in 2003. A blazing hot wood fired oven cooks the pizza in 2-3 minutes (sometimes faster), leaving a slightly charred edge and bottom, but springy and chewy in the middle of the crust. For ease of comparison (and personal preference), I stuck to the basic and classic “marinara” style: sauce, basil, garlic.
In seven days I visited six pizzerias. There are many NY spots still on my list, including Di Fara, Luzzo, Lucali, Totonnos (Coney Island, closed for renovation – I unknowingly tried to go there), Roberta’s, Salvatore’s (Staten Island), among others.
The most surprising discovery on my trip is that while the wood-fired oven is a staple for good pizza, it is not the only fuel found. Some of the top rated spots in NY use coal burning, oil burning, or even electric ovens. Secondly, the reputation of the location’s oven doesn’t always correspond with the outcome of the pizza. You’ll see this in my notes below. And, the locations that touted their use of fresh, organic ingredients stood out for the richness of their pies.
I made a quick video for each spot, to preserve the memory, show the ambiance, and take a good look at the all-so-important pizza oven. Here are the six place I visited and some of my notes. Enjoy!
Near-Space DIY Aerial Photography for $150
Even though the odds of getting to see the darkness of space in person are slim – just over 500 people have traveled into space – it’s possible to still see it through the lens of your camera with a small assembly project and a few cheaply obtained materials. Including a styrofoam beer cooler.
A team of students from MIT recently set a goal to capture some photos of the curvature of the earth. Their off-the-shelf project cost them approximately $150, and the results have garnered them attention from CNN, Fox, ABC and more. Here’s how they made it:
Equipment Used in the Launch Capsule
| Item | Weight | Cost |
| Sounding Balloon 350g from Kaymont | 350g | ~$20 +$20 (helium) |
| Parachute | ~10g | ~$3* |
| Motorola i290 Prepaid Cellphone | ~90g, | ~$50** |
| Styrofoam Beer Cooler | ~15g | ~$0 |
| Duct Tape | ~10g | ~$0 |
| Zip Ties | ~5g | ~$0 |
| Canon A470 with 8GB SD card | ~165g, | ~$40*** |
| Insulation material- newspaper | ~5g | ~$0 |
| Duracell USB phone charger powered by AA batteries | ~20g 1oz | ~$10 |
| Instant Hand warmer | ~5g | ~$2**** |
| 4 Ultimate Lithium AA batteries | ~15g * 4 = 60 g | ~$5 |
| Radar Reflector (aluminum foil) | ~0g | ~$0 |
| Total | ~800g, /w misc. | ~$150 |
One of the amazing parts of this project is that there were only two small modifications needed on the materials: The camera used was selected for its ability to use a timed shutter script through the CHDK firmware update (I use this same setup for most of my timelapse films), and the styrofoam cooler allowed for lightweight thermal insulation which can be easily cut to allow the lens of the camera to stick through.
January’s Monthly Giveaway-Butane Pocket Torch
Hey DIY Fans – Thanks for checking out my site! Every month I’m giving away a nice prize for helping support DO IT and spreading the DIY love.
Here’s how to get in on the giveaway:
1. Post on or about mikesenese.com/DOIT. Each post you make gets you an “entry” in the drawing. No limit!
What counts?
-A comment on any post on my site
-Tweeting/RT’ing any links to the site
-Blogging about the site elsewhere
-Purchasing something on Amazon via the Amazon search box on the sidebar
-Posting about the site on Facebook
–Adding me on Twitter
-Subscribing to the email updates, RSS feed, following my DIY (or Mustache) page on facebook
-Buying something/anything via my Amazon affiliate account (or initiate the purchase by using the search box on the right sidebar). That’s right, I’m just like Roger Ebert and Adam Corolla.
2. Send me a note to let me know, and I’ll put your name in the list.
At the end of each month, I’ll draw a name and send that person a prize. The prizes will always be different, and always awesome.
And now, this month’s prize:
January 2010: Blazer MT3000 Hot Shot Butane Torch
I love this torch for small electronics projects – look for how I use it on my upcoming headphone repair post. The self-igniter and ability to stand upright are absolute necessities.
DIY Electronic Drum Pads for Less Than $30
With a few small, fast tweaks, Remo drum pads can be transformed into triggers for electronic drum modules that work perfectly for building your own highly affordable electronic drumset. The Remo drum pads are great – they’re tunable, have a realistic response, and are easily disassembled. I have one and I love it, although I admit I should practice more often.
Here’s an overview of the procedure, as posted on electronicdrums.com. Another writeup with useful photos and instructions is available here as well.
- 1- 10″ Remo Tunable Practice Pad – about $23
- 1- Piezo Transducer (Radio Shack # 273-073a or similar) – $2
- 1- 10″ x 20″ piece of 1/2″ thick poly foam rubber (same density as Remo’s foam)
- 1- 8″ length of 20 guage stranded speaker wire
- 1- Chassis-mount RCA jack (Radio Shack #274-346)
- 1- 8″ diameter circle of 28 guage galvanized steel (or large coffee can lid) Read More
The Secret Life of Machines: The Engine – Overview of the Internal Combustion Engine
Great overview of the history and mechanics of engines and petroleum, from the late 80’s/early 90s television show “The Secret Life Of Machines.” An entertaining and informative presentation, even for those who work with this stuff on a daily basis.
The hosts’ comparison on the power of gasoline to black powder is especially impressive: using a makeshift cannon, they demonstrate how far a projectile launches with a spoonful of black powder, then with a spoonful of gasoline. The difference is astounding.
Mini-Ramp Calculator Tool Helps You Design Your Skate or Bike Ramp Using 4×8 Sheets of Plywood
RampCalc: Fun and useful flash-based tool gives you the layout and info for your mini ramp, using standard 4′ x 8′ sheets of plywood. More DIY skate and bike goodness!
Even if you’re not planning on building a ramp, this is a fun app to mess around with to see what you can fit on a sheet of wood.
For those of you into building ramps, check out my Ramp Plans Roundup.
Hi, I'm Mike. I’m the executive editor of Make: magazine, and host of Discovery channel’s Punkin' Chunkin' and Catch It Keep It, TV shows where I build and explain crazy machines that crush stuff, blow things up, shoot fire, all in the name of science.
I've previously worked at Wired and ReadyMade magazines, writing about how to utilize new technology in our everyday lives.
This site is where I keep a list of instructions for fun projects I've done, am working on, or draw inspiration from. I encourage everyone to get involved — get up and do something!