DIY Steadicam

    As my interest in video grows I have been in search of new equipment to use to make my films even better. One piece of gear that I had heard of is called a Steadicam (Name of a company that many people have copied). These are basically mounts that you attach your camera to, that off sets the weight of your camera and gives shot a very smooth look even when you are walking or even running. They come in all shapes and sizes and can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. I thought to myself that I would never be able to afford one and I had heard of other people making their own so I thought I'd give it a shot. I went on youtube and came across a few tutorials but ended up going with one specific design because it seemed to be the simplest to construct. The next day I picked up the supplies from the hardware store and got to work.

Here is the video tutorial that I used:

    It ended up being trickier to build than I expected because of the exact measurements for the mount. If you make this be careful to think through the lengths of screws and the thickness of the wooden block unlike me. Along the way I made a few changes to the design. Instead of using weights at the bottom, I taped a hammer and to give the camera extra support I used rubberbands to strap it down. Even If it did take me quite a while to build, I feel that the outcome was worth it and it will be a useful piece of equipment. Also the fact that I am only spending a few dollars instead of hundreds doesn't hurt.

    Here is a quick video of my frist tests. Keep in mind that this is my first time using something like this and all of the shots are handheld:

Pictures of my version: