DSLR Shoulder Stabilizer

It cracks me up when I'm at a wedding and people get confused by my camera.  They pose and smile and keep completely still and I have to tell them that I'm recording video.  Even with the DSLR decorated with microphones and lights people still see a picture camera.  I can't blame them.  I was confused at first to the importance of HDSLR's.  A camera with the ability to record video... why not just use a dedicated video camera??  That was my initial reaction until I researched the benefits of these cameras, and that's in the quality of the images they produce.  The image sensor of a DSLR is designed to produce large high quality images.  Also, because of the size of the sensor you're able to create a narrow depth of field.  Conventional camcorders cannot provide this because their sensor is too small, ranging in sizes from 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch.   An image sensor in a HDSLR can be up to 19 times larger.  Throw in the ability to change lenses and the possibilities for creating dramatic video well exceed that of a conventional camcorder.

Yet there are issues when filming with these cameras.  The most irritating for me is there tendency to overheat.  They are designed primarily as a camera with the purpose of taking photos.  They are cameras with video function.  So they are incapable of filming for long durations.  Usually a few minutes at a time then you have to shut off the camera and allow it to cool.  I can't do anything to fix this issue other than purchase a camera which doesn't overheat like the Panasonic GH2 (which I am currently saving for).  Another issue is camera shake.  Dedicated camcorders are armed with internal optical stabilization systems whereas HDSLR's are not.  These machines are so small that it makes hand held filming extremely difficult.  Each jitter from my hand is picked up.  Yet this is a problem that people can solve.  Companies like Redrock are creating rigs specific for HDSLR filming.  Most of these, even a simple shoulder support can range anywhere in price from $600-$2,000!!  That's a whole new camera, in my opinion, and not worth the money if you have a few hours to spare.  So this post is to show and teach how to construct a custom HDSLR shoulder stabilizer out of parts that can be easily obtained online and at a local hardware store.

The design I went with is fairly simple.  I wanted something compact and unobtrusive for shooting weddings and getting into spaces where a larger rig becomes a burden.  Bear in mind that the measurements I used are catered to my body type.  As you can see, I'm a fairly skinny guy.  If you're a bit bigger you may need to alter the length of the pipes that connect the conduit pieces a bit.

Tools You Will Need


This  rig is made of PVC pipe.  Now, you can cut this with a hacksaw, which is fine, but I recommend purchasing a dedicated PVC pipe cutter.  Saves a lot of energy and makes very clean cuts.

The other tools you will need are a drill, a 1/4 inch drill bit, a dremel/rotary cutter tool, flat head screw driver and a wrench.  That's it.

Supplies

• Get a length of 1/2 inch PVC pipe.  I believe they come in 10-5 ft lengths and you can get by with smaller sizes
• 90 degree 1/2 inch L brackets (x2)
• 1/2 inch T brackets (x2)
• 1/2 inch C shaped conduit pvc pipe (x2)
• You will find these in the electrical section
• PVC primer and glue
• Welding Sheet
• make sure it's thick enough to support the camera weight
• Bicycle handle bar grip
• Sima quick release tripod mount
• 1/4 inch nut (x4)
• 1/4 inch bolt 1.5 inches in length (x4)
• 1/4 inch bolt 1/2 inch in length
• 1/4 inch washers (x2)
• Black spray paint for plastic

All in all this rig should cost less than $40