Why make a DIY iPhone 4 Steadicam?
If you’re a professional video producer you probably have a nice camera already but what if you need an extra angle on an interview or scene? I’ve been making use of my iPhone 4 which shoots 720p HD and the footage looks great. Coupled with the Pro Camera app (which gives you more control than the basic iPhone 4 camera app) it serves me pretty well. With the iPhone 4’s being so small, it’s difficult to keep it steady, producing shaky footage which isn’t ideal. There are several non-DIY iPhone 4 Steadicam products available on the market that solve the problem but most are around £100-£200. For that price you could buy an HD camcorder and mount it on a tripod or shoulder rig (if you’re a DSLR user). So I decided to go down the DIY iPhone 4 Steadicam route.
What do you need for your homemade steadicam?
My design is simple and that’s the beauty of it:
– Mountain bike handle bar (or similar piece of pipe) £0-£15
– Mountain bike handle bar extensions (1 pair) £10
– Pluming clips (small) (you can get a bag of 10 for £2)
– Tripod base £10 (if you don’t have one already)
DIY iPhone 4 Steadicam – How is it in use?
This homemade bit of kit is great for travelling as it is so small and light (and you can even dismantle it). The curved mountain bike handle bar extensions give you a really nice fit around your hands, making it particularly comfortable when trying to hold the iPhone 4 steady for long periods. I find that holding my arms and elbows into my stomach gives me that extra bit of support needed to hold the camera steady. This design also allows you to lock your wrists in position around the curved bars (a nice added bonus!). I’m currently working on using my LED viewfinder with the iPhone 4 to give me an extra point of contact and to give me a massive screen to look at. I’ve made my own shoulder rig for my DSLR. Keep an eye out on my blog for details on the design and how to build it yourself.
If you want any advice about making one of these drop me a message through my contact page