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String Tripod

String Tripod
This is an old photographers trick - here is my design. Sometimes referred to as a string tripod or string bipod or string monopod. Also known as a chain tripod, bipod, etc... This device is used to stabilize a camera in order to get clearer pictures at a slow shutter speed. With more and more digital cameras coming out with vibration reduction or image stabilization systems, the string tripod has a new life.

Since image stabilization systems work best with rotational vibration, translational vibration can still create blurry pictures. By restraining the up-down left-right and back-front axis, you can lessen this vibration. Since with this design you still have rotational freedom, you can pan and follow something such as a bird or sports player. You can also recompose your shot with little trouble. Of course this technique also works well with non image stabilization systems.

More on VR here

Advantages:
-Cheap
-Easy to make
-No special tools needed (or really any at all)
-Hard to break
-Small
-You can use this where tripods are disallowed (such as museums)
-If the "tripod" gets dirty you can throw it in the wash
-If you misplace it, you can make another
-Rotational movement still available for panning and recomposition

Disadvantages:
-Does not hold as steady as a real tripod
-You can get some looks while using it

 
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Step 1Parts

Parts
The parts you will need are as follows:
1x 1/4 -20 Stainless steel eye hook or eyebolt. 2 inches long or shorter.
1x 1/4 -20 Nut (May come with the eye hook)
40ft Braided nylon and/or poly cord (Parachute cord is recommended)

Optional:
1x Carabiner

All of these can be found at your local hardware store and should be had for about $5 total.

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89 comments
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Aug 20, 2011. 9:51 AMallthegoodnamesaretaken says:
If I'm understanding this right, a figure-eight on a bight would work just as well, and in my opinion is easier to untie.
Jan 15, 2012. 9:14 AMfacklere says:
I was thinking the same.
May 4, 2007. 3:16 PMravelgrane says:
very clever. tripods are so big and heavy I hate carrying them around. is it easy to adjust for size, like if you hand the camera to your friend to take a shot of you, and they are very short? I guess they could just widen their stance a bit, so the answer is yes.
Dec 28, 2011. 11:21 AMpcooper2 says:
Tripods aren't necessarily "so big and heavy". They come in a wide variety of sizes, weights and materials. Some are so small they'll fit in one's jacket pocket.
May 5, 2007. 2:48 PMkouker says:
Hmm. Looks like it's not properly implemented for bipod and tripod style. It must be a platform under the camera and two/three rope hooks on its sides to hold the camera any better than in monopod mode. The main cause of shaking is rotation of the camera when depressing the shutter release. The directional camera movements (left/right, up/down, forward/backward) have very little effect, compared to rotational. So the best place for the top end of the monopod rope would be right under the shutter button. The platform would help here too. Otherwise this system works only because it provides a reference for your sight and body helping to hold it more steadily. And there is no much difference if it's one rope or five here - you have only one hook in your design. The best tripod replacement system (IMO) is a long rod with heavy weight on the bottom end and camera on the top.
Dec 28, 2011. 11:20 AMpcooper2 says:
Assuming there's no hurry, one can also use the self-timer in the camera to trigger the shot, completely avoiding the need to press the shutter button while one concentrates on holding the camera steady.
Jan 31, 2008. 9:11 PMnagutron says:
I just came across a video that complements this Instructable well:


Jan 31, 2008. 9:13 PMnagutron says:
Oops. Well, here's the link, anyway.
Dec 28, 2011. 11:17 AMpcooper2 says:
It ain't there anymore. The video was removed from Metacafe.
Dec 5, 2011. 5:52 PMmherst says:
this is awesome. i would actually also use this for dancing it off of something and later flipping the picture/ video. i think it would be awesome if you had a waterproof camera and actually dangled it under water!
Dec 28, 2011. 11:15 AMpcooper2 says:
shoeBlade, why does your photo show TWO eyebolts? I've scoured your write-up, but it seems to only call for ONE eyebolt to implement the String Tripod. This should be fixed. Otherwise, this Instructable is very well done.

Also, consider using a taut line hitch on the eyebolt knot. This type of knot can easily be slid up and down the standing part of the line, but grips tightly when let go. This would allow the user to make a fixed loop for one's foot and perform a quick one-handed adjustment of the knot below the camera just before the shot, then hold the camera with both hands while shooting. The only problem might be that the taut line hitch tends to fall apart when it's not under tension, but once one learns to tie it, it can be recreated in a few seconds. If that's a serious issue for those who are challenged by knot tying, the taut line hitch could be replaced with a mechanical line tensioner, such as shown in another Instructable, http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Line-Tensioners-for-Camping-and-Backpacking/
Dec 28, 2011. 11:11 AMpcooper2 says:
shoeBlade, why does your photo show TWO eyebolts? I've scoured your write-up, but it seems to only call for ONE eyebolt to implement the String Tripod. This should be fixed. Otherwise, this Instructable is very well done.

Also, consider using a taut line hitch on the eyebolt knot. This type of knot can easily be slid up and down the standing part of the line, but grips tightly when let go. This would allow the user to make a fixed loop for one's foot and perform a quick one-handed adjustment of the knot below the camera just before the shot, then hold the camera with both hands while shooting. The only problem might be that the taut line hitch tends to fall apart when it's not under tension, but once one learns to tie it, it can be recreated in a few seconds. If that's a serious issue for those who are challenged by knot tying, the taut line hitch could be replaced with a mechanical line tensioner, such as shown in another Instructable, http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Line-Tensioners-for-Camping-and-Backpacking/
Dec 17, 2011. 1:56 PMblinkyblinky says:
Very, very cool.
Nov 2, 2011. 8:30 AMtylercard says:
Thanks for the tip. I am making one today.
Sep 1, 2011. 5:40 PMarpruss says:
How about reducing the weight and size of the tripod even further by using a very short 1/4-20 bolt with a hole drilled through the head, and then a thin line, e.g., a kite line? Maybe a plastic bolt for ease of drilling.
Aug 27, 2011. 4:54 PMilpug says:
I have also seen this dome by clipping the end of the string to your belt.
Aug 21, 2011. 3:49 PMyouaremyapocalypse says:
EPIC! 5*
Aug 20, 2011. 6:21 PMCementTruck says:
Interesting and clever.
Aug 20, 2011. 11:04 AMWasagi says:
I love it!
Aug 20, 2011. 8:58 AMzigzagchris says:
IF you could have 2 points of contact on the camera, aka what you have plus a brace to another on the other side you could eliminate the yaw movement.

L_________l
S S
Aug 20, 2011. 3:18 AMnutsandbolts_64 says:
Awesome, I can imagine shocking people with this...

"Who has a tripod?"
"I do!"
*brings out string tripod*
"WHAT IS THAT?!?!"
"A tripod?"
Oct 9, 2010. 10:32 PMcrayzclown1 says:
This is perfect for the flip, it has no image stabilization.
Jul 7, 2011. 1:47 AMsjoobbani says:
exactly. or for underwater photography!!
May 4, 2007. 1:00 AMhollasch says:
Nicely illustrated instructable. I went out this morning and bought the eyebolts, and then used my green paracord (just like yours!) to complete the rig. Went out in the back yard and tried some full telephoto shots (135mm on Nikon D80) at various speeds, from 1s to 1/15s.

Unfortunately, I couldn't tell any difference between using a single leg, two legs, and no string tripod. I was shooting an image of distant small brances to really test the effect.

In practice, even with two feet anchoring a loop of string, you still have four degrees of freedom (camera body forward/back), plus free rotation about the pivot point at the eye bolt.

In addition to that, if the rope has any elasticity, you have to deal with spring effect as well.

This trick sounds great, but I couldn't tell any difference whatsoever.
Aug 27, 2010. 10:50 PMhollasch says:
I never saw this reply when I wrote my original comment. As this has been recently modified, I scanned through the comments, thinking in my head that this tip just doesn't work. Your excellent reply, however, neatly explains the factors involved. Put simply, my testing was with shutter speeds that were far too slow to reveal the incremental improvement. An while the string tripod only improves the situation 2-3x, that still means 2-3x more light available for a steady picture, which is fairly significant (equivalent to the factor you get from an expensive VR lens). I will definitely have to give this technique another shot.
Jun 30, 2010. 7:06 AMJulito07 says:
Fantastic, I'm going traveling out Barcelona soon, and this is the solution for not carry my monopod... congrats for the idea
Jun 21, 2010. 10:31 PMbuttersnake says:
I really wish I would have thought of this before I took my family to Cathedral Cavern cave this past fathers day! I used a rear sync flash and still got some decent photos. I hate using it on auto and having the flash just flatten out everything. Using the rear sync flash gave the pictures great color and depth but I still got some blur some pictures because the shutter is still open for about 2 seconds.
Jan 15, 2009. 9:45 AMPapagiorgio says:
could this work for a video camera?
Jun 18, 2009. 2:10 AMtheburn7 says:
yes, as long as it can have the thing screwed in the bottom
Apr 30, 2009. 5:25 PMEffinref says:
Great job! One small tip- I often make a loop at the end of the line (when making snelled hooks for fishing). Instead of a single, overhand knot, I pass the end of the loop through twice. When you pull the loop, the knot forms a figure-eight. The loop then lies straight with the line, instead of forming a bend at the knot. This is a neater and stronger loop. Try it.
Mar 3, 2009. 5:56 AMaspa0000 says:
The "string-pod" is a brilliant. My thanks to the original inventor. I tripped over its video a couple days ago and I had to make one. Yeah, it's nice. But wait, there's more... Two strings in tension and one column (monopod) in compression create a freestanding tripod. The little hook thing (See picture.) comes with various clothing and is 1.4 mm thick, approximately one thread turn for a standard camera mount
Jan 28, 2009. 1:40 PMl96470fps says:
great idea but if your using para-cord, i no its for a completely different use, but you could feed some 6 guage copper wire through the middle?
Nov 22, 2008. 8:28 PMKryptonite says:
Favorited and 5/5. I'm thinking of making it Even more Stabler by using a pipe which will run from the bottom left side to the bottom right side of the camera, attached to the tripod hole thingy. Then I'll run the string through that to do the bipod. This should make it more stable than any of your's (no offence :D).
Jun 14, 2008. 11:31 PMSatweavers says:
That's wonderful! I'll make one at once. My thoughts when taking photos have always been, "Become the tripod!" This makes it easier.
Mar 26, 2008. 8:28 PMiectyx3c says:
This is so beautifully done. +1 point and wish I could vote twice. You should enter this in the Pocket-Sized contest. I am linking to it from my tripod instructable.
Dec 22, 2007. 2:03 AMbenhoff says:
This is a great idea. I wonder if fishing line attached to a belt might help a little for videos at a wedding ( I'm experimenting with a very small inexpensive video camera - Aiptek). The fishing line doesn't stretch and is harder to see. It's a pain to remove all of the motion (small light video camera) and even the elimination of one axis would be great and its presence would remind the videographer about camera movement in general. We're very amateurish. This is better than anything I could have thought of. : -) I just read the idea of using a bar with two strings forming a Y. Very clever, imo. I'm thinking of a belt around one's hips, if that isn't clear.
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Author:shoeBlade