Yokozuna Ninja Booming Grip of Righteousness (Camera copy stand tripod adapter)

Not to be confused with the ninja swooping crane camera setup, build this handy adapter to use your own tripod as a camera copy stand. When photographing things that must be laid flat like *junk*/ stuff you need to pawn off on eb@y, you want to get a good macro shot. Also, if you want to shoot a video from an overhead view like for the previous Forbes video contest  www.instructables.com/id/How-to-get-a-chuckle-out-of-a-Brit/  (How to get a chuckle out of a Brit), use this if you do not have the slanted overhead mirror studio setup. (I had neither so you can see the off angle indie point of view that it was filmed.)

Many tripods do have a full tilting head mount and if you have the tripod that came as a freebie with the purchase of the camera like I do, even at maximum tilt, the camera tripod legs are still in the field of view. Trying to manipulate the camera on the tripod and adjust the legs against the table containing the object to be photographed can be precarious.  I did not have an old photographic enlarger to hack nor did I want to spend $$$ on something I would only use once in a while.

What you need is a short boom to extend the camera out over the tripod so you can easily set up the shot with a stable tripod and not have the tripod legs in the field of view.  Yes, you can make your own handy dandy not seen on TV, Yokozuna Ninja Booming Grip of Righteousness.

Below are some shots of problems with a copy setup with just a tripod, a freehand shot, and one taken with the copy stand adapter.

Oh, any references to instructables member www.instructables.com/member/yokozuna/ (yokozuna) are purely for publicity, he would like to be seen more often but the whole ninja thing makes him invisible.

Step 1 That's plain nuts, and more...

Disclaimer: This project involves some basic metalworking and associated power tools. Use caution as metal can be sharp and and leaves tiny little shards that are no good for walking on with barefeet.
Also, you risk injury to your camera if the camera tripod is not stable and tripod legs are not fully  extended and locked for use.

You need to take trip to the hardware store unless you have bits and pieces of aluminum or metal stock laying around along with an assortment of nuts and bolts.

The tripod mounting screw on most cameras is standard 1/4inch machine screw size so it should be easy to get the nuts and bolts for this project.  As always, gently test fit to make sure your camera can accept the bolt.

Stuff you need:

1/4 inch by 1 1/2 inch long machine bolts, washers and nuts

2 L-shaped deck reinforcement plates (Simpson strong-tie hurricane/deck plates)
(you could do with regular angle brackets)

1/8" thick x 3/4" wide piece of aluminum stock about 12 inches long
I had a piece of aluminum strip stock that seems stiff enough to support the camera and resists flex and bounce but you can use "L" shaped angle stock for a stiffer bracket or you could even subsitute 3 wood paint stirrer sticks glued together.

pop-rivet gun with small rivets

Drill with metal drilling bits (1/4inch for the bolt holes, 1/8inch for the rivets)
A drill press would be handy but you can just use a cordless power drill. Place a piece of scrap wood under the metal when drilling and always secure the metal being drilled.

Use a bit of emery paper or a small file to deburr the drilled hole.

Comments

[yokozuna]

[caitlinsdad]

...and this is my seal of approval. Don't club me, bro.

[canida]

Psst caitlinsdad - I regret to inform you that what you have here is a sea lion. ;)

[caitlinsdad]

I otter not think about it...

[yokozuna]

 it's a seal ion of approval picture.

[caitlinsdad]

wal, rusty on my identification of friendly sea mammals, excuuuuuse me.

[caitlinsdad]

*whale excuuuuuuse me...

[imrobot]

sooo many puns.... uggg i might be ver y close to hurling due to over punning

[caitlinsdad]

punishment enough for excess, remember, pun in moderation and pun responsibly...

[Papa Sprinkles]

How can you tell canida?

[dontwealllovebuda92]

rotflmao x 10000000000000000000000000 thats alot of zeros

[Molten Boron]

That is over NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!!!1

[Lithium Rain]

 Hahahaha! Amazing, as always! Yet another faved ible. :)

[cowscankill]

This would be helpful for a lot of people, especially alongside with the macro 'ibles!

[caitlinsdad]

Thanks, necessity is the mother of invention and gives 'dad a good reason to go buy more tools.