Ryan's T2i Tips & Reviews - DIY Home Depot Steadicam

[Zaulfx]

How are you supposed to hold it? In the video where you are being chased by the camera you are holding it with one hand, when I try to do that vibrations from the front of the pvc pipe travel to the camera causing a vibration which ruins the steadicam effect, am I supposed to hold the steadicam with 2 hands?

[thegavinrudys]

I made this for my T3i, and it's incredible! Check out this video I made using it! vimeo.c om/35487331

[juancjara]

how do you hold it?

[FRANKYMOOK]

How do you hold it /carry it?

[FXVik]

I just made this and to say the least it works PERFECT. I didn't use some of the parts weirdly enough but all i can say is thanks!!!!

[johnnycache]

does this thing fall apart if you just hit with PVC glue? (is the screwing totally required heh-heh)

[sk8infreek]

Hey man I made mine without the top base instead i just added a cap to the pvc and adhered my gopro to it. but when I film, it seems to sway side to side, like the bottom weights swing a bit. Is there any way to fix it? also where is a good place to hold it? Thanks alot

[RideoutOfHere]

Just the fact that you're drinking a beer in this video makes me like it all the more! Saw your channel through the Oilers competition video! Good luck with it!

[rgsauve]

@RideoutOfHere Haha, glad you like it and thanks regarding the Oilers competition, love the Oilers and I'm a huge Kevin Smith fan so I got my fingers crossed. Just noticed that you uploaded "The Oiler"! Definitely my favourite by far! With the way they're handing out prizes (1 for each category then 2 wild cards for any category), there's a good chance we might actually meet in person in the suite on Wednesday night. Hope that's the case! Good luck!

[BiohazardSleay]

And 9! And 9! lol

[HiElijah]

stupid question but i have a t3i.. will your setup still work.. or do i have to counterweight it?

[rgsauve]

@HiElijah Yeah, I don't see why it wouldn't work. I've held a t3i and they seem to be about the same in weight.

[FirstSecondHobo]

He was sniffing the glue he needed to use on this

[rgsauve]

@FirstSecondHobo No comment, hahaha.

[stevev5591]

Y U no use metric system?

[ejud2001]

Hey Ryan! Ever hear of PVC cement??? :)

[rgsauve]

@ejud2001  Yeah but I needed this guy to be collapsible for travelling.

[ejud2001]

@ejud2001 Ah! :)

[krazykid0204]

Hey do you think you could link me to the mount that you bought for the t2i? I can't seem to find one that looks like the one you used in the video. Thanks.

[rgsauve]

@krazykid0204 I don't know if posting a link in the comments will work. How about searching for "Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter w/Sliding Mounting Plate (3433PL)" on amazon?

[petet66]

Hi I have a Canon HV20 HDV camcorder - do I need to look to counterbalance the weight of the camcorder at each bottom end of the frame or just in total across the bottonm fo the frame? The before and after shots are amazing - I want to build one now!

[jonmanilenio]

ryan, i can't seem to get rid of the side to side swaying of my steadicam as i walk... is it because i didn't follow the exact dimensions?

[rgsauve]

@jonmanilenio Tough to tell... if you're standing directly behind the rig with the camera on it, is the left-right weight balanced properly (as opposed the front-back)? I hope that makes sense. It could also be the way you're hold it. My hand is wrapped around the vertical pipe part right below the first T junction that juts out front (it rests on my index finger.

[jonmanilenio]

mine is a 3rd world version... i can't believe we don't have a 45 degree elbow joint here for my pvc pipe *sigh*

[jonmanilenio]

the results look great! kinda hard to make though... :)

[rgsauve]

@jonmanilenio It is a bit of a pain, if I could do it again, I'd probably lie all the parts on a table and slow-timelapse of having them go together.

[NdrUSmigi]

Delicious beer? It has absolutely no head, how could it be delicious?

[rgsauve]

@NdrUSmigi Busted! Yeah, it had been sitting there for a while while I got the video ready. I know it's no excuse though. Any good beers that you can recommend that I'd be able to get my hands on here in Canada?

[DaniloDiJulio]

Great build Ryan. In another tutorial they used Galvanized Tees with plugs instead of floor flanges. Lets the steadicam double as a tripod...actually more of a self standing monopod that I wouldn't walk away from, but it helps balance for a quick static shot & keeps you from having to remove the cam if you're going right back to steadicam. I thought "Hey, for a heavier lens or a monitor mount & counter balance, like you're working on, you can fill Tees with ball bearings to get the right weight.

[eliguy]

BEST vid I've seen on youtube. can I use this with the cannon 7d? I compared the weight to the t2i and the 7d is heavier... My rig is 3 and 1/2 pounds. Should I use heavier weights? I'm gonna build mine this weekend.

[rgsauve]

@eliguy Yeah, you should be able to use it with a 7d. I would maybe use slightly larger floor flanges to up the counter weight. Sorry about the long lag in response. If you've already built it, I hope it's working out!

[RadRohitProductions]

What is the total cost of the parts for this DIY? I don't feel like adding up all the components. Lol..

[rgsauve]

@RadRohitProductions It's about $30 for the parts + $50 for the adapter from Amazon. There are solutions out there to reduce the costs of the adapter and I've seen a $39 adapter on Amazon that should also work (might actually be better for this application).

[bensons999]

Fantastic design and tutorial, thanks.

[rgsauve]

@bensons999 Glad you liked it!

[IsaacFowlerMedia]

First off, thanks for the great design, I just built mine today.

I was wondering what lens you have connected to your camera while filming. Would a heavier lens or the standard kit lens work better?

[rgsauve]

@IsaacFowlerMedia I have a Tokina 11-16 f2.8 mounted. It's a little heavier than the stock lens 18-55mm that came with the camera. I usually advise people to shoot with a wide angle lens on a steadicam as any shaking is less pronounced than it would be a more zoomed in lens.

[iLoveGRaFiX]

lol 9

[RowlfWannabe]

is the long or the short end the front? or does it matter? Thanks for the tutorial

[rgsauve]

@RowlfWannabe Front is the short end (the T junction, not the 45 degree junction arm).

[destrian]

@rgsauve dude... the combo... "Any Shitty..." made me watch this like 10x's! Your the child of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Tim "The Toolman" Taylor! (No offence) AWESOME!!!!

[rgsauve]

@destrian Hahaha, glad you liked that!

[CCWSig]

What did you film this on? a t2i?

[rgsauve]

@CCWSig Yup

[xcode394]

@rgsauve hey man why do we need 5 weights? i only saw three of them at :24. two of them at the end of the legs and the other one right below the wooden board.

[rgsauve]

@xcode394 the counterweights (2 of them) are each made using two floor flanges (for a total of 4) and the 5th is used to attach to the base plate.

[xcode394]

@rgsauve thanks dude! much appreciated

[Movies4Christ]

What's the best way to hold this steady cam ?

[rgsauve]

@Movies4Christ like I do at 0:42

[JasonUnoriginal]

Yo! Just a suggestion: You need 10 of the Machine Screws and 10 Acorn Nuts instead of just 9. Otherwise the head has the potential to turn. Otherwise, awesome design and tutorial.

[IAmFlipEY]

This is probably a stupid question but how do you hold it?

[Elliotmz93]

@IAmFlipEY I thought this too but if you see how he's holding it at 2:16 I think that is how you hold it, so you get a bit of swing from both weights with the central support (that's my guess anyway)

[rgsauve]

@Elliotmz93 0:42

[Ben1257sb]

Hey I realize the link from our video has given u a lot of exposure. Can u plz link to the original video in the video description please?

Thanks man!

[ThisSideUp12]

works like a charm bro thanks!

[MaudenRowen]

what kind of Rapid Connect Adapter with Sliding Mounting Plate did you use?

[alkalinefx]

Hey great tutorial. I was just wondering, what is the best way to hold it to be most effective?

[Carrrott]

This May be a stupid question, but which way does the camera face when it's attached ?

[Mugre300]

i have a sony Handycam that weights 1.183 g / 3 lbs, so what should be the weight on the lower part of the steadicam, should it be equal?

[tvloserDK]

Uhm... To get the best result, which way should the camera be facing on the steadicam?

Because you hold it the opposite way at 0:24 than "NewVantageStudios" in his video called "6$ pro quality steadicam"

It really confuses me, what direction it should be facing...

[hackmandude12]

Does this rig work with smaller cameras like the Handycam?

[conorblue]

CITY AND COLOUR IN THE BACKGROUND!!!!

[DavideoDesign]

Great vid man, really well presented and motivational too, hope i can get those equivalent items in the UK . :)

[xirenband]

Excellent, THANK YOU! Just finished mine. I added an adjustable tripod head (w/quick release) to the top for flexibility! Thanks for the awesome instructions.

[IUSECAMERAS]

i finished mine from you sweet video a couple days ago ...gonna post this weekend for you to check it out dude!

[7oracle]

Nice video man!

[kuanjikoda]

how much is everything total?

[rgsauve]

@kuanjikoda

About $40 for everything except for the adapter mount. But those are Canadian prices. In the US, it would probably be half that. The adapter mount was $50 but you can use the adapter mount from this video for about $5 to $10 (youtube.com/watch?v=sa7eeZgqR­as).

[rgsauve]

@kuanjikoda

Search Youtube for "$15 Camera Stabilizer - DSLR PVC Shoulder Rig Tutorial - QUICK FX"

[ward13sarah]

This is completely unrelated, but what song is that playing near the end? It's really good :).

I'm looking to make a steadicam myself, for a university project. Overall, how much did the whole thing cost? I'm on a slight budget. I do realise that it's in dollars, but there's always online cash converter to sort that out! :)

Thanks!

[rgsauve]

@ward13sarah

The song in the intro and end is "Filter - Welcome to the Fold" and the song that starts playing in the background near the end is "City and Colour - Save Your Scissors". It cost about $90 CAD but you can probably build it for less that $40 or $50 if you use the mount described in the video entitled "$15 Camera Stabilizer - DSLR PVC Shoulder Rig Tutorial - QUICK FX " on youtube.

[ward13sarah]

@rgsauve

Thanks man! :)

My Dad and I are gonna attempt to build one tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well!

[IUSECAMERAS]

the bad audio edits in the description are funny as hell!

[rgsauve]

@IUSECAMERAS

Hahahaha, yeah. Screwed it up and I was too lazy/drunk to re-shoot it.

[DemonicExpression]

On your lens on the t2i does it have IS?

[rgsauve]

@DemonicExpression

The lens I was using in the sample segment (of my brother-in-law running) was the Tokina 11-66m f2.8 and it doesn't have IS. I've heard hat when using a steadicam, you should disable the IS if your lens has it. Not sure why but this appears to be the consensus amongst the more knowledgeable industry folks.

[DemonicExpression]

@rgsauve wow that like the best thing i've seen without IS, that was amazingly steady, looks fantastic. Thanks for the tip, now after i finish building it i won't have to worry about using my cheap kit lens with IS and can use my 50mm f1.4.

[rgsauve]

@DemonicExpression

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that I mainly use a wide-angle on the steadicam, which itself, makes shots more steady. A 50mm lens is much more zoomed (I typically go 11 to 16 on a steadicam and have used 30mm in a recent project, which wasn't so bad) and there's a posibility that it might amplify any small shake. Just keep that in mind.

[chaindrums]

hi, would this work for an iphone 4? or should i go with the more complex DIY steadicams that have a gimbal?

[rgsauve]

@chaindrums

I think it would work with an Iphone 4 but it might be a little bottom heavy and sway a big on you when you go around corners. Not sure how the gimbal steadicams will work with it. I have a Hague MMC (that has a gimbal) and never use it anymore. Hmm... maybe I should sell it.

[deadprecedence]

@rgsauve I made this steadicam with an easy modification to the mount for the phone. It of course does not look as professional as the sample footage... as it is a phone.

I'll upload some sample footage and tag the video, as I believe the results are still exponentially better.

[LLALLIBOYPRODUCTIONS]

will try

[MrMiniSwag]

how do you hold it? does it go over your shoulder?

[rgsauve]

@MrMiniSwag

You hold it exactly as I do at the 0:24 mark of the video.

[MrMiniSwag]

@rgsauve Thanks just was confused. I made one and they're great.

[stratfirstlove]

great vid by you and cotton candy productions.

I'm on my way to Lowes now and am picking up the supplies needed for my first attempt.

- I'm using it for the HD GoPro HERO cam. It's VERY light... .37 pounds!! Should I...

1.- Add some weight to my base plate since the camera is so small/light?

2.-Or just use less weight at the bottom of the steadicam?

3. Maybe it will work just fine if I do nothing? I'm really worried about how light the cam is. Thanks for the vid!!

[rgsauve]

@stratfirstlove

I tried it with a buddy's really small mini-camcorder without changing the weights and it seemed to perform really well. I didn't mess around with the weights when we did this though so I couldn't tell how it would perform with more or less weight. Play around with it and see how it handles.

[stratfirstlove]

@rgsauve that's tight man, thanks for the reply. I actually scribbled down some notes and made one. Did a few mods since I'm using it for my Go Pro HD; but I brought it to a friends house and it worked even better with the sony handicams.. I freakin love it.. We probably saved about $800-$1000 people... Not joking

[rgsauve]

@stratfirstlove

Right on!

[Alxe73191]

will this work for an HDC tm700 which weighs about 15.5 oz or almost a pound, almost..

[rgsauve]

@Alxe73191

The t2i is about 18oz so it should be ok.

[Alxe73191]

@rgsauve yeah i finally got it and it works fine, but it keeps leaning to the left a little. im assuming its because the lcd screen is open. so i gotta balance that out somehow.

[jknamu]

I was just wondering if this could hold my T1i...and i want an alternative for the adapter mound...if ur kind enough to help us out...

[rgsauve]

@jknamu

Hey, the t1i is similar in weight to the t2i so it should work. I posted some pictures of the alternative on the forum under the first post in the thread for this video at tinyurl [dot com] /5rvkd53

[rgsauve]

@jknamu

Hey, the t1i is similar in weight to the t2i so it should work. I posted some pictures of the alternative on the forum under the first post in the thread for this video at tinyurl [.com] /5rvkd53

[jknamu]

@rgsauve thanx man...im gonna definitely try this this weekend...hope that it stands out good...cheers

[rgsauve]

@jknamu

Good luck!

[ccalamuss]

@jknamu 1/4 inch screw. coarse threads

[alittlemikeful]

footage looks great. i'm probably gonna give this a try and hope that my slightly heavier hmc40 (34.5 ounces) works as well

[rgsauve]

@alittlemikeful

I'd recommend more weights on the bottom, otherwise the rig may seem a little top-heavy with the camera attached to it.

[cj33ward]

Should weights be heavier if using larger camera ? Canon 7D

[rgsauve]

@cj33ward

The t2i is 18.7 oz and the 7d is 28 ounces so the rig with the 7d might be a little more top heavy, If I run into someone with the 7d, I'll pop it on the steadicam and let you know. My new steadicam (with field monitor holding bar) is heavier and would probably be better suited for the 7d. I might have a tutorial on how to make it up on my site in the next few weeks.

[albernathy0]

hey ryan, what's the alternative diy mount you came up with? i couldn't find it on the forum, and i've already spent $50 on another diy steadicam that didn't work, so i'm not super keen on spending $50 more... thanks for the response!

[rgsauve]

@albernathy0

Hey, it's still just an idea but I've updated the first post on the forum with my theory on how to do this. I'll hit up Home Depot this week and demonstrate how to do this in practice along with some pictures. Sorry it's taken so long for me to get my act together.

[Ben1257sb]

now that my link works over to here, can you throw a link to my you tube page?

[rgsauve]

@Ben1257sb

Done! Created an annotation at the beginning of the video that links back to yours.

[MrIlikecheese505]

That looks absolutely awesome! I totally want to make one, but first im thinking i should invest in a atleast class 6 sd card, otherwise video aint gonna work! Gday from Australia!

[rgsauve]

@MrIlikecheese505

Thanks! Class 6 for sure. I'll be putting a new tutorial up over the next few weeks for those with a field monitor. I've already field tested it on the mountain this past weekend and it was awesome. Stay tuned...

[taskmasta]

Great video. This looks handy the footage looks great. I have one question however. What if you need to turn your camera sideways for vertical shots? With say a t2i, canon 7d, etc.

[rgsauve]

@taskmasta

Then this steadicam wouldn't work. But I don't know why you'd ever want to do that. If you did, you'd get those black bars on the left and right of the screen, which would ultimately take away from the more professional look you're already trying to achieve by using this steadicam.

[taskmasta]

@rgsauve

Yeah it's not too necessary. Was just wondering if it'd be possible just in case i wanted to do some experimental compositing with the footage. Still awesome though I'm looking to build this very soon! The adapter is gonna hit my pockets pretty hard but its waaay cheaper than buying those expensive steadicams. Thanks a lot :)

[rgsauve]

@taskmasta

Yeah, it's a substantial hit. I've updated the forum post with theoretical instructions for a alternative that'll I'll put together this week and hopefully have an update with pictures. I still recommend the mounting adapter over a DIY solution though.

[Ben1257sb]

go to my steadicam video, click on the annotation and tell me if the link works.

[rgsauve]

@Ben1257sb

Yup, works.

[Ben1257sb]

LOVE THIS VIDEO. I am throwing a link in my video to this video. Thank you for implementing what we didn't do.