Making a Camera Stand

Hi everyone, it’s that time for our next at home project. Today we will be looking at making a camera stand. Now I know what you’re thinking, “I can just use my tripod!” Tripods are great and can shoot just about every angle but one, straight down. It’s very design demands that the legs will get in the way. Attaching the tripod to the ceiling or the camera to a boom stand is an option, but the thought of dangling a camera in such a way is frightening. Plus, if you’d like to use the camera for animation, keeping the camera still is essential. Professional camera stands are great, but can be quite expensive. Which is why I have this great tutorial for you to help with just that.

Here are the materials that we will be needing:
1/2” threaded galvanized piping
o 3 x 24” lengths
o 2 x 90-degree elbows
o 2 x end flanges
• 1 x ¼” bolt, 2” length
• Several ¼” washers
• Steel mending plate
• Small rectangle of hardwood slightly bigger than plate
• #10 bolts and nuts and washers, 2” length
• 2 x 24” lengths of 2 x 4” lumber
• 8 x 1 ½” wood screws
• Electric drill and drill bits
• Velcro strips

First, we need to create a base plate that attaches to the threaded tripod hole and support the camera. Attach the mending plate to the larger rectangle of hardwood with the included screws. Then, drill a ¼” hole through the center of both pieces, using a slower speed when drilling through the metal. Next, drill two 3/16th holes on either side of the center hole. Drill two matching holes in the center of one of the 24” pipe pieces, then attach the plate to the pipe with #10 bolts, nuts, and washers. Then, using the ¼” hole in the plate as a guide, drill a ¼” hole through the pipe.

Attach the 90-degree elbows to the pipe with the bracket, and then screw on a pipe to each end. Arrange the pipes so you have a flat u-shape, with the sides perpendicular to the top bar, and the support plate faces outward. Twist the flanges onto the ends, and place them onto the 2 x 4s, about 9 inches from the back. Attach the flanges to the wood with 1 ½” screws. Attach the camera, and then cut two strips of Velcro and wrap them around the camera to support the weight. Stay clear of any controls.

And that’s all there is to it. From there you have the option to shoot from a bird’s eye view. This can be very helpful when shooting product or macro photography. You can even clamp some lights to the side bars for some quality lighting. Hope you all enjoy, happy shooting!