Here’s five do-it-yourself camera projects. They’re all simple to build and useful homebrew solutions which are more versatile than a conventional tripod. You’ll note many similar techniques among the projects.Standard disclaimers – these projects are for informational purposes. Whether or not they’re suitable for you is up to you to decide. The author and website are not responsible for any damages or injuries which may result from anybody reading this article.
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Super-magnifier webcam lamp
Update: This project was featured on Instructables.com.
If your vision’s not perfect it helps to have a good magnifying glass. I saw a commercial video magnifier – basically a small video camera on a swing arm which you connect to a television set and realized a DIY solution could be far better – using a webcam for far higher resolution than a television set.
Materials –
An adjustable desk lamp which can be aimed down.
A webcam and computer display. It helps to have a large monitor.
A 1/4"-20 bolt, about 1.5 inches long.
A 1/4"-20 nut.
A 1/4"-20 free spinning washer nut.
The hardware is available at any decent hardware store for about $1.50.
This project is very similar to the swing-arm lamp, but fixed in a single position to optimize it for magnifying reading materials.
Step 1 –
Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the lamp’s light shield. Clean any burrs out the hole.
You’ll want to place the hole in a place where the mounted webcam will face down toward the table.
Step 2 –
Insert the bolt into the hole you just made with the bolt sticking out. Screw the normal nut on top. You can glue the nut and bolt in place for a more permanent and stronger setup.
Step 3 –
Screw the free spinning washer on the bolt with the washer facing out.
Step 4 –
Screw the webcam on the bolt and tighten it in place with the free spinning washer.
Use a couple of bread twist-ties or nylon ties to attach the USB cable to the lamp to keep the cable out of the way. Make sure the cable won’t interfere with the lamp’s normal movements.
Install the webcam’s software on your computer.
You’re done!
Conclusions –
Just run the webcam software in full screen mode and point the lamp down and put the material you want to read under it. The lamp can help illuminate the material. This is especially useful for reading fine print on maps, bus schedules, and similar fine print documents.
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The better swing arm camera mount
I saw an Ikea swing arm lamp converted into a camera mount and realized I could go one step better and make a more flexible combination lamp / camera mount.
A camera you can position wherever you want over your worktable is very useful for documenting your projects or streaming video for a live demonstration. It’s easy to add a tripod mount to a swing arm lamp without affecting the lamp’s normal operation.
This setup is suitable for small digital camera or a webcam with a standard tripod socket.
This project is similar to the super magnifer webcam lamp in many ways. The mangifer webcam is more suitable when the camera needs to stay in a fixed position and will always be focused at a document which is flat on the table. The swing arm lamp is more useful for more complicated objects and when the camera needs to move to different positions.
Materials -
I picked up a swing arm lamp with magnifying glass at a yard sale for $5. Typically these units retail for about $16 new.
A 1/4"-20 bolt, about 1.5 inches long.
A 1/4"-20 nut.
A 1/4"-20 free spinning washer nut.
The hardware is available at any decent hardware store for about $1.50.
Step 1 –
Use something sharp to make a small hole on the lamp’s plastic case in a suitable place. Use a drill with a 1/4 inch bit to make the final hole. Clean any burrs out the hole.
A suitable place is place which won’t interfere with the light or magnifying glass. After my first experiments I realized it would be better to mount the camera on the side of the lamp which faces the back of the desk (e.g. away from you).
Step 2 –
Insert the bolt into the hole you just made with the bolt sticking out. Screw the normal nut on top. You can glue the nut and bolt in place for a more permanent and stronger setup.
Step 3 –
Screw the free spinning washer on the bolt with the washer facing out.
Step 4 –
Screw the camera (webcam or small digital camera) on the bolt and tighten it in place with the free spinning washer.
Use a couple of bread twist-ties or nylon ties to attach the USB cable to the swing arms to keep the cable out of the way. Make sure the cable won’t interfere with the swing arm’s normal movements.
You’re done!
Conclusions –
The key limitation I’ve found is parallax since the camera is not aligned with the magnifying glass. While the magnifying glass is the best way for you to examine what you’re working on, you may want a computer monitor in easy range so you can see the camera’s field-of-view.
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How to put together a cheap photo stand for great photos (documenting projects, eBay, collections, etc.)
It’s helpful to have a dedicated photo stand to take high qualify photos, whether it’s to document your projects as you work on them, taking photos of valuable items in a collection, photos of items for sale, or other purposes.
The key features you want are a steady mount for a camera pointing down, a clean background, and good lighting.
I’ve got a semi-permanent setup in my workshop. It doesn’t occupy much space when it’s not in use, but is easy to set up and produces excellent quality photos, including most of the photos for my how-to projects.
Step 1 – the camera mount
I found a camera mount with a simple spring clamp, similar to the clamps used on inexpensive floodlights. If I didn’t have this clamp I would have built a wood arm and attached an inexpensive tripod. The spring clamp is mounted horizontally about 2 feet above the desk. It’s out of the way when it isn’t in use but ready to go when it’s needed. When I upgraded digital cameras I decided to leave my old camera attached to this mount.
Step 2 – the background and lights
A cheap piece of white oaktag is my background. It can lie flat on the table or curved against the wall depending on what I’m taking photos of.
Lights, lights, lights. The key to good photography is good lighting. Good lighting makes the difference between adequate photos and excellent photos. I avoid using flashes whenever possible – flashes have their purposes but they cast a very harsh light.
My photo setup has a spring clamp light mounted about a foot away from the camera, the desk lamp normally used for that desk, and another desk lamp. By adjusting the positions of the lamps and where they’re aimed shadows can be minimized – or accentuated depending on what I am trying to achieve. Right now I’m just using plain CFL bulbs but in the future I may make simple diffusers (cardboard boxes with tissue paper on the front) for softer lighting.
Step 3 – good techniques.
After a stable platform for your camera, good lighting, and a neutral background the most important thing you can do to create high quality photos is good photography techniques.Set your camera in Macro mode and make sure the image is in focus.
Set your camera on timer mode. When you press the shutter the camera will jiggle a little. Using the timer lets those motions dampen out before the photo is actually taken. Many digital cameras have a 2 second timer specifically to minimize camera motion.
It always helps to take multiple photos with different camera settings. Experiment with the placement of your lights and even how you position the object. Something that may not be obvious when you take the photos may turn out to be a pleasant surprise when you edit the images on your computer afterwards.
If I need to take photos of vertical objects I just use a tabletop tripod to support the camera. The oaktag background, lights, and camera settings remain the same.
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Smartphone Tripod Adapter
Here’s a simple do-it-yourself tripod adapter for your smartphone.
Materials –
A hard case designed specifically for your phone. Do not use a universal case which is designed to work with many different models. You need a snug fit.
A right angle bracket – preferably plastic but metal could also work. I repurposed a plastic piece from an old electronics box.
A 1/4"-20 free spinning washer nut.
Suitable adhesive (super glue, a high strength adhesive, etc.).
A C-Clamp.
Step 1 –
Glue the nut-side of the free spinning nut to the bottom of the right angle bracket (see photo). Make sure you’ve got extremely clean surfaces and use the proper adhesive, there isn’t much surface area but this has to hold the weight of your camera. Use a C-Clamp to hold the bracket firmly in place and let it dry overnight.
Step 2 –
Glue the right angle bracket on to the case (see diagram for orientation). Use a C-Clamp to hold the bracket firmly in place and let it dry overnight.
You’re done.
Conclusions –
This tripod adapter is suitable for steadying your smartphone while taking pictures. Use common sense when using it and make sure that your phone won’t fall over or come out of its case. Do not use this as a stand for your phone.
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Real Cheap Bottle Cap Tripod
Here’s a real simple incredibly portable tripod you can make for under $2 – a plastic cap from a soda bottle.
Materials –
Cap from an empty soda bottle. In the United States the same caps are used for everything from single serving 4 ounce up through 2 liter bottles. The caps used for bottle water are the same diameter and thread but may not fit as precisely.
A 1/4"-20 bolt, about 1.5 inches long.
A 1/4"-20 nut.
A 1/4"-20 free spinning washer nut.
The hardware is available from any hardware store, it cost me $3 for enough parts to build two sets.
Step 1 –
Use an awl or something similar to make a hole in the middle of the bottle cap. Use a knife or drill to increase the diameter of the hole to 1/4 inch. Clean any burrs out the hole.
Step 2 –
Insert the bolt into the hole you just made with the bolt sticking out of the top of the bottle cap. Screw the normal nut on top. You can glue the bolt in place for a permanent connection if you wish.
Step 3 –
Screw the free spinning washer on the bolt with the flat side facing up.
You’re done!
Conclusions –
The advantage to this “tripod” is it’s so small you can carry it everywhere. It’ll easily fit into a camera bag or whatever you use to carry your camera. All you need to use it is a soda or water bottle.
Use common sense when using this tripod – only use it with extremely compact lightweight cameras. It helps to have a half filled container to minimize the chances to tipping. Only use this tripod as a stabilizer for your camera, not as a place to hold the camera for any period of time.
After you’ve taken your photo remember to save the tripod, finish the drink, and don’t forget to recycle the drink bottle.
