Research by TedF Open source environmental science research at Public Lab Attaching a camera to a wooden picavet using elastics looped onto nails TedF Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:26:40 +0000 <h3>Create a robust holding structure for a camera/picavet</h3> <p>Many people have asked me how to actually attach the camera to the picavet that I showed in this post: <a href=""></a></p> <p>... so here goes a more in depth explanation with pictures.</p> <h3>My attempt and results</h3> <p>1) Buy very strong durable elastic bands and use nails with a larger head (the larger the easier to loop the elastics into place, but smaller ones work also as you see from the pictures below).</p> <p>2) Depending on camera used, you may use one elastic and small square of paper to continually hold down the 'take photo button' on the camera also.</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1342.JPG" /></a></p> <p>3) Fold some thick paper and/or tissue paper into a square of roughly the same size as your camera.</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1343.JPG" /></a></p> <p>4) Place folded paper padding between the back of the camera and the side of the picavet without nails (see <a href="">this post</a> for constructing the picavet and placing nails).</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1346.JPG" /></a></p> <p>5) Loop one elastic around a nail on the top of the picavet, while firmly holding the camera in place. Stretch the elastic along the front of the camera (or underside of the whole assemblage) and loop it back onto the same nail.</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1347.JPG" /></a></p> <p>6) Repeat with four elastics (2 elastic bands attach to 1 nail so that you end up with four elastic loop ends on each nail). See pictures for resulting attachment.</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1348.JPG" /></a></p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1349.JPG" /></a></p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1350.JPG" /></a></p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1351.JPG" /></a></p> <p>7) Note that you have to adjust the elastics for your lens to come out freely from the camera, when you turn it on. The pictures below show firstly how the unadjusted elastics would prevent the lens from coming out and in the second picture the adjusted elastic that will allow the lens to come out:</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1352.JPG" /></a></p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1353.JPG" /></a></p> <p>8) Optional: Attach a textile elastic (can buy in any textile store) to camera, to use as extra safety. You attach the other end of the textile elastic to the kite line, so in case some part of your rig breaks (it has never broken for me), the camera rig will slide down the line to you on the ground.</p> <p>The final assembly will look like this (without safety line) from below and from above:</p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1354.JPG" /></a></p> <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="IMG_1355.JPG" /></a></p> <h3>Questions and next steps</h3> <p>Any questions, just ask in the comments. Improvements very welcome! Thanks to those of you who've already done so!</p> <h3>Why I'm interested</h3> <p>I've used this rig setup lots of times, with adults, kids and in all sorts of conditions. It works really well for me and it's pretty easy and fast to setup.</p> Constructing a <£2, 90g wooden/metal picavet TedF Sun, 18 Aug 2013 19:07:06 +0000 <h2>What I want to do</h2> <p>Build a cheap picavet to stabilise the camera for kite mapping (or balloon mapping). (a picavet is a platform suspended by several strings that hangs in such a way that it stabilises itself according to gravity; i.e. it 'absorbs and adjusts to' jerky movements and thus acts as a kind of 'movement buffer' so that one gets less blurry pictures)</p> <h2>My attempt and results</h2> <p>Cut out a ~120x120 mm cross-shaped piece of plywood.</p> <p><img src="/system/images/photos/000/001/223/medium/photo_1.JPG" alt="photo_1.JPG" /> <img src="/system/images/photos/000/001/224/medium/photo_2.JPG" alt="photo_2.JPG" /></p> <p>The inner part of the shape has a jagged platform for securing the camera using elastic bands (the jagged edge helps secure the elastic bands). Then made holes at then ends of each 'arm' using a small nail (&amp;hammer), followed by screwing in screws with loops at the end. Also put in 2 nails on the top part of the platform to secure elastic bands. Used the following site to set up the strings properly: <a href=""></a></p> <p>Attached the picavet using carabiners to 2 loops on the string holding the kite (approx. 20 m from the kite). Also used a kitchen clip to keep the strings in order during transport and storage:</p> <p><img src="/system/images/photos/000/001/226/medium/photo.JPG" alt="photo.JPG" /></p> <h2>Questions and next steps</h2> <p>I want to make the same picavet with real pulleys instead of the screws with loops. This will increase the price, but I suspect it will make the picavet stabilise more quickly and evenly (i.e. increase its 'movement buffering' capacity).</p>