DIY Equipment - Real Cheap and works pretty good.

Here is a DIY tip for those of you who don't want to spend the big bucks on several different mounts for your big camera/lens rigs. If you need a ground pod, bean bag, window mount, etc. Try this: Go to a store that sells marine/boating stuff. They usually have small stiff foam blocks that are made to fit over the side edges of canoes so you can invert the canoe and put it on top of your car without scratching the car. It provides a cushion that prevents the canoe from sliding and scraping your paint. The groove in the foam block just so happens to fit nice and tight on the lens foot of a large lens like 400-600mm lenses have. You can just jam one of these blocks on the lens foot and then set it on just about any surface. If you want a ground pod that slides nicely, just glue the bottom of the foam block to the inside of a large frisbe. The foam blocks sell for $2-$3. The foam blacks they have at Bass Pro Outdoor World fit the lens foot perfectly. They can even stand up by themselves when on a flat surface. If you need quick release, just pull it off.

thanks Jim, great idea. I imagine you could put a slit on the bottom of the foam block so it would lock over a slightly raised driver side window. I bet the foam block mounted on the frisbe pretty much cancels the flight characteristics of the disk
-more like a flying brick instead of a flying disk

PS good to see you last week at the sewage ponds

john j. henderson wrote:thanks Jim, great idea. I imagine you could put a slit on the bottom of the foam block so it would lock over a slightly raised driver side window. I bet the foam block mounted on the frisbe pretty much cancels the flight characteristics of the disk
-more like a flying brick instead of a flying disk

PS good to see you last week at the sewage ponds

I've thought of cutting a groove for the window, but haven't tried it yet. FYI: I keep the lens strap around my neck just in case. That way the lens can't hit the ground unless my head goes with it. At that point I won't care if the lens breaks anyway.

Remember those from canoeing days in the Rockies and can envision the process. I keep the camera strap on constantly for much the same reasons. Was hoping when I opened this, to see a picture of your large lens holster! I'm doing Home Depot and going to look for what you described!

Ben Taylor wrote:Remember those from canoeing days in the Rockies and can envision the process. I keep the camera strap on constantly for much the same reasons. Was hoping when I opened this, to see a picture of your large lens holster! I'm doing Home Depot and going to look for what you described!

Hi Ben,

The belt pouch (lens holster) is really simple. All you need is a padded work belt and a pliers pouch. The pouch has slits that allow the straps on the work belt to fit thru it. If you have any trouble making one, let me know and I will try to help.

Too much Jim! I envision this and will track down the components. Thanks so much. Like many here, I admire you for being in the right place with the right gear.

Jim,
I believe you have a very creative mind, amazing ideas and...the results to prove all that!!
So, could you share with us some images of your DYI equipment?? I'm Italian and cannot visualize some of the items you write about...

Thanks and keep on rockin'!

I know a bunch of videographers who use a surf casting belt with a mono-pod to support the camera, it works well. I set this up for a guy shooting from elephants in India.

Best,

Chas

Bruno D wrote:Jim,
I believe you have a very creative mind, amazing ideas and...the results to prove all that!!
So, could you share with us some images of your DYI equipment?? I'm Italian and cannot visualize some of the items you write about...

Thanks and keep on rockin'!

Thanks Bruno!

Here is a picture showing the foam block and also the belt holster I made. I've included lens caps for size comparison. The foam block still has a price tag on it that says $2.50.

john j. henderson wrote:
PS good to see you last week at the sewage ponds

You guys meet at the weirdest places.

Yeah, I can just picture Jim with his belt and pouch, block in hand standing at a sewage pond

Always thinking outside the box. That's why Jim will get the shots that no one else will.

Neil Fitzgerald wrote:

john j. henderson wrote:
PS good to see you last week at the sewage ponds

You guys meet at the weirdest places.

It sounds bad, but he is talking about Viera Wetlands. It's part of a waste water treatment facility. It's beautiful there with lots of birds and no stink.

Many thanks, Jim: it's incredible!

Jim Neiger wrote:

Neil Fitzgerald wrote:

john j. henderson wrote:
PS good to see you last week at the sewage ponds

You guys meet at the weirdest places.

It sounds bad, but he is talking about Viera Wetlands. It's part of a waste water treatment facility. It's beautiful there with lots of birds and no stink.

Hey, the day before I was at the "Great Outdoors" wetlands/sewer and the entrance into the wetlands it smelled worse than the toilet at a gas station in Midland, Texas ( scratch and sniff emoticon). My apologies to Texas: but everything in Texas is either bigger, bad'er, dryer, dustier or stinkier.

Any photos to show this lens holster setup in action? TIA.

Griffin wrote:Any photos to show this lens holster setup in action? TIA.

Griffin,

Next time I'm out shooting with an NSNer, I will ask them to take some images of me using my equipment, and with their permission, I will post them here.

Jim Neiger wrote:

Griffin wrote:Any photos to show this lens holster setup in action? TIA.

Griffin,

Next time I'm out shooting with an NSNer, I will ask them to take some images of me using my equipment, and with their permission, I will post them here.

Thank you, Jim!

..

Geo wrote:

Jim Neiger wrote:

Bruno D wrote:Jim,
I believe you have a very creative mind, amazing ideas and...the results to prove all that!!
So, could you share with us some images of your DYI equipment?? I'm Italian and cannot visualize some of the items you write about...

Thanks and keep on rockin'!

Thanks Bruno!

Here is a picture showing the foam block and also the belt holster I made. I've included lens caps for size comparison. The foam block still has a price tag on it that says $2.50.

Hi Jim,

Had to smile when I saw the pic of your belt /holster - looks very like mine except for one thing - if you add two "over the shoulder " braces/straps, ( one for each shoulder it stops it sliding down and gives you extra support to press down upon to steady the lens even more

cheers

geo

Hi Geo,

Thanks for the tip, but I think you may have a misunderstanding about the way I use my belt holster. I don't use it for shooting pics. I simply use it to carry the weight of the camera when I'm not actualy shooting. This allows me to lug the big rig around all day without getting tired. When I'm actualy shooting I just lift the lens to my eye with my arms for short periods of time. The rest of the time my lens is in the belt holster or I am carrying it on the palm of my hand with my elbow jammed against the side of my body so that the weight is on my bones, not my muscles. Muscles get tired, but my bones don't.

I also take advantage of any and all objects to rest the camera on for static subject shots. This includes parts of my body or objects that happen to be near by such as fence posts or car tops, etc.