Basic Camera Mount on Piece of Wood...

[fecaleagle]

I am building a simple camera slider for doing triptych work, and there are a plethora of DIYs online for doing this, but they mostly advise mounting a head to the sliding platform. I have only one tripod head large enough to support my camera, so I want to mount the slider base onto the head (so that I can perform pan and tilt in the usual manner and then screw the camera directly onto the sliding platform. I'll be using a 1/4-20 hand knob bolt, but what is the recommended way of attaching the bolt to the platform while still allowing me to turn it freely to lock down the camera? Obviously I can use a lock washer recessed into the platform, but I was wondering if there's a better way...

Thanks, and sorry if this has been addressed before!

[Bob Salomon]

Let's assume that your tripod head is 2" in diameter and the wood slider is 5" long. Now you attach that slider to the top of your head. How will you slide your camera from one end of the slider to the other?

And what is the difference if the tripod head is below or above the wooden slider?

Novoflex makes double sided Arca rails in lengths from 10 to 18". They also make double sided Arca quick releases that allow one to slide either the double sided mounts or the camera the full length of the 10 to 18" rails. Is that what you are trying to do?

[fecaleagle]

Thanks Bob! I'd prefer that the head stay below the slider because my head (Ries photo-tilt) is pretty much married to the tripod and it seems easier not to remove and reattach it every time I want to use the slider. It's also got some significant weight to it, so seems better in general to keep it below the slider.

I am going to build a rail slider where the wooden base that attaches to the tripod head is, say, 12" long. Two 12" tubes are then installed in parallel onto the wood. Then I attach the sliding platform to the rails (I've seen it done w/electrical boxes, pvc sleeves, etc.) the design is similar to a dolly track or the Novoflex rail system you suggested, so that is what I am trying to do.

That all makes enough sense to me, but the best way to mount the camera to a simple piece of wood (the sliding platform) addresses my main question. That is why I've framed the question in that way. Sorry for not going into more detail initially.

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks Bob! I'd prefer that the head stay below the slider because my head (Ries photo-tilt) is pretty much married to the tripod and it seems easier not to remove and reattach it every time I want to use the slider. It's also got some significant weight to it, so seems better in general to keep it below the slider.

I am going to build a rail slider where the wooden base that attaches to the tripod head is, say, 12" long. Two 12" tubes are then installed in parallel onto the wood. Then I attach the sliding platform to the rails (I've seen it done w/electrical boxes, pvc sleeves, etc.) the design is similar to a dolly track or the Novoflex rail system you suggested.

That all makes enough sense to me, but the best way to mount the camera to a simple piece of wood adresses my main question. That is why I've framed the question in that way. Sorry for not going into more depth.

If the block that the camera mounts to moves along the rail but the camera doesn't move on the block hen I would not use wood. Just get a small block or piece of aluminum, put a cork or rubber face on the camera side and boar the hole for the mounting bolt in the middle. That should work better then wood. You might also look for a block of nylon rather then aluminum.

[fecaleagle]

If the block that the camera mounts to moves along the rail but the camera doesn't move on the block hen I would not use wood. Just get a small block or piece of aluminum, put a cork or rubber face on the camera side and boar the hole for the mounting bolt in the middle. That should work better then wood. You might also look for a block of nylon rather then aluminum.

Thanks for the tip. I will take that into consideration. Rather than seeming ideal, wood is what I have easy and cheap access to. I suppose in either case it's going to be difficult to get a hand in there to tighten the hand knob. I suppose I'll cut an open section (on one side of the head) in the slider base that mounts to the tripod head. The dimensions of the platform on my Photoplane tilt head are at least 7"(w) x 8"(l), so I should be able to tighten down a footlong section of a 1x6 or 1x8 (~1 or 1.5 lbs) onto the head without too many stability concerns. The rails and slider base will obviously be fixed, and the camera will only move with the sliding "block" once it is attached. I will consider aluminum, but I was thinking of doing a fairly large platform, at least as wide and long as the tilt head, so wood seemed like an easier material to work with. Any reason in particular to favor aluminum or nylon over it?

[Bob Salomon]

Over time that bolt is going to eat into most wood and wood on wood is not always the smoothest way to move things, plus wood will swell and shrink with environment, time, use, etc.

[fecaleagle]

Over time that bolt is going to eat into most wood and wood on wood is not always the smoothest way to move things, plus wood will swell and shrink with environment, time, use, etc.

I am thinking the actual sliding will be facilitated by PVC on PVC, so smoothness should not be an issue, but your points about swelling and shrinking are well-taken. I was planning on using a machine screw insert for the wood, so I think that would satisfactorily address the issue of the bolt eating into the platform, but that won't allow me to pull the camera down onto the platform, will it? Thanks very much for all of the advice. Gives me a lot to consider.

Seriously though, how do you attach a hand knob or standard bolt to a platform (of any material) and still retain the ability to turn it freely in order to lock the camera down?

[Bob Salomon]

I am thinking the actual sliding will be facilitated by PVC on PVC, so smoothness should not be an issue, but your points about swelling and shrinking are well-taken. I was planning on using a machine screw insert for the wood, so I think that would satisfactorily address the issue of the bolt eating into it. Thanks very much for all of the advice. Gives me a lot to consider.

Seriously though, how do you attach a hand knob or standard bolt to a platform (of any material) and still retain the ability to turn it freely in order to lock the camera down?

Many camera companies double thread their bolts. The camera thread at the end to screw into the camera and then a short 3/8" thread towards the bottom. The bolt goes thru the hole and then screws onto the platform with that short 3/8" thread. When the bolt is screwed all the way in it goes past that bottom 3/8" thread and now is captive in the hole. Linhof pan heads and 3-Way Leveling heads uses this technique.

[fecaleagle]

Many camera companies double thread their bolts. The camera thread at the end to screw into the camera and then a short 3/8" thread towards the bottom. The bolt goes thru the hole and then screws onto the platform with that short 3/8" thread. When the bolt is screwed all the way in it goes past that bottom 3/8" thread and now is captive in the hole. Linhof pan heads and 3-Way Leveling heads uses this technique.

Very much appreciated. I will let you know how it all works out in the end!

[fecaleagle]

I found a Youtube video on making a wooden quick release plate that shows exactly what I was wondering about here (4 minutes, 10 seconds) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP9vCSbr9o4#t=04m10s). The guy cuts away a section of the threads with a dremel and then uses an e-ring retainer to hold the bolt captive. Seems like it should work for my purposes.

[Tin Can]

I haven't wanted this YET, but it does give me ideas about using a Horseman rail as a geared slider for smaller cameras.

I am constantly finding other uses for my several Horseman cameras, they sure don't sell easily.

Thanks for the idea!


I am building a simple camera slider for doing triptych work, and there are a plethora of DIYs online for doing this, but they mostly advise mounting a head to the sliding platform. I have only one tripod head large enough to support my camera, so I want to mount the slider base onto the head (so that I can perform pan and tilt in the usual manner and then screw the camera directly onto the sliding platform. I'll be using a 1/4-20 hand knob bolt, but what is the recommended way of attaching the bolt to the platform while still allowing me to turn it freely to lock down the camera? Obviously I can use a lock washer recessed into the platform, but I was wondering if there's a better way...

Thanks, and sorry if this has been addressed before!

[Bob Salomon]

I found a Youtube video on making a wooden quick release plate that shows exactly what I was wondering about here (4 minutes, 10 seconds) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP9vCSbr9o4#t=04m10s). The guy cuts away a section of the threads with a dremel and then uses an e-ring retainer to hold the bolt captive. Seems like it should work for my purposes.

Also weakens the bolt.

[fecaleagle]

Also weakens the bolt.

Right... There's always more to consider than I assume when I start out one of these projects. I'm sure I can hand file away the threads without cutting into the bolt itself. I wouldn't assume that would weaken the bolt appreciably, but I'm certainly open any suggestions for methods I could reasonably do at home with basic tools.

[el french]

I am building a simple camera slider for doing triptych work, and there are a plethora of DIYs online for doing this, but they mostly advise mounting a head to the sliding platform. I have only one tripod head large enough to support my camera, so I want to mount the slider base onto the head (so that I can perform pan and tilt in the usual manner and then screw the camera directly onto the sliding platform. I'll be using a 1/4-20 hand knob bolt, but what is the recommended way of attaching the bolt to the platform while still allowing me to turn it freely to lock down the camera? Obviously I can use a lock washer recessed into the platform, but I was wondering if there's a better way...

Thanks, and sorry if this has been addressed before!

Why do you need a slider for a triptych? How long does the slider need to be? Can you provide links to the DIYs?

[fecaleagle]

Why do you need a slider for a triptych? How long does the slider need to be? Can you provide links to the DIYs?

Most of the DIYs available online are for video applications. Googling "DIY dolly slider" should return the plethora of results I mentioned earlier. For landscape/distance diptych and triptych work, I am using wooden planks on the ground to keep the tripod on a reasonable line, but I figure that for indoor shots and still life work, I'd only need 12" to 24" inches of separation between the shots. If I can make a 24" sliding platform, I figure I can shoot a triptych of a subject at 12 feet with a lens that has a field of view of 30 degrees. I suppose I could use a little bit of advice on the trigonometry behind all of this, but by simply moving the camera 12 inches to the right, or left, I figure I can be just outside of the original field of view for not-too-distant subjects, and if that is the case, I think it's worth trying to put together. If I reinforce the wood, I may be able to do a 36" or 48" long platform, which would be more than sufficient for my purposes. If it's not, I can always take up stereo photography... :/

Thanks for the input, and anybody that can help me with a formula for calculating the required distance between shots, given the field of view of the lens and the distance of the subject, I am all ears.

Edit: I just looked at some charts. So for a vertical shot, which all of my diptych and triptych shots are, I am looking at about a 27 degree field of view with my standard lens. I'm sure someone a little more math-minded can provide me with a formula for calculating the distance required between shots given the angle of view and subject distance. I would really appreciate it!

[Tin Can]

I have seen curved video ones.


Most of the DIYs available online are for video applications. Googling DIY slider dolly should return the plethora I mentioned earlier. I am using wooden planks on the ground to keep the tripod on a reasonable line for landscape/distance diptych and triptych work, but I figure that for indoor shots and still life work, I'd only need 12" to 20" inches of separation between the shots. I figure if I can make a 24" sliding platform, I can shoot a triptych of a subject at 15 feet with a lens that has a field of view of 30 degrees. I suppose I could use a little bit of advice on the trigonometry behind all of this, but by simply moving the camera 12 inches to the right, or left, I figure I can be just outside of the original field of view for not-too-distant subjects, and if that is the case, I think it's worth trying to put together. If I reinforce the wood, I may be able to do a 36" long platform, which would be sufficient for my purposes. If it's not, I can always take up stereo photography... :/

[Lou Baleur]

An enlarger or copy stand column mounted horizontal between sawhorses would work and would also be a good use for forgotten enlargers. A long column like a 5 foot polaroid mp4 would be about ideal.

[fecaleagle]

So, a math-minded fellow that I work with just came in and shattered my hopes. He told me that the the distance required between the two camera (lens) positions for the fields of view (27°) not to overlap is equal to 2*tan(13.5°)*d, where d equals the distance of the subject from the camera. So for a subject 12 feet away, the camera needs to slide 5.75 feet for the fields of view not to overlap... I guess it's back to the boards on the ground...

I will test that estimate on my kitchen wall when I get home from work, but I'm inclined to trust his math.

[Tin Can]

Have you taken test pictures with a P&S or shudder, cell phone? May as well test the concept using whatever you have.


So, a math-minded fellow that I work with just came in and shattered my hopes. He told me that the the distance required between the two camera (lens) positions for the fields of view (27°) not to overlap is equal to 2*tan(13.5°)*d, where d equals the distance of the subject from the camera. So for a subject 12 feet away, the camera needs to slide 5.75 feet for the fields of view not to overlap... I guess it's back to the boards on the ground...

I will test that estimate on my kitchen wall when I get home from work, but I'm inclined to trust his math.

[Bob Salomon]

So, a math-minded fellow that I work with just came in and shattered my hopes. He told me that the the distance required between the two camera (lens) positions for the fields of view (27°) not to overlap is equal to 2*tan(13.5°)*d, where d equals the distance of the subject from the camera. So for a subject 12 feet away, the camera needs to slide 5.75 feet for the fields of view not to overlap... I guess it's back to the boards on the ground...

I will test that estimate on my kitchen wall when I get home from work, but I'm inclined to trust his math.

For VR pans you need about 30% overlap between adjacent shots. You sure you need no overlap?

[fecaleagle]

Again, my math may be suspect, but for my iPhone 5 where the vertical field of view is ~58.5°, the horizontal field of view should be ~45.56°. Keep in mind that the horizontal and vertical dimensions are the opposite of film. So the vertical dimension is the long one and the horizontal is the short one.

2*tan(22.78°)*d, where d equals the distance from the edge of my desk to my laptop screen as measured by a legal pad is 11 inches. The formula gives me a 9.25" distance required between the two shots. The distance actually required appears to be about 8.5"

This doesn't help much because there are no official numbers published on the iPhone 5's back camera field of view and I have seen varying numbers posted on the internet. Also, I am not measuring with any precision or guarantee that the angle of the phone is not changing slightly between shots. Anyway, it seems reasonably close to me, but I will check with my actual camera when I get home.

[fecaleagle]

For VR pans you need about 30% overlap between adjacent shots. You sure you need no overlap?

I'm not planning on doing any stitching. Just side-by-side display, so I do not want any overlap. I do understand that significantly less precision is required for this than for panoramic stitching, but I would like to keep the camera on the same plane if possible and avoid overlap. I realize that this is now running into another ongoing thread in the Style section, so I will pick up my belongings and move over there.

I am still curious about further suggestions for keeping a camera screw captive, although it sounds like I'll not be needing it for a slider.