Soda Bottle Rig
This design has been retired in favor of the PET Bottle and Rubber Band Rig
A cut-off soda bottle can be used as a cheap camera mounting because the camera sits snugly against the inside of the bottle. The camera is also effectively protected from impacts - a disadvantage of the Picavet suspension.
Making a rubber band harness for the soda bottle rig:
Fitting and flying a camera in a soda bottle rig:
Simplified Soda bottle rig:
Build a Soda Bottle Rig
You can also follow this visual step by step instructions below:
Tools you'll need
Drill the bottom of the bottle
Cut the bottom of the bottle :
Insert the bottom of the bottle you just cut in the bottle itself until the head :
Cut a large strip of the bottle, leaving enough on the bottle head side to host a camera :
Cut the large stripe :
Cut the large stripe in the length :
Now you have 2 narrow stripes :
Fold them in 2 in the length :
Both of them :
Cut the end of each of the narrow stripes in a "pig feet" :
If you have a welder, you can make the "pig feet" more durable by "welding" the end of the cut :
Put "feet to feet" the folded stripes :
Duct tape one side of the "feet nails" :
Mark where you want to insert the feets :
With a blade - ideally with the soldering iron, make a cut the width of the stripe :
Insert the "wings" :)
Tape the wings in :
Almost there, nice! Taking shape!
Pass the long thin rope through the nozzle :
Make 2 loops (4 threads) with the thread :
Adjust the tension of the 2 loops :
A simple knot with the 4 threads in :
Fix the threads with string tape to camera (real strong, if you use bad tape your camera may fall from 500ft in the water / in the sand / on the rocks :_(
Pull the rope back in the body :
Pull stronger till the camera doesn't move much anymore:
Screw the cap in, with the threads forced (and probably twisted while you screw in):
The screw cap with hold the 4 threads securely, it easier to adjust, and also be easy to remove :
Test the balance of your devicem ideally with a fan, your camera mount should swing gently in the wind and follow the wind like a weather vane :)
To avoid having of the mount with the pictures you take, you can crop the extra plastic :
If you want to avoid turbulence and aggravate wind drag you can make fringes at the end of each wings :
You are ready to fly !
Get out of here, inflate a balloon:
or a kite :
Attach your camera mount to the kite, and walk on the beach / or sail !
More infos here : http://cesarharada.posterous.com/grassroots-mapping-camera-mount
Watch a video by Pat Coyle about the origins of the soda bottle rig here: