Recently, I got inspired by The Frugal filmmaker to make a DIY iPhone Stabilizer Rig to stabilise the iPhone when filming or taking photograph.

I went to the pet store shops that sells aquarium accessories and bought some nice transparent pipes, T-joints and elbow joints.

These are light weight but softer then PVC pipes but are definitely suitable for hand held devices like the iPhone 5.

This is the first prototype with just the joints & pipes connected without LED lights

I had considered using an iPhone 5 USB external battery to power up a laptop USB LED lights but decided not to implement that design as the lights are insufficient for longer distances.

After deciding to go with LED lights strips & DC 12 volt battery, I added a switch and bicycle handle to pimp up the rig! 😀

Hanging out to dry after spray painting it with matt black to look more professional.

After spray paint dried, added two more bicycle grips for easy handling.

LED lights switched on.

Total cost is slightly on the high side.

6 x T-Joints 50 cents each = $3.00
4 x L-Joints 50 cents each = $2.00
2 x LED strips $5 each = $10.00
1 x 12 Volt DC batter = $28
2 x pair of bicycle grips $10 each = $20
2 x Transparent tubes = $2? (can’t remember)
1 x iPhone 5 casing = $12
3 x recycled casing screws & nuts = Free
1 x round switch = $1.00 (estimated)
1 x bunch of red & black wires = $1.80 (I think)

Total estimated cost = Around SGD $80

The problem now is many components that I had bought have left over making the cost slightly inflated, I’m thinking of making some to sell but re-using some of the extra left over that I still have hence reducing the cost of production.

If you are in Singapore and are interested in buying one do contact me at simontay78@gmail.com or simontay78@simonvideo.com but currently I only do cash and carry so that you can inspect the goods first before buying.

Pros

1. Light weight
2. Portable enough for a sport bag to carry it.
3. Able to stabilize your filming to reduce shaky videos by using two hands & holding further away from the iPhone.
4. Great for outdoors filming/photography at low light conditions
5. Customisable

Cons

1. The LED lights are bad when filming indoors with lot’s of reflective surfaces
2. You cannot really run with the rig but it’s stable enough for slow walking movement and gentle turns.
3. It’s not heavy but you will feel the strain if you hold it steady for a long period of time
4. Spray paint can be easily chipped off so must handle with care.