DIY: Telescope Pole Camera
Pole cameras provide a different view and allow a unique photo composition. A pole camera system simply mounts a camera on an extendable shaft. The extended pole gives a bird's eye view to the photographs. The system is used by creative photographers, building inspectors and sports photographers. A telescoping pole camera system can be made by do-it-yourselfers with modest abilities and tools.
Instructions
1. Add a camera tripod head to the top of an extendable painters handle. The top of the handle includes an attachment bolt that fits to the paint roller. Commercial adapters are available to convert that fitting to the 1/4 inch bolt shaft common to the base of the tripod head.
2. Attach a padded rest plate about 1 foot below the tripod head using epoxy glue. This plate extends about 8 inches from the pole in all directions and is made from stiff closed cell material. The plate serves as bumper and keeps the camera from striking the ground if the pole is laid on the ground. The plate usually includes a mark indicating the direction the camera is pointed because it obscures the camera from view from directly below.
3. Attach a remote cable release to the camera. String the cable along the paint extension pole using cable ties every couple of feet to keep the cable from flopping about. Set the camera to fully automatic and angle the tripod head to provide a shot of the intended subjects.
Tags: tripod head, camera from, camera system, Pole Camera, pole camera, pole camera system
