Cheap Camera

In this video we learn how to make your own cheap camera dolly. First, place down two PVC pipes and place a board on top of that. Then, you can place the tripod on top of that. You can use this to take shots where the camera is sliding from one position to the next but you wan ...more

Cell phones and mobile devices are getting more and more advanced everyday, and so is the equipped camera technology. You can now shoot HD (high-definition) video on newer mobile phones, which makes it easier to start your filmmaking projects, because it's a lot cheaper to buy ...more

Movies take us places we've never been before, and a big tool that has contributed to that age-old phrase "movie magic" is the camera jib arm. Kind of like a camera extendeder, the jib arm is like a rotating crane that you can place your camera on top of. It allows you to sho ...more

In this tutorial, learn how to make a super cheap camera stabilizer for under 10 dollars. This stabilizer (or steadicam) is just as effective as a big, professional one but is small enough for use on the iPod, iPhone, Blackberries or Flip cameras. Follow along with this tutori ...more

Film and television cinematographers love sliding camera shots, especially since ER made them a standard device for television dramas. A professional sliding camera setup is expensive though. Why not make one yourself? This video will show you how to turn $20 into a high-quali ...more

This tutorial shows you how you can cheaply and easily construct a rolling camera dolly for less than you'd have to spend to buy it from the manufacturer - this one only costs about $120. It rolls as smoothly as a professional dolly!

Maybe you've never heard of the Dutch Roll camera effect, but you've seen it in movies whenever a character is delirious and the camera starts spinning crazily end over need. In this tutorial you'll learn how to set up a cheap version of the effect with a plain old hand drill. ...more

This is a cheap little hack from a $5 discount store headlamp. Check it out. Quick and easy. You need a bolt to secure to your camera. This is great if you are shooting long shots and need different brightnesses. Otherwise kind of ghetto.

This is a pretty intense tazer (or taser) construction using a disposable camera and some hard core circuitry.

If you're a filmmaker with bigger ideas than your budget, Indy Mogul is here to help with Backyard FX. Learn how to build a camera mount for a car that costs less than 40 dollars. Using suctions cups, you can rig a camera on the front of a car.

This is one of my favorite projects, a wide format pinhole camera that uses 35mm film and is made from $10 in crafts store items.

Start with a Targus Monopod, and then follow along with this tutorial to create a BodyPod - a body harness that will let you 'wear' your camera. This modification costs less than fifteen dollars, and lets you cut down on the gear you'll need when filming.

The Canon 60D is a very popular, powerful, and cheap camera for those looking to get into high-end digital photography. If you've got one and need some help on using it's many functions, check out this video for a tutorial on the many buttons and tools in your camera.

This video shows how to make a studio softbox light for under 20 dollars. It is made with items found around the home or easily acquired. The author takes us through the process in a step by step manner. It starts with a cheap camera tripod upon which a plastic electrical outl ...more

If you take a lot of photos with your smartphone or cheap digital camera, you can see the difference compared to results from a pro camera. So, if you want to get a professional camera look without dropping the money, check out this video to learn how to enhance your pics. Thi ...more

Wow. Forget about buying an expensive pro-style digital camcorder. You can make your DSLR camera into a moviemaker camera with a simple DIY shoulder mount. The goal of this video is to give you a way to create a low budget way of mounting your camera and necessary gear onto a ...more

When you're shooting a film, being able to see what you're shooting well and adjust on the fly is crucial. With the tiny screen on most cheap cameras, this is kind of a crapshoot. This video will show you a cheap way to solve this problem: converting a car $50 car LCD screen i ...more

If you are out with friends and don't have anyone to take your photo for you, you will need to take a self portrait. Instead of fumbling with a self timer, most people hold the camera themselves and take a snap. Unfortunately, these photos are hard to center and you often cut ...more

Home security is as important as having a job. You have to protect your family and your valuables. If you can't afford a high tech security system, then maybe a fake security camera will do the trick. This security camera dud is also a cheap alternative for a film prop. Watch ...more

If you need a dolly for your movie masterpiece, you don't need to go with a professional dolly system. You can save that money for your expensive actors and actresses by building your own DIY camera dolly on the cheap. You'll need some nuts and bolts, PVC pipes, scrap wood, dr ...more

Turn an old tennis ball into a nifty camera tripod in just minutes. Inspired by an Instructables.com project: http://www.instructables.com/id/SDMK5MWFDO29GEZ/ This is a cheap and easy way to make a tripod. You will need: tennis ball pen a knife, scissors, razor blade or saw ...more

Ben Slotover and Paul Elliott, aka Blunt Productions, shows how to make your own cheap 3D film. You'll need a straight flash bracket, two camera mounting screws, and of course - two cameras. Then use Adobe After Effects to merge the two videos together so you can get out those ...more

In this tutorial, learn how to photograph a real, moving water splash without using Photoshop. This video will show you exactly what to set your camera on, what supplies and lighting you will need and how to arrange your shot. This method creates a beautiful shot without expe ...more

See how to make a low budget web show, like Pop17, seem like a grand thing. This is low budget basics including lighting, microphone and an HDV camera. You should also edit it in Final Cut Pro, because that's what Pop17 does.

Worried about getting your camera wet or planning to shoot in the rain? Alan K. from Indy Mogul teaches you how to make a camcorder rain shield from a detergent bottle.

Snake cams have become the epitome of high-tech gadgets on television and in movies. In 24, Jack Bauer is always using a snake camera to check for terrorists on the other side of the door. The video game Splinter Cell has made the snake cam an integral part to Sam Fisher's ars ...more

In this video you learn how to make a digital pinhole camera. The video begins with an introduction addressing the main themes to be dealt with in the video - tight budgets, photography and specialized lenses. In this video, Kai modifies a photo lens cap by poking a large hole ...more

See how to make an X10 wireless security camera into a nice helmet cam on the cheap in this three-part video. All it takes is an X10 camera, ten bucks in parts, and two hours of your time. Part 1 of 3 - How to Turn an wireless X10 camera into a helmet cam. Part 2 of 3 - How t ...more

Watch this video tutorial, and learn how to turn an ordinary inexpensive webcam into a hidden home security system, viewable anywhere in the world from your cell phone! With a cute and cuddly teddy bear and a cheap webcam, you can make the perfect homemade security camera, or ...more

Okay you saw the super-detailed reproduction of Freddy Krueger's clawed glove, now complete the Freddy costume with this "burning" makeup tutorial. In celebration of the return of "A Nightmare On Elm Street", starring Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger, Indy Mogul's BFX brou ...more

Freddy's Alive! No, it's not the next part of the Nightmare On Elm Street series, it's the new remake coming out in a theater near you. And in celebration of the return of "A Nightmare On Elm Street", starring Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger, Indy Mogul's BFX made this gr ...more

Continuing on with budget lighting, we explore using Fluorescent and LED lights, along with using available light, bouncing it with a reflector. These setups will work great for interviews, video casting, vlogging, and the likes. These lights use less power and also generate m ...more

It may be intended as a toy, but this gizmo can be hacked for more than just watching a remote-controlled car's video spy cam. This HUD (heads-up display) comes with the Wild Planet Spy Gear Video Car, but it's said that you can purchase the video headset separately. And it's ...more

Check out this video tutorial on how to make a cheap multi-touch pad like in the MacBook Air. Yes, that's right... you can make your very own multitouch, finger-sensitive touch pad for your computer. This is definitely the cheap way to go to make a Multitouch Mini (MTmini), wi ...more

In this video tutorial, see how to transform a cheap goose neck lamp into a flexible camera holder. It's very cheap and easy to do... you'll love the results of this flexible camera tripod. You need to get one of those goose neck lamps, a bolt and nut, screwdriver, drill, and ...more

Check out this video to learn how to level the bad audio off a cheap digital camera preventing extreme highs and lows. In this episode of How In The Hell, Nick Allain shows how to level the audio from video taken with a digital camera at a live concert using a free program cal ...more

First buy a cheap rc buggy, then a cheap wireless camera and receiver off ebay. Then buy a usb TV box and plug it into your laptop. Connect receiver to tv box. Tape camera to car. Switch everything on and drive! My other camera has packed up and I can't see anything through th ...more

In this video tutorial, Wess does some research and builds a steady-cam for under fourteen bucks. Hooray for no more motion sickness! Steadycams (or camera stabilizers) are attachments used to capture smooth looking video even when the camera and camera operator are in motion ...more

Build your own cheap taser with an old camera and some plastic. These guys even show you the final product's effects on each other.

LCD screens are great to have on your digital cameras or other devices until they break. DOH! Don't pay tons of money to fix it when you can do it yourself after watching this video. It will show you how to replace the LCD screen on a Nikon Coolpix L18 or I20, getting your cam ...more

The HV20 comes with a manual focus roller, which is a good thing. However, it is a bit awkward to operate. Here is a minimalist friction tool that can be used to accomplish the same task (well, perhaps with enough practice). It is small, portable, cheap, and light-weight. Watc ...more

This tutorial cinematography video will show you how to make a pan tilt unit for your camera using two $9 cordless screwdrivers from Walmart. This is a great camera solution for anyone looking to do things on the cheap.

This tutorial video will show you how to make a simple camera dolly for amateur filmmaking and videography is simple and cheap to build, easily disassembled, relatively lightweight, has mounting points for a standard camera tripod. Make a PVC track camera dolly. Click through ...more

Make your own motorcycle camera Mount for less than five bucks! You won't believe how easy it is. This video tutorial will show you how to make one hell of a motorcycle mount. I wouldn't put a Canon XL2 on this or anything, but it's sure good enough for you palm-sized digital ...more

This short video guides you through all the main features of the Sony DSC S650. This is an relatively cheap, easy to use digital camera.

Pin cushion and barrel distortions? It may sound funny but many cheap cameras take pictures with these distortions - basically concave and convex stretching. This tutorial shows you how to fix both of these problems using Photoshop and right your camera's wrongs.

In this helpful video, Yanik Chauvin will show you exactly how to use speed boxes with studio softboxes. You will learn how to hook up an SB-800 camera flash inside a studio soft box to get great light and photos. The best part is, you most likely already have these supplies i ...more

Family photos, concert pics, and general events. All valid reasons for a wireless remote control for your Canon 5D Mark II. This tutorial details great, cheap options for use with your DSLR so you can mount your camera wherever you want and control it from wherever you want.

Checkout this how-to video to make a simple focusing mask that works great. When not helping you to focus your camera, it also extends your dew shield to keep dew off of your lens. The materials you need to make this focusing mask are: 1 Foam Sleeping Pad 1 Roll Of Masking T ...more