DIY hacks/tips

Bebop

Bebop

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I've recently discovered a couple of other uses for charity bands, and it occurred to me maybe other people had uses of other non-photographic items that might be worth sharing.

I've used a charity band on my flash to attach modifiers (home made stofen, or a bounce card/roguebender copy). I've also used one on my Olympus 40-150mm lens. It covers the lugs when I've removed the tripod collar and is an alternative to the £20 decorative cover. It also feels nice and grippy. It occurred to me these bands might also be useful for unscrewing a stuck filter.

I read on here about being able to use a milk carton to create a stofen for my flash which I did recently having lost mine. Admittedly its not terribly robust, but it stays on.

Anyone else have anything useful to share?

IMG_4232-2.jpg
 
One I've occasionally found useful is using cigarette papers for macro flash diffusers. The weak adhesive is ideal to hold them in place & several layers can be used if more radical diffusion is needed.
It's one bit of photo gear I can even get my eldest to carry for me, the only positive I found about his devolving into a chimney. :rolleyes:
 
I've used the bands to prevent zoom lens creep... they're even sold special for this purpose now (LensBand, $5ea).
Clothes/spring clips to hold things in place/out of the way w/o damaging them... also for holding small bounce cards/flags. Tape a pair end to end to get a double sided clip, screw them together to get and adjustable angle double clip, clip one into another to get an adjustable angle base, etc.
BlueTac to mount gels to a speedlight (numerous other uses in studio).
 
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Sock + gravel = bean bag. Sand works too, as do beans, rice or even more socks!
 
I've used hair bands, milk cartons, suitable sized cardboard boxes [or cut to size] empty Pringles tubes, tin-foil, egg cartons, duct-tape etc .... over time when needed. Most DIY I ever performed was for flash modifying - and then mostly for macro. You'll find most dedicated macro shooters will have plenty of unique modifiers in their arsenal
 
Posted this on a few occasions before, but here goes.
Rubber walking stick ends from the local hardware shop make excellent replacement feet for tripods.
Last set cost me a grand total of £1.20, range of sizes so most tripods are covered.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Posted this on a few occasions before, but here goes.
Rubber walking stick ends from the local hardware shop make excellent replacement feet for tripods.
Last set cost me a grand total of £1.20, range of sizes so most tripods are covered.
Click to expand...
Thank you - that's a useful one. You can get rubber ends for walking poles too can't you - probably more expensive.
 
Bebop said:
Thank you - that's a useful one. You can get rubber ends for walking poles too can't you - probably more expensive.
Click to expand...

No idea about the walking poles, but bound to be dearer
Reckon you could use the walking stick ends for them too
 
I used a charity band to prevent accidental knocking of little switches on the side of lenses. I had a Canon 70-200 L IS Mk 1 that was particularly prone for it, they improved the design of the switch on the Mk II version.

I use the rubber walking stick ends as well, but I also visit the plumbing aisle and get a copper pipe termination piece which I glue to the bottom of the monopod with araldite or similar. A lot of the monopods have open tubing which when coupled with the twisting motion of panning can start to saw through the monopod foot. Putting a flat bottom on the bottom stops this and the replacement feet last much longer.
 
A sheet of 6x4 glossy photo paper can be used as a basic flash reflector (as can other surfaces/finishes but a gloss sheet usually has a matt reverse, making it double sided. ;))
 
Replacement welding glass visor shields and 2 elastic bands make for a great cheap ghetto ND filter. Well - it's more dense than neutral, but perfectly fine for black & white.
 
Harlequin565 said:
Replacement welding glass visor shields and 2 elastic bands make for a great cheap ghetto ND filter. Well - it's more dense than neutral, but perfectly fine for black & white.
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I find elastic bands don't work well for this with many of my longer lenses. Taping/gluing a Cokin adapter ring to the welding glass allows it to be screwed into a lenses filter threads, sometimes via a stepping ring.
 
a length of pipe cladding fitted to the top of you car door window makes a perfect rest if you plan on shooting out of your car window

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works even better if you use a beanbag on top
 
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Harlequin565 said:
Replacement welding glass visor shields and 2 elastic bands make for a great cheap ghetto ND filter. Well - it's more dense than neutral, but perfectly fine for black & white.
Click to expand...
I've heard about using welding glass. A quick google has brought some up - had no idea it was so easy to get hold of.
 
cosmicma said:
a length of pipe cladding fitted to the top of you car door window makes a perfect rest if you plan on shooting out of your car window
Click to expand...

The stuff also makes really good tripod leg warmers which is great for the winter 'cos those legs can get cold!
 
[musing] I wonder if it might be worth going round the edges of the ND grad with a black marker to reduce the possibility of extraneous light getting between the surfaces of the filter, possibly causing a bit of flare? [/musing]
 
Nod said:
[musing] I wonder if it might be worth going round the edges of the ND grad with a black marker to reduce the possibility of extraneous light getting between the surfaces of the filter, possibly causing a bit of flare? [/musing]
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Hmmm you could cut a circle of that thin craft foam and squeeze it in between or even glue it to the glass.
 
Nod said:
[musing] I wonder if it might be worth going round the edges of the ND grad with a black marker to reduce the possibility of extraneous light getting between the surfaces of the filter, possibly causing a bit of flare? [/musing]
Click to expand...
Or black vinyl tape...
 
Moped and cycle innertubes make great rubber bands, last for years. Carex hand gel bottles (the white ones) used to work as sofens, the newer ones seem mostly clear sadly. Reflective number plate material works well as a bounce board, failing that silver cake boards work nicely.
I always used to wrap one tripod leg in clingfilm then duct-tape it. The cling film means you can get if off if you want to flog the tripod. The duct-tape kept it a lot warmer on a cold day, and you had tape for bodging ;) I carry a few feet in my wallet around an old store card, gets used a lot.
 
Nod said:
[musing] I wonder if it might be worth going round the edges of the ND grad with a black marker to reduce the possibility of extraneous light getting between the surfaces of the filter, possibly causing a bit of flare? [/musing]
Click to expand...

Not really needed, though it is advisable to shield the sun hitting the face of the filters (as with any filter system) as direct sunlight can get in behind the welding glass to cause a light leak. It's not really any different to using a conventional filter holder with high density ND filters.

WARNING : If you don't like milky water don't click. but here is my album of Welding Glass shots on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steveblackdog/albums/72157633164648722
 
Steve B said:
Not really needed, though it is advisable to shield the sun hitting the face of the filters (as with any filter system) as direct sunlight can get in behind the welding glass to cause a light leak. It's not really any different to using a conventional filter holder with high density ND filters.

WARNING : If you don't like milky water don't click. but here is my album of Welding Glass shots on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steveblackdog/albums/72157633164648722
Click to expand...
Some lovely shots there.

Light getting behind the filters is why I gave up on the easy way to mount welding glass. Most of my bits of welding glass are the standard size that will just slide into a Cokin P holder (I used a diamond file on the edges of one that was a bit tight). Light on the rear of the glass did prove to be an issue - trace light leaks effectively being intensified by the filters factor. Quite noticeable with a shade 8 (~10 stops) and unusable with a shade 13 (~17 stops)!
 
hunnymonster said:
Or black vinyl tape...
Click to expand...

Might make the grad a bit thick to slot into a normal Lee/Cokin type holder. I know that stacking filters can let light bounce around between the filters, I was just musing as to whether enough could creep in through the edge of the filter itself to cause a problem.
 
i use a velcro backed catheter leg strap to hold my tripod legs together, and you can wrap it round one leg and secure your remote release cable in it too. If you know anyone who works in care they could get you one.
 
RumpFace said:
i use a velcro backed catheter leg strap to hold my tripod legs together, and you can wrap it round one leg and secure your remote release cable in it too. If you know anyone who works in care they could get you one.
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I have a piece of webbing that I sewed some velcro onto - can't remember why now, but I always leave it attached to my camera bag as it's often useful. I hadn't thought about using it to secure the remote.
 
Nod said:
Might make the grad a bit thick to slot into a normal Lee/Cokin type holder. I know that stacking filters can let light bounce around between the filters, I was just musing as to whether enough could creep in through the edge of the filter itself to cause a problem.
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Thin vinyl tape then ...:cool:

The chances are that it would act like a light guide (due to refractive index/total internal reflection) unless there are any scratches in the faces of the filter... Then all bets are off.
 
Today's DIY win:

When you lose the stupid little rubber cover for the viewfinder on your EOS that stops light getting in and buggering up the metering if you don't have your eye against the viewfinder....because it pinged off into the undergrowth.

Go to eBay, buy the absolute cheapest regular eyecup you can find - I found one for $0.99 delivered from Hong Kong.
Rummage in your drawers for a bit of plastic that can be cut to size (or pick up a loyalty card or mobile SIM)
Cut the plastic to size, superglue it onto the eyecup.

Bingo! A replacement for the stupid little rubber cover. Total cost $0.99 + superglue (2 tubes for £1 in Asda) - and I went all out and picked up a VOXI SIM which has a plain black bit on it just large enough to cover the eyehole.
 
Nod said:
Sock + gravel = bean bag. Sand works too, as do beans, rice or even more socks!
Click to expand...
considering I have rather a lot of sand nicked form the beach upstairs (courtesy of my sons a level geography assignment) I may just have to try this (if I have an old sock lying around)....
 
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