"Oh! Let's do an overhead shot!" | A Better Way to Rig Your Camera
I'm sure at some point you've heard it...
"Oh! Let's do an overhead shot!"
You're 9hr into the day and someone (that is getting paid more than they
should) gets the idea to do an unplanned overhead shot that requires rigging a
camera out of reach, beyond the limits of the tripod on hand. It's the first
you're hearing of it. You dig through the bin of random grip and nothing
inspires confidence.
You have this:
|
| Manfrotto 143BKT |
Then there's this:
|
| Baby ball head adapter |
And also this:
|
| 5/8in baby pin with 3/8-16 male thread |
While all of these can get the job done, none are quite perfect and lack some
degree of movement that would make the job easier. Also they are not the most
secure for overhead applications.
After countless times of being
asked for last minute top-down shots and struggling to make it happen with
whatever was around. I knew there had to be a better way. One day I was stuck
in traffic while heading home from yet another day where where I'd just
cobbled together something worthy of
Shitty Rigs and I
got the idea for the
Tripod Head to Grip Head Adapter.
|
| Tripod Head to Grip Head Adapter paired with a Manfrotto 410 head. |
An idea so simple I couldn't believe it didn't already exist.
It is made from 304 Stainless so there's no nickle plating to chip off, paint to scratch and wont rust. The grub screws and thumbscrew are stainless as well. It will outlive you!
Unlike other options for mounting a tripod head in an unorthodox situation, this adapter allows you to securely use a 2.5" grip head to ensure you have a strong grip and complete range of movement to dial in the camera no matter which tripod head you pair it with. The thumbscrew connects the tripod head to the adapter and the 3x 1/4-20 grub screws lock it in place so there' no unwanted movement.
I've even found it useful in situations when we only had one tripod that couldn't move to make plating a set easier or when we really would have benefited from having a studio stand for a scenario.
You're almost certain to have a 2.5"grip head on hand to allow rigging a camera and tripod head just about anywhere you need it. Rather than working around the limitations or dealing with slipping connections the Tripod Head to Grip Head Adapter is a staple that should be found in everyone's kit. Because no matter how much pre-production and planning take place, there's someone that's going to toss out the idea to do an overhead/top-down shot and Im sure you'll feel better being prepared.
