It occurs to me that having more people shooting good quality video could only enrich us all here. So, I thought I’d show how I’m homebrewing my setup.
The arm is sold with the purpose of holding your phone so your arm doesn’t get tired. Puh-leaze. The ad pictures of fit smiling attractive people using it are even worse. This sucker is designed for people too lazy to get out of bed and / or hold their phone up. BUT, flip the phone over and point the camera straight down, BAM! Instant steady cam.
I had to change the mount out. The original is a clamp on affair, that won’t fit my desk. I used some plumbing supplies to get an upright piece of 3/8 pipe. The arm just neatly slides into it.
The phone I’m gonna use is a Samsung Note5. It has two microphones. The one used for phone calls went out, and that’s why it was put into the junk pile. Everything else works just fine.
I still need to:
Get software for the phone, and PC (DroidCam looks ok-ish.)
Finsh setting up PC (Needs monitor / keyboard / mouse.)
Find a USB extender cord. I have a couple, but all in use. I could go with a longer cord, you can buy 10ft one, but the factory cord snaps in place really well. Everything else is loose fitting.
Also need to consider adding some indirect lighting to banish the shadows.
I put a hole and standard screw mount into my magnifier so I could do a similar thing with my phone but still use the magnifier, and the magnifier has a light in it too which is great for filming!
That is a really nice looking glass. I want one, but the nice ones are kinda pricey. What kinda magnification power does it have, and do you like it?
I’m hoping that I can use the camera / monitor as an electronic zoom magnifier. I was winding teensy little coils the other day, and could barely see what I was doing.
I got a cheap LED one on AliExpress, one of the best things I added to my workbench. I use it mainly as a moveable light, but when I’ve wanted the magnifier it’s always done the job for me.
Most of the time with what I do, I’m working with my eyes and just inspecting with magnification afterwards, I’ve got pretty good eyesight so as long as there’s enough light I can get away with it
I’ve got good vision, really good close range if I ditch the glasses, but that wire I was winding was FINE.
It was only .0034 dia. and I wanted it as perfectly spaced as I could get it, on a 2mm core. Wire was dark green, on a black core too. Basically I did it by feel.
no idea… i got this from a lab closing sale… but i do know my favorite thing to do with it is actually press my face right up to it like i’m wearing it as a mask and work that way… it gives me stereoscopic magnification with a single lens! for things that need closer inspection, i switch up to my microscope.
just fyi… this is an award that discourse keeps track of based on likes (i think that’s how it works anyway)… but yes I do like the idea of leveling admirations… and then some… I will think up a prize of some kind too
that was what led be to try the ones like linked above.
