TheOwl recently posted a thread on a cheap camera stand but I never saw the link to see what he was recommending so I hope this is at least a revised version of what he had or better. I found the base for the 9K to be very annoying to keep still based on it's odd stand. Lucky for us though that same crazy stand fits perfectly snug into a 3/4" pvc T-joint.
FYI: A coupler will not work. I have unique situation where I'm shooting out over a banister from a narrow ledge and from a fireplace mantle so some modifications should be assumed for your personal needs. This isn't going to be a tutorial because these images pretty much explain it all. What I would recommend getting is a pvc pipe cutter.

Cheap and Clean. Hope this works for others as well.

Nice for stable shots from ledges, shelves, mantles, etc.


Nice for stable shots against a wall.


This extra pvc pipe sticking out of the T-joint is crucial to have a steady stand of this height.


There is nothing weighing the stand down but I would highly recommend a bag of sand... or a few books or something.

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Hi,

I've been interested in making some gear from PVC for some time. The c-stands described here made me wonder how to improve the stability, but before I could design anything I found somebody already did that here:

http://www.diyphotography.net/pvc-backdrop-light-stand

The improved stability comes mainly from the base design, but the maker choose to use an aluminum painter's pole for the main pole, which is not only more stable but can be telescopic too. I'm probably going to use this base and just use a pvc for the main pole, at least to start with. I visited a local hardware store this morning and found the telescopic painter's pole but it was a bit expensive. (Though it would still be a lot cheaper than buying actual C stands.) The hardware store also carried Schedule 80 pvc described in the comments, which is more rigid than Schedule 40 grade which is the more commonly found PVC pipe.

I've also been thinking making an extra wide backdrop stand and have a few ideas about this. Right now I use a metal commercial one for small green screen shoots but it isn't quite big enough for a really wide backdrop (which I would like to use for my next ipi session.) I have some ideas for how to construct this, but I wouldn't be surprised if somebody has worked this out already too. :)

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Greenlaw
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | My Demo Reels (2013,) (2015,) (2017,) and (2019)

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

I take that back about the Schedule 80 pipes being stocked at the local store. I asked again and the store carries sch 80 fittings, but the pipes need to be special ordered. I'm going to go ahead with the 40 for now; they're cheap and I can get them anywhere right away.

One mod I'm going to make is to put a cap on top with a bolt pointed up. This will allow me mount a plate or some kind of platform for the PS3 camera. Now I just need to come up with a good 'non-permanent' way to lock the camera down. I think heavy-duty Velcro on the bottom will work well enough, but that won't prevent the camera from swiveling. Going through hardware catalogs now.

I have some time off again so I'm going to get started today. Will post info about what I wind up using. :)

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Greenlaw
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | My Demo Reels (2013,) (2015,) (2017,) and (2019)

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!

I was avoiding the trick of threading the hole in the base described at Code Laboratories but then I found this $20 item at Amazon:

Helicoil 5521-4 0.25-20 Inch Coarse Thread Repair Kit

This along with the bolt in a pvc cap to mount a mending metal plate with with another 1/4" hole and a short wing screw for the camera should do the trick. Later this week I'll post more info after I try this.

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Greenlaw
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | My Demo Reels (2013,) (2015,) (2017,) and (2019)

Watch a one minute excerpt on Vimeo now!