what suits best for filling a bean bag?

[nucki]

Hi!

just saw a bean bag in an photo catalog. I was thinking about what suits best?

really bean? little plastic balls? any proposals?

best regards
Peter

[Scottes]

Rice works well. It cheap. Dry, of course. :-)

[nucki]

Rice works well. It cheap. Dry, of course. :-)

ah! good idea!

do you use a "homemade" one or have you bought one?

whats the "best" beanbag?

best regards
Peter

[Scottes]

ah! good idea!

do you use a "homemade" one or have you bought one?

If I ever get around to using one I'll probably just use the old one that I made for rifle shooting. That's one's filled with sand, though, which is a bit overkill for a camera. But judging from my shooting days, and thinking about using a bean bag with a camera, I'd say that I'd want at least 2 if not 3 different shapes of beanbags. So I don't know about any "best" one, really - but I'm obviously not the best person to ask around here.

[Tapeman]

I use sunflower seeds. Seems to be a good compromise between bulk & weight. Also you have some food to tempt critters to be cooperative & pose for your photos

[Tapeman]

Ignore those posts that say maccaroni & cheese. Those are people who have spent all their money on gear. :D

[KennyG]

Forget the filling. You need a white bag and have a red stripe embroidered around it - the L beanbag. :lol:

I use to fill mine with dried lentils, but left them in the plastic bag they came in. Trust me, if it rains, soggy lentils are not nice.

[Pekka]

Blue cheese has worked great. No one bothers me while shooting.

[LazyPhotographer]

Jelly beans... ;-)

[G3]

ah! good idea!

do you use a "homemade" one or have you bought one?

If I ever get around to using one I'll probably just use the old one that I made for rifle shooting. That's one's filled with sand, though, which is a bit overkill for a camera. But judging from my shooting days, and thinking about using a bean bag with a camera, I'd say that I'd want at least 2 if not 3 different shapes of beanbags. So I don't know about any "best" one, really - but I'm obviously not the best person to ask around here.

I do some benchrest shooting. For that, I use leather bags filled with sand. However, I would be hesitant to use that for a camera. Sand is so fine that it manages to leech through the leather bags. Granted, it's not a lot, but the particles that get through are very, very, very fine (dusty) particles of sand and are abrasive. I would not want this on (or in) my camera. With a rifle, you are going to tear it down and clean it anyway after you shoot, so no big deal. A camera is a much more delicate instrument and a little sand or dust is much more detrimental. If I were going to use a beanbag with a camera, I would fill it with some sort of dried beans or rice.

[mjordan]

The neat thing about using rice, is that after a hard day of lugging that 1D MK II and 600 L lens, tripod, bag and other assorted items around and you get home tired and sore, you can throw the rice bag into the microwave to warm it up and then use it for an hour or more on those sore muscles. My wife uses rice bags all the time for this... except don't leave them where the dogs can get to them. Our dogs like to chew them open and eat the rice... leave more rice in the carpet than they eat. And a dog that eats a belly full of dried rice is not a pretty site when it makes it way through. No, not a pretty site at all.

:lol:

Mike

[Scottes]

I do some benchrest shooting. For that, I use leather bags filled with sand. However, I would be hesitant to use that for a camera. Sand is so fine that it manages to leech through the leather bags.

Very good point.

Besides, I'm starting to like the jelly beans idea...

[nucki]

Thanks folks!

So if all of you come togehter and make a shoting, you will not suffer hunger after that. Everythings there, blue chease, beans, rice... ;-)

Maybe we should organise a "beanbag barbecue"

thanks all!

best regards
Peter

[phili1]

You want something small that wont absorb moisture. Rice will.

Indian nuts are small and have a hard shell, bb's are small and will comform to any surface.but are heavier. small glass beads are lighter and will do the job as well.

[G3]

You want something small that wont absorb moisture. Rice will.

Indian nuts are small and have a hard shell, bb's are small and will comform to any surface.but are heavier. small glass beads are lighter and will do the job as well.

:?:
I don't think rice will absorb moisture any more readily than dried beans will. I hope no one is going to be using it underwater. If you are using this in moist enough conditions for the rice to start absorbing much water, you are going to damage your camera anyway. Plus, the rice (or beans) will fairly quickly lose whatever small amount of moisture it does absorb. You can soak rice in cold water, then lay it out in dry conditions and it will be pretty much just like it was before you soaked it. You have to heat it to boiling temperatures before it effectively begins absorbing water. If you soak it in cold water for a few days, it might start to absorb an appreciable amount of moisture, but I can't see anyone doing that with a beanbag. Beans is a different story, though...if you soak them in cold water for an hour they will absorb some water. But, as I said..I can't see anyone soaking their beanbag.

[PhotosGuy]

whats the "best" beanbag?

Cut off the leg of an old pair of jeans. Sew up one end & put a zipper on the other. Leave the rice in the plastic bag.
Alternate lightweight filling: Plastic peanuts (the kind used as filler for shipping) or bubble wrap.

[phili1]

Well I wont argue the point all I can tell you is I made one along time ago and the rice got musty from moisture. Glass beads ,BBs or hard sheel nuts have chance al all.

Hey to each his own.

[PhotosGuy]

...Glass beads ,BBs or hard sheel nuts have chance al all. "Hey to each his own."

I agree, & prefer the Plastic peanuts option myself because of the weight. On the other hand, rice is cheap, can be easily bought at remote locations, & can be given away or discarded as you pack for a return flight.
Bubble wrap can be used to protect stuff against airline abuse & then used in the bag, too. Lots of options! In the short term, Cashews work really well for me, except that they keep dissappearing!

[LazyPhotographer]

[quote In the short term, Cashews work really well for me, except that they keep dissappearing!

Not cashews, silly.... pistachios. After your snack, you still have the shells for in the bag. ;-)

[PhotosGuy]

Not cashews, silly.... pistachios. After your snack, you still have the shells for in the bag.

Great idea! It's about those red fingers, though. I wonder if a red filter would take that out?
:wink:

[phili1]

Hey I think Indian nuts are the thing. I remember my mother used to sit there for hours shelling these pea size nuts just to eat them in two mouth fulls.

I like them becuse of the size, they will conform better to different surfaces.

In this case small is better.

If I used Pistacios I could not stop eating them.

[nucki]

whats the "best" beanbag?

Cut off the leg of an old pair of jeans. Sew up one end & put a zipper on the other. Leave the rice in the plastic bag.
Alternate lightweight filling: Plastic peanuts (the kind used as filler for shipping) or bubble wrap.

Thats a great tip! Thanks!

[pradeep1]

Any type of husk would be good. It is not too heavy and does not absorb too much moisture. Heck you might even want to try to use those silica gel beads you get in shoes. Go online and look for the word "dessicant" and you should be able to find it in bulk. If that does not work, go to Target shoe department and steal all those little packets of it and use that! :P

[Scottes]

Boy, for what seemed like a simple question this sure has a lot of answers... :)

[IanD]

I'm sort of thinking that the inventor of the "bean bag" always thought that beans would go into it. Sort of like the "bean bag chair". If ya filled it with nut shells, it would be called a "nut shell chair". Same goes for the bean bag. Fill it full of rice and it is a "rice bag". Has my train of thinking finally derailed :?: :?:

[phili1]

You are right, just do not put jumping beans in it. Ha HA.

[Jemmind]

Maybe I am showing off my newbie-ness,
but....
what do you do with a beanbag while taking photos????
Julie

[Volatile]

you could gather up a few thousand of those silica gel packets and use those crystals. no moisture worries!

[Scottes]

Jemmind, beanbags are useful for resting lens upon to steady them. Great for low on-the-ground shots, or putting on a half-open car window, and so on. They're small, don't weigh much compared to a tripod, are quick to manuever, and so on. They're not ideal for all things, but it many cases you can put a beanbag where you can't get a tripod (and vice versa, of course).

[phili1]

Julie, its a way of steading your camera. You can put it on the window frame of your car and you place your camera lens on top of it to hold it steady. It was developed for long telelphotos in the field when a tripod could not be used. This was before clamps. Think of your pillow and you put your arm in it, it conforms to your arm.

[gon]

Hi!

just saw a bean bag in an photo catalog. I was thinking about what suits best?

really bean? little plastic balls? any proposals?

best regards
PeterHi... New here. And I just have a little experience about photography.

I been using an old pair of jeans, nylon bean bag pellets, and a sewing needle/thread. I decided to use plastic bead-filler because beans/rice will rot it the bag gets wet. Beanbags (http://www.squidoo.com/beanbags_and_beanbags) are my bestfriend especially during taking photo inside a car.

[bsmotril]

Buy a jar of the plastic pellets made for "Airsoft" brand replica guns. They're light, and don't generate any dust from rubbing together.

[philmar]

I use belly button lint....but that's another story

[avan]

Doll filling. Same as airsoft pellet, but can be buy in bigger bucket for cheaper.

[Wilt]

Something not related to foodstuffs...rice eventually gets invested with weevils. Organic fillers like beans or rice get moldy when wet.

If you want weight, pea gravel or BBs. If you want a softer bag without weight, foam pellets like used for packing material.

[kblair210]

The jellybeans sounds like the tastiest idea.. OOo.. or better yet, Skittles!

[r.morales]

For car windows - the things you buy that wrap around wrist - I bought one to built up to weight of holding camera .I think they are filled with sand .
When using the hood or fender , rock , branch etc - I wrap a bag of rice , chick peas , beans in a towel . Don't use macaroni , salt , anything that can powder .
If you are hiking carry a couple of extra socks - fill with whatever is handy .
Socks also make good gloves , quick lens covers in high pollen areas and a little protections from branches scratching lens bodies . Good for opening a car door where handle is hot from sun .

[jb_browneyes]

"Dry, of course" roflm well you know:)

[ed rader]

i heard six or seven crumpled dry cleaning bags make good stuffing for bean bags and they travel better than rice or jelly beans :D.

ed rader

[_aravena]

Bird feed like in the DIY beanbag thread??

[Magic_Puzzle]

I have found a great "bean" bag. I think it's called a ZIPloc bag. I also use rice because I think that it makes the bag more conforming to the surface it sits on. The rice molds to the contour of my camera and holds it securely.

[condyk]

I personally only use The Pod Red bean bags and that is because it screws to the lens ring so it doesn't fall to the ground shooting from a vehicle on safari and is clean and super light. You won't get hassle at airports, there is no dust, it is filled with tiny plastic beads so no mould, it is small, it takes a decent weight without being too large and holds the lens steady. Entirely practical. Also cheap.

[luckytiff02]

i heard six or seven crumpled dry cleaning bags make good stuffing for bean bags and they travel better than rice or jelly beans :grin:.
Sounds good!!! I just seen bean bags (http://www.fixturesandfurnitures.com/bean-bags.html) kit at Kmart last night... They had like plastic like fabric in several different colors,,, and separate bags of like plastic of Styrofoams looking beans, said bean bag fillings, wasn't interested enough to even look at price. As for children choking on beans versus rice, I am not sure, I guess as in all small items could be a choking hazard for small children. Be sure to have a good quality bean bag kit if you don,t want the rice or beans scatter all over the floor.

[Tapeman]

I still have the same bird seed (sunflower seeds) in my bean bag that I had in it four years ago when this thread started.

[Jon]

Sure it hasn't been replaced by weevil husks without your noticing?

[ben4633]

I was thinking of making one from popcorn, the edible kind, unpopped of course.

[luckytiff02]

I also like to try the popcorn (unpopped one) for my beanbags (http://www.fixturesandfurnitures.com/bean-bags.html) filling, but anyone have an experience to this? I’m wondering if bugs, insects or ants likes to live on it.

[MSIGuy]

I have a homemade one that has pea gravel in it. It's made out of denim and pea gravel that's been washed to remove the sand. It even has a little loop that's great for using a carabeaner (sp?) to clip to a fence when you're not using it.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg264/MSIGuy/lensbag.jpg