Official Automotive Rigs - DIY Thread

saturnin wrote in post #7113642
well.... general rule is to keep magnets and such away.. meaning if u are transporting.. keep the magnets in the trunk and your gear in the front or back seat.. and u'll be fine.

Put your camera and lenses inside their bag on the floor, either in front of the back seats or in the front, but never on the seats. If you have to hit the brakes your bag will fly forwards and land heavily on the floor anyway, you could wrap the seat belt around the bag, but I've seen it move anyway.

Just a hint, other than that I've really learned a lot from this thread.

Mark

Same here.. I've learned pretty much all of my rig knowledge with this thread. Very good information in this thread. You just have to figure out what you want and work with what you have.

hi all, i'm new to this forum and this is a really interesting thread. i wish to ask if the same kind of effects can be achieved with a pole that's clamped to the car (with 2 suction clamps) and the other end to be attached to a dolly system(no tracks type) which holds the camera?

just wondering because if it works, much more distance from the car can be achieved...hopefully i can have some comments? thank you!

Conclusion: 1" square aluminum tubing is not strong enough. We are going to have to up the thickness and/or width to prevent shaking. At full length, the shaking is significant and adds a lot of motion blur on the actual car.

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siafello wrote in post #7122005
hi all, i'm new to this forum and this is a really interesting thread. i wish to ask if the same kind of effects can be achieved with a pole that's clamped to the car (with 2 suction clamps) and the other end to be attached to a dolly system(no tracks type) which holds the camera?

just wondering because if it works, much more distance from the car can be achieved...hopefully i can have some comments? thank you!

As long as you have a perfectly smooth and exact match surface to the area where the car is located.

civicseth wrote in post #7122382
Conclusion: 1" square aluminum tubing is not strong enough. We are going to have to up the thickness and/or width to prevent shaking. At full length, the shaking is significant and adds a lot of motion blur on the actual car.

Yeah its been mentioned multiple times in this thread to not use Square tubing, round tubes are much stronger.

Thameth wrote in post #7122392
As long as you have a perfectly smooth and exact match surface to the area where the car is located.

hey do u think normal road tar is smooth enough or even basement car park screed finishing is smooth enough?

civicseth wrote in post #7122382
Conclusion: 1" square aluminum tubing is not strong enough. We are going to have to up the thickness and/or width to prevent shaking. At full length, the shaking is significant and adds a lot of motion blur on the actual car.


Setup:

What shutter speed did you use?
What lens did you use?
Where was the rig mounted?
Did you roll the car?

siafello wrote in post #7122681
hey do u think normal road tar is smooth enough or even basement car park screed finishing is smooth enough?

The problem is that they may be smooth enough but that particular spot may not match the are your car is rolling on. It seems like it would restrict the type of shots you're trying to take if you have it rolling on a big dolly

guys i have a question, im just about to order my rig and everything.
I have a 10 ft aluminum pole i will be using.
My widest lens is my 17-40 and i have a rebel xsi, is that going to be wide enough at 17mm to get the whole car in with a 10 ft pole??

DonJuanMair wrote in post #7129055
guys i have a question, im just about to order my rig and everything.
I have a 10 ft aluminum pole i will be using.
My widest lens is my 17-40 and i have a rebel xsi, is that going to be wide enough at 17mm to get the whole car in with a 10 ft pole??

Yes.
I use a 24mm and was able to get the whole car, but I do not like the results. 10-13mm seems to be the best for 10ft rig shots on crop bodies.

What an epic thread! I have just finished looking at all the pictures and reading a lot of every page. I am going to have a look at a local hardware store tonight (bunnings, for aussies) with a friend to see what we can find.

Lots of good suggestions and information in here.

bimmeracer3 wrote in post #7129149
Yes.
I use a 24mm and was able to get the whole car, but I do not like the results. 10-13mm seems to be the best for 10ft rig shots on crop bodies.

thanks! i plan on getting the Tokina 11-16 real soon so im sure thatll be perfect

aridan wrote in post #5677735
OK, so here as promised, are my 'behind the scenes' pics.

Pretty basic and almost identical to Dean's rig with the exception of the type of pole used and minus the magic arm.

Components:

1 x 10' EMT pole - $8 *** see note bellow ***
2 x Avenger F1000 suction cups - $97
3 x Manfrotto super clamps - $75
1 x Manfrotto 484 Micro ball head - $45

Total Cost: $225


*** the pics bellow show a painter's pole, which I have since returned and replaced with a 10' EMT pipe. The bounce on the painter's pole was too much to my liking. Otherwise, my setup is identical to what you see bellow with the exception of the pole ***

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i just ordered this set up, thanks for the info!

great thread! definitely something to try one day.