LED Camera Light

This is project is originally from ProdMod and I built my version of one in about an hour. I had been looking for a way to put a camera light on my digital camera, especially for video, and this project fits the bill perfectly. All this camera light consists of is a modified 4-AAA battery case (with built-in switch) which has a 3/4" long 1/4" cap screw passing through it and 3 white LEDs wired to the batteries. To use it you simply thread the screw into the tripod mount on your camera and turn it on.

I used a different parts source than the original article, getting both the white LEDs and AAA battery case from Mouser Electronics. The cap screw can be purchased as a pack of 2 from Home Depot for $0.88. Other than that my camera light went together the same as the original article, with the exception that I used a 15 Ohm resistor instead of a 10 Ohm to protect the LEDs. I chose this in order to add the flexibility of using regular alkaline batteries or rechargeable batteries. Since alkaline batteries produce 1.5 Volts typically, three alkalines produce 4.5 Volts. Rechargeable nickel-metal-hydride batteries produce 1.2 Volts typically, so three batteries produce 3.6 Volts. This voltage differential means the current limiting needed to keep each LED's current draw under 2o mA is different if using alkalines or NiMH batteries. For the LEDs I chose from Mouser, the 15 Ohm resistor used with alkalines produces a current of 63 mA or 21 mA per LED. If using NiMH batteries this would amount to approx 17 mA per LED. Therefore, the 15 Ohm resistor is a good compromise that allows me to not worry about battery type.

PVC Fig Rig

This is my version of a project I found here that aims to mimic the so-called "Fig Rig" created by the film director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas). Made from PVC pipe for around $30, it is much more economical than the retail version which sells for around $300.

The whole idea of this device is to allow your arms to act as shock absorbers, creating a poor man's steady-cam for use with a hand held video or still camera. I painted mine flat black to disguise the look of the PVC. To paint the plastic I had to use special plastic spray primer before applying the finish coats of regular spray paint. While I don't have a true video camera, this is a fun project to use with a regular digital camera since most of the newer still cameras also take fairly good quality video.