Throughout my childhood, I spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours constructing various buildings, vehicles and designs out of Lego. I would’ve never guessed then that my experience with the little plastic pieces would benefit my photography career down the road.
YouTube channel Product Tank TV has shared a DIY tutorial that breaks down how you can build your very own camera stabilizer using nothing more than Lego pieces. Designed specifically for GoPro action cameras, the Lego stabilizer can also be tweaked to fit other small cameras and smartphones.
Unlike most DIY projects, this one doesn’t lay out the exact pieces needed to create the stabilizer. Instead, the creator explains the basic framework for the design so that you can make the stabilizer using whatever extra Legos you have lying around the house.
The three basic pieces to the stabilizer are the camera holder, the balancing arm, and the tensioning system. Each of these can be tweaked to your desired size and settings, but to get the best results, some form of the aforementioned aspects will need to be a part of your stabilizer.
There are a few components you won’t be able to skimp on, such as the makeshift joints and counterweight system, but for the frame of the stabilizer and the camera mounting size, it’s up to you and your Lego collection to decide how it will be structured.
This is by no means the most simple or effective DIY stabilizer you can make. But if you’ve been aching for some nostalgic play time while simultaneously building something constructive for your photographic endeavors, it might be worth trying to build your own.