Killer Camera Rigs (The Complete DIY Guide)
By Kendal Miller
FreshDV.com

$39.95
Dan Selakovich
www.dvcamerarigs.com

This review is for all those out there like myself who take great joy in saving a few bucks and creating and customizing your own rigs. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the book “Killer Camera Rigs,” now might be a good time to do so. This book is distributed as an e-book which while you may print it and take it out to your workshop, might be easier to use if it were actually in print. The guide assumes you have some degree of competence with basic hand tools and power tools…and if you don’t, chances are that this may be over your head.

The book starts by laying out the designs for 11 rigs ranging from dollies and cranes to steadicam-type stabilizers. Most of the designs appear to be very solid. While building them on the cheap seams to be a main goal for author Dan Selakovish, it doesn’t come at the cost of performance. Dan gives clear and easy to follow instructions along with pictures (1300 of them) to explain the process as you build each rig. He also provides information on parts along with sources for parts to make the process as easy as possible. Taking the information a step further, Dan walks you through some basic tutorials on using some of the more complex gear such as the steadicam rig to ensure that the reader gets the most use out of it. He concludes with a chapter on finishing and painting your rigs to make them appear more professional.

I personally found that while some of the rigs required slightly advanced building skills the majority where very easy to assemble and build. Take a look at the list of tools required below it will give you some idea of how extensive the average project was.

TOOLS REQUIRED FOR ONE OF THE CRANES:
Hammer
Hacksaw
Vise
Electric Drill
Center Punch
Clamps
Combination Square
Cutting Oil
Drill Bits
Safety Glasses
Pliers

If you have most of the tools in the list then you should be pretty well-equipped to get started right away. Listed below is an excerpt from one of the instruction sets, as well as some pics from the book.

“As with the first crane in this book, clamp the top and bottom arms together, mark where the holes go with the prick punch and combination square and drill away. This way, the holes on both arm will be in exactly the same spot. All the holes on the top arm at this point are 5/16â€? (8mm). And make sure they are dead center on the aluminum on both bars. Again, study the techniques on building the Big Combo Crane. It’s all the same stuff. Refer back to the chart on page 304 and drill all of your holes for the side of the crane. “

I found the designs in this book to be very well thought out and even better communicated. The average handyman should have no problem turning out rigs that will serve him well and operate functionally with a little bit of elbow grease and some easily obtained hardware. If you are the type who likes to build your own rigs then you will find this book to be a very good investment. “Most of the rigs in this book can be built for $50-$100. Most under $50 as long as you follow my instructions. In other words, I’ve already made the costly mistakes for you. Not to mention the time wasted for the 100th trip back to the hardware store”, says Selakovish. If you’re not mechanically inclined or handy with tools, then I suggest you pass the task on to those who are and be content to buy your products pre-fabricated. This book probably won’t turn you into a master craftsman. I look forward to seeing what designs Dan’s sequel “Son of Killer Camera Rigs” will hold.

Fresh Points:
A well-written book full of easy to follow instructions and great designs. The designs are relatively easy to construct and for a minimal cost you can build some fully functional rigs at a fraction of the cost of more “pro” solutions. I like that Dan offers his email and contact information to any purchaser who needs a little help in figuring out any of the designs.

Stale Points:
My only stale point for this book is that for $39.95 I’d rather have it in print so I can take it out to the shop to reference while building, and not have to rely on a laptop or printout to see and read the information.

FreshDV Score:
4/5

Click Here To Buy $39.95