Smartphone Camera Rig Basic/ Beastgrip by PublicUniverse

Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago

LENSES: I had add-on lenses from Vivitar, and I bought the set of 37mm Polaroid lenses similar to those from Beastgrip. The larger Vivitar added less vignetting, but the Polaroid was similar, but slightly better quality overall after the circle was cropped
UPDATE: Version 2 offers more flexibility. Instead of using a threaded nut to hold the phone holder in place you can use rubber bands to apply the tension, but you can still add the nut for more security. I added more robust right and left grips that feel more comfortable. Just be sure to sand the edges.
I needed a simple, easily printable rig for my Samsung s6 and 8 that can be made with cheap hardware from any hardware store. I love the idea of Beastgrip, and maybe I will buy one in the future, but I had a few days off for Christmas and figured I'd challenge myself. Solving the mechanism to hold the phone securely was the most interesting challenge. I considered springs and bands, but I decided to use friction. The phone is simply held in place by squeezing the jaws together and tightening the knurled nut. My prototype was done in natural ABS, using steel 1/4" 20 all thread, but I added a little more personality with wood, and black PLA, and brass 1/4" 20 all thread. The lens holder will hold a 37mm filter ring that the Polaroid lens will screw in. It's not really designed for a non-centered lens, but can be modified to fit on. I will attach cold shoe, or Picatinny mounts to support a Mic and flash. Adding a tripod mount was never considered, but can possibly be done at a later date