How to Make a DIY Camera Jib
The guys here at the studio mocked up a simple DIY jib that is not only ridiculously inexpensive to piece together, but also very straight forward. The point of this jib was to get a very wide range of motion from top to bottom with only a few feet of 0.75″ square tube, 1″ angled aluminum, 1/4″ nuts and bolts, and nylon washers is all you’ll need to put the jib together. This light weight jib can be used on small portable tripods, but will require a fluid head for panning left and right.
The jib is built using inexpensive common pieces of metal you can find at most hardware stores, or can also be found through places like http://OnlineMetals.com. It’s a fun project for small light weight cameras (not for heavy cameras), that only require a good hack saw and a drill. Here are the general measurements, and hopefully you’ll get a general idea of how it was assembled.
Basic Build Instructions:
The top square tube is 0.75″ and 4′ long. The bottom square tube is 0.75″ and 3′ long.
The rear brace is made from (2) pieces of 0.75″ square tube cut to 7″ long. Start by drilling a 1/4″ hole at the top of the brace, and then drill the next hole about 2.75″ below the first hole.
The base of the rear brace is (2) pieces of 1″ angled aluminum cut to 3″ wide. Fit the angled aluminum to the bottom of the brace and drill through. This will create a base large enough to mount a quick release.
The front brace is made from (2) pieces of 1″ angled aluminum cut to 7″ long. Start by drilling a 1/4″ hole at the bottom of the front brace, and then drill the next hole about 2.75″ above the first hole.
The top stage where your quick release will mount is made from 1″ angled aluminum cut to 3″ wide. Mount the top stage and drill holes through the front brace. You can use a bolt under the stage to hold a small camera quick release adapter.
Use nylon washers between any pieces of metal for less friction. We used small (but heavy) scuba diving weights bolted to the back of the jib. Click the image below for some additional information on assembly.
Click image for larger view of assembly
For very small counterweights, we are using Vinyl covered Scuba Dive Weights (click here)
Vinyl Coated Lace Thru Style Hard Weights – Black
Awesome. Thanks for sharing this.
Where did you find the square aluminum and plates for that price? …Home Depot?
Nice job on the jib crane build and video test.
@Martin
I priced the following at Home Depot in Colma:
1″ x 36″ aluminum angle = $5.37
.75″ x 48 ” aluminum square tubing = $15.31each
Nylon Washers = .62 cents per 4 each
1/4″ x 1.5″ screws = 1.18 each
Yes, I was at Home Depot the $15 tubing price was high… any where else you can get it cheaper… LOWES?
They didnt have the square piece at Home Depot I went to Lowes and for an 8 foot piece it was $34. Not cheap!
Hi olivia,
I … was so lazy (I’m not so techy to do this kind of job actually) until just want to buy this items from you.
Can you help me with that?
ditto. I wanna buy too, I can pay $50 if you can make one for me.
Wow! That is really awesome! And so simple to construct. And AFFORDABLE!
Thanks for this!
This is awesome. I Cant wait to make my own!
Now, I would assume that you could add another fluid head to the top?…for different angles and what not?
Very interesting, I have been thinking of buying one, but I will check out the hardware store to see how much the parts are. Looks reasonably simple to put together.
Thanks!
Don’t bother building one. I bought the jib below for 700 shipped in 10 days and its amazing. You will eventually want something that can handle some weight and won’t wobble around. (click here)
$25 compared to $700. Yes, the more expensive one is going to be far greater quality, however, it is also 28 times more.
Yeah, and don’t bother with those Honda’s either, save your pennies and get a Ferrari instead.
Neato. Thanks for sharing!
Here’s a hand held DIY jib we made. We list the parts and prices. Put a GoPro on the top of it and it works pretty well. We were able to get really close to the action with this and could be used for some creative filmmaking techniques.
GoPro test with hand held Jib
Thanks, Olivia! This looks awesome!
this is so cool just signed and i buy one from you!!!, Signature Olivia Mini Jib Limited Edition available only here.
How do you attach the tripod to the angle iron at the base?
The angle iron is attached to the QR plate. A screw runs through it and is attached to the angle iron with a bolt.
Great Video Olivia
@Greg
1 this is much lighter and portable
2 MUCH MUCH MUCH CHEAPER…
This is a great DIY project and if it sold for twice as much ($50.00) I’m sure tons of people would jump on board and buy one.
im in to buy for sure…! even for DOUBLE the price…!
@Jack
The 9115 jib comes with a shoulder case that can easily be carried. There are not parts to assemble minus the weight bar and weights. At a certain point your time becomes more valuable then messing around hitting up home depot etc. DIY projects have no resell value where as this jib arm can be resold for close to what I bought it for.
This is all very true, but when you’re starting out unless you’re going to be using a jib on the majority of you paid gigs, the price of the cheapest pro crane is really better spent on other aspects of filmmaking that you can’t DIY, like lenses and filters, or maybe some catering to feed people that you can’t afford to pay.
While it’s true that at some point your time will become valuable, that’s normally not at the beginning unless you’re related to someone in the biz and you’ve got access to all the good stuff. And if you are fortunate enough to be in that position than what are you doing at this site in the first place. Time is the one commodity the indie filmmaker has that Hollywood doesn’t. Personally speaking I’m pleased when someone thinks a shot in my film must have cost 10X more than it did because they can’t conceive that a particular shot could not possibly be done without a $1000+ piece of gear.
You get the shots by any means necessary, and that’s what separates the real filmmakers from the pretenders.
Great job on the post Olivia (as always). This DIY has me interested.
@Greg
I think you’re missing the point that it’s a DIY post. $25 and a few hours versus $700 is a huge difference for the just beginning or low budget shooter. Yes your jib is amazing and strong but it’s also $675 more than this one; that $675 can be used to purchase other equipment or other DIY projects. If the difference were $100 i’d say yay.. but the cost difference gets a nay.
@Greg Seems like you’re in the wrong place. Olivia’s blog and Cheesy cam are all about the cheap alternatives as well as reviews of the nicer stuff. Some of us work for a living and can’t afford to buy everything turnkey. This is a nice affordable option.
>Don’t bother building one. I bought the jib below for 700 shipped in 10 days and its amazing.
Hmm, $700 vs. $25. Oh, that’s a tough one.
what’s the brand and model of the tripod on the video?
Here is a link for the ePhoto Professional Video Camera Fluid Drag Tripod Head by ePhoto INC 717AH
that we used in the video. The tripod is no longer being made. It’s an older cheap little tripod.
Great demo. Not sure why, but a bunch of the other jib demo’s I’ve seen seem to forget how important actual video from the jib is. Even demonstrates the limitations i.e. (height and what happens if you move too fast.)
I just checked a nearby Home Depot for the square aluminum tubing and they didn’t carry it, but the build concept is solid and I am sure aluminum tubing is readily available somewhere locally.
On the counter weights if you are not a diver, barbell weights work well and could be attached in a variety of ways. From experience I would make sure you can adjust the counter weight easily since whenever you change something the counter weight will change. The jib should be as much as possible balanced for safety of your gear and the movement of the jib.
will this carry the weight of a 7d?
Yes, Andy, we have supported a 5D mk II as well.
I know it’s light but can you give an appoximate weight?
I needed a jib like this when shooting on location in South Dakota. When on the road obtaining interviews and shots at multiple locations, no one want to lug around heavy gear. Tools like this can keep you mobile without sacrificing high production values.
Have you seen this jib? click here
I’m sure this could be made at home
Mark,
Thanks for the link. I really like it. It’s portable, simple and clean. Is there a place to buy in the States?
@ Olivia: Is there a reason why you put the longer piece (4 ft) on the top instead of the bottom rung? Does it need less counterweight in that configuration? I think traditional jibs have the longer piece on the bottom. Just curious. I should really review my physics textbooks!
Hi Andy, if the bottom arm is longer than the top arm, the jib would have a shorter range of motion for tilting up. We wanted a maximum range.
Olivia, could you please post better pictures of how the QR plates are mounted? I’d like to make this for an event on Friday, and those are the most important details.
I’ll get them up ASAP, Eric
Thanks! And dimensions of the screws for both the plate used for the tripod and the top one would be great as well.
What I’m trying to understand is how to mount it to the tripod, and then also how to mount the camera to the top of the jib, or how to mount my video head in the most economic fashion. This is a great jib, I think you should include the cost of a 577 into this though.
I see myself needing the sliding plate for the bottom of the jib for mounting to a tripod, and then a qr plate itself for mounting to the top. Unless there is a better way, in which you could do a direct video head mount on the top of the jib itself?
This looks like a great project so we decided to check out the materials at Home Depot. It’s going to cost about $50 to make this Jib and that’s with shortening two pieces from 7″ to 6″. If we don’t shorten the length of the rear brace then it’ll cost us an extra $15 for another piece of square tubing. (total of $68)
Did you all price this project out online or by going to a local hardware store? Our prices are in line with Jaime Espiritu’s prices.
Please consider posting a complete materials list with your projects so your readers know exactly what to get at the hardware store. The metals were easy to pick out, but the bolts were not. I spent a few minutes doing some quick math and talking to the hardware sales person. After he looked at the plans he gave me some suggestions for the bolts. Hopefully they work.
Thanks for the project and have a good day!
Interestingly if you buy a 96″ piece of 3/4″ square aluminum tubing it’s only a dollar more than the 48″ piece. That’s where the hacksaw comes in.
http://tinyurl.com/7asvlct
@Kim
I just came from the hardware store and spent about $56 for supplies minus bolts and washers. I do agree, $25 is not enough to build this rig. Especially if you don’t have any quick releases just laying around.
With that said, it is a lot better than spending $500+
Hi. Loving the Jib and plan to make one. Just wanted to know the thickness of the metal in the tubing you used. Here in the UK, I can get 3/4″ aluminium tube with thickness either 1.6mm or 3.25mm (i’m talking actual thickness of the metal sides of the tube). The 3.25mm will be stronger but also weigh more. Can I get away with using the 1.6mm thick stuff or will it flex too much? What did you use?
Andrew, if you keep the crane short for a small camera you can use the thinner wall.
Looks great, are the measurements right? 5′ rail on top and 3′ rail on the bottom. I’m mocking one up and it seems a foot too short on the bottom. What do you think?
The top square tube is 0.75″ and 4′ long. The bottom square tube is 0.75″ and 3′ long, Eric!
Got it now! The diagram is a little confusing, It looked to me like 4′ plus an additional 1′ overhang. Thanks for a great post!
Hi olivia
thanks a lot for this !
I’am french and glad to can see this on internet, thanks to you and your great website
(sorry for my bad english …)
I realised mine today
BUT I have some problems
1st :
same as ERIC
I respected dimensions
but the bottom is 1′ long only !?
(3′ long from the front, and 1′ long behind)
2 :
I
(sorry for multy reply )
2 :
I used bigger material, it’s better I thought, but I have to put 7 Kgs (15.4Lbs) , it’s verry big !
and so I’am affraid for my tripod
I don’t try on it now
so maybe with a longer bottom , I will put less weight on it …
thanks a lot, maybe I didn’t understand something
Sam, first, weigh your jib with the equipment and counter weights, if it is too heavy for the weight limitations of your tripod, it might fail under the pressure. Second, are you referring to the lengths of the two main arms? These are 4′ and 3′, please check the dimensions of the jib one more time.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9616/omaticcopier.jpg
Made one this weekend. Works Great. Lowes parts were 48.00 but worth it.
@greg. . . . . obviously if your investing $700 dollars into a professional jib and watching diy videos on jibs, something must not be working for you…. Im no where near a professional (or consider myself one) but I can shoot, and edit just as good, or better, than you “so called” professionals. . . .thanks olivia for the video……It is an asset, regardless of who looks at it.. .
Nice job ,very helpful. But how did you get to control the movement of the camera itself on the stage when doin the vertical panning
The only control you have of the camera is from the back of the jib. The stage does not articulate so you can only pan and tilt from the rear of the jib but the stage is stationary.
Just got back from Home Depot and total price was $56 including all bolts nuts, screws, tubing… BUT we might go back and buy the longer piece of tubing to save $15 PIC HERE
Either way its no less than $40 in CA
But in the test video, the camera or the stage for the camera moved. I am about to build mine tomorrow ,wana be sure of what I am doing so as not to make mistakes.thanks olivia
Great tutorial. Thanks a bunch. Big fan.
How much counterweight are you using with your GH2?
It was somewhere around 12 lbs with scuba weights for the 3:1 ratio. The short tail calls for this. If the tail is longer, the weights can be shorter.
how does it attach to tripod? I dunno understand.
It attaches via the QR plate you attach to the base of the jib
I really wanna build one; but can I have a step by step guide. And also the parts list including the bolts you used.
Both of these are in the blog post.
In reality, theres no chance of building this for cheap. Here’s what i got.
1x 3m Aluminium Tube £24
6x caps – for ends of tube £1.80
1x tripod head – to attach camera £7
1x 23 inch angle iron. – 3 pieces of 3 inch, and 2x 7inch £6.41
1x tripod £17
nylon washers £4
9x 1/4″ x 1.5 nuts and bolts £10
1x 1kg weight £7
£77.21
Really, $25? soo, that should of cost me £14, It cost me 5 times that. Not including busfair..
That being said, it’s cheaper then buying any other jib out there and it works very well.
If you were to have a spare head, tripod and weight lying around you could build this for..£40.
Come on!
Stop jabbering.
In Europe most of the parts are not as cheap as in the U.S.
Sure you have to invest approx. 2-3 times of the price in UK or Germany.
The Aluminium Tubes are 50 Euro here in germany.
I managed to get some pieces from the “waste box” of a Shop (germany)
and so I am down to 35 Euros only for the Tubes.
So, I think it will cost me approx. 90-100 Euros here in germany.
Its an ok price.
Great stuff. I was hoping to see more info on the mounts between the jib/camera and jib/tripod. How is the tripod mount connected in each case?
Just finished making my own of this Jib. Thank you so much for the build, it was a fun project to build. Now I have another, low price but useful tool for photography and film making.
I just finished mine
… I had to make a few mods for the base plates but over all it wasn’t to bad. If I was going to do this again, I would make sure I had friend with a drill press …and table saw. And once again thanks for sharing! (Oh side note.. I had to buy everything which totaled out at around $100.00… I still saved $$ though)
I just finished making this, and it was just as fun to make as it is to use it. I think it is completely worth it. It ended up costing me about $80, but it is still a pretty good price, and I was just at a local hardware store. One thing I sugest is a tutorial video that shows the steps in buying pieces, making it, putting it on the tripod, some of the little ins-and-outs of some of the smaller things for people who like having visuals, and for some of the smaller things that get missed in the original video. But honestly…I’m pretty happy with it! Thank you so much for this video, Olivia!!
Can it be made a little longer to get a little more range maybe to 7′ on top and 6′ on the bottom or will that throw the balance off?
It can be made longer, Josh, you would just need more counter weights in the rear.
Thanks Olivia. One more question though, would I have to extend the tail end from 1 foot to something longer to accommodate the extra length of the front?
I have not tried this, so I’m not positive but I don’t think you’d have to extend it by very much if any. But the counter weight ratio will change since you’re extending the front reach.
hi, i saw the glideshot review you did, any chance that you all would be using the roller bearings as well ?
Hi! Using the Glideshot bearings on the DIY jib? If this is the question, no, all of the materials are detailed in the blog post.
sorry i meant would you be using it in future prototypes. you mentioned the ball bearings when you were doing the glideshot review so i was just wondering if there was a reason why you did not include it
thanks
AR, hi they are bearing but the bearings used are nylon from a hardware store. You can find them in the article details!
OLIVIA:
Very impressive! I feel so grateful that i found your site just in time! I was looking into buying a jib crane ASAP and this really helped spell out how I can make own for 1/10th the price. Although would you have any suggestions for building a similar rig for a bigger 5-8lb professional camera? Maybe just up the tubing to 1″ or 1.5″ and all the corresponding fixtures?
Hope to hear from you soon,
Brandon Desjarlais
P.S. fell free to e-mail me as well
Brandon, since I have not done this before, I’m not too sure! You can use the same principles to make something more heavy duty though.
Lindo aporte,muchas gracias.Es sencillo y fácil de hacer para un jubilado que pasa horas en su pequeño taller de hobista, saludos desde chubut argentina.petra0170 you tube
Estoy muy contento de que fueron capaces de hacerlo, Jorge! And thank you, Google Translate! “Nice contribution, thank you very much. It’s simple and easy to do for a retiree who spends hours in his small workshop hobbyist, Greetings from Chubut”
Just priced all the parts at Home depot, $78 plus tax, stopped by Nuts and Bolts on the way home and it was only $41 for the whole set up.. those of you not even wanting to make the trek to the store someone recommended a local mail order supplier http://metalbythefoot.com/ and they can get you in actually UNDER the $25 quoted here .. before shipping.. not sure about after as I just couldn’t wait and am settling for the $41 ..time to start drilling
what ball bearing did you use? can you show the part that between the moving joint of the 4ft crane? thanks you
Hi Sam, they are nylon bearings from a hardware store. There are instruction on the link.
Hey there Olivia!
I was so impressed with this jib, I built a couple, then realized maybe I should share my experience with this.
My hats off to people who do DIY videos…they take a REALLY long time and are a lot of work!!
Anyway, if interested, the particulars on your awesome design are at: http://www.thebasicfilmmaker.com and on my YouTube channel.
Thanks for having this blog. I am connecting your video channel to mine.
Really great stuff you have there! Thanks for linking back and crediting the OTech blog.
As CheesyCam said in the YouTube comments, if you place the 4 foot bar on the top, you’ll get more upwards travel and it will not hit the QR plate. Nice work!
This is exactly what I need, and I am planning to make this jib soon. Could you tell me what weights the scuba diving weights are?
Thank you
The scuba weights added up to 15 lbs. One was a 10 the other a 5.
So is there a way to calculate an appropriate amount of counterweight? I just built my own to your specifications. I’m using a Sony VG20 which weighs about 3lbs. Wondering how much counterweight I’ll need before buying weights.
Other than that, I love the build and I had a great time making it. Thanks!
Hi Rob, use the 3 to 1 ratio. You would need around 10 lbs to your 3 lb Sony VG20.
I might give this a shot. I found this metal supply place near my house in Los Angeles. http://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/
I went to the metal supply house and the aluminum square tubing and the angled material comes in different thicknesses 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4. I picked 1/8 because it seemed to be very strong and it looked like the thickness in the build pictures. I could not find what thickness Olivia was using.
Hello Olivia, I know the jib attaches to the tripod by QR plate but how? The bolt coming out of my QR plates isn’t very long. How does it attach to the metal on the bottom for the tripod.? Thanks
@Krista you want to simply drill a hole to accommodate your QR plate in the smaller pieces of the angle iron. You can see an example of this HERE
Excellent tutorial Olivia !!!
I just went and buy everything I need to build one of these. I live in France and simply converted measures in cm. Material cost me only 30€ and I didn’t search much for good prices.
Tomorrow morning I will be building my first Jib !
Thanks again,
Cédric
hi i would like to ask if this can support a Canon t2i with battery grip
and A EVF monitor???
@Kim yes, this jib can support that payload.
Hi Olivia, 2 things:
1. I just built this today. I got a little lost with where to drill holes on all the pieces so I just made my best educated guess as well as referred back to your video several times. The jib has been assembled and works pretty smoothly for the most part. However, I had one pretty big headache. I do not have counter weights yet but I wanted to test the overall movement of the jib with my camera (Canon 7D) attached. So I used my own strength to counterweight and control the jib from the back instead of the front as you did. The single 1/4″ bolt I have screwed thru the back end angle iron to the QR plate was not enough to hold the entire jib to the tripod. I have a pretty well built fluid tripod head but the QR plate is plastic. The weight of the jib with my camera attached caused the front angle iron on the base to lift up several times from the QR plate and almost ripping the 1/4″ bolt head through the QR plate. I’m beginning to think since I tested without counterweight, that’s the reason this happened. Or maybe I need to make a modification and drill thru the front angle iron so I have 2 screws attaching the jib to the QR plate. I’m still thinking what else could have gone wrong. Your thoughts?
2. The camera base in front tilts forward when I move the crane up and down instead of staying straight up like yours in the video. This is definitely going to get annoying because when I’m in a downward angle, my camera will be looking at the floor. When I raise it to it’s max range, it’ll just be looking at the floor at a different height and totally miss any subjects or backgrounds I’m trying to focus on. At begin to think I need to drill the hole on the 4ft piece back more but didn’t see that piece sticking out at all in the video.
So I put my jib down for now and decided to see if I can get some answers online. That and make sure I don’t slend more money, make modifications to the design, and just screw the whole thing up!
@Rene Can you send me some photos or a video showing me what you are explaining? You can contact me from the “Contact” section of the OTech blog.
Also, my jib is not reaching the max height because the 2 legs touch just under the camera base.
How do you mount the jib to the tripod? also at the top how do you mount the quick release mount on?
@Caleb Hi, I wrote a blog post up on this: HERE
Do you need a fluid head with this jib? or is just smoother panning with one?
@Caleb yes, you need a fluid head with this jib
@Olivia
hey is there ny package (including parts parts except for the rod) available online so that i cud buy and just assemble from my home…?
@sreerej Unfortunately, no, there is not. You must find the pieces and assemble.
@olivia
anyways thankyu dea..u r doin a gr8 favour to others…gud to meet a beauty wid brains..:P
Just built one of these over the weekend and it turned out great. The qr plate I used was made by induro for my induro tripod (added $19.99 to the cost). I’m using large c clamps that I had lying around for my counter weights. This is the best home made jib that I have seen. Works really well and as long as you use vinyl washers between each peice of aluminum the transitions are really smooth. After building one I have no complaints or regrets. Its simply awesome for the time and money spent. A little tip… make sure your drilling for the wholes is very accurate and everything will line up fine and operate smoothly. Also the qr plate mounts to the bottom two peices of angle aluminum. Custom whole must bed drilled through your qr plate.
I built one of these over the weekend exactly as described in this post. A few things for thought… Make sure when drilling your wholes you are very accurate, as long as you are everything will line up great and your transitions will be just as smooth as if you were shooting on a professional jib. I used an Induro QR plate due to having an Induro tripod. This added $19.99 plus tax to my cost. I used common large C clamps that I had lying around in my garage, however I am currently working on a custom sand bag that weighs almost equal to my cameras. I have a supported a Canon T2i with a battery grip and a Canon 7D without a battery grip. It supported both cameras fine. The only other thing I may add to my build would be a Benro DJ80 Tilthead ($34.99 on average) to add some other unique angles. After this build Im very pleased with the time spent and cost involved. Much better then paying $700 plus for a jib that you may not use all the time. I can justify buying a $700 jib but Im very happy that I just saved myself $600 + by building this one. It supports a great deal of weight due to the tubular construction. Hope this helps some who had questions or the ones deciding to build or not to build. I say build, you wont regret it. You can check out a photo of mine on my facebook page (Tattoo My Heart Photography).
The large C clamps I used were acting as my counter weight.
@Chris thank you for sharing. Keep up the great work and keep in touch!
Hey what quick realease mount did you use?
@Caleb I’m not too sure, whatever was lying around the studio. any QR plate will work though.
Hi Olivia, this jib crane looks great. The only question I have is about the wall thickness of the tubing. It is discussed several times in these comments but I never saw how thick the 3/4″ square tubing was on your jib crane. The angle looks like it is 1/8″ thick from the photos but I can’t tell how thick the tubing is. Thanks for sharing this with all of us.
@Shane It is 1/8″ thick.
Hi Olivia, hello from the UK! Firstly, your site’s fantastic, it’s become one of the few sites I regularly pop back to see what’s new. Keep it up! Cool jib design, I’m working to see if I can gather the bits here, unfortunately we don’t have hardware stores like you guys seem to have and most UK based suppliers sell in the quantities of hundres/thousands! Fingers cross I’ll be able to sort something out (my projections are more around £50 at the moment, around £30 for the metalwork) and will post again in future with more details for those in the UK wanting to give this design a go. Thanks for the inspiration. Ta ta for now!
@Matt Thank you and keep us posted on your UK efforts to make the DIY jib! Super excited to see what you come up with.
I like this. I when i have order
Olivia, do you think this could support a typical size dslr and a matte box? Just wondering how strong this build is. Thanks!!
@Shane Yes, however you want to be sure your tripod and video head can carry the payload.
Anyone know how much weight this will support. I have a PMW-200 and was exploring using this for a couple shots. I think with the mic its 6 lbs on the nose. I am worried the square tube would crimp under the weight.
Thanks in advance -
AB
@AngryBurrito 6 lbs would be suitable. Be sure your tripod can support the payload.
How about using EMPTY WATER BOTTLE filled w/ SAND zip-tied for the counter weight?
The water bottle cap and easily be removed to empty (remove) or to add more sand to add weight to get a pretty perfect balance with whatever camera is being used.
For all the complainers out there…I bought ALL the aluminum in this list and even more for another idea I have…and guess what?……..I got it for $16.39 ONLINE ….I can’t believe the same people that make stupid comments on the internet are the same idiots that can’t do a google search.
Hi everyone!
I saw this video last week and I decided to build one of these. I was awared that the price could be a little different and I think it’s just normal…not every country will have the same price because the shipping price for these company is different because of different location.
First, you must consider a good fluid head and tripod before doing this. I had a bad on, so I bought a EI-717. It cost me around 200$ with the shipping. I bought another quick release plate around 12$. All the scews, the aluminium + the tripod cost me around 250$. Please don’t forget that you will use your tripod also for your camera, not only for your JIB.
Do not forget that the JIB is not centered, so, if you add more weight on the construction on the 4″ side (where you put the camera), it’s gonna be more than 1lbs because you added it on the longest part (this is the law of the physic!). I added around 1lbs of stronger material on my jib and I had to put 10lbs on it so it could be balanced properly (if you had 1lbs, you will need to add something around 2.5lbs just for that pounds). Please consider it.
Nice construction but remember to adapt that tutorial to your own need.
@Dany Thank you for the detailed feedback! Much appreciated from all of us.
Just completed my mini jib from your design. It works very well and I’m pretty happy with it. I am going to be shooting static interiors and this will add some nice movement to the shots!
For someone who is thinking about tackling this project, if you are going to try this with only hand tools (hack saw and hand drill) you are going to run into the problem of inaccurate cuts and drilled holes that may not match up perfectly. You may get it to work, but the most difficult thing for me was getting all the holes to line up and ending up with a reasonably square finished jib. If you have, or know someone with a metal blade on a chop saw and a drill press, you’re golden!
The aluminum stock at Home Depot was pricey. I spent about $60 on the aluminum and another $10 – $15 on nuts, bolts, washers, nylon bushings and misc., but I was in a hurry. Doing it without a deadline, I’d order the stock online and have them cut all my pieces. The weight plates were 50 cents per pound. I ended up needing 7.5 lbs. to balance a Sony A65 with a tilt head on the jib.
I added a quick release mount plate fore and aft so I can use my one tripod for many uses. That added $24 from Calumet Photo. All said and done, it was right around $100. I finished off all the tube ends with black furniture caps so it looks totally finished. It’s smooth, quiet and has a nice amount of range for a small, lightweight accessory.
Thanks for a really cool idea and thanks to all who gave additional tips and advise! I really enjoy the site.
I built this. Cost was about $100 tho… the aluminum stock alone was $80 from Home Depot. I put in hardened bolts and added a $10 set of skateboard barings. All said and done, it works nicely, but a bit clunky than I expected. It can handle a lot more than a 3lb payload, I’m able to use it with a 6lb camera rig and counter weight. It’s deceptively small… Olivia is so tiny (she makes the rig look huge). Anyway, I’ve decided to build a custom crane with adjustable length from 10′ to 16′ using carbon fiber tubing. Will have joystick pan/tilt on the camera platform…. Estimated cost ~$800 but its going to weigh about 4lbs without camera and tripod.
Hi there, I have a Velbon PH-368 fluid head and was hoping I could make a jib just like the one described in the video. My tripod is solid as rocks; I’m just not sure if my fluid head would handle the weight of the jib + DSLR camera. Would anyone know… or have an opinion?
Thanks
Dominic
@Dominic In my opinion, you might be pushing it with this video head. It claims to support up to 10 lbs. Not only topping off the weight limitation for that head but then to max it out may cause the video head to not perform optimally and/or break. You can test it out, but I think it might not stand up for too long with the jib, counter weights and camera setup.
Hi Olivia, Thanks for the quick reply. Yeah, I think I’ll try it out with a small light camera and see how that goes, but I think the best way would be to get a new head for my tripod. My last question
… any advice/reccomendation as to a reasonably priced head that would be suitable for the jib…(bearing in mind that Im an Amatuer) so the really expensive heads are out of my price range. I know you must be really busy, but if you have time, maybe you could list a few heads from low to high budget for people who are interested in making this project but might need to invest in a new head and or tripod. thanks again. This is a great project and I cant wait to finish it, just waiting for a few bits and bobs to arrive in the post and I’ll be good to go. thanks again for this 
Hi Olivia, Dont worry, I found a head that will support 22lb; that should do the trick nicely. thanks for the help. All the best.
@Dominic I will write up a blog post for you on this. Check back in 24 hours of this reply and I will have it live.
Thanks Olivia, thats really nice of you. I’m sure there are other people who will appreciate it too.
Do you I can make 5′ instead of 4′ jib?
Just got my new Nikon D7000 with 35mm 1.8f lense.
Am going to make a jib and start shooting.
Thanks
@Tsenor If you extend the build by a foot, remember to extend the tail as well by 3″. This means, 5′ on the top, 4′ on the bottom and 15″ for the tail. It will need the same 3 to 1 ratio for counter weights. Therefore, if you have a 1 lb. camera at the head, you’ll need 3 lbs to counter.
Oh I missed out ‘think’
Hey, I was wondering how do you connect the tripod with the angled iron?
@Lisa There is a 1/4-20″ threaded hole drilled which connects a QR plate to the tripod on the angle iron.
I wish she would have described how to attatch it to a tripid.
Can anybody help me out with that? Does she attach the base of the Jib with another quick release plate or what?
@Gabriel Yes, you will want to make a 1/4-20″ or 3/8″ thread at the base of the jib then attach your QR plate to that. I did a blog post on this you can find it by CLICKING HERE.
Hi Olivia,
on July 31th 2012 I wrote : “Tomorrow morning I will be building my first Jib !”
Well, I did and after 6 months using my Jib I can tell you I am very pleased with it.
Thanks again for this excellent tutorial.
Best regards,
Cedric
@Cedric That is really great news! Congrats on your build, I hope you get some killer shots with your new jib.
Hey, thx for nice crane, is this working on Manfrotto 701HDV head, or better 502? Thx
I built one, well worth the time…I managed to get 9lbs on it before its started getting flimsy I also added a 3×3 cheese plate to top angle iron to get a bit more room I didnt want screws and bolts in the way so I J.B welded it on works fine! it is currently holding a 7d, FC57 rig and wf 717 head
Olivia,
I want to build this jib but I don’t have a fluid head tripod. It is a Manfrotto 3221, very sturdy. Is it imperative that I have a fluid head tripod?
@Denny Looks like the Manfrotto 3221 is discontinued. I was able to find the specs on it over at B&H ( Manfrotto 3221WN (055BWB) Tripod Legs (Black) – Supports 13.20 lb ). According to the payload capacity, I’d say you should be okay with this tripod, however, I would be careful not to push it. Without the fluid head you just will not be able to pan the jib, only tilt.
Olivia,
Thanks for doing the research and answering so promptly. This might be obvious, but why would I not be able to pan the jib if the head that’s on the tripod pans and tilts?
Thanks again.
@Denny Oh, I didn’t realize that you have a head, just not a video head. So long as you have a panning and tilting head, yes you are correct, you can pan and tilt.
The movements may not be as fluid, but perhaps it can work for the time being. Let me know how it goes with the Manfrotto 3221!
Hi Olivia,
i have seen this tutorial some time ago and finally i got all the hardware to make it !
Will be putting it together during this week and will feedback after i test it !
regards from Portugal
Could you please explain how this jib attaches to the tripod? I really want to build this jib but i dont know if this will work with my tripod. If it helps my quick release plate is this one –> http://www.tripodquickrelease.com/images/vivitar/QR-4.jpg
LOVE LOVE LOVE this! gonna make one 2mrw! can you please tell me what lens did you use in the jib shots?
@Lucci It was the Canon 24-70mm
Hope your jib turns out well!
niiice! thank you!
Has anyone tried this with an extra foot on the two arms? So 4 and 5 feet long instead of the 3 and 4 foot sections. I can wait to build one!
Olivia, how thick are the walls of the aluminum tubing and angle irons? Also what size bolts do you use to keep together the aluminum?
@Brendan I’m not 100% certain about the thickness of the walls on the angle iron. A few millimeters, most hardware supply stores will have these materials with about the same measurements. Depending on which measurement you’re needing the screws for, you will just calculate the size of the tubes and/or angle iron to determine the length of the screws.
Could you please tell me the length of the bolt you are used to build the device.
@Deepak All of the measurements for the iron, bots, etc on on this OliviaTech blog post!
Olivia, thanks so much for this so-easy-to-do jib. For now everything’s under $20, whoa..! I am doing some minor modifications to fit my camcorder, and pretty heavier DSLR. My main concern now is the attachment to the tripod’s quick release plate. I am worried if the QR lone screw could hold long to support all the weight and force from the crane.. I’m using a beginner’s EOS1100D, and I must say, the jib shots flow like a pro..! Thanks Olivia..
hey there, i am a professsional metalworker building one of these for a client in the next couple of days, and i look forward to seeing how it comes together. I don’t think i can find the blog with the list of screws and such with my silly iPad, for some reason, but did you mention for folks to use nuts with nylon inserts (Nylok, or “locking nuts”) so they don’t unthread themselves over time?
Also, just being nit picky, but it may clarify for foks that the threaded hole common to tripods is 1/4″-20, not 1/4-20″ as you have it — meaning it is a 1/4″ diameter, with 20 threads per inch (as opposed to 1/4″-28, a finer thread). That may help folks at the hardware store when they are looking for a 1/4″-20 tap and the “tap handle” (that the tap goes into), if they have never done any tapping before.
Along that same vein, when tapping, use a little oil (3 in 1 works), go in a half turn, back it out a bit, repeat. This breaks the material loose each time, so the threads don’t get so gunned up — especially problematic with aluminum. TO make starting the tap easier, a LIGHT countersink on the hole (meaning a light bevel on the edge of the hole) done with a countersink bit helps. And clamp the crap out of that thing so it doesn’t move, and go in as straing as possible (eyeball it from both sides, or have a friend help). This will keep the angle level to the mounting plate.
Great post, and thanks for helping give folks the power to make stuff themselves. Sorry if this is excessive technical info, but as an occasional teacher, I like to give more info than less ;-}
@John Thanks for the advice for those making the jib! Also HERE are the measurements.
Olivia, im a little confused. You have a 3ft. piece of square tubing then you have a 4ft. piece. The 3ft. goes on the botom with the 4ft. on the top, but then in the direction image it say with an extra 1ft piece for a tail that the counter weight attach to. My question being, is this just a 5ft. piece or a 4ft. with a 1ft. attaching to it on the support screw?
Thanks so much, can not wait to get his started!
Ken
@Ken The extra foot of square tubing will extend as the tail. It will be a 4 foot piece total, not 5. So it is a 4 foot piece with the extra foot past the 3 foot below extending out as the tail.
For those of you who are cheap, just use 1/2″ or 3/4″ steel Electrical conduit instead for the long sections. A 10′ tube is only a few bucks. It’s be alittle heavier but work fine. It’s worth it to spend a little more and just make it out of aluminum though.