Soda Bottle Rig

A cut-off soda bottle can be used as a cheap camera mounting because the camera sits snugly against the inside of the bottle. The camera is also effectively protected from impacts - a disadvantage of the Picavet suspension.

Making a rubber band harness for the soda bottle rig:

Fitting and flying a camera in a soda bottle rig:

Simplified Soda bottle rig:

Build a Soda Bottle Rig

You can also follow this visual step by step instructions below:

Tools you'll need

Drill the bottom of the bottle

Cut the bottom of the bottle :

Insert the bottom of the bottle you just cut in the bottle itself until the head :

Cut a large strip of the bottle, leaving enough on the bottle head side to host a camera :

Cut the large stripe :

Cut the large stripe in the length :

Now you have 2 narrow stripes :

Fold them in 2 in the length :

Both of them :

Cut the end of each of the narrow stripes in a "pig feet" :

If you have a welder, you can make the "pig feet" more durable by "welding" the end of the cut :

Put "feet to feet" the folded stripes :

Duct tape one side of the "feet nails" :

Mark where you want to insert the feets :

With a blade - ideally with the soldering iron, make a cut the width of the stripe :

Insert the "wings" :)

Tape the wings in :

Almost there, nice! Taking shape!

Pass the long thin rope through the nozzle :

Make 2 loops (4 threads) with the thread :

Adjust the tension of the 2 loops :

A simple knot with the 4 threads in :

Fix the threads with string tape to camera (real strong, if you use bad tape your camera may fall from 500ft in the water / in the sand / on the rocks :_(

Pull the rope back in the body :

Pull stronger till the camera doesn't move much anymore:

Screw the cap in, with the threads forced (and probably twisted while you screw in):

The screw cap with hold the 4 threads securely, it easier to adjust, and also be easy to remove :

Test the balance of your devicem ideally with a fan, your camera mount should swing gently in the wind and follow the wind like a weather vane :)

To avoid having of the mount with the pictures you take, you can crop the extra plastic :

If you want to avoid turbulence and aggravate wind drag you can make fringes at the end of each wings :

You are ready to fly !

Get out of here, inflate a balloon:

or a kite :

Attach your camera mount to the kite, and walk on the beach / or sail !

More infos here : http://cesarharada.posterous.com/grassroots-mapping-camera-mount

Watch a video by Pat Coyle about the origins of the soda bottle rig here: