"bean" Bags

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Dr.Manjeet Singh

Andy i am one up on you'll-i use my Turban to stablise my T.D.1(havent changed it since 1990's and weighs about 7kgs i think and at the same time allows me to feel the breeze on my central bold area. -need a crying ,laughing smiley.(ah)who needs a bean bag.

Lol, the Dr seems to be the ideal camera support

[Subzero]

Thanks Christine and Andy for the info, interesting!
Keep up the laughs Dr Singh, in these troubled times we all need some humour to lighten the day.
regards Subzero

[Jon Sharp]

Just notice this thread - I was extremely annoyed at the cost of some commercial bean bags and decided to make my own. A large bag of polystyrene beads from a sewing shop cost £2.50, (enough for about 6 bean bags).
I'm no sewer so I bought 2 face cloth bags froma store called Wilkinsons at 50p each, they are waterproof, a pillow cover for 25p, (this is a washable cover they sell I used this because it had a zip to seal it), and a length of sticky backed velcro. Total was about £5.65.
I filled the pillow cover with the beads to the desired amount, then stuffed it into one of the facecloth bags, on one of the face cloth bags I put the velcro on the outside and on the other in the inside. I then joind the two together.

For me it works a treat.

[nirofo]

Been (If you pardon the pun) using them home made for years, don't see any justification in the high prices they charge for a commercially manufactured product that is rarely satisfactory anyway! I make them quite large to fit over my car window. I regularly use my 500 + 1.4 converter on this arrangement, I even use the 2x converter on occasion, very stable unless you start to rock the car.

nirofo.

[Subzero]

Jon and Nirofo,
sorrying for my bad manners in not replying sooner.Love your suggestions and even more your costs , excellent.I have made 3 different size bags, no big deal.
One from peas/poly bag and piece of camo cloth, weight 1.5 kg.
One from a bag of ??? (clay pellets used by gardeners for decorating the top of house plants), poly bag and piece of camo cloth, weight 1 kg.
One from a bag of ??? (sack of material you put into microwave, to warm up and put on muscle injuries) poly bag and outer of camo material. weight 3/4kg.
Cost excluding the muscle bag (gift from whimp of a brother) = peas £1,clay pellets 80p, poly bags free, camo material 1mx1m £3, box of chocks for wife for sowing £3.50.
Many new to photography maybe thinking whats all the fuss about bean bags.Well they can act as a poor persons tripod, be used for dampening vibration on long/big lenses (Andy Bright), counterbalance a digigiscoping outfit (Christine),folded over car windows to steady a lens (nirofo),laid on the floor to cradle a camera for close ups of bugs/flowers/fungi etc, rested on car roofs to cradle a lens, or bunched on something so that you can line up your camera and allways be in the family photo.
regards Subzero.

[Andy]

I've used my beanbag as a pillow before now

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Andy

I've used my beanbag as a pillow before now

Sleeping on the job then !!

Don

[nirofo]

Just one point which may be of interest, the bean bag works far better if it is quite heavy and not too tightly filled. e.g. A telephoto lens sits far better if you are able to snuggle it down among the beans (whatever). I make my bean bags 12" long by 9" wide, with a 2" wall all round, (takes a lot of beans). I also make a platform to sit over the car window, this is basically two pieces of 2" x 1" x 8" wood with strips of rubber glued to one of the flat sides. Onto these 2 pieces of wood is screwed centrally a platform of 3/8" plywood 8" x 11", the 2 pieces of wood need to be fitted fairly tightly to the thickness of the glass in your car window before screwing on the platform. The bean bag then sits on top of this platform and hangs over the edge, it is held in place with velcro. I use this setup regularly with my Nikkor 500 f4 + 1.4 converter, sometimes even my 2x converter. It is very stable provided you don't rock the car. The platform is large enough to enable you to leave the lens on it hands free while you wait for something to happen.

nirofo.