Top handle for crab shoot..?
 

Obviously, the Redrock guys know style and quality, but whenever I start looking for the price tag for their products, I always brace myself.

So, I wonder if someone else makes a similar top-handle as shown below, or perhaps has an idea how to do a DIY hack..? What I'm after is a setup where I can run-gun low crab perspective footage.

(And yes, it seems like Josh, Daniel, Chris, et. al have pushed me over to the dark side -- I might soon get a 5D whenever the stars and the moon, and my wallet, are all lined up correctly ;^)

-- peer

Check out Bruce Dorn's U-Boat Commander, Kit II:

iDC Photo Store - Specialty gear for the photographer

At $370 it's a lot more affordable than most of the other alternatives.

I've had my hands on it and can vouch for it. Bruce is one of Canon's Explorers of Light.

Where did you get the rubber/foam grips for the Commander?

That might not be Chris'. I checked out the site and it says you can add 3 handles for $99... not sure if that means the foam handles or new additional handles though.

Worst case scenario, you could build them up with bicycle tape/foam handles.

Yea, I saw that too -- and, in my opinion, three foam pieces for 100 bucks go quite well with that otherwise overpriced contraption. Sorry.

-- peer

LOL, c'mon, for the video industry, 3 pieces of foam for $100 is a bargain! :)

Peer, If you want to go cheap on the run-gun low crab shots then all you have to do is mount the camera body onto a standard mono pod... turn the camera upside down and
place the camera as low to the ground as you want... its super easy to rotate the footage
back in post....

try it sometime... just put the camera beside your foot and walk around
the house...

another good use for the mono pod is to use it as a crane or jib...

I'm using the Manfrotto 3245 because I like the way it telescopes for different uses...

and it works with all of my cameras... :-)

I used this method last year on a shoot where I shot footage of radio controlled airplanes...
they were all setup on the ground and they looked great from that perspective.

DING DING DING DING -- we have a winner!

..or: Why the hell didn't I think of that?!

Thank you Ray.

-- peer

FWIW, I made this little video three years ago using the monopod upsidedown technique with an SD cam -- the idea was to get down on the dogs' level, it worked. The difference was that I could still see the LCD, that's the biggest problem I've been facing with the 5D2 -- seeing the screen given an angle that doesn't have the LCD up near my face. I've been thinking someone should make a mount like that rig above, but also include an angle-changing mirror near the LCD. The image would be flipped, but at least you could frame while holding it low.

Also, remember in post, I think you have to flip the image both up/down AND left/right.