In Tip # 1, using your car as a blind was discussed. I briefly touched upon ways to stabilize your lense when shooting out the window. In this tip*, I will give specific instructions on how to make your own “beanbag stabilizer” to rest your lense on.
I discussed devices that allow you to use a tripod head from your car window. They are superb in that they offer portability and the convenience of a tripod-like stability, yet they are lacking in some areas. One area in which they lack, is in speed of setup. It takes time to set them on to your door, time to put your camera onto the tripod head and so on. This is where the BSD(Beanbag Stabilizer Device) comes in handy.
A BSD can be tossed on to the car door, and your camera/lens can be stable on top in seconds. It is simply two cloth bags filled with white beans, plastic beads or something similar. The design here will result in a BSD weighing close to ten pounds when filled with white beans. I will offer some guidelines for making your own in this article and remember, variation in dimensions from what I suggest here, will not make a “hill of beans” difference!!
You can buy a beanbag commercially (Kirk Enterprises for one), or for a few dollars you can make your own (it will be real handy to have a significant other that sews). Start with 2 pieces of medium to heavy-duty material approximately 26 by 8 inches rectangular. Camo material gives the "I am a serious nature photographer look", but realistically as long as it is not Florescent Orange, it will be fine. Next, sew the two pieces together by sewing a 3" by 6" rectangle that joins the two pieces of cloth.
This should be about 3" from the ends and centered vertically(see diagram). Now fold together and sew the three sides of each piece together. Remember to leave a gap a few inches long to add the white beans, rice or plastic beads. You can add some cross bracing if you like (see diagram), or use it as is.
A final modification can be done to create a beanbag for air travel. To make the "Ultimate BSD" designed specifically for the travelling photographer, add two zippers about six inches long. The UBSD differs only in that it allows you to add the "beans" at your destination, thereby saving yourself about ten pounds of gear to drag through the airport. Instead of sewing the ends shut, sew a zipper in place. Place a plastic ziplog bag inside to act as a "bladder" to hold the beans. This way you can empty it for ease of air travel, and when you get to your destination, you can buy some beans and fill it there. The ziplog bags also provide further strength.
Once finished, the acid test to see how well the seams are sown is to drop the BSD on to the floor from a height of 4-5 feet. It would be wise to do this test outside and not on the kitchen floor (as drawn from personal experience)! If it survives, then the seams are good (the Ultimate BSD will have the added help of the plastic bags). Be sure to sew the seams well, as there is considerable weight inside and a drop can be disastrous!
Fill each beanbag about 75% full. Some experimentation may be required here. If the bags are too full, it will not conform to the car door, and too few will not provide enough support.
The technique to use is simple, just throw it over the door, and gently pound until it conforms to the shape of the door. Then plop your camera and lens on top and away you go! One final tip for using the BSD. If you have power windows, you raise and lower the entire unit so that you are looking straight through the lense and not hunched over. Be wary when doing this for a couple of reasons. The first occurs because the BSD will essentially be “teeter-tottering” on the window and it will easy to drop the whole thing. the second is that the weight might be a bit much for the motor in the window. There is a way to restore some stability when raising the window. Get a “pool noodle”(those hollow foam floatation toys for the pool), cut off about 12 inches, make a slit to the hollow center, and place over the window pane. This won’t completely solve the problem, but it does improve it quite a bit.
The beanbag works best with AF lenses, as it is difficult to turn the focus ring when it is resting on the beanbag. Remember to hold onto your gear at all times!
In summary, a beanbag provides a quick and stable platform to shoot from your car (or any other surface for that matter). They can be purchased commercially, but they are simple to make yourself. Remember to shut off the car engine to further reduce vibrations!
* this tip was originally published on the Ontario Birding Home Page by Gord Gallant, under the Photography Tips section that was co-authored by Scott Fairbairn and John Reaume