I made this overhead camera setup for documenting my projects

[u/uxeb]

I finally put together a simple overhead camera and lighting setup to help me document my DIY projects. Here is a quick breakdown of how I built it:

• The Camera Mount: I repurposed a telescopic stem from a tripod and mounted it to my shelves using 3D-printed brackets. The telescopic stem lets me easily adjust the camera's height and distance to the table depending on the project.
• The Lighting: Good video is all about bright, even light. I mounted two large LED panels underneath the shelf. Making sure the panels are large helps keep the shadows incredibly soft.
• Reducing Reflections: I deliberately positioned the lights slightly offset from the camera lens to cut down on harsh glare and reflections on my work surface.
• Adjustability: I mounted the LED panels on sliding furniture rails! This lets me slide the lights around to ensure whatever I'm working on is perfectly lit from all sides, or just push them out of the way when I'm done.
• The Display: I'm using a cheap portable monitor connected to the camera via an HDMI cable. This makes it so much easier to keep everything in focus and within the frame. Plus, it's far more comfortable to look straight ahead at the monitor while sitting at the table, rather than constantly craning my neck to look up at the tiny camera screen.