I was looking at David Stall's KAP photos on Flickr a while ago http://www.flickr.com/photos/stall/ , and saw his simple method of using a few bits of string to support his camera for vertical and near vertical shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stall/394953195/in/set-72157594542375845/

This got me thinking and ended up with a simple prototype handkerchief rig known as a kaperchief..... (yeah - I know)



This simple approach to supporting a camera has a couple of neat benefits: It can support a camera with no tripod mount. It can fold up in your pocket. It is handy for those whose skills lean towards kitemaking rather than bending alloy strips and nuts and bolts.

Judicious placement of sew- on velcro strips will keep the camera in place:


Essentially the concept is very adaptable and very adjustable, simply clamping the support lines in a particular position will allow the camera to be angled. If you need more stability it is perfectly possible to insert a cross piece in at the corners to create a "picavet".

Different sizes and weights of cameras just require a bigger or smaller kaperchief.

If you are using a Gentled it can go inside or outside on velcro or in a little pouch with a snap fastener or velcro. You can cut a hole for the IR detector, or not bother, my Gentled shines through the cloth perfectly well.

Some testing and refining to do but here's the concept. Expert kitemakers - heres your chance to sew yourself a rig !

Brilliant! This concept causes a brainstorm for further developments.

This is absolutely brilliant, Simon! I really have to admire its simplicity.

That will make international travel a whole lot easier.

There you go Simon, thinking outside the box again. I love it! Keep up the good work! Can't wait to see what the next KAP tidbit will be......

So, are we ready for a new entry in the wikiKAP? kaperchief?

I'm not sure how one angles the camera, such that it would not point straight down.

I love simple Simon!
Really a great find.

A little tweak just popped into my mind..think: flowform, kite bag.....

How about a FF8 as the kite, another one as the rig and a third one as (sand) anchor? OK, a kaperchief is less expensive.

A while ago I nearly cut a lens hole in the nice suede Pentax case so I could lash the case and camera to an inflatable, common sense prevailed. After seeing Simons new Kaperchief I made a case for my S4, 4 loops sewn in so I can lash the camera to anything we fly. The case and lines weigh 6 grammes (.2oz) the all up weight 140 grames.
The case has windows hot cut in all the required places so the camera can be operated without opening the velcro fastened case.
Thanks for that Simon, you have shown the way again.
Yesterday we test flew mushrooms :-)

I love the simplicity of Simon's and Bruce's designs. Even I understand it.

I wonder how Bruce's or Simon's type of rig setup would be with some light-weight bubble wrap around most the camera. The bubble wrap would cushion the camera in the event of an unplanned landing. Bubble wrap isn't that heavy, is it?

I haven't had a camera crash <knock on wood>.

Even though I have dropped a camera, I would never bother adding anything special to a rig to protect a camera from impacts. It just doesn't figure on my list of worthwhile additions. But, having for example safety lines at key pivot points and as a backup to the tripod attachment makes a lot of sense though and I often use them to prevent drops. But if the drop happens, parachutes, foam packing, bubble wrap - no.

Is anyone trying this handkerKAP, or is it KAPerchief?

Finished. Some nice weather is promised for tomorrow.

Simon, this is simply brilliant. Bravo to Bruce & Peter.
Peter since your rig is made with some Ripstop leftover from a FF Becot modification you should sell a package "Becotized FF + kaperchief +GentLED360 Auto + wide X-type Picavet with pulleys+- KAPklips (TM)" !!!

Nice one Peter, I like the enclosed Gentled Auto.
The clips I used to fasten my effort to the line are just stainless steel clips as used on fishing swivels. I have tested these clips to 65lb load, the clips stretched a touch but did not fail. The clips are larks headed onto the kite line.

I got to flying the little red rig at a target today, the set-up works well and I can see myself making a lot more use of the "soft rig".
Today we had a very turbulent wind and the rig was quite lively however there were still plenty of in focus shots.

Is anyone else trying the simple KAPerchief rig?

Looks good, Fabian. It's off-topic, but how do you like the FC-E8 with the 570? Do you get a full circle?

@broox: When zoomed out, I do get a full circle. The circle is however a bit below the center of the picture, leaving little space between the circle and the edge of the picture. As expected, the edges are a bit soft, and there is often some blue fringing. When zoomed in 1 step (the a570is has 7 zoom steps I learned), the circle comes outside the picture.

@MNKiteman: An option I thought of was to use a plastic box e.g. used for salads, were you could easily cut a hole in the bottom, With a cover it would be a bit resistant against water.

Fabian.

As I'm flying to Majorca on holiday soon, I made two KAPerchiefs.
A vertical one

And a horizontal one.

They weigh 32 grams each and 36 g with the bag closer which keeps the strings from tangling.
The horizontal one has the hole cut off centre. Compare the two.

I'm taking the Power Sled 14 because it's very compact and weighs only 175 g. All of the sparred kites are to long for the case. The total weight of kite + rigs is less than 250 g

I hope they work OK.

Fly High

Sue