How To Build A "DIY" Remote Camera Control Unit

Earlier this week Caleb Pike from DSLR Video Shooter published an interesting “DIY” video showing how he created a small wireless rig that allows him to view and (partly) control a camera remotely.

We love the ability to control cameras remotely (especially since we use overhead setups a lot for food and product videography and we can’t always physically reach the camera to view the screen or change the focus or settings.

Pike devised a system that uses two main parts inside and held rig (you can come up with your own of course and there are many ways of building something similar) but here are the parts that he used:

Accsoon CineEye – this wireless HDMI unit is really special – it can send a signal to several iOS or Android units and be used as a wireless monitor with many of the functions of an advanced monitor (including peaking, zebras, false colors and more) and at $200 it is a very interesting option.
Tilta Nucleus Nano Wireless Follow Focus – this tiny wireless follow focus unit (which we are reviewing at the moment) allows you to control a lens focus using a knob from a distance. You will need to use a lens that has gears or connect gears to your lens of course and working with lenses that don’t have hard stops is not always straightforward (but we will leave that to our own review of the unit). The Nucleus Nano sells for around $225.
Building a rig – You will need a few extra parts such as a handle, monitor stand, hot shoe, phone mount, friction arm, and a 15mm rod and clamp to hold everything in place.

What is still missing here is a way to control the camera itself. You can use different camera apps but then you will lose the monitor functionality of the CineEye. However, if you are fine with keeping the settings as they are – this setup can be very useful.

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Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.