Years ago I got sick of trying to hold a pair of binoculars steady when scanning the night sky. After finding an article in an astronomy magazine detailing the benefits of parallelograms, I knew I had to make one for myself.
This parallelogram was constructed from the following materials:
- one adjustable music stand base.
- one camera tripod head - bent to allow for comfortable viewing.
- four sections of wall shelf framing.
- two blocks of hardwood with holes drilled for the bolts, music stand and camera mount.
- 4 bolts with washers and wingnuts.
- one homemade clamp to connect the binoculars to the camera mount.
- some weights to provide balance.
The camera mount was from a broken tripod and the music stand is still used for its original purpose as well as astronomy. The only item that was purchased 'as new' for this project was the shelf framing. The wingnuts allow for extra tension to be added to the framing if conditions are windy, otherwise the counterweights do the job of balancing the rig.
With this rig I can enjoy stable, wide field views of the night sky. It is great for kids as well. The adult can locate the object and lock off the camera mount and simply lower it to the child's height.
If you love using binoculars for astronomy and your camera tripod is not quite up to the task, a parallelogram might be the solution.
