# Thoughts on repurposing a guinea pig cage as an slr cage?



## jdramirez (Mar 5, 2014)

I coach softball and I'd like to be able to tape games & practice and then send clips to the girls and tell them to do better. 

But I was concerned about leaving my body and lens exposed to foul balls. 

Our guinea pig just died so I was thumping about using his 3'x2'x2' cave to house my camera.

I would get a bendy tripod and attach it to the base of the cage. Attach the camera, hit record, attach the top of the cage and done.

Am I missing anything here?


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## ajfotofilmagem (Mar 5, 2014)

Do not know the type of cage you have, but how to operate the camera and make correct framing with the camera inside?


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## jdramirez (Mar 5, 2014)

ajfotofilmagem said:


> Do not know the type of cage you have, but how to operate the camera and make correct framing with the camera inside?



Wide angle and no focus around 15 feet away... And close down the aperture a little. 

I'm not making a film... I recording practice and games to give them feedback.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 5, 2014)

Hi JD.
Thoughts
1 Just how soft is a softball?
2 How heavy is it. 
3 How fast is it. 
4 Is it not the purpose of a guinea pig cage to keep soft things in not softballs out? 
From 2&3 you can work out the energy that the cage needs to absorb to protect the camera.

Cheers Graham.


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## jdramirez (Mar 5, 2014)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi JD.
> Thoughts
> 1 Just how soft is a softball?
> 2 How heavy is it.
> ...



If I recall force = mass x acceleration squared. 

The mass of a softball is... let's say 8 ounces. The maximum speed at the 10 and under is maybe 40 miles per hour... 

And so I need to convert from stupid American to metric...

Carry the two...

And the answer is... throw softballs at the cage to see if it holds up.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 6, 2014)

Hi JD.
Actually F=MA and as you don't have any acceleration assuming a steady speed during the flight (after acceleration by the bat), the formula you need is F=Mass x Velocity squared.  but determining outcome by experimentation or "the answer is... throw softballs at the cage to see if it holds up." sounds like more fun! 
Thanks for the laugh.

Cheers Graham.




jdramirez said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > Hi JD.
> ...


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## slclick (Mar 6, 2014)

Will you share the video if and only if a ball hits the cage?


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## Orangutan (Mar 6, 2014)

jdramirez said:


> Am I missing anything here?



Put some weight on the cage or anchor it to the ground with tent pegs.


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## jdramirez (Mar 6, 2014)

slclick said:


> Will you share the video if and only if a ball hits the cage?



If I experiment and the cage holds... I'll put the camera in with a filter and I'll throw some balls at the camera with a fisheye lens...


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## agierke (Mar 6, 2014)

Why not just get a gopro. They are so small the chances of it getting hit are extremely low.


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## Jim Saunders (Mar 6, 2014)

The previous poster got to GoPro first, but the cage idea seems sound for working with what you've got. Layers of bubble wrap on the outside might make for a means of damping the impact of a direct hit.

Jim


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## alexanderferdinand (Mar 7, 2014)

Thinking loud: short focal range, f stopped down you will see a bit of the cage too.
Maybe you replace the side where the action takes place with some kind of plexiglass.
Its more reliable the some thin wires, if it is better optically- I hope so.
Nice idea anyway!


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## jdramirez (Mar 7, 2014)

Jim Saunders said:


> The previous poster got to GoPro first, but the cage idea seems sound for working with what you've got. Layers of bubble wrap on the outside might make for a means of damping the impact of a direct hit.
> 
> Jim



did I not to mention that the softball players are 10 year old girls don't have a great deal power


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## Jim Saunders (Mar 8, 2014)

jdramirez said:


> Jim Saunders said:
> 
> 
> > The previous poster got to GoPro first, but the cage idea seems sound for working with what you've got. Layers of bubble wrap on the outside might make for a means of damping the impact of a direct hit.
> ...



I missed it if you did. Your camera to do with as you like, anyway.

Jim


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