Sure, $20 is pretty steep for a keychain, but if you want to be able to pop your camera down easily anywhere without carrying an extra tripod around, this looks like a pretty great solution. [Quirky]

He gutted an old Nikon point and shoot for its tripod screw mount, then glued it to one of those cup holder iPhone bases that you find in automotive accessories. The result is an iPhone tripod that requires no modification to the phone's body itself, which is pretty handy if you're anything less than a full-time iPhone photographer. [where art goes when it dies]

Nishi Lab and Tani Electronics co-developed a new tool/method to measure the effects of camera shake. What they found is that SLR cameras lose 1/4 of their resolution to mirror shock—the vibration from the camera's internal mirror bouncing up.

To make matters worse, the team discovered that this mirror vibration can be exacerbated by mounting the camera to a tripod under 3.3lbs.

Of course, even a light tripod can thwart general human shakiness. So while a tripod may enhance mirror shake, it's still probably helpful in eliminating human shake. And I'm guessing the human shake is a bigger problem for most amateur photographers. [Tech On! via Crave]

Using the aluminum ProPrompter Wing, an iPhone or iPod touch can be mounted to any tripod to work alongside small to midsized camcorders for a teleprompter system that's readable from 15 feet away. The $99 (introductory price) system is coupled a free software available in the App Store.

Of course, as the company is catering to the pro video crowd, there's also a ProPrompter ProMag rig that features a more studio-traditional setup including an anti-reflection hood and beam splitting glass. That'll run you $695 (introductory). Well, not you. I mean somebody with too much money to spend on gimmicky teleprompter equipment. [gizmag]

For decades, photographers have engineered little tricks to get the most out of their cameras, and most of them have carried just fine over the digital divide. Here are a few, with some newer additions collected by our friends at Lifehacker.

Build your own stabilizer out of string
Shooting long exposures without something to prop your camera on is a pain in the ass, not to mention a blurry mess. So is carrying a tripod. This video shows how to build a pretty effective foot-looping camera stabilizer out of some string, a bolt and a washer. The results are surprisingly good.

Build your own L-bracket, for serious stability, vertical mounting
If you're doing portrait photography, or have a dumpy old tripod that can't accommodate vertically oriented cameras, you can build a sturdy L-bracket for about $30. It's a bit more involved than the piece-o-string stabilizer, but it's also a lot better, and much cheaper than something you'd pick up at Wolf.

The "David Pogue Special": Use a lamp as a tripod
To round out the camera-steadying tools, here's what I call the David Pogue Special, and it's great: Many lampshade mounts share a diameter and thread size with the tripod mount screw on the bottom of your camcorder, point-and-shoot or DSLR, providing quick and dirty stabilization in a bind.

Scrounge up household flash diffusers
Shooting with flash indoors is often necessary, but can wash out your subjects, making them look sheet-white, greasy and demon-eyed. With a diffuser, the light is softened and the photos are dramatically improved. Commercial flash hoods and diffusers cost money, but aren't much more effective than what you can make yourself. A coffee filter held in front of a flash, a translucent film canister with a notch cut into it, a simple piece of A4 paper or even a piece of matte Scotch tape over the flash lens will measurably improve your drunk party photography.

Calibrate color temperature with free flooring samples
Shooting a piece of paper, gray notecard or painted wall can give you OK white balance calibration, but this guy has a better idea: snag some free floor laminate samples and built a proper calibration board.

Make flash deflection umbrellas from actual umbrellas
If you really want to go pro-hobo, you can repurpose old umbrellas into flash-directing photography umbrellas. After all, there are always plenty lying around. Here's how you do it. If you're feeling lazy, you can even get away with just an old sheet and some tape.

Build still-life photography studio for free(ish)
Ever wonder how that creepy old photographer got such a soft, vivid, dreamy picture of you and your prom date all those years ago? This is how. The project doesn't call for much more than large pieces of paper and tape—relying on indirect sunlight for the adequate lighting—but the results are impressive. It is just a small-scale testbed though, so you'll be limited to shooting Lego models, action figures and the like, but what else were you going to shoot anyway?

Snap magazine-style portraits, beautiful macros with a homemade ringlight
Flickr user jedrek has written out a detailed how-to guide for converting your external flash into a ringlighting rig, mostly using kitchen wares. If you've never heard of ringlighting, have a look at this. The technique is usually reserved for professional photographers, because real ringflashes are comically expensive. This one costs a few bucks.

Foam-fit an old bag to hold your gear
If you're packing a DSLR with lenses and accessories, carrying a full-fledged camera bag is usually ideal, but they're expensive and tend to draw attention to your cargo. With some foam, cardboard and a ratty old military-surplus bag, you can put together a stylish, stealthy and highly-functional camera bag that won't make you feel like a snap-happy father of four.

Top image of proto-pro-photo-hobo Miroslav Tichy.

Dealzmodo Hacks are intended to help you sustain your crippling gadget addiction through tighter times. If you come across any on your own that are particularly useful, send it to our tips line (Subject: Dealzmodo Hack). Check back every other Thursday for free DIY tricks to breathe new life into hardware that you already own.

Disclosure: Freelancer Curtis Walker's tour was part of a junket paid for by Manfrotto. Gizmodo staff members are disgusted by the very notion of paid trips from companies; But frankly, the video was entertaining, and Curtis's fine work stands in service to the readers. This is in no way a paid advertisement for Manfrotto.

But the ClamperPod isn't a parody, or even intended as parody. The ClamperPod is available for $16.95 on a site filled with other legitimately shoddy camera accessories. And then you realize the Internet is but a conglomerate of dreams, most of them pitiful. – Mark Wilson

Product Page

The Slik S Pole Digital (a name that is surely butchered by translation) is a helpful way for SLR photographers to get that extra bit of height for a shot. Its 30cm to 60cm can help a camera reach those tough spots, like over private fences and up to bedroom windows.

The $58 pole can also be attached to a tripod, which makes more sense for serious photographers who are trying to capture images of a bit more legitimacy (sunsets, not sunbathers). Gizmodo Paparazzi Tip: If you're not looking for tripod attachment, just go with a monopod instead - you will gain reach and the ability to plant the camera to the ground. – Mark Wilson

Product Page [via slrworld]

How to Build a Panoramic Tripod Head for $10 [Via Lifehacker]

Back in February we first saw the Joby Gorillapod. It is an extremely versatile tripod that can wrap around damn near anything. Joby has answered the requests of the people and released a bigger, better version of the Gorillapod designed for small camcorders and SLR cameras. The Gorillapod SLR uses the standard 1/4-inch screw and can hold up to 2.5 pounds of gadgety goodness. It retails for $49.95, but they are offering a coupon code for the Gizmodo readers. Enter the code, gizmodoSLR, and receive $5 off your Gorillapod SLR purchase. – Travis Hudson

Edit: There was some issues with the coupon code earlier today, but all is well now. Thanks for the patience.

Product Page [Joby]

Product Page [OSN via MobileWhack]

Similar to a real sniper rifle, they say, except that it "shoots brilliant, contrasty pictures rather than bullets." The jokes write themselves.

It even has one of those assault-rifle style stocks to help you absorb the recoil action that comes slamming down into your shoulder when you release the shutter. All 0.0001 pounds per square mile are adequately dispersed.

In all seriousness, it appears to be designed to help steady shots taken at great range without the use of an unwieldy tripod. Alas, too late to win the Cold War.

Fotosniper [Zenit]
Zenit MF-1 [Zenit]

On the side of rock? No problem. Hanging from a railing? Easy, peasy. On top of a fire hydrant? Sure thing.

While that may be all fine and dandy, what the heck is that goo on the bottom? According to inventor father and son team Randel and Tyler Byrd, it s what they call Viscoelastic Morphing Polymer Super Grip, and it s still patent pending.
The entire device stands less than two inches tall and four inches wide and can be molded (or morphed) to just about any surface. Even better, the bond is only temporary so once you re done with your shot, just peel MonsterPod off and move on to the next spot. No fuss, no mess.—Dan Havlik with DigitalCameraInfo.com

Product Page [MonsterPod]

Product Page

Each of the grippy joints on the legs are able to bend and rotate 360 degrees. The base joints also have larger grips so the tripod can stand in the traditional manner without any slippage. It uses the traditional 1/4-inch screw and only weighs 1.5 ounces. Available for $25 through the Gorillapod website.

Product Page

Wide-mouth Nalgenes for your tripod [Amazon]

Product Page
Bottle Cap Tripod [Popgadget]