I started with a 10" Aluminum shelf support bracket ($2.00 at Home Depot).
It was very easy to bend. I used a bench vice and did the bends by hand.
The bottom bend is about 3 1/2" - the side bend is 3 5/8"
I tried to make the bends as close to the body as possible, because I wanted to be able to hold the camera normally with the bracket in place.
Here are some of the parts and the final bracket. I didn't use any rubber stripping but it wasn't needed on the tripod mount like it would be on a flash bracket. I also cut 1 5/8" off the end of the shelf bracket so I could use the AC and TV connections. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the bracket a little larger than the screw. Be sure to align the shelf bracket with the flat part to the front and the curved part to the back.
The hole for the shutter release cable was also measured and then drilled with a small drill bit.
The shutter release end-screw is tapered and was self-tapping because the aluminum was soft.
I cut the eraser off a new pencil to attach on the release rod. That way it shouldn't scratch the camera button.
The following picture is the bracket with the end part still on the bottom. I found that this didn't fit flat on my Tripod - so I used the hacksaw again (an easy job) At first, I had black electrical tape on the bottom, but it wasn't really needed.
Tools used: Bench vice, hacksaw, electric drill and bits, pencil (for measure markings and the eraser)
#2 Bracket WITH Flash.
Here, I used a 16" shelf bracket.
It is very steady - but, rather hard to make all the bends straight (parallel).
P.S. As Always, you do this at your own risk to the camera. It should be about a 1/2 hour project.
