I have already scoured the internet. Here would be a buying solution:
http://www.kesslercrane.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=15&Itemid=29
fomr what I have read and even seen, Kessler cranes are probably the best affordable camera crane. Thier design is the ONLY one I have seen that could be considered well constructed and it is the only one I would be willing to place an expensive camera on. That being said the price point might turn some people off. if that is the case I would suggest you check out these sites:
http://www.cinevidproductions.com/media/
http://www.bargain-camera.com/store/home.php
Now here is the thing; the crane from cinevid is very complex, but ist also gives you a ton of camera movement. the bargain-camera crane is a low price point, but the contruction does not look very solid, also there is no freedom of camera movement on the end of the jib. There are other cranes out there that I have seen but I really feel that they would be a poor buy as they may be too poorly constructed.
Also there is a book by Dan Selakovich here:
http://www.dvcamerarigs.com/
I own this book, and his ideas range from "pretty neat", to "I don’t think I will be putting my camera on that!" But the 2 crane designs he has are really neat.
I feel that the one thing you should be sure of when buying/making a cran is that you would feel comfortable placing a $4000 camera on the end of it. If you don’t then what good has that crane done you. Another thing that you should consider is flexability, and I don’t mean the jib arm 😀 I mean the ability to use the crane is different situations. This is why I have considered that the first link I gave you, the kessler crane, is the best option. you can buy a base 8foot model, and they there is a huge list of acccessories, such as jib extentions, and even a remote camera controller, that make this a highly versatile crane, that is also extremely well constructed.
Just remember, even on a low budget, buying the cheapest thing can be a bad Idea. So if you cannot make the $450 kessler price point. Then check out the other links. But is you are serious about filming, as most people on this forum are, go ahead and splurg just a little, and get the best crane I have ever seen for the low budget filmer.
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