When shooting handheld with my XL1s, that is, shoulder mounted, with manual lens, BP945 battery, and sometimes a light, I start to feel a lot of pain in my back and shoulders fairly quickly. I've got several different shoulder mount setups I've tried, but nothing completely eliminates it. Part of it, I'm sure, is because I'm so damn short that I usually have to shoot upward.

What do you guys do? Do you just have to accept the Pain and deal with it? Is it part of the job? Have any of you transcended the Pain? I know there's other short guys out there, some probably using Betacams and such. What do they do?

Josh
I have the same problem but I'm tall and just old I guess. I have very bad arthritis , a mal formed right arm (too many breaks), a screwed up right knee and a degenerated lower spine. So far the lack of hair and the beer belly haven't become an issue.

The shoulder mounts that I've tried haven't done much. I have a Marzpak on order and I'll let you know how it works. It makes more sense than all of the shoulder braces, at least in my case. The dork factor is high , but then, that's life.

OyVey the pain!

Ichvies (i know)

What can you do, i found the best solution to get someone else to shlep the thing and tell them what to do then take 90% of the money for being the manager/director/leader of the group.
Worked wonders for my very bad neck.

Zac

Sorry, dudes, no Marzpak. I've spent enough. Zac, I'm usually alone as the shooter when the Pain becomes an issue.

Yoga.

I'm in a similar condition as Bryan - "OyVey the pain!"

However, I work out doing TaiChi and BaGwa. http://www.8palm.com - This keeps me together. :)

Robert
Yoga is only one word.

Comfort and a natural stance is still an issue that must be addressed. I looked at all of the possibilities in detail. Unless the center of gravity can be moved back over the shoulder it will be awkward, transferring the weight to the hips is better yet.

The biggest problem is lack of enough serious reviews. Many will buy a product just because it looks cool. Many will offer no negative comments simply because they don't want to admit making a mistake.

Josh
I didn't tell you to run out and buy a marzpak, I said I would let you know if it did the job. I was trying to help you with your pain issue.

When i get this rig up and running I intend on reporting back to the group so that people may benifit from my experience (pro or con). It's really hard buying equipment without the chance to try it first.

Bryan

Some of us would be genuinely interested in your experience with the Marzpak.

Cheers

Josh...

There's an ancient Asian concept of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter :-)

I can't think of any exercises right off hand that would help, except to lift weights in a similar manner. It would help build up some of the muscles used to support the camera in that position.

A lot of the problem has to do with endurance, and that can only be improved by carrying a weight for extended periods of times -- learned that through cycling a few thousand miles per year! Don't have much time to do that lately.

I take rests as often as possible. Sometimes I'll make a fist and stick it under my right elbow or upper arm, allowing the camera's weight to be supported through the forearm, my fist and into my chest. Similar to the way a rifle shooter gets into the standing position. That way your skeletal structure supports the weight, not your muscles. It also allows the shoulder to be lifted slightly and takes the strain from your neck. Leaning slightly to the left will help put the camera more in the centerline of your hips and reduce the assymetric strain.

Another rest position is to cradle the camera across my midriff with both arms, and taking a slight lean backward.

If my hand is still on the hand grip, to cross my right arm over my chest, place the camera directly across me, and bring my left arm across the right arm to keep it all in place. Again that slight backward lean to bring the weight over my hips and take the strain off my lower back. I can get into a normal shooting position quickly by just uncrossing my left arm and moving the camera back onto my shoulder.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

I used the PCP-60, which weighed in at 56 pounds, to cover football. (For the benifit of those over seas, the game runs about 3 hours).

I did this for years.

The only solution that I ever found was to just grin and bear it.

I blessed the lighter PCP-70, when it arrived on our shores.

My XL-1s, is a wonderful joy-toy on my shoulder.

I am 5 feet 8 inches in height. I think your problem doesn't exit in your height.

I'm no doc. But, it might be a pinched nerve.

Not just a case of bein' a wussy? What about a back brace? Anyone tried that?

Robert...

56 pounds!

You're 5'8" but you used to be 6'2", right?

:-)

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

The main reason I didn't buy an XL1 many years ago - it has the ergonomics that only your chiropractor could love.

But at least it feels like there's something on your shoulder. The weight makes you feel like a man. And if, God forbid, I ever operate a "real" camera, at least I'll have half an idea of what to expect. OOOh. . .I hope it's an all metal 40 pound betacam.

One day lipstick cameras will be in HD. We can just tape em to our heads and go to town.

"Makes you feel like a man" does it? Did you get one of those really long lenses?


(Got a really long shotgun mike myself. ;)

The longest. . .

I'm sure a large subset of our industry will find more daring uses for those HD lipstick cameras.

Dean, Rick, Josh

Right now they hover in the range of 18 to 26 lbs., depending on configuration.

No need to worry about those heavy weights I had to contend with in the future.

The death of film, tape, and the disc, will take a few more pounds off of the cam, as the motor drives become extinct.

By the way, Sony's DV mag, has an article on CCD vs CMOS,from a gent connected with JVC. It's of interest if you want to see what there thinking is as to the direction the cam will go. There is also a quite interesting article about memory sticks vs. the has beens.

<I've got several different shoulder mount setups I've tried, but nothing completely eliminates it>
If nothing works, did you try a monopod?

OOooh. . .can I chime in? Though my back and shoulders hurt, I suspect it'd be the same with any camera, not just the XL1s. The BEST rig I have found so far is: you take a broacast camera shoulder pad (I got lucky, there was one on Ebay for $15) and attach it to the screw hole where you normally attach the tripod plate. Most of the broadcast pads have three holes, one in the front, middle, and back. Aligning the front hole with the screw hole on the camera puts the camera where I feel it oughta be--it moves the camera backward so that less lens sticks out in front of you. Any more backward, and it'd be awkward to reach for the focus, zoom, etc. on the lens.

This is good for event videography or something where you access your lens a lot. For something filmlike, where your iris, zoom, etc. are set (perhaps), I got the Cavision rods system and handgrips that accompany it, and you can screw this into the same hole as the shoulder pad, just put the rods' mounting plate in between the pad and the camera. Now you have a very steady handheld rig (not a steadicam, people) that is also sort of comfortable, because of the pad. That is a lot of weight and stress on one screw, so be careful. I'd post pics, but I can't take a picture of myself with my camera using my camera.

When walking around with a 16 Lb. DSR-300, there are several stages one goes through.

1. Unpacking . . . This isn't so bad
2. I'm leaning
3. Damn, my shoulder and elbow hurt.
4. The back joins the chorus
5. I grow numb
6. I swap with the guy shooting my PD150
7. The back ups its complaints but the shoulder and elbow calm down.
8. Throat swallows 2 Aleve
9. Make mental note to chose another profession the next time.
10 Shoot is over, gotta pack it all up.
11. Hey, I made some money! Maybe this isn't so bad after all.


1. Unpacking . . . This isn't so bad
2. I'm leaning
3. Damn . . .

As a testimony to the bizarre ergonomics of the XL1, I would estimate that I can shoot longer with a 60 lb configuration of Steadicam on my body than with an XL1 on my shoulder. Someday I will extend the viewfinder forward 6 inches to help throw the weight further back on the shoulder, if I can ever get around to it. I can only hope that the XL2 offers some sensible redesign in weigh distribution.

<<<-- Originally posted by Josh Bass : I'd post pics, but I can't take a picture of myself with my camera using my camera. -->>>

Mirrors are great. :D

Maybe they'll just build it like a betacam, and all the extra mass will be storage space :)