Glen Elliott
February 2nd, 2010, 11:35 PM
Like many of you the onset of DSLR video has been very exciting to me. I purchased my first body (5DmkII) last Christmas and it’s been a quite a long road in regards to adjusting to the learning curve and post-production workflow required when working with these cameras. Additionally I found one of the largest particular challenges relating to the overall size/form-factor in addition to a lack of image stabilization; something I’ve apparently taken somewhat for granted on my traditional HDV videocameras.
In other words, while these cameras are capable of capturing amazing imagery- acquiring that footage without excessive camera shake is impossible. Of course you could use a tripod and achieve rock-solid stability but would lose the kinetic & organic feel good handheld footage can provide.
It wasn’t long before companies started responding with gear to address this form-factor weakness. I invested in a full fledged rig- complete with shoulder mount, rails, handles, and follow focus. At the time I thought I found a perfect fix for the difficulties related to handheld shooting. While this rig did improve handheld stability quite a bit it introduced yet more difficulties. First of all the rig was comfortable walking around the studio and shooting for short periods but the first time I took it on a shoot I realized it wasn’t comfortable after prolonged shooting. One of the reasons for this was the overall balance of the rig- it was very front heavy with put undue strain on my forearms. I tried to patch this issue by investing in counterweights which pushed the weight of the rig well over what a traditional HDV camera weighs- negating any form-factor advantage the smaller DSLR body had over larger/heavier traditional video cameras.
Additionally while shooting I often have to make adjustments to white balance, shutter, and f-stop. All of these things were difficult because the rig was designed to operate while handling both grips. It was awkward to let go of one grip and reach around with the other hand to try and make adjustments then back down to the handle again. In short it was an ergonomic nightmare.
I then decided to try using a monopod. It would effectively give me tripod-like stability but with increased mobility. It took only one shoot to realize the limitations of this method as well. While the monopod offered more mobility over a traditional tripod but still lacked the flexibility of handheld shooting. Often times I like to do mild lateral movements- something that is impossible tethered to the ground essentially by a straight pole, any lateral movements are actually arcs. While I felt this method offered advantages over handheld shooting, similar to the full rig it also introduced unique challenges as well.
Recently Cinevate released a new rig called the UNO. After seeing photos of it I was immediately interested. I looked to be exactly what I was looking for- something that would supplement handheld shooting with the camera but do so in such a way to not exponentially increase the size and weight of the rig. All the while providing rock solid stability while hand-held shooting. However, from my experiences in the past I was somewhat skeptical but not so much so to not give it a shot, and now I must say- I’m glad I did!
After taking the UNO along on two consecutive shoots I feel very confident about my initial impression of the rig. I’m very excited about it and truly feel I’VE FINALLY FOUND IT! This is exactly what I was looking for since I purchased my first 5D over a year ago.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno02.JPG
It’s design is very simple yet very flexible. It’s the only rig that I know of that uses a single rod, which further decreases it's foot print. In addition to the rod it has 4 attachments, rear body brace, link for camera mount, link for tripod mount, and handle. However in the photos it's configured a bit different.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno01.JPG
Because the camera plate is supported by only one link it's unsupported on the other end. It's not bad if you really wrench down on the screw however I found even fully tightened it had the potential to move if pressure was applied. I didn't like that so I ordered a second link so it would be supported by both ends. This increased the camera plate assembly ten-fold and IMHO should be shipped this way. However I can see that causing possible fitment problems if you wanted to fit a Durus follow focus on the UNO which would work perfectly by the way because the Durus is specifically designed to work with a single rod.
Other notable changes to the rig in these pics is the removal of the center link which allows a tripod plate connection. I removed it simply for personal preference and simplicity considering I probably won't be mounting the entire UNO to a tripod. I just wanted to note that it was possibly very simply with the included hardware.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno06.JPG
Speaking of follow focus- Cinevate just released another new product that mounts on to their existing FF gears- the Durus Focus Lever. I can't tell you how EXCITED I am about this product. It seems very simple in it's design but it's amazing how much of a difference it makes. IMHO, I think this should be sold as a package deal with the UNO. Using them together is simply awesome!
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno05.JPG
First of all in ingeniously designed. Like I mentioned it utilized existing focus gears by simply replacing one of the spokes that mounts it to your lens. It built very solid, out of powder-coated aluminum and solid brass. The lever can be turned counter-clockwise to losen and allow a free swivel adjustment to the angle that you need then a simple clock-wise twist to lock it in place. Again- a brilliant design!
Essentially it allows you to focus with your right hand, the same hand you are controlling the shutter, iris, wb, and ISO. In short it allows access to all of your cameras manual controls with a single hand! This works particularly good with the UNO due to it's design. It's not meant to be a rig the camera sits on and/or is mounted to but rather and extension of the camera. In it's stock (one handle) form it's meant to be griped, naturally, with the right hand and braced with the left, with the additional point of contact being the body brace. Creating a very solid 3-point contact with the body.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno04.JPG
As soon as I picked up the UNO and adjusted it to my liking it felt completely natural and comfortable. The ONLY instance I can see introducing shake would be to release one of your hands to operate the focus ring. The tension of the focus ring can cause unwanted movement similar to handheld shooting. This is precisely why I feel this UNO/Durus Focus Lever combo is perfect. It allows me to firmly grip the camera in it's natural location giving me access to all the manual controls- plus and easy reach for the index finger for focusing. Avoiding the requirement to reposition the hands to do so.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno03.JPG
Another aspect that really makes this rig work is it's flexibility. You literally can loosen up the grip handle and the body brace, pick up the camera and position it to your exact ergonomic perfection. Then it's a simple twist of the racheting fasteners and it's locked in position.
This rig has addressed my needs for a handheld rig for the 5D/7D cameras like no other solution thus far. I really feel Cinevate nailed this one as I've never been so excited about a DSLR "rig" thus far.
There creativity and ingenuity shines with this product. Additionally their open-minds and willingness to produce new products based on our input has never been more evident. I was literally standing next to Dennis at the NJPVA event when the Durus Focus Lever's inception was sparked. Patrick brought one of the event attendees to Dennis to show him his legacy focus ring mounted device which in a few weeks time became a new product in the Cinevate catalog. I always hear Denis mention in his videos to contact them if you have ideas for new gear and "if it makes sense, they'll build it". It was truly awesome to witness this first-hand. Thus why I truly feel Cinevate is an asset to our industry. Thank you for the UNO and the Durus Focus lever- in regards to DSLR support I can honestly say I FINALLY FOUND IT! Thank you!
In other words, while these cameras are capable of capturing amazing imagery- acquiring that footage without excessive camera shake is impossible. Of course you could use a tripod and achieve rock-solid stability but would lose the kinetic & organic feel good handheld footage can provide.
It wasn’t long before companies started responding with gear to address this form-factor weakness. I invested in a full fledged rig- complete with shoulder mount, rails, handles, and follow focus. At the time I thought I found a perfect fix for the difficulties related to handheld shooting. While this rig did improve handheld stability quite a bit it introduced yet more difficulties. First of all the rig was comfortable walking around the studio and shooting for short periods but the first time I took it on a shoot I realized it wasn’t comfortable after prolonged shooting. One of the reasons for this was the overall balance of the rig- it was very front heavy with put undue strain on my forearms. I tried to patch this issue by investing in counterweights which pushed the weight of the rig well over what a traditional HDV camera weighs- negating any form-factor advantage the smaller DSLR body had over larger/heavier traditional video cameras.
Additionally while shooting I often have to make adjustments to white balance, shutter, and f-stop. All of these things were difficult because the rig was designed to operate while handling both grips. It was awkward to let go of one grip and reach around with the other hand to try and make adjustments then back down to the handle again. In short it was an ergonomic nightmare.
I then decided to try using a monopod. It would effectively give me tripod-like stability but with increased mobility. It took only one shoot to realize the limitations of this method as well. While the monopod offered more mobility over a traditional tripod but still lacked the flexibility of handheld shooting. Often times I like to do mild lateral movements- something that is impossible tethered to the ground essentially by a straight pole, any lateral movements are actually arcs. While I felt this method offered advantages over handheld shooting, similar to the full rig it also introduced unique challenges as well.
Recently Cinevate released a new rig called the UNO. After seeing photos of it I was immediately interested. I looked to be exactly what I was looking for- something that would supplement handheld shooting with the camera but do so in such a way to not exponentially increase the size and weight of the rig. All the while providing rock solid stability while hand-held shooting. However, from my experiences in the past I was somewhat skeptical but not so much so to not give it a shot, and now I must say- I’m glad I did!
After taking the UNO along on two consecutive shoots I feel very confident about my initial impression of the rig. I’m very excited about it and truly feel I’VE FINALLY FOUND IT! This is exactly what I was looking for since I purchased my first 5D over a year ago.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno02.JPG
It’s design is very simple yet very flexible. It’s the only rig that I know of that uses a single rod, which further decreases it's foot print. In addition to the rod it has 4 attachments, rear body brace, link for camera mount, link for tripod mount, and handle. However in the photos it's configured a bit different.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno01.JPG
Because the camera plate is supported by only one link it's unsupported on the other end. It's not bad if you really wrench down on the screw however I found even fully tightened it had the potential to move if pressure was applied. I didn't like that so I ordered a second link so it would be supported by both ends. This increased the camera plate assembly ten-fold and IMHO should be shipped this way. However I can see that causing possible fitment problems if you wanted to fit a Durus follow focus on the UNO which would work perfectly by the way because the Durus is specifically designed to work with a single rod.
Other notable changes to the rig in these pics is the removal of the center link which allows a tripod plate connection. I removed it simply for personal preference and simplicity considering I probably won't be mounting the entire UNO to a tripod. I just wanted to note that it was possibly very simply with the included hardware.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno06.JPG
Speaking of follow focus- Cinevate just released another new product that mounts on to their existing FF gears- the Durus Focus Lever. I can't tell you how EXCITED I am about this product. It seems very simple in it's design but it's amazing how much of a difference it makes. IMHO, I think this should be sold as a package deal with the UNO. Using them together is simply awesome!
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno05.JPG
First of all in ingeniously designed. Like I mentioned it utilized existing focus gears by simply replacing one of the spokes that mounts it to your lens. It built very solid, out of powder-coated aluminum and solid brass. The lever can be turned counter-clockwise to losen and allow a free swivel adjustment to the angle that you need then a simple clock-wise twist to lock it in place. Again- a brilliant design!
Essentially it allows you to focus with your right hand, the same hand you are controlling the shutter, iris, wb, and ISO. In short it allows access to all of your cameras manual controls with a single hand! This works particularly good with the UNO due to it's design. It's not meant to be a rig the camera sits on and/or is mounted to but rather and extension of the camera. In it's stock (one handle) form it's meant to be griped, naturally, with the right hand and braced with the left, with the additional point of contact being the body brace. Creating a very solid 3-point contact with the body.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno04.JPG
As soon as I picked up the UNO and adjusted it to my liking it felt completely natural and comfortable. The ONLY instance I can see introducing shake would be to release one of your hands to operate the focus ring. The tension of the focus ring can cause unwanted movement similar to handheld shooting. This is precisely why I feel this UNO/Durus Focus Lever combo is perfect. It allows me to firmly grip the camera in it's natural location giving me access to all the manual controls- plus and easy reach for the index finger for focusing. Avoiding the requirement to reposition the hands to do so.
http://www.msprotege.com/members/LazerBlueP5/uno03.JPG
Another aspect that really makes this rig work is it's flexibility. You literally can loosen up the grip handle and the body brace, pick up the camera and position it to your exact ergonomic perfection. Then it's a simple twist of the racheting fasteners and it's locked in position.
This rig has addressed my needs for a handheld rig for the 5D/7D cameras like no other solution thus far. I really feel Cinevate nailed this one as I've never been so excited about a DSLR "rig" thus far.
There creativity and ingenuity shines with this product. Additionally their open-minds and willingness to produce new products based on our input has never been more evident. I was literally standing next to Dennis at the NJPVA event when the Durus Focus Lever's inception was sparked. Patrick brought one of the event attendees to Dennis to show him his legacy focus ring mounted device which in a few weeks time became a new product in the Cinevate catalog. I always hear Denis mention in his videos to contact them if you have ideas for new gear and "if it makes sense, they'll build it". It was truly awesome to witness this first-hand. Thus why I truly feel Cinevate is an asset to our industry. Thank you for the UNO and the Durus Focus lever- in regards to DSLR support I can honestly say I FINALLY FOUND IT! Thank you!