Rigging the BMCC On the Cheap

[Chris Barcellos]

Lets face it. Most of us buying this camera are doing it so we can get into a cinema type camera on the cheap. We don't have big time budgets that can support high end cameras ore all the attachments that go with it.

In the past, when I have been using a new camera, I have at a minimum, conducted a lot of "getto" rigging just to see what I really needed. Most times, this type of rigging has been enough for my purposes, since I am not setting out to impress anyone with my blue and red handles and rails, etc, etc., etc. So I am taking this same approach with the Black Magic Cinema Camera.

First thing I did was to mount the camera on a set of rails that I have used for my DSLR. Nothing extraordinary there. If anything, the way the BMCC is set up, seems to give me more room to get the gearing on a follow focus knob on the lens gearing. No real challenges in that kind of set up, in my mind.

Second thing is monitoring. I have a Marshall HDMI monitor. Guess what, it does not have SDI inputs, and the BMCC only outputs SDI. (Why did you do that Black Magic ? ) I understand there is going to be a resolution for me there, as I only have to get myself the right SDI cable to go out of the Camera, and into my Black Magic Hyperdeck Shuttle2 and I can monitor from there out of the HDMI output on that device. Otherwise, only answers would be to buy an SDI monitor or a covertor that has to also have power. I am ordering cable and will follow up on that soon.

Next thing that became clear was in hand held and run and gun situations, I knew I was going to have to do some sort of shoulder mount thing. The camera is a lot heavier than even my 5D Mark II, and for long shoots, it was clear it was going to need some sort of support.

The first thing I tried was the shoulder mounts I had built form my DSLR's aand adapted to my VG20. In some respects, they were satisfactory. But I could tell, that in day long shoots, there was going to be a real problem, as set ups put all the weight forward on my hands and wrists. It was also clear that center of balance was making the camera tip back and forth more on that kind of a set up.

I remembered Black Magic was marketing a two handle bar that bolted on to top of the camera. I gathered together about $ 15 in parts and paint, Set about making an adjustable set of hand grips to bolt on. I added that to the $ 26.00 shoulder support I had on the top shelf gathering dust. (It is now sold under Cowboy brand name, and others, as I recall.)

Another $10 materials netted me a magnified eye piece that I could use for critical focus. That resulted in a determination that I needed more that just the hood provided by Black Magic just to keep extraneous light off the LCD. So from black poster board, I made a larger hood that extends from the provided hood.

That hood will probably need further modifiction as light still spills in from behind the shooter. I am thinking a small cloth curtain will probably handle that.

I've attached photos below just to show you this project started out, and I will update as I add other things like the microphone and my Juiced Link XLR adapter.

[Chris Barcellos]

Here is an update (video) on how rigging is evolving.

Rigging a Black Magic Cinema Camera - YouTube