BMC 4k and Shoulder mount kits

[Ron Wilk]

I am in the process of assembling the necessary bits and pieces for an eventual—meaning, whenever it arrives—kit for a BlackMagic 4k camera. In order to facilitate handheld use I have been considering the Wooden Camera cage system and, more recently, the RedRock Ultra Field Cinema Rig. The latter appears to provide a greater degree of flexibility for handheld use while at the same time presenting with what appears to be a unique limitation. In order to limit weight, as well as the number of dangling cables, I would like to attempt to use the cam's LCD for framing and focus. But with the shoulder mount kits previously mentioned, and likely all others, the LCD will be positioned off-center. This fact, along with the LCD's reflective surface, will likely make viewing and focusing a challenge. Although I do own an Alphatron EVF, I would prefer to keep the kit as light and uncomplicated as possible.

While I realize that the 4k has yet to be released, I assume that there are BMCC users out there who may be using shoulder mount rigs. And for those of you who are, have you found a way to mitigate the perceived issue, or is it not an issue at all?
Thank you in advance.

[Alister Chapman]

What causes fatigue when hand holding a camera is strain on your arm muscles. The weight of a rig is only one small thing to consider, more important is how that weight is distributed. 5Kg sitting predominantly on your shoulder will be far easier to hand hold than 3kg of camera that you have to hold out in front of you face because you want to use the rear screen.

[Ron Wilk]

Hi Alister,
I appreciate your input.
I am not planning on literally hand-holding the cam in front of my face. What I was searching for was some sort of offset for a shoulder mount that would allow for use of the cam's rear LCD and I believe that I have found said in offerings provided by both Shape and RedRock.
That said, the majority of the time the "camera of the moment" is mounted on sticks. But there are occasions when I would like to avoid the tripod to allow for greater mobility, hence, the shoulder rig.

[Ryan Jones]

I use my NX5 on a Tilta rig, which holds the camera mostly on your shoulder. The system works well, but it could do with a bit of counter weight behind the shoulder (it comes with short rails to do this, and you can use their V-mount plate to function as the counter weight).

The other thing I've learnt with the NX5, and the BMCC looks like it'd be similar, is if you try and get a rig that allows you to use the screens built into the camera it'll be too compromised. An EVF on mine would allow me to adjust the weight much better and make it much easier to deal with.

[Ron Wilk]

Research has revealed that Shape offers a shoulder mount rig with an offset that should allow for use of the cam's rear LCD.

[Paul Kapp]

Lanparte V mount camera support systems shoulder pad baseplate
This base plate/shoulder mount would allow ergonomic control over camera and lens in a traditional ENG style. A 3rd party EVF will be necessary to go off tripod with a rig with this base but as Alister says, the issue is avoiding fatigue on your arms. Also, focus with an EVF is much easier, more accurate, and more flexible in terms of positioning. The onboard veiwfinder, while I don't believe it would be adequate for focusing, would still useful for settings and framing.