Best Balanced shoulder rig for C300

[Paul Cronin]

I have looked all through the C300 forum and have not found a shoulder rig I would like to try. My work involves some shoulder work in boats shooting boat so it needs to be stable on my shoulder and able to stay there for hours.

I might try and mod DM rig from my EX3 if I don't find anything better. But I would sure prefer plug and go for a good price, a lot of the rigs are silly expensive and not worth the extra money.

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

There is no such thing as a universal balanced rig. I use a C300 often with a custom rig.

For some advice rigging, I suggest you take a look at my Rigging Guide for the BMCC. It should give you some good options to consider.

Hope this helps.

[Roger Pinto]

You have to buy some rig with lots of options for performing various changes to suit your balance. Having said that, I have been trying out various options & must say I couldn't zero in on one which gives me natural balance as RIG need to be hold with hands fold out which cox lot strain on hands & lower back. One needs to also understand that we cant do long BETAcam style ENG shoots with rig system cox they dont have the ergonomics for the natural stance we feel comfortable.

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks guys for your responses appreciate the input. I am setting up the C300 over the next three weeks while I dial in the camera and get it ready for the business. Until then I will use my sony gear.

Currently the Movcam rig looks the best to me with a few mods it might work well. I would drop the handles they only cause problems in my work. Hand on hand grip and hand on lens is the best option for me. Also being able to lower the camera below the shoulder looks nice for VCG, and my Switronix 130W/h battery off the back would help balance LCG.

I see no problem using this rig on my should for hours at a time except for its cost. The gear is light and balance should be easy to achieve. No it won't be my Sony F800 but it could be nicely balanced and lighter with no problem to use for hours at a time. Just a shame how much they charge for their gear.

I have been using a EX3 with DM shoulder mount and my Switronix battery off the back on the hinge and it works great. And a lot lighter load then the F800 rigged up.

Has anyone used the Movcam C300 rig?

[Al Bergstein]

While not sure exactly what you are looking for, I've been having a great time using the DVMultirig, with my xf105, 305 and 7D. It's quite light, folds up tiny and allows me to put the camera down even on wet boats (the legs end up looking like a spider. You can reverse the grips to the top for low angles, and use it on the floor for even lower. You can mount a lanc (I use the Varizoom on both of my cameras), on the pistol grips, they have screw mounts on a lot of the elbows, so you can mount lots of different gear as needed (external monitor, shotgun, etc. and they have an attachment for a larger battery on the back side, like a AB. I don't wear it *on the shoulder* all day, but it can be held quite nicely off the shoulder, resting against the chest when not shooting or just waiting around. Also, it has a great mount for taking the unit directly to and from a tripod. I've shot a couple of all day music festivals with it,working 20 hours a day (no fooling), and it's extremely portable and easily carried folded with camera on board through a mob.

While I have tried other systems, this one seems to work the best for my needs.

I have no stake in this company. Just a satisfied customer.

Support systems for DSLR/ DV/ HDV/ Camcoders

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Al great input and nice when a rig makes your life easy. 20 hr days I hope they pay you well?

I actually have one and was planning on using some of the parts in my mods.

[Al Bergstein]

Ha! That one was for the love of bluegrass music. I do get paid well on some other gigs, so it all comes out in the wash. I'm on this thread because I've been looking into the C100 or 300. Not currently an owner yet.

[Paul Cronin]

Agree Al,

My passion at times has me just loving the day with my camera and sailing.

[Paul Cronin]

This is video that shows the Movcam setup on the C300.

BIRTV 2012 - Movcam rigs for Sony FS700, Canon C300, KineRAW S35 and Red Epic on Vimeo

[Al Bergstein]

Seems like an awesome rig. Overkill for run and gun.

[Jeff Regan]

Here's our hybrid Arri/Manfrotto/Optitek rig:

[Paul Cronin]

Looks like that lines up well with the VF. Does not look like there is much padding on the shoulder support.

How much did that rig cost to set up?

I have tried to get three dealers to get back to me on Movcam pricing and availability and no one is contacting me back. So I have started to look at other options.

[Paul Cronin]

OK I finally ordered the Movcam rig. I did not get the V-Lock battery off the back yet since I want to see if there are other options off the back.

As I try and do with all of my purchases I went to a DVinfo.net sponsor. This time B&H since they had it in stock.

As I use the rig I will report back and let anyone who might be interested know what I think.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Originally Posted by Sareesh Sudhakaran

There is no such thing as a universal balanced rig. I use a C300 often with a custom rig.

Hi Sareesh,
Where did you buy your C300 from?

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

I don't own a C300, I rent it. Canon India sells it directly, and their service is excellent. Or, speak to Murali from Expandore: Professional Audio Video Equipment Supplier. He's based in Chennai.