What's Your LS300 Setup?

[Dave Rochelle]

Thanks in large part to the many great posts & insights shared over the last year by Lee, Noa, Steve Rosen, Steve Mullen and others... I have decided to buy this camera.

I will be transitioning from the Panasonic AF100 and am interested in building a rig with ergonomics similar to those I have enjoyed with that camera (using a wooden handle with start-stop trigger made by Olof at WestsideAV).

I am particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has rigged a similar handle (I've looked at the Tilta wooden handle, and the Kinogrip Grenoble handle) - about exactly how you have it attached and how you find it works with the LS300. But I would love to know any and all details about how you've rigged & outfitted anything else with this camera (baseplate, rails, mics, wireless receiver, monitor, viewfinder, etc.)

I have a lot of m43 glass, and shoot equal amounts handheld & tripod/slider mounted. I will likely not rig the cam for true shoulder mounting, but rather support it in my right hand (with a side-mounted handle) and focus etc. with left. I will probably try to get by with the built-in LCD for hand-held use, and will not be mounting a matte box.

Thank you in advance for details and pics you might be able to share.

[Steve Rosen]

If someone would tell me how to successfully post a picture on this site I will put up one of my LS300, which uses many "parts" I had created for my AF100.

Simply put, a lower than stock 15mm rail block (keeps the CG down) under the front on a camera-base size aluminum plate - the rod block Contigo makes for the Pocket Camera is perfect, but there are others like SmallRig.

A SmallRig shoulder pad attached behind the block to the plate under the rear of the camera.

A pivoting rod block mounted vertically on an L bracket off the handle.

An EVF (I use a Gratical or a Z-Finder) with a vertical rod block on the side, rods sliding back through the one on the camera (the eyepiece can mover forward and back and tilt for tripod work).

A vintage Aaton grip for the front, on a custom bracket on a rod block so it can slide backward and forward.

I realize this sounds confusing, but if I can ever get a picture up it'll make sense.

[Noa Put]

If you click "manage attachments", then in the pop up windows that appears click one or more buttons on your left to choose and upload the picture and then click the "upload" button on the right and then close the pop up window.

Have you tried it in that way?

[Steve Rosen]

Yup, tried it several times... don't know why this site doesn't like me... I've tried re-sizing jpgs to ridiculously small dimensions, still no luck. I'll try again later...

[Duncan Craig]

How about uploading to a cloud service and simply linking to it?

[William Hohauser]

Try a different browser.

[Dave Rochelle]

Originally Posted by Steve Rosen

Simply put, a lower than stock 15mm rail block (keeps the CG down) under the front on a camera-base size aluminum plate - the rod block Contigo makes for the Pocket Camera is perfect, but there are others like SmallRig.

That's helpful, Steve. Would love to see pics if you're able to get them posted. I had been looking at the Lanparte Dovetail Baseplate with 15mm rods, but it looks a bit high - your point about keeping a lower profile & CG is probably a good one for me as well. I'm not familiar with Contigo but will have to heck them out. Was also thinking something like the Zacuto Gorilla baseplate, or just a custom build using an appropriately sized cheese plate and rod add-ons.

In any event, I'm looking at attaching the handle via rod-mounted ARRI rosette. Thanks for responding.

[Steve Rosen]

I'll try one more time.... Okay, the jpgs are there but not visible on screen, so you have to click on them... Can anyone suggest another way?

Anyway, this is the setup I've been using for several months, and it's perfect for me... Light, small, and very efficient...

[Steve Rosen]

I'm adding two closeups, cut from the wide shot. One is the $89 controller from B&H that works perfectly with the LS300, and since the firmware upgrade I can zoom smoothly during a take. This placement lets my fingers know where the ND and iris dials are without moving my eye from the finder (it's placed in the center, mounted off the base plate).

The other is the Contigo (ViewFactor) rod block that can be bought separately from the Pocket Camera cage they make. Get it with the available bottom plate and you can attach a tripod plate. A little pricey but really slick and easy.

The rod block is screwed below and to an aluminum plate that I made. It's the size of the bottom of the camera and has a 1/4-20 set screw and a pin for keeping it from twisting - it's one of those measure twice, cut once projects, but doable with hand tools. (I had it powder coated black, but you could paint it or leave it bare metal).

Hope this helps...

[Dave Rochelle]

Thanks so much for posting those, Steve. Gotta say, that's a pretty badass looking setup. Is that rod block 60mm spacing (with 15mm rods)? I've seen plenty of pics of the LS300 in peoples' hands, but it still strikes me just how small it must be.

Re: your zoom controller, I assume there's only a single LANC jack for control on the camera? I have been looking at the Kinogrip Grenoble handle (which looks based on your Aaton handle design-wise) that has a start-stop trigger and optional F4 button... but no zoom rocker. It would be nice to have both the handle with controls and the additional zoom rocker, but I'm guessing it would be one or the other (though probably still able to zoom via the camera's own rocker).

[Steve Rosen]

Dave... I've tried several LANC controllers and not all of them work with every camera. I have a wooden movcam grip for the Pocket Cam that works with the LS, but it's sluggish and sometimes takes three or four punches to start the camera, or stop it, so you've got to be constantly paying attention.

The advantage of the one pictured is that, not only is it cheap and works well, but mounted where it is its comfortable for both handheld and tripod without re-rigging. And, as I said, positioned where it is it guides my fingers to the ND and iris wheels.

The Viewfactor rod block is standard for 16mm cameras, I don't remember the distance. I got it with the cage for the Pocket, but that camera looks ridiculous perched on top of the column it comes with, so I use just the block and the baseplate on the LS instead.

What you cant see well in the pix is the simple L bracket that is mounted on the cold shoe off the handle to mount the EVF. At first I was concerned that the construction of the handle might be sub standard and unable to support the Gratical... But I've been using it for over 4 months almost daily and its not showing any signs of fatigue... But I do take very good care of my tools and am pathologically careful...

[Duncan Craig]

I'm glad you got it working Steve. It's a lovely rig for sure.

Personally I just use my 300 naked in terms of rigging.
I rarely shoot handheld, but when I do I use a cheap Koolertron shoulder mount, add a Loupe and a wireless TX if required. Koolertron Black Hands Free Shoulder Pad Support for Camcorder

I've tried it with various cages and rails that I own, but it never stayed small enough due to my massive Vocas baseplate.

Is that a yellow cable tie end that you've glued onto the autofocus button?

[Steve Rosen]

Yup, but not glue... I cut the tie down to about 1/2" and taped it with black gaffers tape to the camera body under the button... I've done that for the infernal iris adjustment on my Pocket Camera too... Cheap, easy, works.

I should add, with the Olympus lens that's on the camera, I depend on auto focus often because that lens doesn't act parfocal on the LS300, although it does on the Pocket Cameras and did on the AF100 (same with all my other zooms, as I said in my first posts here).

As a result I set my frame, hit auto-focus, then hit it again to lock it. Sometimes I even use Face detect. However, auto focus often just plain doesn't work, whether because of contrast issues in the subject or problems with J-LOG or whatever, it just gets confused. I do miss the ability to zoom in to focus, and the Prime Zoom is a life saver - even though it's usually not enough of a zoom. Then I depend on the 1:1 in the Gratical on top of Prime Zoom.

[Dave Rochelle]

Originally Posted by Steve Rosen

Anyway, this is the setup I've been using for several months, and it's perfect for me... Light, small, and very efficient...

Steve - What's the make & model of that (slip-on?) microphone blimp/windscreen? I'm currently using a dead cat on a Rode NTG-2, but I like the profile of your cover & it might attract less attention (from kids & dogs).

[Steve Rosen]

Dave, sorry, don't remember the #... I've had that mic for nearly twenty years and the printing is worn off. It's an Audio Technica, and I know they still make a similar short shotgun. This old mic has been through hell and outlived two Sennheiser 416s (and sounds similar at a distance, although I love the Sennheisers close).

I did buy the slip-on zeppelin recently at B&H, it comes with a black fuzzy that I keep in the case. Just check Audio Technica mics on B&H's excellent site (even if you don't buy there it's great for research). The windscreen should be in the accessories section if it's still available, and then see if they make one for the Rode.